System setup and notes
| System name | HP Pavilion TX2520 | Dell Inspiron 1721 690G | Novatech Centrino 2 X20mv |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Turion Ultra ZM-80 (2.1GHz, 2x 1,024KB L2 cache, dual-core) | AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 (2.0GHz, 2x 512KB L2 cache, dual-core) | Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo P8400 (2.26GHz, 3MB L2 cache, 1,066MHz FSB, dual-core) |
| Motherboard | Quanta HP 780G (780G+SB700) | Dell RS690M (690G+SB600) | Clevo M720T (Intel GM45 + ICH7-M) |
| Memory | 3GB (2GB + 1GB) PC6400 | 2GB (2x 1GB) PC5400 | 2GB (2x 1GB) PC6400 |
| Memory timings and speed | 6-6-6-18-2T @ 805MHz | 5-5-5-15-1T @ 665MHz | 5-5-5-15-2T @ 800MHz |
| Graphics card(s) | ATI Radeon HD 3200 IGP (500MHz core, 800MHz mem) | ATI Radeon X1270 IGP (400MHz core, 665MHz mem) | Intel GM45 IGP X4500HD (400MHz core, 800MHz mem) |
| WiFi | Broadcom 4322AG 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi | Dell1395 WiFi | Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG |
| Disk drive(s) | Western Digital 250GB, 5,400RPM, 8MB cache | Western Digital 120GB, 5,400RPM, 8MB cache | Hitachi 200GB, 5,400RPM, 8MB cache |
| Optical drive(s) | HL GSA-T30L | HL GSA-T21N | TSST SN-S083A |
| Graphics driver | CATALYST | CATALYST | Unknown |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Home Premium SP1, 32-bit | Windows Vista Home Basic, 32-bit | Windows Vista Home Premium SP1, 32-bit |
| Price | £699 | £450* | £599 |
| Benchmarks | HEXUS.transcode - 200MB 1080p clip to iPhone (480x272, medium quality) HEXUS.photofix - 152MB photos auto-fixed - 25 images HEXUS.squash - 205MB photos compressed into one file HEXUS.pro - CINEBENCH R10 multi-CPU render HEXUS.usb - 4GB (180 files) transfer from USB drive to primary drive HEXUS.gaming - Quake 4 v1.3 custom-recorded netdemo at 1,280x800 HEXUS.battery - battery life after Batman Begins DVD has finished |
|---|
* now discountinued.
Notes
We're looking at performance via a range of real-world benchmarks that were first debuted in the PC Specialist Apollo Q260 GTX review.
The premise is to go away from synthetic tests that often look at facets of the system in isolation. Rather, we're looking at what most users would task their laptops for.
Two laptops with integrated graphics have been added for comparison purposes. We have an old-school Dell Inspiron 1721 equipped with Dell's previous generation IGP champ, RS690G. On the other hand is a Novatech Centrino 2-based notebook with a stouty 2.26GHz processor and GM45 graphics.
In effect, we're evaluating the three leading mobile IGP-based chipsets on the market, and our tests will focus on CPU grunt, gaming, high-definition playback, and, of course, battery life.
Benchmarks were run three times and the scores averaged, apart from the time-consuming optical and battery-life tests. The sole gaming test is the venerable Quake 4, run at 1,280x1,024 low-detail settings. The engine scales well with power, and we expect laptops with discrete graphics cards and up-to-date IGPs to cope with it.
All tests, bar the battery-life, were carried out with WiFi set to on.
