Comparison systems and notes
| Laptop | Lenovo T400s multi-touch | MSI X-Slim X600 | Acer Timeline 3810T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo SP9400 (2.40GHz, 6MB L2, dual-core) | Intel Pentium SU9600 (1.60GHz, 3MB L2 cache, dual-core) | Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 (1.40GHz, 3MB L2 cache, dual-core) |
| Motherboard | Lenovo GS45 (28154RG) | MSI GS45 (MS-1691) | Acer GS45 |
| Memory | 4GB DDR3 | 4GB DDR2 | 2GB DDR3 |
| Memory timings and speed | 7-7-7-20-2T @ 1,064MHz | 5-5-5-18-2T @ 800MHz | 6-6-6-15-2T @ 800MHz |
| Graphics | Intel GMA 4500MHD | ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 512MB | Intel GMA 4500MHD |
| Screen size and native res | 14.1in - 1,440x900 | 15.6in - 1,366x768 | 13.3in - 1,366x768 |
| Wireless | Intel WiFi 5300 802.11a/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0 | Intel WiFi 5100 802.11a/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0 | Intel WiFi 5100 802.11a/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0 |
| Disk drive | Toshiba 128GB SSD | WD 500GB BEVT, 5,400RPM, 8MB cache | Hitachi 500GB, 5,400RPM, 8MB cache |
| Optical drive | 8x Ultrabay Slim DVD ReWriter | None, external DVD ReWriter supplied | None |
| Graphics driver | Intel 8.15.10.1872 | Catalyst 9.8 | Intel 7.15.10.1666 |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit (demonstration purposes) | Windows 7 Ultimate, 32-bit (demonstration purposes) | Windows 7 Ultimate, 32-bit (demonstration purposes) |
| Current price | £1,900 (approximately, as tested) | £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 Quake 4 v1.30 - 800x600 LQ Battery test -Terminator Salvation 480p movie (VLC) looping |
|---|
Notes
A limited number of notebooks have passed through our newly-revised benchmark suite. As a result, we don't yet have a direct competitor to the T400s. In order to gage the level of performance, we're comparing results with a pair of Intel CULV-based notebooks: the MSI X-Slim X600 with discrete ATI Radeon graphics and Acer Timeline 3810T with integrated Intel 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.
For a quick take on gaming, Quake 4 is run at 800x600 with low quality settings. The T400s' integrated graphics processor can't run the game with 4x AA/16x AF, hence the lack of benchmarks at higher resolutions.
The above tests are run on mains power with the notebook(s) set to high-performance mode. 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.
