The Test


Windows XP Professional Test System
Dell Latitude X300 Dell Latitude D800 Gigabyte NB-1401 IBM T40 IBM X31 Desktop System
CPU(s) Pentium M 1.2GHz Pentium M 1.6GHz Pentium M 1.4GHz Pentium M 1.5GHz Pentium M 1.4GHz Pentium 4 2.4GHz
Motherboard(s) Dell 855GM Dell 855PM FIC 855GM IBM 855PM IBM 855PM Intel D845EBT 845E
Memory 256MB PC2100 512MB PC2100 512MB PC2100 256MB PC2100 256MB PC2100 512MB PC2100
Hard Drive 40GB 5400RPM 40GB 5400RPM 40GB 4200RPM 40GB 5400RPM 40GB 4200RPM IBM Deskstar DPTA-372050 20.5GB 7200 RPM
CDROM N/A CD-RW/DVD CD-RW/DVD CD-RW/DVD N/A Philips 48X
Video Card(s) Integrated 855GM NVIDIA GeForce4 4200 Go 64MB DDR Integrated 855PM ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 ATI Mobility Radeon 16MB DDR ATI Radeon 9000 Pro 64MB
NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 128MB
Ethernet Onboard Broadcom 10/100t Onboard Intel Gigabit Onboard Intel Gigabit Onboard Intel Gigabit Onboard Intel Gigabit Linksys LNE100TX 100Mbit PCI Ethernet Adapter
Operating System Windows XP Professional SP1
Video Drivers Intel 6.13.10.3510
(latest available for Dell)
NVIDIA 42.56
(latest available for Dell)
Intel 6.13.10.3510
(latest available for Gigabyte)
ATI 6.13.10.6278
(latest available for IBM)
ATI 7.79.7.3 (latest available for IBM) ATI Catalyst 3.1
NVIDIA 41.09
Benchmarking Applications Bapco SysMark 2002
ZDM Content Creation Winstone 2003
ZDM Business Winstone 2002
BAPCo Mobile Mark 2002

The allocated system memory for the integrated graphics solution was automatically set by the system at 8MB. This setting remained untouched throughout the testing.

Features - Hardware General Usage Performance
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  • DL2 - Saturday, March 20, 2004 - link

    I currently have an x300. I travel a great deal and have had a problem with a spot appearing on the screen. I have already had the screen replaced once and soon to be again. My question is would the IBM x31 be more durable than the Dell 300? I have not been able to find a x31 to compare to.

  • Shalmanese - Saturday, November 1, 2003 - link

    When anyone says Centrino, the basically mean the Pentium-M. Its just that Centrino is the more recognisable brand name. Technically, half the machines out there aren't real Centrinos since they use a 3rd party 802.11a/b/g chip.

    And I wasn't saying that the R50p was comparable to the X300, I just wanted it on the waiting list for reviews. IBM haven't had a serious Desktop replacement machine since the A31p over a year ago. (The G series doesn't count due to its sucky onboard graphics). It should be interesting what it brings to the table.
  • RichieZ - Saturday, November 1, 2003 - link

    "BTW, the T40 isn't all that much bigger than the X31.... I like mine :)"

    Um the T40 is quite a bit bigger than the X31, I had a T40 at work and have an X31 as my personal machine.

    Isn't this X300 acutally made by samsung?
  • Randalmaker - Saturday, November 1, 2003 - link

    "Centrino technology continues to breathe a breath of fresh air into the market with a marriage of performance and portability."...omg stop this blue-eyed intelback-scratchin plz. we all know that the real innovation here is the banias only and that intel is using their marketing power and money 2 wipe out its mainboard competition once more. i shouldnt have 2 tell u that. centrino is a joke but it worx
  • Souka - Friday, October 31, 2003 - link

    R50p is a "monster" in size compared to these ultra-portables.... review, yes...comparable, no.

    anyways....yeah, the X31 rulz....more expensive, but going cheap on laptops is often not worth it. BTW, the T40 isn't all that much bigger than the X31.... I like mine :)


  • Shalmanese - Thursday, October 30, 2003 - link

    "The X31 rains supreme in the battery life department."...

    Anyway, the feature set looks a lot like the Sony ultra-portables, right down to the blocking of the VGA port when you stick the media bay on.

    quick request: would it be possible for you to review the IBM R50p when it comes out? Exected release date is november some time. Thanks

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