Test av Toshiba Satelitte M40 (Engelsk)

[eirberen]

7 Day Toshiba Satellite M40 Review by eirberen

March 21 – March 27

(Should of posted this earlier but I had no time to take the pictures until now)

 

 

Models

M40: 1.6GHz/60GB PSM40C-JM300E $1,999.00 CND*

M40: 1.86GHz/80GB PSM40C-YP300E $2,399.00 CND

* $1,899 at point of sale

 

Model in Review:

M40: 1.6GHz/60GB (PSM40C-JM300E)

 

Processor

Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.6GHz, 533MHz FSB, L1 Cache 32KB/32KB, L2 Cache 2MB)

 

 

Operating System

Microsoft® Windows® XP Home

 

 

Memory

512MB PC2700 DDR (512MB x 1) / Maximum Memory: 2GB PC2700 DDR

 

Hard Disk Drive

60Gb (Actual 56Gb), 9.7mm height, Enhanced IDE, 4200rpm.

 

 

Optical Drive

Built-in DVD Super-Multi Double Layer Drive functions:

Read: CD-ROM (24x), CD-R (24x), CD-RW (10x), DVD-ROM (8x), DVD-R (8x), DVD-RW (4x), DVD+R (8x), DVD+RW (4x), DVD-RAM (3x), DVD+R(DL) (2.4x)

Write: CD-R (24x). CD-RW (10x), DVD-R (8x), DVD-RW (4x), DVD+R (8x), DVD+RW (4x), DVD-RAM (3x), DVD+R(DL) (2.4x)

 

Display System

Type: TFT Active Matrix colour LCD display

Size (diagonal): 15.4” Wide XGA TFT with TruBrite™

Screen Technology

Native LCD Panel Resolution: 1280x800x16.7 million colours

External Support and Max. Colour Support (dependant

On CRT): Up to 2,048 x 1536 x 16.7 million colours

Simulate Display Support: 1024x768x16.7 million colours

 

 

Graphics Controller

NVIDIA® GeForce™ FX Go 6600 with 128MB DDR dedicated video memory.

 

Sound System

Harman Kardon Stereo speakers.

Realtek AD1981 B Software Sound 16-bit stereo; Built-in

stereo speakers, Direct 3D Sound, DirectSound, DirectMusic,

MIDI(playback).

 

Communication

V.92 56K Data/Fax Modem

10/100 integrated Ethernet LAN,

Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG (802.11abg)

 

Expansion

Two expansion slot total. Open slots, can be filled with 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, or 1GB PC2700 DDR SODIMM modules, for maximum of 2048MB use; 1025MB + 1024MB.

1PC Card slot supports one Type II PC Cards; supports CardBus.

Ports: 5-in-1 Multimedia port (SD, Memory Stick®, MMC, xD-Picture Card™, Memory Stick Pro®), 3 USB 2.0, RJ11, RJ45, IEEE1394, FIR, external microphone port, headphone port, RGB, S-Video Out.

 

 

Keyboard

Full sized 85 keys with 12 function keys

2.7mm keystroke, 6mm height

Dedicated Windows Keys.

CD Control Function: Play/Pause, Stop/Eject, Previous, Skip/Next, Mode

 

 

Pointing Device

Touchpad Pointing device

 

 

Physical Dimensions

Dimensions: (WxDxH) 360 x 268 x 29(Front)/36.2(Back) mm

Weight: 2.72kg (6.00lbs)

AC Adapter

75W external Universal AC adaptor input voltage (100 –

240V 50/60Hz Frequency (Universal), output voltage

(15V, 5A).

Dimensions : (WxHxD) 136 x 53 x 30 mm

Weight: 400g

 

 

Additional Software

Microsoft® Office OneNote™ 2003

Norton Antivirus™ 2005 - 90 Day Subscription

Presto™ Instant On Software

 

Battery

Battery Type: Removable, Rechargeable 6-cell

Lithium Ion (Li-ion) 10.8V x 4300mAh capacity

Dimensions: (WxHxD) 206.6 x 22.02 x 53.8 mm

Battery Life: up to 3.2 hours

Recharge Time: Up to 4 hours off / 12 hours on

 

BIOS

APM Support, ACPI support, PnP support, VESA support,

DPMS support, DDC Support, SM BIOS support, PCI BIOS

Support,

 

 

Security

Cable lock slot, power on password, supervisor password

 

 

Environmental Specifications

Temperature: Operating 5° 35°C (41° 95°F);

Non Operating –20° 65°C (-4°149°F)

Thermal Gradient: Operating 15 C per hr. max;

Non Operating 20 C per hr. max

Relative Humidity: Operating 20% to 80% non-condensing; Non-Operating: 10% to 90% non-condensing

Altitude (relative to sea level): Operating: -60 to 3,000m.;

Non-Operating: -60 to 10,000m.

Shock: Operating: 7G; Non-Operating 60G

Vibration: Operating 0.2G; Non-Operating: 1G

 

 

Warranty

One (1) year parts and labour Limited International Warranty. Original battery is warranted for one year from date of purchase. Pre-installed software is excluded from TCL standard limited warranty.

 

Main Reason of Purchase:

This notebook will be mostly being intended for school related work and the occasional gaming. My main reason in purchasing this laptop was the affordability of latest video card offered by Nvidia. I use a lot of graphic intensive programs at school such as Photoshop, Illustrator and other graphical programs. I also wanted a clear and bright screen that provided crisp pictures. Asides from this laptop, my other laptop in this range I was researching on was the Gateways 7405gx & 7422gx. Unfortunately Gateway didn't release the 7422gx in Canada otherwise I'd be writing a review about it right now. Took me 3 months waiting for the 7422gx and took me 3 hours to decide and purchase the M40.

 

Pricing:

Toshiba provides 2 models, the 1.6 and the 1.8 GHz option. The 1.6 which was on sale was $1899 and included a free SMC router. I didn't see why I should of spend 400$ on a higher model when there’s always future potential in upgrading. The week of the M40 sale @ futureshop included a free wireless router after rebates and another rebate off the laptop. The on sale promos didn't lure me into why I really purchased the laptop since I already owned a wireless network before. I was lucky to pick up the last M40 box at the Scarborough location and no surprisely there was no free wireless SMC router. Instead the sales man gave me a DLink wireless router that they had in stock which was better since it was 20$ more expensive then the SMC and had the rebate option attached. Extended warranty was offered @ 399$ for 3 years which was just crazy but well worth it. Accidental coverage surely would have replaced if anything happened to it. So in total my purchase came up to around $2300 CND which would be paid off in 24 monthly payments. I think the warranty coverage is better then getting the higher model cause of its coverage.

 

First Glance:

When I went to see to see the in store demo I thought this beast would be heavy because of its widescreen but at closer inspection the 6lbs laptop was just little above the portable range for me but still would be easy to carry around in my backpack. The design may not be sleek as a Sony or an Asus but its solid look looks like it could handle a fall (which I never recommend you never to do). (: The usual 3 USB ports, DVD Superdrive, front mic/headphone ports etc. Multicard reader is useful when transferring photos from a digital cam. For some reason the Canadian M40 model blocked out the express card ports which maybe misleading for users who thought they would get that extra option which initially said that it was available on Toshibas website. Grrr

 

Screen(5/5): :bouncy:

Toshiba's TrueBrite screen at first glance was crisp and clear all around. The 17" DTR replacement with 3 GHz and an ATi9700M chip was right beside on sale at the same price but its size was just too much to handle. The 15.4 WXGA screen was prerfect for what I needed to do. A lot of companies are importing this technology into there LCD screens which gives it a crisper and cleaner look. Note you will get reflections on this screen when in bright lit room. Minor annoyance to some but I don't mind it. Toshiba's default brightness settings were way too bright for my eyes and I had to change them in the power saver properties. One thing I noticed was the hinges on the laptop screen. Unlike my other laptop I that I have this one only had 1 hinge latch with 2 hook locks. My only main concern is if the left hinge were to break accidentally it would the LCD screen to stay on permately cause of the sensor that triggers the LCD to shut down is located on the base part.

 

Keyboard/Touchpad (4/5):

Toshiba's keyboard layout looks standard at first glance. The left side placement provides multimedia keys such as your standard web browsing, media launcher and play/pause, stop, forwards and backwards. It's a nice setup when you need to access specific functions in a hurry. Can't forget the brightly blue on switch which is located on the top of the multimedia functions. When in hibernation/standby the light of the power switch turns into a different colour. Like most M40 users, the awkward placement of the windows key will confuse some owners since it standard place is beside the left CTRL/ALT keys. It gets used to when you've practiced a few times. Below the function buttons is a black bar strip that lights up when a certain Fn key is pressed with another one. I haven’t used it yet but it surely does add more looks to the keyboard layout.

 

The M40 touchpad is one of my favourite features on this laptop. It may just look like your standard touchpad but it's loaded with features. Toshiba Touch and Launch is a tool designed to perform various tasks by easily pressing on the corners of the touchpad. This includes easy access to my computer, favourites, switching between programs and desktop access. These can all be programmed to do other tasks at your favour. Looking through long documents or webpage is a breeze with the touchpad. It may not show it but there’s a scroll feature on the middle right that allows you to scroll up and down at your touch. It's very very very useful! to me at least (; It also acts as mouse so you also tap twice to double click, drag and drop and click. One of the best touchpad I’ve used.

 

Speakers (4.5/5):

These small babies may look small but they pack a punch with Toshiba's harman/kardon speaker set. Harman/Kardon are known for there amazing quality of speakers. I also do a lot of audio work because I help run an internet radio station which requires me to go though tons of music tracks. With the SRS TrueSurround XT technology you can blast your audio at full volume and still hear the clarity of any sound. 4 sound models provide you with the option of changing how you output the sound (SRS must be enabled to use this feature). I have to say this is probably the best setup you will get with a standard laptop without purchasing an external card. SoundBlaster Pro+harman/kardon speakers will enhance your mobile experience. Good stuff Toshiba (:!

 

Performance (4/5):

Intel’s new Sonoma platform with the new 533 MHz bus runs smoothly on any task. The only draw back I feel is HD loading time in graphic intensive programs that require a lot rendering of the polygons. Also note a DDR2 memory upgrade will not be available for this specific line since they striped that down. It would be nice to have theses features designed for this laptop but you'd be paying way more then the original price. Rated at 1.6 GHz this is still faster then all my computers at home currently but just barely peaks over my XP2500Mobile Desktop with 9600Pro and 786Mb DDR. So if you’re a gamer looking for fast load up times consider a 7200RPM HD and probably upgrade to 1 GB.

 

Dedicated Graphics card offered by Nvidia provides excellent performance when playing games or any gpu intensive programs. One of the man reasons I bought this was to help me with a lot of graphical work I do at school. You might want to note that there are no formal benchmarks other then user benchmarks for this graphics card since it’s a new line mobile line Nvidia just released. Trying to find updated drivers for the 6600Go on Nvidia website is a no go either. Drivers are only found on Toshiba website. I don't know if Nvidia will have driver support for this laptop because the latest drivers are about 4 versions ahead of Toshibas Nvidia drivers. Hopefully future drivers will enhance performance on the 6600Go cause that’s the only way to go. A wonderful card Toshiba has bundled in these systems which lead me to my main reason of purchase. I have to warn you though that playing any games that require the graphics card to kick in will raise the base of the laptop to a point where its to hot to be placed on your lap. Studies have show the dispersed heat emitted from the base of the laptop can be harmful to certain male parts *cough*. Male gamers beware when playing games on your lap! One minor concern I have may notice is the placement of the cooling fan on the base of the laptop. The clearance between the base and ground is minimal and may be hard for the graphics card to get regular cooling when it needs to. I have noticed that if I don't place a base under the laptop with optimal clearance of some sorts will cause the graphics card fan to kick in most of the times. This is for users who usually place their laptop on their beds and wonder why it gets so hot. I know our M45 users in the USA may find there integrated graphics lagging behind our dedicated cards but don't be hatin' this comes once in a while (; We might not have Alienware but we have a Toshiba! ;D

 

Hard drive load up times are standard with its 4200Rpm UDMA100. Like I said before if you want faster HD performance upgrade to 5400Rpm or even 7200Rpm drives to gain a performance gain. Only noticeable lag is loading up maps in Doom 3 or opening of huge files.

 

Wireless (3/5):

I was looking forward to trying out Intel’s integrated wireless feature but instead found myself hindering with problems right from the start. Before I had this laptop I already owned a wireless network using 802.11b and it worked flawlessly. I can't say if it was my network or the internal card but for some apparent reason my connection using WEP would all of a sudden drop and erase my WEP key each time. This is until I left my wireless open (which is a risk to take) that all the problems went away. Currently I'm using the WPA encryption for my connection which I always wanted to fiddle around with. Looks good so far for the least. (; In upcoming months I will travel around and readdress this problem in the near future with the WEP encryption. Maybe I should reinstall that free wireless router I got with the laptop . Toshiba also bundled special software with the wireless feature which I will discuss later on in my software review. Overall the Intel Pro/Wireless 2915ABG integrated wireless card is a fairly good card standard in most Centrino based systems.

 

Battery (3.5/5):

Hearing from other M40 reviews, it looks like you can't count on the battery to last more then 2 hours on a full charge. Personally I have not dealt with this issue yet since my system is always plugged into the power outlet. I could see that one problem could be the graphics card and LCD drawing tons of power from the system. The power setting adjustments can be changed to extend the battery life but don't expect anything more then 4 hours on this Centrino based system.

 

Software Bundle (3.5/5):

Standard software bundle included such software as Windows XP Home Edition, MS Office OneNote, InterVideo WinDVD, and trial versions of Norton Antivirus 2005 and AOL. Toshiba also included nice utilities bundled. My favourite being the WiFi AP detector that acts like radar picking up nodes around the laptop. Looks like some radar sonar from a submarine.

 

Overall:

Screen – 5/5

Keyboard/Touchpad 4/5

Speakers – 4.5/5

Performance – 4/5

Wireless 3/5

Battery 3.5/5

Software Bundle 3.5/5

 

My Final Rating: 4.3/5

 

3dMark05 - 2052

FFXI Benchmark - 30xx (doesn't display final result window)

 

Benchmarks will be provided in the pictures down below.

 

Final Thoughts:

Toshiba has put out a great system for the Canadian market. You do not usually get this kind of performance without sacrificing it at a price. Students looking for a notebook may like this cause of its graphic performance. The future always holds for potential upgrades if you want to prolong your mobile experience. The only downfall hindering this laptop would be its battery performance. Overall I think this is the best priced laptop that is currently out there which provides excellent value between performance and price. :cheers:

 

Future Upgrades:

60GB 4200RPM > 80GB+ 5200/7200RPM HD for faster access times

512mb > 1Gb+ Ram for graphical work and games.

 

Pros:

-Good price/performance ratio.

-Bright clear screen using Toshiba TruBright technology

-Latest Centrino mobile chip which can be upgraded

-Harman/kardon speaker set that’s above average then most laptops

-Latest Nvidia 6600GO Mobile graphic card (not even mainstream yet/need updated diver support!)

-Exceptional design and quality with a responsive keyboard/touchpad.

-Multimedia ports such as firewire/multimedia card reader and multimedia hotkeys

 

Cons(just issues):

-Some may have trouble with the wireless functions but covers A/B/G networks

-Express card/Bluetooth disabled seems the Aussies got this enabled.

-Could have used DDR2 memory for better performance

-Battery Life for on-the-go users (not an issue to me since there’s always an outlet near me)

 

And now for the pictures… These pictures will also be in the gallery section of the Toshiba forums.

 

Packaging:

http://img29.exs.cx/img29/5035/HPIM3129.th.jpg ( http://img29.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img29&image=HPIM3129.jpg ) http://img29.exs.cx/img29/2180/HPIM3127.th.jpg ( http://img29.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img29&image=HPIM3127.jpg ) http://img92.exs.cx/img92/1827/HPIM3156.th.jpg ( http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3156.jpg )

 

External Shots(front,side,bototm etc..):

http://img92.exs.cx/img92/9854/HPIM3187.th.jpg ( http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3187.jpg )http://img29.exs.cx/img29/6313/hpim3222mod5ro.th.jpg ( http://img29.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img29&image...m3222mod5ro.jpg ) http://img92.exs.cx/img92/4765/HPIM3137.th.jpg (http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3137.jpg ) http://img208.exs.cx/img208/4996/hpim3148mod6rd.th.jpg ( http://img208.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img208&ima...m3148mod6rd.jpg ) http://img208.exs.cx/img208/8308/hpim3142mod8th.th.jpg ( http://img208.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img208&ima...m3142mod8th.jpg ) http://img163.exs.cx/img163/9076/hpim3139mod0uh.th.jpg ( http://img163.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img163&ima...m3139mod0uh.jpg )

 

Random M40 Pics:

http://img92.exs.cx/img92/3947/HPIM3230.th.jpg ( http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3230.jpg ) http://img92.exs.cx/img92/9887/HPIM3170.th.jpg ( http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3170.jpg ) http://img92.exs.cx/img92/1070/HPIM3232.th.jpg ( http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3232.jpg ) http://img190.exs.cx/img190/5096/hpim3132resize3uc.th.jpg ( http://img190.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img190&ima...32resize3uc.jpg ) http://img92.exs.cx/img92/1082/HPIM3159.th.jpg (http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3159.jpg ) http://img208.exs.cx/img208/9901/hpim3194mod5ny.th.jpg ( http://img208.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img208&ima...m3194mod5ny.jpg )

 

 

Gaming[Ragnarok Online,Doom 3,Team Fortress Classic]:

http://img92.exs.cx/img92/6453/HPIM3219.th.jpg ( http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3219.jpg ) http://img92.exs.cx/img92/2892/HPIM3210.th.jpg ( http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3210.jpg ) http://img92.exs.cx/img92/1921/HPIM3198.th.jpg ( http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3198.jpg ) http://img92.exs.cx/img92/1775/HPIM3181.th.jpg ( http://img92.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img92&image=HPIM3181.jpg )

 

Benchmarks Applications:

3Dmark05:

http://img209.exs.cx/img209/4796/m403dmark...kmark0iq.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&ima...enckmark0iq.jpg ) 3DMark05 Score: 2052

http://img209.exs.cx/img209/384/gt104805gz.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&image=gt104805gz.jpg ) http://img209.exs.cx/img209/8839/gt208977lj.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&image=gt208977lj.jpg ) http://img209.exs.cx/img209/593/gt316302wv.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&image=gt316302wv.jpg )

SiSandraSoft

http://img209.exs.cx/img209/6829/m40cpubenckmark9ko.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&ima...enckmark9ko.jpg ) Cpu Benchmarkhttp://img209.exs.cx/img209/4061/m40cpubenckmark22ww.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&ima...nckmark22ww.jpg ) Cpu Benchmark 2http://img209.exs.cx/img209/7213/m40hdbenckmark6pn.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&ima...enckmark6pn.jpg ) HD Benchmarkshttp://img209.exs.cx/img209/3576/m40info8rq.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&image=m40info8rq.jpg )M40 Infohttp://img209.exs.cx/img209/2141/m40memorybenchmark26lg.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&ima...nchmark26lg.jpg )Memory Benchmark 2http://img209.exs.cx/img209/5047/m40memorybenckmark7gn.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&ima...enckmark7gn.jpg )Memory Benchmark 1http://img209.exs.cx/img209/157/m40preformancebenckmark16zz.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&ima...nckmark16zz.jpg )M40 Preformance Benchmarkhttp://img209.exs.cx/img209/6531/m40videocardinfo1hv.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&ima...cardinfo1hv.jpg )M40 VideoCard Info

PcMark04

http://img209.exs.cx/img209/1531/m40pcmark...hmark1zq.th.jpg ( http://img209.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img209&ima...enchmark1zq.jpg )

 

 

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