| uwestolt | | Administrateur | | 6 messages postés |
|  Posté le 14-05-2013 à 07:52:19   
| Review Toshiba Portégé R930-13F Subnotebook and battery life
"A showcase of technology for the ultimate in mobility". That is the headline for the Portégé devices on the Toshiba homepage. Slim and lean are the Z-devices, for example the Portégé Z930 Ultrabook (1,300 Euros/~$1759) we reviewed a little while ago. Because business users like ports, standard processors and docking stations, the manufacturer also offers a heavyweight 13.3-inch device. Dell 312-1165 Charger Our R930-13F review unit is by far the cheapest version of the family. For the Core i3-2370M with a 320 GB hard drive and without UMTS/HSDPA the retailer wants almost 800 Euros (~$1082). Not a bad offer since the more expensive version R930-11C starts at 1,000 Euros (~$1353). The most expensive i7/SSD version is 2,150 Euros (~$2909).
If the performance is not the most important thing customers could get a cheap, docking-capable, lightweight 13-inch business device. Can the Portégé R930 actually compete with the noble EliteBooks, the robust Latitudes and the legendary ThinkPads? Find out in our in-depth review. Dell 312-1242 Charger
Plenty of competition can be found reviewing business capable 13 and 14-inch devices. There are many models under 1,000 Euros (~$1353). Higher priced devices are (mostly) not listed due to better clarity (EliteBooks are therefore dropped).
13-inch
· Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E330 (i3-2370M, 558 Euros/~$755)
· Fujitsu LifeBook S792 (i5/i7, starting at 1,135 Euros/~$1535)
· Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E335 (AMD E2-1800, 459 Euros/~$621)
· [b]DELL Vostro 3360 Charger[/b] (i5-3317U, 599 Euros/~$810)
14-inch
· Acer TravelMate P643-MG (GT 640M, i5-3210M, 899 Euros/~$1216)
· Lenovo ThinkPad T430u (GT 620M, i5-3317U, 950 Euros/~$1285)
·[b]DELL Latitude E6430 Charger[/b] (i5-3320M, 797 Euros/~$1078)
· Lenovo ThinkPad L430 (i5-3210M, 659 Euros/~$892)
· Dell Latitude E5430 (i5-3360M, 700 Euros/~$947)
· HP ProBook 6470b (i5-3320M, starting at 800 Euros/~$1082)
· Lenovo ThinkPad Edge S430 (GT 620M, i5-3210M, 739 Euros/~$1000)
·[b]DELL Vostro 3460 Charger[/b] (GT 630M, i5-3210M, 558 Euros/~$755) 
The subnotebook with a weight of 1.4 kilograms (~3.1 pounds) is a bit lighter than the already lightweight 1.47 kilogram (~3.2 pound) predecessor from 2011. The usual weight for 13-inch business devices is between 1.6 and 1.8 kilograms (~3.5 and 4.0 pounds). Surprise: Toshiba still does not put the runtimes at risk and attaches a 6-cell battery (66 Wh). Dell 312-1310 Charger
A crucial factor in the combination of low weight and appropriate stability is the magnesium case. The surfaces are still stabilized with the help of a honeycomb structure (inside). Due to the low thickness of the material, weight can be saved without compromising the stability. That is the theory, in reality most of the surfaces are resistant to pressure (palm rest, bottom area). Dell 312-1311 Charger
Underneath the DVD drive however the surfaces can be noticeably dented. The cover surface is resistant to fingerprints because of the brushed finish. The flexibility of the cover is very high yet design related. The panel was mounted flexibly so no color distortion can be seen if pressure is applied to the cover or if it is bent. All the Satellite and Portégé Z-/R-devices have the lightweight characteristics in common Dell 312-1324 Charger
The stability of the magnesium plastic compound structure is good considering the low weight. Especially the base unit cannot be bent with two hands. The two silver-colored hinge covers are attached pretty wobbly. Underneath is a small yet tight joint that almost completely avoids any display teetering.
The magnesium surface is slightly brushed. The cover and palm rest have the feel of brushed aluminum (high, hard knocking noise). All the surfaces are matte but without much grip. Dell 312-1325 Charger
Only the hard drive and the two RAM slots are accessible with the R930. One RAM slot is empty. The memory controller can handle up to 16 GB.
The optical drive is usually a must in the business sector, only the less expensive 13-inch competitors waive it (TP Edge E335, Vostro 3360). The 14-inch devices except the T430u ultrabook are equipped with it. The DVD drive takes the place of potential ports especially since the back has no ports. Dell 451-11693 Charger The manufacturer is inventive with the location of the card reader above and the ExpressCard54 slot half below the optical drive. That leads to a bulky right side.
On the left side is the rare eSATA port. Before USB 3.0, external hard drives via eSATA were the benchmark when it came to speed. There are still many eSATA hard drives in offices or households that require an adaptor to work with USB 3.0 ports. The business favored DisplayPort is unfortunately not included, only VGA and the consumer oriented HDMI. Dell 451-11694 Charger
The docking port at the bottom creates the atmosphere of a real business machine. The Port Replicator PA3838E-1PRP (market price ~180 Euros/~$244) can be used with the R930 and the predecessor R830 (2011). It offers six additional USB ports (2 x USB 3.0) and a serial port.
Performance
Toshiba's 13.3-inch device is equipped with an Intel Core i3-2370M (2 x 2.4 GHz). The dual-core CPU has no Turbo Boost but at least has Hyperthreading. The integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics and the DDR3 memory controller complete the package. Dell 451-11695 ChargerThe Core i3 from the Sandy Bridge generation (2010) is already outdated. The Ivy Bridge processors have replaced this generation mid-2012. The higher-priced R930 are based on Ivy Bridge, in particular the Core i5-3210M or i7-3520M. Now we realize why the price of our review sample is so low (775 Euros/~$1048). This i3 works in devices starting at 500 up to 700 Euros (~$676 up to $947), for example the ThinkPad L430 (version). Dell 451-11696 Charger
As usual it is equipped with 4,096 MB DDR3 memory in one of the two available slots (1 x 4,096 MB module). The hard drive is a 320 GB Toshiba MK3261GSYN running at 7,200 rpm.
Processor
The Sandy Bridge i3 processor has a relatively high clock with 2.4 GHz. What is the performance difference to the Core i5 alternative 3210M, often used by the competition? TravelMate P643-MG, ThinkPad L430, ThinkPad Edge S430 and Vostro 3460 are in unison 25% ahead of our R930. Dell 8858X Charger Remarkable: Low-Voltage alternatives like the cheaper Dell Vostro 3360, with an i5-3317U, are on the same level when it comes to multi-core processing.
The difference is higher for the GPU performance, here the old HD 3000 is clearly limiting. The ThinkPad L430 is 45% faster (HD 4000). With dedicated graphics (TravelMate P643-MG, Vostro 3460, ThinkPad T430u) performance advantages of up to 291% are possible. Dell 8P3YX Charger In this case Asus uses an excellent graphics card (GT 640M) for an office device.
The battery use has no impact on the performance; all Cinebench R11.5 results were identical to the plugged-in results. We verified a steady clock of 2.4 GHz during the CPU benchmarks (no turbo with the i3). The HD 3000 seems to be throttled by Toshiba, the clock under load never went beyond 650 MHz. Based on the nomenclature the GPU can reach a clock of up to 1,350 MHz. Dell 911MD Charger
System Performance
The PCMark Vantage benchmark resulted in an overall score of 5,506 points. That is 20 to 45% behind the competition and the notebooks do not even have to be equipped with a fast SSD. If an SSD is in use like with the LifeBook S792 (+183%), then our R930 has absolutely no chance. The PCMark HDD score shows additional performance of up to 36% in particular cases, overall only +4 to +8%. What adds up as a disadvantage for the R930 is the low CPU performance on the one hand and the weak and low clocked HD 3000 on the other hand. Dell DHT0W Charger The PCMark 7 stopped the pass over and over again so we cannot give you any results.
Mass Storage
The 320 GB hard drive from Hitachi works pretty fast, although it is a conventional HDD (7,200 rpm). It reaches 79 MB/sec for sequential reading (HD Tune). The CrystalDiskMark as a second test determines 89 MB/sec (different test routine compared to HD Tune). The HDD score of the PCMark Vantage is 3,859 points (sub-score). Dell HCJWT ChargerThat is far less than SSDs in our review units (14,000 up to 20,000 points, e. g. XMG A501). A 3D sensor prevents any damage during mobile use; it parks the heads (reading/writing) in case of shock.
Graphics
To determine the gaming capabilities we use the 3DMark06 benchmark. The result is very low with only 2,477 points due to the single-channel memory and the throttled clock of the HD 3000. That is 30% below comparable systems with HD 3000 graphics and a Core i3 (ThinkPad Edge E330, ProBook 4340s). Dell M5Y0X Charger Gaming is not possible at all with the HD 3000. Even less demanding games like FIFA 13 only run smoothly with medium details. If you want an office notebook with gaming power the Acer TravelMate P643-MG (+327%) with a GeForce GT 640M is the best compromise, followed by the Vostro 3460 (+263%) with a GT 630M.
Without high load, for example browsing the web or working with Outlook, the system noise is pretty steady at 33 dB (A). However what we hear and measure is not the fan but the obtrusive humming of the 7200 rpm hard drive. Dell NHXVW Charger A silent SSD would be very convenient for the R930. The fan never turns off completely.
With continuous maximum load for the processor and the integrated HD 3000 the fan eventually gets louder than the HDD. We measure up to 43.6 dB (A), no matter whether it is the mid-level load of 3DMark06 or a stress test with Prime95 (CPU) and FurMark (GPU). Dell P8TC7 Charger
All in all the behavior of the cooling is okay, yet the ambient noise of the fast spinning HDD was distracting after only a short time. Our i3-system gets the rating "Good" from the Cooling-Diagnostics-Tool by Toshiba (tested with 20 minutes of load)
There is not much to criticize in regards to the unit warming-up; the palm rest and keyboard are always in the tolerable range below 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). Dell P9TJ0 Charger During idle and office-use most of the areas remained lukewarm (about 30 degrees Celsius/86 degrees Fahrenheit). The bottom reaches 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit) at some spots.
The peak temperatures during the stress test are much higher with 49 degrees Celsius (120.2 degrees Fahrenheit, top/bottom). This is not surprising for a light case. It can heat up (lack of mass) and cool down again very quickly. The palm rest remains lukewarm all the time; here we measure a maximum value of 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Dell PRRRF Charger During several hours of stress test HWinfo determined 81 degrees Celsius (177.8 degrees Fahrenheit) for the processor at the most (steady clock @2.4 GHz).
Speakers
The stereo speakers are on the left and right side above the keyboard. Their sound is treble-focused, thin and has almost no bass. For music playback we recommend the use of external speakers or headphones. Almost rare are the separate microphone and headphone jacks. Many notebooks use a combined port so existing speaker/microphones have to be used with a y-adaptor. Dell PRV1Y Charger
Energy Management 
Energy Consumption
The energy consumption shows a big difference between idle and high load (CPU+IGP). This is typical for Intel Core processors of the last few years. The Core i3 can be very efficient without Turbo Boost, even if it still belongs to the 32nm generation (2010). The idle consumption of the Portégé is between 6.5 Watts (energy-saving, lowest brightness) and 10.6 Watts (maximum performance, highest brightness).Dell R48V3 Charger 3DMark06 (HD 3000 + CPU) requires 45 Watts. During the stress test both the Core i3 and the graphics are working. In this case we measure 50 Watts. The small 65 Watt power supply unit (337 grams/~0.74 pounds, including cord) is sufficient.
Battery Runtime
The runtime of 7:21 hours compensates for the bad speakers and the noisy hard drive. Noticeable: The 66 Wh battery is no high-capacity power battery. This time is reached in the WLAN test, in which we load web sites via script with reduced brightness. Dell RU485 Charger It also contains video playback. In favor of the R930 we had to adjust the brightness to 117 cd/m² (dim 3 steps). This was closest to our target value of 150 cd/m. 2 steps resulted in 186 cd/m² (center), the disadvantage would have been too big. Disadvantage: The charging time for the battery was very high with 4:30 hours.
Toshiba offers a practical addition to the Portégé Z930 ultrabook with the Portégé R930 series. The target group is likely users who do not like the few ports of ultrabooks in general and the Z930 in particular. Dell T54F3 Charger The decision between the Z- and the R-model is not a matter of price; the bulky R930 is by no means a cheap economy model.
Our review unit is a small rarity and exception with a price of 775 Euros (~$1048). With an Intel Core i3-2370M and without UMTS/HSDPA the Portégé R930-13F (PT330E-038004GR) is rarely found for sale. More common are the Core i5 versions with 3G modem that are at least 1,000 Euros (~$1353) without exception. Dell T54FJ Charger Because input devices, base unit, display and the design remain the same, the question of the inexpensive entry to the high-priced business world came up since the Toshiba Portégé devices are the equivalent to the Dell Latitude and the HP EliteBook devices.
All in all we are disappointed by the handy and lightweight 13.3-inch R930. It shines with the battery runtime (7:21 hours) and the convenient keyboard. But we wonder why the manufacturer still integrates (Z830, Z930, Satellite R830, Tecra R840, Satellite R850) the same touchpad with its greasy buttons with almost no travel at all. Dell UJ499 Charger HP and Dell offer flexible, rubberized buttons with good travel in this price category. Even the less expensive ThinkPad Edge E130/E135 in the student price range (300-400 Euros/~$406-$541) has a mouse replacement with much stronger feedback.
Point two of the criticism is the unstable and cheap finish of the hinges and their covers. The flexible and thin display cover is a design related concession. The base unit is no role model in the matter of stability either, the area around the optical drive can be heavily dented when lifting and handling the device. Dell X57F1 Charger
Point three is the TN-display. Although it is matte and bright, the contrast and viewing angles are very poor. An IPS panel, at least in higher price categories, would be heavily appreciated by every customer.
The strengths of the Portégé R930-13F are the low weight (1.4 kilograms/~3.1 pounds), the good connectivity (ExpressCard54, docking port), the long battery runtime and the good standard performance. DELL 1H52F Charger Customers cannot always find these with the 13-inch alternatives. Especially the weight is much higher with often shorter runtimes. We consider the following 13.3-inch devices as suitable alternatives because of the better input devices and the higher stability in total.
· Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E330 (i3-2370M, 558 Euros/~$755)
· Fujitsu LifeBook S792 (i5/i7, starting at 1,135 Euros/~$1535)
There are some very interesting 14-inch alternatives in terms of price. From 700 to 900 Euros (~$947 to $1218) you will get a Core i5 in any case. The TravelMate P643-MG even has a powerful GT 640M. All these 14-inch devices have a docking port! But all the alternatives (13-/14-inch) have one weakness in common: A display with pale colors and small viewing angles. DELL 1NP0F Charger
· Acer TravelMate P643-MG (GT 640M, i5-3210M, 899 Euros/~$1216)
· Dell Latitude E6430 (i5-3320M, 797 Euros/~$1078)
· Lenovo ThinkPad L430 (i5-3210M, 659 Euros/~$892)
· Dell Latitude E5430 (i5-3360M, 700 Euros~$947)
· HP ProBook 6470b (i5-3320M, starting at 800 Euros/~$1082)
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