HP

HP Pavilion dv6-3013cl

Other than being the first AMD Vision–based laptop to pass through PC Labs, there’s nothing that makes the HP Pavilion dv6-3013cl ($799.99 list) stand out in the crowded mainstream laptop market. Its performance is good, but not great, and the same can be said for its battery life. And while it does boast ATI Radeon graphics, the GPU is an integrated solution and performs like one. The biggest improvement over previous dv6 iterations has to do with the design; HP traded in the glossy crop circle pattern for a more subtle finish. The dv6-3013cl is a capable performer, but there are other similarly priced 15-inch notebooks out there that offer more features and better performance.

Design
The high-gloss imprint finish we saw on earlier Pavilions, like the HP Pavilion dv6-2150us ($779 list, ) has finally been replaced. This time around, the dv6-3013cl’s lid sports a more subtle, smudge-free semi-gloss finish with a boxy pattern similar to the one used on the HP Mini 210-1032NR ($349 list, ). The bottom of the chassis is basic black, and the sides and lid hinges are done up in a matte silver finish. The system weighs in at 5.4 pounds, which makes it and the HP G62-143cl ($700 list, ) the second lightest 15-inch notebooks we’ve seen, with the Asus UL50VF-A1 ($850 street, ) taking top honors at 5.2 pounds.

Beneath the lid sits a bright 15.6-inch display with a maximum resolution of 1,366 by 768 and a glossy anti-glare coating. You won’t be able to view HD content in full 1080p on this model, but my “Magic of Flight” test clip in 720p was crystal clear and played smoothly. The full size keyboard has some flex to it, but not enough to be considered mushy. The typing feels comfortable to the touch and the isolated keys are responsive, as are the oversized multi-gesture touchpad and mouse buttons. The keyboard deck is devoid of any media player controls or quick launch keys; a white backlit power switch sits alone in the upper left corner above the keyboard, and a Webcam and microphone are embedded in the display’s upper bezel.

Features
The usual assortment of I/O ports are scattered around the sides of the dv6-3013cl and include 3 USB ports, an eSATA/USB combo port, Ethernet, headphone and microphone jacks, and HDMI and VGA video ports. There’s a multi-format card reader as well, but as with the G62-143cl, this model lacks an ExpressCard slot. The dv6-3013cl comes with a 500GB hard drive that spins at 7200 rpm, whereas many of its competitors, such as the Dell Inspiron 1564 ($879 direct, ), are equipped with slower 320GB drives. The optical drive is a DVD burner, which is not surprising at this price point; although, our similarly priced Editors’ Choice, the Samsung R580 ($850 list, ), comes with a blu-ray drive. Since the dv6-3013cl is a Costco exclusive, you get a two-year warranty as opposed to the standard one year deal, and you get the benefit of Costco’s Concierge Services, which offers Costco members free setup and troubleshooting support.

Performance
The dv6-3013cl is the first laptop to hit the labs that uses AMD’s Vision Premium technology, which includes updated architecture that utilizes DDR3 memory and offers increased HyperTransport 3 speeds. This model comes with AMD’s new quad core 2GHz Phenom II X4 N930 processor , 4GB of DDR3 memory, and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD4250 graphics processor, which by the way, is an integrated solution—not for 3D gaming. On a whim, I ran the World in Conflict benchmark test and received a score of 8 frames per second (fps) at 1,024 by 768 resolution, which is unplayable. A score of 4 fps at its native resolution (1,366 by 768) is like watching paint dry. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y460 ($1,049 direct, ), which can switch between an integrated GPU and a discrete ATI 5650 GPU, turned in a much more impressive score of 43 fps while running on ATI power. The Samsung R580 and its Nvidia GeForce 310M GPU, came in at 21 fps.

Productivity performance was decent, but far from exceptional; the dv6-3013cl’s score of 4,597 on the PCMark Vantage test was a few points shy of its (dual-core) Core i3-powered sibling, the dv6-2150us. It was also nearly 1,200 points lower than the Samsung R580, which also had a dual-core (Core i5) CPU. The dv6-3013cl also came up short against the HP Pavilion dv7-3180us ($1,449.98 list, ), which uses a quad-core 1.6GHz Core i7 CPU. These results were consistent with the rest of our productivity and multimedia benchmarks tests, including our CineBench R10, Windows Media Encoder, and Photoshop CS4 tests. Sure, AMD’s Phenom chip offers quad-core computing, but it can’t match the raw computing power of Intel’s Core i3/i5/i7 processors.

When it comes to battery life, the dv6-3013cl lasted 3 hours 42 minutes on the MobileMark 2007 battery test, which once again, is fair but not record shattering. The Lenovo IY460 lasted a full 1 hour 10 minutes longer than the dv6-3013cl, and the HP G62-143cl was just under an hour longer.

All told, the HP Pavilion dv6-3013cl is a decent performer, and its relatively light weight makes it a shoulder-saving travel companion. Still, it’s got a long way to go if it wants to stand toe to toe with our current Editors’ Choice, the Samsung R580, which offers discrete graphics, better all around performance, and a Blu-ray drive—all for only $30 more than what you’d pay for the dv6-3013cl.

BOTTOM LINE:
Based on AMD’s latest Phenom CPU and Vision platform, the HP Pavilion dv6-3013cl is a moderate performer with average battery life, and its graphics performance what you’d expect from an integrated GPU. That said, this mainstream laptop is certainly capable of handling most of your everyday multimedia demands.

PROS:
Quad-core processor. Big, fast hard drive. Two-year warranty.

CONS:
Integrated graphics. No ExpressCard slot. So-so battery life.

Source: Pcmag.com

Dell Inspiron 580s

Dell Computers have released a new desktop computer. The Dell Inspiron 580s is a slimline version of the much more powerful XPS versions. Sleek and easier to fit on a desk, this version is a sure fire hit for the office.The Inspiron 580s follows the design of previous Dell SFF (small form factor) PCs, like the Inspiron 537s ($658 – $858 direct, ) I looked at last year. This time around, the desktop’s design has been altered to sport a glossy black faceplate with a hexagonal motif etched under the surface. The system’s two optical drive bays are filled with a DVD burner and a multi-card reader. The front of the system is uncluttered and clean with the power button and a pair of USB ports as the only other adornments on the front of the system. This is also because the optical drive and card reader, which are normally on the front of the chassis, hide behind hinged doors. The doors hide the ugly drive trays while they’re not being used, keeping the system’s sleek design intact. Other I/O ports include four more USB ports in the back, connectors for VGA and HDMI monitors, Ethernet, and audio. All-in-all, it’s a neatly-designed system. Although I would’ve liked to have seen eSATA and at least one FireWire port, their absence isn’t a deal breaker.
The system is free of the bloatware that seems to plague retail systems, such as those from Gateway and HP. No bloatware is one of the benefits of buying a configured-to-order PC direct from a PC maker like Dell. The system comes with a full version of Microsoft Works 9, as opposed to the ad-supported version found on some Gateway systems. The computer initially boots up into a setup wizard, which has prompts to set up recovery and Dell’s DataSafe online backup, as well as links to Dell’s support center and other Windows 7 help. I applaud the fact that Dell provides links to the bloatware I complain about, rather than pre-installing the software. A browser link is easier to ignore and doesn’t affect your system, while pre-installed bloatware programs are at best a nuisance and at worst a tech support nightmare.

Performance
The Inspiron 580s is a good upgrade for people who are still using a single core (Pentium 4, Pentium M) or a Core 2 Duo system. Multimedia tasks like Adobe Photoshop CS4 (1 minute 35 seconds) and Windows Media Encoder (42 seconds) finish in far less time than it used to take. The Core i3-530 is a dual-core processor with HyperThreading, rather than a true four-core system, but it performs as well as systems with the Core 2 Quad and AMD Athlon II X4 processor like the Gateway SX2802-01 ($499.99 List, ) and HP Pavilion p6347c-b ($800 List, ).

The Inspiron 580s has Intel Integrated GMA graphics (equivalent to GMA X4500HD) embedded in the Core i3 processor, which is more for HD video processing, rather than 3D gaming—the single-digit game scores bear this out. Sure, you can load World in Conflict or Crysis, but it won’t be a pleasant experience. Get something more powerful (like the Gateway FX6831-01 ) if you want to play newer 3D games.

The Dell Inspiron 580s is a good compact system for the home user. The 580s could be your primary system, with enough power for multimedia tasks in Photoshop. Nonetheless, my advice is to go with the Dell Computers Inspiron i570-6939PBK ($599.98 List, ) a slightly better choice, because it has most of the same performance for about $20 less with a much larger hard drive (640GB) and a 20-inch monitor packed in.