Can SLI in a Notebook Beat Desktop Graphics?
System Impressions And Quick Facts
The following table shows the features of the iBuyPower Battalion SC-650 SLI. For a comparison, we included two Core Duo based computers that we've reviewed: the Dell XPS M1710 and the Fujitsu Lifebook N6410. Though these are different systems, they will help illuminate the features of the iBuyPower Battalion SC-650 SLI.
| Manufacturer | iBuyPower | Dell | Fujitsu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Battalion-101 SC650 SLI | XPS M1710 | Lifebook N6410 |
| URL | www.ibuypower.com | www.dell.com | www.fujitsu.com/us |
| Dimensions & Weight | |||
| Width x Height x Depth | 19 x 1.2 x 13.72"47.6 x 2.95 x 34.3 cm | 15.5 x 1.7 x 11.3"39.4 x 4.24 x 28.7cm | 16.1 x 2.02 x 11.8"40.9 x 5.13 x 30cm |
| Unit & Battery | 14.8lb / 6713g | 8.13lb / 4000g | 10.31lb / 4670g |
| Battery | 2lb / 680g | 1.025lb / 464g | .69lb / 312g |
| Charger & Power Cord | 2.9lb / 1315g | 1.77lb / 800g | 1.86lb / 844g |
| Total (Computer, Charger & Power Cord) | 17.7lb / 8029g | 9.9lb / 4464g | 12.17lb / 5514g |
| AC Adapter & Battery | |||
| Battery I Capacity | Li-Ion 12 cells(14.8V, 6600 mAh, 97.7 Wh) | Li-Ion 9 cells(11.1 V, 7200 mAh, 80 Wh) | Li-Ion 6 cells(10.8 V, 4000 mAh, 43.2 Wh) |
| Optional Battery Capacity | NA | NA | NA |
| AC adapter | 220 W | 130 W | 150 W |
| Pointing Device(s) | Touchpad | Touchpad | Touchpad |
| Display and Graphics Controller | |||
| Display Size | 19" (48.26 cm) wide screen | 17" (43.18 cm) wide screen (Truelife) | 17" (43.18 cm) wide screen |
| Display Resolution | 1680x1050 | 1920 x 1200 | 1400 x 900 internal1600 x 1200 external |
| Graphics controller | 2x Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX, 512 MB (SLI) | Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX, 512 MB | ATI Mobility Radeon X1400, 256 MB |
| System | |||
| BIOS | Phoenix | Dell [Phoenix] A00 | Phoenix v1.04 |
| CPU | AMD Mobile Turion ML-44 E4(2.4 GHz, 1 MB L-2 Cache, HT 1 GHz) | Intel Core Duo T2600(2.16 Ghz, 2 MB L-2 Cache, FSB 667 MHz) | Intel Core Duo T2300(1.66 GHz, 2 MB L2-Cache, FSB 667 MHz) |
| Memory | 2 x 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 | 2 x 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 | 2 x 512 MB 667 MHz DDR2 |
| Hard Drive | |||
| Manufacturer & Model | Seagate Momentus ST9120821A | Hitachi Travelstar 7K100 | Hitachi HTS721010G9SA00 |
| Size | 120 GB | 100 GB | 100 GB |
| Performance | (SATA / 5400 rpm / 8 MB / 12.5 ms) | (SATA / 7200 rpm / 8 MB / 10 ms) | (SATA / 7200 rpm / 8 MB / 10 ms) |
| Other Drives | |||
| Manufacturer & Model | Pioneer DVR-K16 | NEC ND-6650A | MATSHITA DVD-RAM UJ-841S |
| Speed DVD/+-R/+-RW/RAM/+DL | na / +-R 8x +rw 8x / -rw 6x / RAM 5x / +DL 4x | na/+rw 8x/8x/-rw 8x/6x/na/na | 8x, 4x, 2.4x, 5x |
| Speed CD/R/RW | 24x/24x | 24x/20x | 24x/10x |
| Floppy Drive | none | none | none |
| Hard drive bay | none | none | 2nd Hitachi HTS721010G9SA00 |
| ConnectorsB=Back side, F=Front, L=Left side, R=Right Side | |||
| Camera | 1x (above display) 1.3M Digital Video Camera | none | none |
| PS2 Mouse/Keyboard | none / none | none / none | none / none |
| USB 2.0 | 2x (B) / 3x (R) | 4x (B) / 2x (L) | 1x (R) / 4 (B) |
| IEEE1394/Firewire | 1x (R) | 1x (R) | 1x (R) |
| Serial COM Port | 1x (B) | none | none |
| Parallel LPT Port | none | none | none |
| Microphone | none | none | none |
| IR port | 1 F, 1 R | none | For remote control - plugs into USB port |
| Bluetooth | yes | yes | none |
| VGA / DVI out | 1x DVI (B) | 1x (B) / 1x (B) | 1x (B) / none |
| Video In / Out | none / 1x S-Video (B) | none / 1x S-Video (B) | S-Video & Composite (L) / (B) S-Video |
| AC Power | yes (B) | yes (B) | Yes (L) |
| PC-Card / PCIe-Card Slots | none / 1x (R) | none / 1x (R) | 1 / 1 (R) |
| LAN | 1x (R) Gigabit Ethernet | 1x (B) Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet | 1x (B) Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet |
| WLAN | Gigabyte GN-W101 GS 802.11a/b/g | Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG | Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG |
| Wireless WAN | none | none | none |
| Audio Connectors | 1 x Microphone In (R) Headphone (R) | 1 x Microphone In (R) Headphone (R) | Mic (R) Headphone (R) Line In (none) / RCA Stereo In (L) |
| Audio Chip | Realtek AC'97 | SigmaTel STAC9200 | Realtek ALC262 HD Audio Controller |
| Modem/Model | 1x (B) Integrated V.90/56K Modem (V.92 compliant) | 1x (B) Conexant HDA D110 MDC V.92 | 1x (B) / Agere Systems AC'97 |
| Card-Reader: | 1 x (R) MS, MS PRO, SD, MMC | 1 x (R) SD, MMC, MS, MSPro, XD | 1x (R ) Memory Stick/SD/xD Card Slot |
| Fingerprint Security Sensor | none | none | none |
| Manufacturer's Docking Socket | No | yes (B) | yes (USB 2.0) |
| Software | |||
| OS | Windows XP Pro (Home Edition Available) | Windows XP Media Center Edition (XP Pro Also Available) | Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; Windows XP Home or Professional |
| Application Software | N/A | Dell Media Experience (if XP MCE not ordered with computer), Paint Shop Pro (trial) and Photo Album, Sonic MyDVD, McAfee Security Center (90-day trial) | Depending on OS: Adobe Reader, Norton Internet Security 2006 (90 day license), CyberLink PowerDVD, CyberLink PowerProducer, CyberLink PowerDirector, MakeDVD, Quicken New User Edition 2006, Roxio Digital Media SE, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office 2003 (60 Day Trial Edition |
The first thing that stands out on the chart is the Battalion's size and weight. It is the size of a small briefcase and weighs almost 15 lbs. This is certainly not a highly portable computer, as it is over a foot and a half long. The power adapter alone weighs almost three lbs. The total weight of 18 lbs is equivalent to carrying around a small child. This is where the title "desktop replacement" fits as well; while mobile, I would not want to move it very far.
The RAM and the wireless card.
However, when looking at the functionality of the system, it has everything one could need. A large display is always a very nice feature, and with a 19" diagonal it is a centerpiece of this notebook. While you won't open it up anytime soon on an airplane - except in first class - it is great to have such a large and wide viewing capacity. Sitting on a desk it looks impressive and the full size keyboard makes working on it feel like a regular system.
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Current page: System Impressions And Quick Facts
Prev Page Introduction Next Page Loaded With Interfaces