Monday, April 16, 2012

Review of two laptops based on Intel HM65 chipset

By Stella McAlister


Consumers who cannot wait any longer for Intel Ivy Bridge release can consider laptops based on Intel HM65 chipset. Intel HM65 chipset is compatible with Intel processors i3 through i7 and is still actively used to build new laptops.

If you did not know that Ukrainian Orange Revolution has ended a long time ago, you would think that Sony VAIO CA was originally developed to support this questionable cause. There is no doubt that the laptop as bright as Fanta cola will definitely attract attention even in a pricey restaurant in Chicago or Tokyo. If Fanta is not your drink or you are not supportive of revolutions, then you can choose a more neutral black, white or dark blue color.

After you recover a bit after rather weird first impression, you will find out that Sony VAIO CA in principle can satisfy demanding fans with all the features available in this laptop. The model that we tested had Intel Core i3 processor and 4 gigabytes of memory sufficient for running computationally intensive programs. A medium sized 14-inch screen dissatisfies customers by a narrow angle of comfortable view so this model will not serve as a substitute to a plasma television set. The device is equipped with a keyboard and three additional buttons that launch the web browser and Sony own apps. A hybrid video system from AMD improves on the laptop performance and battery life.

LG P430 is an alternative choice based on Intel HM65 chipset suggested by dpk.com.ua magazine. Unlike other 14-inch mobile computers this one is quite compact because LG engineers managed to integrate it in a small case. Moreover, LG P430 display block is one of the thinnest in the world. The model compact size nevertheless allows for a productive processor Core i5-2410M from Intel and a hybrid video system based on NVIDIA Optimus technology.

Optical drives are usually not available on such medium sized laptops but LG P430 has DVD RW as larger models do. The main disadvantage of LG P430 is its reduced battery life of about 90 minutes when demanding applications are used. However, in a less demanding mode, i.e. web surfing, it can run for 6 hours. It looks like LG P430 will satisfy investment bankers as well as University Professors who often travel between New York and Los Angeles but still want to track the Facebook publicly traded stock quote.

If you are ready to spend additional 400 dollars then you can supplement either laptop with an exernal display such as Asus PA238Q or other 23-inch model. Instead of just 14 inches of Sony VAIO and LG P430 a busy mom or a freelance journalist can enjoy as much as 23 inches of great resolution for less than 400 dollars. Asus PA238Q as another model in ProArt is characterized by great look and great performance characteristics. For example, you can turn the display into portrait mode to type a Word document. This is not the cheapest option, however, so if design does not matter much you will have no problem with a cheaper alternative.




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