Screen
When
compared with other common laptops, this model has a narrower hem around the
glass screen.
Image
is dimmed when seen from sides.
Because of being a mid-class model, C840 has
a common screen like usual laptops appeared within last 2 years. Glossy glass
screen gives a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels. Display is clear and bright
but there is reflection under high lighting and image is dimmed (with no color
changed) when the screen is seen from sides.
Our test laptop has an Intel Core i3-2379M
(2.4GHz) which has just been released since first quarter. Besides, it also
owns 2GB of RAM, AMD Thames LE-M2 (Radeon HD 7610M) plus 1GB of VRAM and 500GB
HDD.
The Intel Core i3-2379M chip belongs to Sandy
Bridge base with 32nm process which has been introduced by Intel in this first
quarter. Laptops with this type of chip have just been launched since June.
Marked
by Windows Experience Index
The laptop scored 5.5point (also the lowest
point by RAM) when marked by Windows Experience Index. Particularly, processor,
RAM, graphics, gaming graphics and HDD got 6.6, 5.5, 6.7, 6.7 and 5.6,
respectively.
Marked
by PC Mark Vantage
We used PC Mark Vantage to judge the whole
system and received the result: 5,110 points for total system, 3,683 points for
memories, 4,537 points for gaming and 2,869 points for HDD.
Marked
by 3D Mark 06
With separate graphic card plus 1GB of
VRAM, the laptop gained 6,807 points when marked by 3D Mark 06. This result of
graphics was quite impressive for such a laptop priced around $550.
Mark
the processor
We did use Cinebech 11.5 to judge the
processor and OpenGL and got this result: 2.18 points for processor and
27.94fps for OpenGL.
Large-storage
HDD
Mark
HDD manufactured by Toshiba
C840 uses 500GB HDD (5,400rpm). Because of
being in mid-class segment, the quality is medium, too. The test gave an
average transfer rate of 56MB/s.
Heat elimination
Temperature
after 20-minute web browsing
C840 uses an alloy case with plastic cover
plus thick design so inside is rather airy, which helps to dispel heat very
well. In fact, the device hardly got hot in steady room condition of 26 degree
Celsius. The part that often got warm lies in top right, instead of top left,
unlike in other laptop.
Large
heat outlets lie in the right.
It is different that heat outlets lie in
the right, instead of left, like in other usual laptops. The Japanese
manufacture’s reason for this situation is still unclear but it is inconvenient
that output heat may uncomfortably affect nearby hand of users who are using
external mouse. To prevent this, users should keep their hand faraway or lower
the hand a little.
Battery test
Test
on runtime
In our test, we did open 10 web pages in
Chrome then let them auto-load after each 15 minutes, repeat an online music
player, use headphone instead of speakers, set 70% volume and 50%brightness.
After that, we let the laptop run until there was 5% battery. Total time
allotted was 2 hours and 58 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another test, we did repeat a
HD 720p movie, turn Wi-Fi off, use headphone instead of speakers with 70%
volume (with 100% volume of Windows Media Player) then set 50% brightness and
let the system operate until it automatically switched off (with 5% battery). Total
time allotted was 2 hours and 41 minutes.
This model’s average runtime is 3 hours.
This result lies in medium level among low-priced laptop priced around $550.
Sound
Stereo
is by the edge.
Stereo is still an upside of Toshiba’s
mid-class models and C840 still retains this good feature. C840’s speakers can
be ranked medium high and equivalent to that of laptops priced from $750 to $1,000.
Good bass and clear treble are enough for entertainment in a 20-square-meter
room. However, the speaker’s membrane is quite big so it is easy to get dust
but difficult to clean.
