Comparison
| Laptop | MSI X-Slim X600 | Acer Timeline 3810T |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Pentium U9600 (1.60GHz, 3MB L2 cache, dual-core) | Intel Core 2 Duo U9400 (1.40GHz, 3MB L2 cache, dual-core) |
| Motherboard | MSI GS45 (MS-1691) | Acer GS45 |
| Memory | 4GB DDR2 | 2GB DDR3 |
| Memory timings and speed | 5-5-5-18-2T @ 800MHz | 6-6-6-15-2T @ 800MHz |
| Graphics card(s) | ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 512MB | Intel X4500MHD |
| Screen size and native res | 15.6in - 1366x768 | 13.3in - 1,366x768 |
| Wireless | Intel WiFi 5100 802.11a/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0 | Intel WiFi 5100 802.11a/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0 |
| Disk drive(s) | WD 500GB BEVT, 5,400RPM, 8MB cache | Hitachi 500GB, 5,400RPM, 8MB cache |
| Optical drive(s) | None, external DVD ReWriter supplied | None |
| Graphics driver | Catalyst 9.8 | Intel 7.15.10.1666 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Ultimate, 32-bit (demonstration purposes) | Windows 7 Ultimate, 32-bit (demonstration purposes) |
| Weight, inc. battery | 2,135g | 1,665g |
| Current price | £799 (as tested) | £550 (as tested) |
| Benchmarks | 7-zip (7z4.65, 32-bit) -
internal benchmark HEXUS.PiFast - calculation to 10m places CINEBENCH - multi-CPU render VLC 1.0.2 playback of Terminator Salvation 480p and 720p YouTube SD and HD playback of Earth clip Wireless tests from five feet and 18-feet away Quake 4 v1.30 - 800x600 LQ and 1,366x768 HQ Far Cry 2 v1.0.3 - 800x600 LQ and 1,366x78 HQ Battery test -Terminator Salvation 480p movie (VLC) looping |
|---|
Notes
We're comparing performance to another CULV-based laptop in the form of the Acer Timeline 3810T that uses Intel X4500MHD integrated graphics.In terms of benchmarks, 7-zip is a compression program that's multi-threaded for optimum performance. We're running the built-in benchmark.
HEXUS.PiFast tests single-core performance and CINEBENCH stresses as many cores as are available.
The video-playback tests take in two resolutions of the Terminator Salvation trailer, as found here. We use VLC player to play a one-minute section - from minutes one to two - on the 480p and 720p clips. An average CPU utilisation is then derived from the Resource Monitor.
Omnipotent Flash is then tested by running the high-definition clip of the Earth trailer on YouTube.
Wireless-throughput tests are conducted by transferring a 316MB file - Windows XP SP3, incidentally - from the host machine - setup as a server - via a 2wire 802.11b/g router. We test in two ways. Firstly, a line-of-sight evaluation with the laptop five feet away. Secondly, with the laptop two floors (18ft) below the router.
A nod towards gaming, venerable Quake 4 and Far Cry 2 are fired up and run at 800x600, ensuring all laptops can run the test, and the machine's native resolution of 1,366x768. A script sets the game to low quality at the lower resolution and high quality at 1,366x768, with the DX10 path for Far Cry 2.
The above tests are run on mains power with the laptop(s) set to high-performance mode. Two tests are then re-run with the laptop set to high-performance mode whilst on the battery. These include HEXUS.PiFast and Quake 4.
Lastly, the battery test involves setting the laptop to power-saver mode, using the 480p Terminator Salvation QuickTime movie on a looped basis, with screen set to mid-brightness (50 per cent) and WiFi/Bluetooth switched off. We time how long it takes for the laptop to go from full charge into hibernation.
