HEXUS.gaming, HEXUS.hd, HEXUS.battery
| HEXUS.hd - QuickTime 1080p clip (h.264) playback load | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP Pavilion TX2520 | Dell XPS M1330 | Dell Inspiron 690G | Novatech Centrino 2 | Toshiba Satellite A300D | Toshiba Satellite Pro A300D |
| 40.1 | 30.55 | 40.7 | 24.5 | 37.55 | 43.44 |
| HEXUS.gaming - Quake 4 v1.30 netdemo - 1,280x800 0xAA 8xAF | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP Pavilion TX2520 | Dell XPS M1330 | Dell Inspiron 690G | Novatech Centrino 2 | Toshiba Satellite A300D | Toshiba Satellite Pro A300D |
| 25.66 | 35.35 | 14.1 | 17.25 | 67.65 | 25.25 |
The Satellite features a discrete Mobility Radeon HD 3650 512MB graphics card, hence the high scores. Likewise, the Dell XPS M1330 packs in a low-end, discrete GeForce 8400M GS. Take another look at the graph, without those two, and we're left with IGP-based solutions, with Puma besting Centrino 2's X4500MHD. The venerable game is surprisingly playable at the screen's native resolution.
| HEXUS.battery - percentage left after 60m Batman Begins DVD | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP Pavilion TX2520 | Dell XPS M1330 | Dell Inspiron 690G | Novatech Centrino 2 | Toshiba Satellite A300D | Toshiba Satellite Pro A300D |
| 51 | 72 | 42 | 39 | 32 | 36 |
You may wonder why the battery-life isn't substantially better than the Satellite's. It should be, because the Pro uses energy-saving IGP graphics and the same-size battery. The answer has to do with Toshiba's build, where the DVD playback software, branded Toshiba, consistently takes around 80 per cent CPU load when displaying the film.
Note the 90 per cent overall load which will strip the battery down faster than you can say 'Call me Brenda and slap my thigh, hard'. It's a problem that we believe to be sample-specific yet it's worrying nonetheless.
As a comparison, the Satellite Pro, which is practically identical, averages around 35 per cent CPU load, and that's with a discrete graphics card that chews through watts.
