Toshiba Satellite C675-S7106 is another low-priced 17.3”-inch laptop available at a very affordable price of under $400, at Bestbuy. Under the hood, C675-S7106 carries Intel Core i3-2350M processor, 4GB memory and 500GB hard drive. To make the laptop affordable, Toshiba has done away with some features like HDMI port and USB ports (only 2 USB ports are available in this laptop).However, if you consider the features of C675-S7106, it is still a good buy at this price. From performance point of view, this system is not suitable for professional demanding tasks like AutoCAD, Revit 3D MAX, HD video creation, but, it does quite well with day to day computing and basic multitasking. It, also, allows occasional photo editing and gaming up to certain extent. Read further to know more about Satellite C675-S7106.

Toshiba satellite C675-S7106 uses dual core Intel i3-2350M processor, with 2.3GHz speed. The processor comes with 3MB of L3 cache. Performance wise, it is better than Intel Pentium B960 processor. We have discussed about these processors in an earlier posting (Intel Pentium B960 vs Intel core i3-2350M Processor ). It scores better over AMD A4-3305M processor as the latter is clocked at low frequency. Core i3-2350M is Hyper Threading Technology enabled, due to which each physical core seems to be two logical cores to the system. Multithreaded programs run efficiently on a system with dual core processor supporting Hyper Threading Technology, since the system appears to have 4 logical cores. Such systems offer better multi-tasking, as well. Intel core i3-2350M processor comes with Intel HD 3000 graphics that has support for DirectX 10. So you can play games such as starcraft 2, call of duty and modern warfare 3, at low details, with 20-25fps only. Modern titles like Battlefield 3 will hardly run on this laptop. Users can, however, watch HD videos on this laptop seamlessly. There is no HDMI output though.

You can watch 720p video playback on this laptop, but full 1080p HD playback is not possible on this display. The display of Toshiba C675-S7106 offers video resolution of 1600 *900 p which doesn’t support 1080p playback. Absence of an HDMI port and display limitation, rule out full HD experience from this laptop.

Toshiba satellite C675-S7106 offers 4 GB DDR3 memory and 500 GB hard drive. The memory is up gradable up to 8GB. Windows 7 home premium 64 bit Operating System is preinstalled on the hard drive.

The laptop has generic built with black Trax textured finish.

Other available features include 2 USB 2.0 ports , VGA output, media card reader that’s capable of reading Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, SDXC, miniSD, microSD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and MultiMediaCard formats.

For networking, this laptop offers fast Ethernet and wi-fi.

The company claims that the 6-cell lithium-ion battery pack can provide up to 5 hours of battery life.

Toshiba satellite C675-S7106 vs HP g7-1326dx

The graphics coming with HP G7-1326dx is AMD Radeon HD 6520G, which is better in terms of gaming. However, if you need to perform CPU intensive tasks like Photoshop, then, Toshiba satellite C675-S7106 would be a better choice.

Also, HP g7-1326dx comes with HDMI port which Toshiba C675-S7106 lacks.

Here is review of Intel core i3-2350M

Specifications of HP Pavilion 17.3” g7-1326dx place it in high end desktop replacement laptop category. Available at an affordable price of $450 (approx.), Pavilion g7-1326dx is integrated with impressive features like AMD quad core A6-3420M Accelerated processor with 4MB L2 Cache, DirectX 11 capable integrated graphics and 500GB hard drive. These features make it attractive for those who are looking for a budget laptop with a large display. The display, however, lacks full high definition playback. Few of its other features, like small battery pack and lack of Bluetooth, may also disappoint a prospective buyer.  Still it is an inexpensive option for those looking for a budget laptop, for regular computing plus watching video and occasional photo editing.

Processor and graphics-HP has been sincerely focusing on budget class laptops to bag more customers. The company has introduced AMD quad core A6-3420M (Codename Llano) accelerated processor in HP g7-1326dx, which reduces the overall cost of the machine without affecting its performance. The processor is clocked at 1.5 GHz frequency and, with Turbocore technology, the frequency of one of the cores can rises up to 2.4GHz. From performance point of view, it falls just behind the Intel core i3-2350M mobile processor in some benchmark rating, still it is good for getting regular computer works done. You can’t expect CPU demanding tasks to be performed smoothly on this laptop though. However, you can enjoy gaming with DirectX 11 capable Radeon HD 6520G graphics. Even some of the modern games are also playable in low details and settings. Games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, Crysis 2, Mass Effect can be played in low settings. One can watch 720p HD videos on this laptop. There is a HDMI output, to allow users to connect laptop with HDTV or monitor. You can view 1080p contents on HDTV if the TV supports this scale.

Memory and hard drive-The laptop comes with 4GB DDR3 RAM, which can be expanded up to 8GB. It gives opportunity of basic multitasking. HP pavilion g7-1326dx comes with 500GB hard drive with 5400M speed. It is preinstalled with Windows 7 home premium 64 bit operating system.

The 17.3” display offers 1600 x 900 pixel resolutions and features LED- backlit display.

The laptop offers SRS premium sound with Altec Lansing speakers for rich audio experience. It is shipped with SuperMulti DVD burner, but it doesn’t support Blu-ray.

The laptop comes with 6-cell 47WHr lithium-ion battery which is expected to provide 4 hours of battery life on single charge.  Actually 6 cell battery pack will drain quickly in a 17.3” laptop.

Other features it included in HP Pavilion g7-1326dx are 3 USB 2.0 ports, HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone, Digital media card reader for Secure Digital and Multimedia cards, fast Ethernet and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi

Pros of HP Pavilion g7-1326dx

Inexpensive

HDMI output

500GB hard drive

Cons of HP g7-1326dx

No Bluetooth

Small battery pack

Sony VAIO VPCEH3QFX/W is a compact laptop, packed with lots of features like decent keyboard, Intel core i5-2450M processor and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. It comes with stunning design and solid built. The downside of this laptop is that it comes with 320 GB hard disc with 5400 rpm speed. On the other hand, it offers Intel Wireless Display Technology which allows you to connect to a hotspot and download contents to the hard disk. It comes with an affordable price of $600 (approx.).

Looking elegant from outside, Sony VAIO VPCEH3QFX/W comes with Intel Core i5-2450M dual core processor which operates with 2.5 GHz and supports Turbo Boost technology. With the help of this technology, the clock speed of one of the cores can raise up to 3.1GHz. The processor is Hyper Threading Technology capable, due to which each physical core seems to be two logical cores to the system. With a dual core processor, system appears to have 4 logical cores, which helps running multithreaded programs efficiently. It also helps running CPU intensive programs, simultaneously. The processor comes with 3MB of L3 cache. Core i5-2450M processor is comparable with quad core AMD A8-3520M processor. However, from gaming point of view, AMD A8-3520M processor takes the lead over Intel Core i5-2450M processor. On the other hand, media encoding is faster on Core i5-2450M.

Sony VAIO VPCEH3QFX/W comes with Integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics, which is DirectX 10 capable. However, the graphics integrated with AMD A8 processor is DirectX 11 capable, which allows it to offer better gaming then its Intel counterpart. With the help HD 3000 graphics you can play games such as Crysis 2, starcraft 2, call of duty and modern warfare 3, at low details with 20-25fps. You can also run Photoshop CS5, AutoCad etc, with more RAM for better performance. The laptop provides wireless transmission of your laptop contents to your HDTV. All you need it to buy is an additional adapter for this to work.

Sony VAIO VPCEH3QFX/W comes with 4GB DDR3 memory, with PC3-10600 memory speed. The memory can be expanded up to 8GB. It is shipped with 320GB HDD, preloaded with Windows 7 home premium 64 bit Operating System.

The 15.5” HD LED- backlit display features 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, which is common for 13”-15.6” laptops. The display is capable of video playback up to 720p only. You can, however, watch full HD contents, by connecting your HD device to the HDMI output coming with the laptop.  Like other e series laptop it also comes with 3 Hot Keys.

Other significant features

4 USB 2.0 port, Gigabit Ethernet LAN, 802.11 b/g/n wi-fi, 2 media card reader- one supports SD and the other supports Memory Stick Duo, DVD burner and integrated webcam. The battery life is expected up to 5 hours.

Final words

Sony VAIO VPCEH3QFX/W is loaded with impressive features but 320GB hard drive is low, considering its price.