Common Components
As we insisted on testing mobile processors in a desktop-type environment, we were able to utilize the same hardware components such as the graphics card and the hard drive. For this reason, you can absolutely compare the Notebook CPU Charts results to the Desktop CPU Charts.
Graphics: Foxconn GeForce 8800 GTX
The GeForce 8800 GTX by Foxconn has been used for our 2007 CPU Charts and our 2007 VGA Charts as well. It can still be considered a high-end 3D graphics card, although both ATI and Nvidia have released newer models.
HDD: Western Digital WD5000AAKS
WD’s WD5000AAKS is part of our Tom’s Hardware Reference System, which we utilize to test other components. The WD5000 is a Caviar-series hard drive and provides a mainstream 500-GB capacity with 16 MB cache at 7,200 RPM. Since hard drive prices have dropped considerably in the last few months, we recommend buying larger drives today, as the cost difference between 500 GB and up to 1 TB has become close to negligible for most users.
