Toshiba Satellite L755D-12L review
A great first showing for AMD Llano; desktop performance on a par with Intel’s budget chips
Specifications
15.6 in 1,366×768 display, 2.5kg, 1.4GHz AMD A6-3400M, 6.00GB RAM, 320GB disk, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
The screen is also unchanged, with a 1,366×768 display resolution and glossy finish that produces vibrant colours, but also lots of light reflections. Viewing angles were only average, but there was a decent amount of screen tilt to compensate for this.
It was easy to type on the full-size keyboard, even though each key felt quite tightly grouped with its neighbours. There’s even room for a separate numberic keypad, with only the function keys reduced in size in order to squeeze it into the 15in chassis. The widescreen touchpad perfectly matches the screen, which made navigating the desktop very easy. The two massive touchpad buttons feel both firm and responsive, but we would have preferred a larger touchpad instead.
As the first commercial release of Llano, we can finally confirm what we’ve expected since AMD first showed off the technology. If you’re going to be upgrading or buying a laptop in the next few months, and have a modest budget, there’s little doubt that you should look for a model that uses Llano. Desktop performance won’t set the world on fire, but gaming potential and great battery life easily eclipse this shortfall. Anyone on a larger budget would be better off with a more powerful Intel machine with dedicated graphics, but right now AMD is unquestionably the entry-level king.
The Satellite L755D is a great showcase for Llano and is currently excellent value at £450, but unless you’re desperate for a new laptop we’d recommend waiting for other manufacturers to announce their new models before buying.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | ***** |
Processor | AMD A6-3400M |
Processor clock speed | 1.4GHz |
Memory | 6.00GB |
Memory slots | 2 |
Memory slots free | 0 |
Maximum memory | 8GB |
Size | 28x380x250mm |
Weight | 2.5kg |
Sound | Conexant CX20585 SmartAudio HD |
Pointing device | touchpad |
Display | |
Viewable size | 15.6 in |
Native resolution | 1,366×768 |
Graphics Processor | AMD Radeon HD 6520G |
Graphics/video ports | VGA, HDMI |
Graphics Memory | 512MB |
Storage | |
Total storage capacity | 320GB |
Optical drive type | DVD+/-RW +/-DL |
Ports and Expansion | |
USB ports | 3 |
Bluetooth | no |
Wired network ports | 1x 10/100/1000 |
Wireless networking support | 802.11n |
PC Card slots | none |
Supported memory cards | SDXC, Memory Stick Pro |
Other ports | minijack audio output, minijack microphone input |
Miscellaneous | |
Carrying case | No |
Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
Operating system restore option | restore partition |
Software included | Microsoft Office 2010 Starter Edition, Nero Multimedia Suite 10 trial |
Optional extras | none |
Buying Information | |
Warranty | one year RTB |
Price | £450 |
Details | www.toshiba-europe.com |
Supplier | http://www.comet.co.uk |