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Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 tested in every way imaginable
Lenovo's 15.4-inch IdeaPad Y530 has been around the block a time or two, but if you've been putting off a buy as you wait for someone to test this puppy out good-fashion, your day has arrived. The benchmarking fiends over at HotHardware have abused (in a good way, of course) the Y530 in pretty much every way possible, even straining the Core 2 Duo CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce 9300M to see how they fared in gaming scenarios. Critics were particularly wowed by the display's crispness and overall stability of the machine -- not once during the gauntlet of tests did this bugger crash or weep under pressure. Of course, serious gamers should probably look elsewhere, but those scouting a do-it-all laptop at a sub-$1,000 price point should definitely dive into the read link below.
Video: OQO model 2+ MID gets unboxed, previewed
We were pretty stoked about the OQO model 2+ when we got to spend a few quality minutes with it at CES this year, and apparently actually getting one delivered to your house is even more spectacular. The cool cats over at MID Moves were able to score one of the Gobi / OLED-equipped handhelds for review, and rather than making us wait until all opinions were formed, they've hosted up a nice preview video along with a few high quality unboxing shots. Initial impressions seem pretty positive, with the SSD helping things along quite significantly. Granted, we would've preferred a WiFi-on battery life of more than two hours, but what fun would it be to not have a single gripe to harp on? More pictorial delight is in the read link, and the vid's just past the break.[Via Slashgear, thanks Kris120890]
Dell's XPS 730x H2C Core i7 gaming PC benchmarked and tested exhaustively
If you thought the original XPS 730 H2C was boss, get a load of this. The incredibly diligent benchmarkers over at HotHardware have taken the Core i7-powered XPS 730x H2C under their wings for a fortnight of testing, and they've got a baker's dozen worth of review pages to display their findings. We can't even begin to cover the array of graphs, bar charts and triple-digit FPS numbers here, but we can tell you that critics were duly impressed with how well the Core i7 performance compared to older Core 2-based offerings. Gaming performance was predictably "fantastic," and even the single GeForce GTX 280 that it was packin' held its own under pressure. All in all, this fanciful machine was deemed "a worthy update to what [reviewers] thought was the best XPS 700 series system to date," and if you've got the coin, you'll probably be incredibly pleased with what it delivers. Dive deep (and we mean deep) in the read link below.
Samsung's NC10 netbook benchmarked and in the wild
Ah, how convenient! Just hours after finding out that Samsung's NC10 netbook would one day be at home here in the United States of America, along comes a host of unboxing / in the wild photos and even a few benchmarks to get you ready for its arrival. Granted, the writeup is in translated German, but fortunately for us the photographs do most of the talking. For what it's worth, the 10-inch NC10 seemed to edge out the Eee PC 901 in most tests, but not by any wide margin. Also of note, the keyboard was praised for having keys that weren't bite-sized, though the trackpad beneath it was a touch on the small side. For a few more impressions and JPEGs penned in the universal language, give that read link a visit.
ASUS Eee Box B202 detailed and tested on video
It's one thing to see a device unboxed in pictures, but we all know a video tells a million (give or take a few) words. HotHardware's Dave Altavilla has posted up a sub-5 minute clip detailing the ins and outs of ASUS' Eee Box B202, and even from an enthusiast of all things cutting-edge, he was pretty impressed by the Atom-powered machine. The most interesting bit is probably the video playback test; we won't spoil how it handled (or mishandled) 1080p playback for you -- jump on past the break and have a look for yourself.
Raon Digital hands out surprisingly high benchmarks for Everun Note
Call to action: strap that skeptic hat on, and strap it down tight. Good to go? Good. Raon Digital's first big wave of marketing hoopla for its forthcoming Everun Note netbook includes a very useful specifications list, a number of press images and a few benchmark screenshots that boast remarkably high figures. The CrystalMark screens are pretty impressive at first glance, though it's hard to say how quickly your battery would drain if it were maxed out in order to achieve such goals. Couple that with the questionable legitimacy of the shots and you've got a perfect reason to wait for an independent hands-on review before falling too hard for this here device. But yeah, we're cautiously optimistic.[Via SlashGear]Read - Everun Note benchmarkRead - Everun Note marketing pack [PDF]
Gateway's 17-inch P-6831FX gaming laptop gets reviewed
Given that Gateway just pushed out a round of updates including the relatively ginormous P Series, we reckon it was only logical to expect a review shortly. To be frank, the P-6831FX critiqued over at HotHardware is far from being the most potent machine with a 17-inch panel, but unlike many of its luxurious competitors, this one is actually affordable. So, how much gaming joy can $1,349.99 bring you? Quite a bit when the 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS and 3GB of RAM are included. Reviewers found gaming performance to be downright remarkable, though the 1.67GHz CPU did hamper it a bit in other areas. It should be noted that the unit now arrives with a slightly faster CPU among other minor extras, so if it was good then, we're guessing it's a runaway winner now.
Three WD VelociRaptors get setup in RAID 5 array, testing ensues
Western Digital's hasty VelociRaptor already got reviewed by its lonesome, but for those thinking of getting a RAID system into their rig, HotHardware has taken a trio of 'em, setup a RAID 5 array and put the drives through their collaborative paces. The configuration was made possible thanks to an Areca PCIe X8 hardware RAID card, and the results were rather impressive -- to no one's surprise, might we add. Across the entire volume, performance was generally linear save for a few small valleys along the way, burst speed was 598MB/sec and average read speed was 209.4MB/sec, which pretty much blew the doors off of everything that came before it. Number lovers, there's more where this came from in the read link below.
Intel's 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme Mobile X9000 gets tested
Who says you need a desktop chip packed within a 3-inch thick, 15-pound beast of a "laptop" to get decent FPS while at a LAN party? Intel's speedy Core 2 Extreme Mobile X9000 checks in at 2.8GHz (prior to overclocking, of course), and promises to punish today's latest games while sipping less power and generating less heat than the aforementioned alternatives. The gurus over at HotHardware were able to sit down with said chip and put it to the test; overall, the Mobile X9000 "proved itself to be as fast as its desktop counterparts in many scenarios, all the while consuming less power as a complete system in the Dell XPS M730 notebook testbed." If you're the type that gets all hot and bothered by benchmarks and graphs, there's plenty of those in the read link below.
Intel's Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale gets tested
If you'll recall, we already witnessed a pre-production Wolfdale CPU outpace its competition back in August of last year, but the real deal has finally arrived. Over at Hot Hardware, the folks were able to crack open a retail Core 2 Duo E8500 processor, which comes in at 3.16GHz and features 6MB of L2 cache, a 1,333MHz FSB speed and is built on 45-nanometer technology. When put to the test, reviewers found this luscious piece of silicon to be quite the performer, noting that it was probably a better choice for gamers than a low-end quad-core chip. Still, with an expected price of just under three bills, it wasn't exactly seen as the greatest of values, but if you've got the coin and happen to fit the market, the "Recommended" badge tells you everything you need to know.
TabletKiosk's Sahara i440D Slate PC reviewed, benchmarked
Just over a fortnight after the TabletKiosk's Sahara i440D Slate PC began shipping out to interested buyers, the niche machine has now been reviewed and benchmarked for those still mulling a purchase. The folks over at TabletPCReview noted that this machine was a breeze to tote around, had a solid feel, sported a satisfactory (though not awe-inspiring) display, and performed sufficiently enough for those not looking to actually replace their (likely more robust) laptop. Additionally, the pen functionality was highly praised as was the respectable array of ports, but the amount of noise and heat that this bad boy emitted was a slight turn-off. Still, the Sahara i440D benchmarked well against similar alternatives, and while we wouldn't recommend 3D gaming or motion picture rendering on it, it seems like a solid choice for those in the market. Check out a videoed extension of the review after the jump.
Apple's 2.4GHz 24-inch aluminum iMac gets benchmarked
Although we certainly noticed that Apple's latest iMac felt snappy enough, the folks over at Primate Labs have cranked out a few numbers for the data freaks in the crowd to chew on. Granted, these benchmarks do not include the Core 2 Extreme iMac nor are they the most complete set of tests we've ever seen, but they do seem to give those on the fence a decent look at what level of performance increases they'll be dealing with. Put simply, the new 2.4GHz 24-inch iMac posted "modest gains" across the board compared to the previous iterations that clocked in at 2.33GHz / 2.16GHz, and while the results don't seem earth-shattering, those who rely on "memory-intensive applications (like Aperture or Photoshop)" would likely benefit most from the improved "integer, floating point. and memory / stream performance." As you'd expect, the full skinny on the test results await you in the read link.[Via AppleInsider]
Intel's Wolfdale processor gets benchmarked
Calm down, you haven't overslept by a couple of months or anything, as the Wolfdale we're talking about here is in fact simply a 2.33GHz engineering sample of the forthcoming dual-core processor. Nevertheless, HKPEC labs was able to pit it against the 2.33GHz E6550, and the results weren't too shabby. In a slew of tests including PC Mark, CineBench, Science Mark, SiSoft Sandra, and individual application trials, the Wolfdale managed to best the E6550 in every single facet. Of course, it didn't exactly blow the current Core 2 Duo out of the water, but increasing performance by nearly 11-percent in Doom 3 and Far Cry, 5.53-percent in PC Mark, and around 8-percent in Office applications isn't anything to sneeze at. Still, we've got quite a ride ahead before seeing a finalized Wolfdale, but feel free to humor yourself with the preliminary benchmarks below.[Via The Inquirer]
SSD shootout: pricey HDD replacements do battle
Considering that solid state discs -- although still noticeably more expensive that traditional HDDs -- are quickly plummeting in price, it's about time a brief roundup was executed in order to pinpoint which SSD was best for you. Granted, CustomPC's evaluation only included a handful of options, but the in-depth testing process found a few glaring losers and even fewer runaway winners. As expected, reviewers used a number of read / write testing applications to judge the speed differences and real-world performance increases on seven SSDs ranging from 8GB to 32GB in size. Coming out on top was Samsung's 32GB drive, which proved both "quick and silent" in their testing; however, the 18GB STEC Zeus-IOPS proved the hands-down winner in terms of sheer speed. 'Course, we highly doubt many of you will be snagging the latter after witnessing its £7,050 ($14,461) pricetag, but a number of slightly slower performers including PQI's Turbo Plus 2.5 could very well provide the boost you desire without (totally) breaking the bank.
Lenovo's 3000 N200 inspected, benchmarked
Those looking to snag a new lappie while not breaking the bank may not be inclined to look Lenovo's way, but the budget-minded 3000 N200 just may provide the rigidity and oomph you need for just over a grand. Making sure your hard-earned dollars don't go to waste is TrustedReviews, who has taken the time to break down this newfangled machine and even post benchmarks for your analyzing pleasure. Initial impressions seemed to harp on the relatively modest innards, a keyboard that was deemed just "sufficient," and the trackpad buttons that were actually compared to "putting your fingers in jelly." Nevertheless, the N200's display was dubbed the best they'd seen on a lappie of this caliber, and it was said to be a satisfactory choice for those needing a basic business-oriented machine on the (somewhat) cheap. For those still hangin' in there, be sure to visit the final page of the writeup for the benchmarking results.
IBM kicks out energy-efficient 4.7GHz POWER6 processor
Nah, it's no BlueGene L supercomputer, but IBM's latest dual-core microprocessor runs at a cool 4.7GHz while sporting 8MB of total cache per chip. The device reportedly runs "twice as fast" and packs four times the cache as the POWER5, and boasts a processor bandwidth of 300Gbps. Interestingly, the massive power increase doesn't seem to come with a boost in energy requirements, as IBM claims that the 65-nanometer POWER6 somehow ups its game while "using nearly the same amount of electricity" as its predecessor. The company plans on shoving the new darling into the System p570 server, and preliminary testing showed that all four of the "most widely used performance benchmarks for Unix servers" were shattered by its CPU. Unfortunately, there's no word on pricing nor availability just yet, but we're anticipating a bit of sticker shock when it does finally land.[Via LinuxDevices]
ATI's Radeon HD 2900 XT benchmarked, trumps NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 GTS
Although preliminary testing proved that ATI's R600 architecture wasn't messing around, DailyTech added another layer of proof to the pudding as it benchmarked a bonafide Radeon HD 2900 XT against NVIDIA's 640MB GeForce 8800 GTS. The DirectX 10-capable card is a notch above the HD 2600 XT that was snapped in the wild, and the tested unit featured 320 stream processors, 512MB of GDDR3 RAM, a dual-slot "blower-type heat sink," dual dual-link DVI ports, and a serious desire to crank out impressive FPS numbers. While the marks weren't the end-all answer to the ATI vs. NVIDIA question, the Radeon managed to best its opponent in every single trial, including Call of Duty 2, Company of Heroes, F.E.A.R., Oblivion, 3DMark06, Maya 02, Cadalyst C2006, and a few more for good measure. Of course, we're sure NVIDIA will be hitting back with something of its own, but feel free to hit the read link if you take pleasure in graphical beat downs with ATI escaping victorious.[Thanks, Mathieu]
