Review: Toshiba Satellite A300 is a versatile, multi-purpose home laptop. Review: Toshiba Satellite A300 - universal home laptop with a wide profile Satellite 300

The Toshiba Satellite A300 model not only contains an optimal set of capabilities, but is also capable of proving itself in working with resource-intensive applications. The versatility of this model, along with the relatively low price, as well as the excellent build quality are attractive.

Design

The dimensions and weight of the laptop are far from small, which will not allow you to often take the Toshiba Satellite A300 with you on trips and trips. Indeed, a 2.7 kilogram laptop with dimensions of 363x266x38 mm is not suitable for fairly frequent transportation. Although, if you drive a car, these parameters will not be important.

As for the appearance of the laptop, the main part of it is glossy (except for the matte bottom), and therefore the user will have problems with a large number of fingerprints. So the owner will need to be patient and constantly wipe the panels to keep the laptop looking presentable.

Looking at the body, you notice rounded corners and lack of sharp outlines. Smooth transitions in the Toshiba Satellite A300, the perfect combination of silver and metal components, will add grace and a certain harmony. The lid of the laptop is designed quite modestly - only the Toshiba logo is present.

Display and sound

The Toshiba TruBrite 15.6-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels will allow you to comfortably watch movies in a small company. The glossy TFT screen provides an excellent level of brightness and fairly good contrast.

The display frame houses an integrated webcam with a resolution of 1.3 megapixels. With the help of such a camera, any user will be able to communicate with friends and colleagues via Skype.

For music playback, the Toshiba Satellite A300 laptop is equipped with the Toshiba Bass Enhanced Sound System, which includes 24-bit integrated stereo speakers. Supported by Dolby technology Sound Room You can hear home theater level sound.

Keyboard and touchpad

The glossy keyboard of the Satellite A300 laptop consists of 87 keys optimal size. Each button attracts attention with beveled and rounded sides and different markings - the symbols are all white, the functions are all blue. Despite the fact that the keyboard area is recessed and the gaps between the keys are minimal, this does not interfere with work. The standard layout will not cause problems, because... Each key takes its usual place.

Under the keyboard there is a touchpad, slightly offset to the left. It has the same surface as the wrist rest: with a striped pattern, only a little muted. The texture of the touchpad and the internal surface differ in that the surface of the touch zone is rough, and the main area for the hands is smooth. By the way, it’s easier to position on a rough surface.

Immediately below the touchpad there are two keys, which are slightly larger than the main border of the manipulator. The buttons that replace mouse buttons are strongly rounded and have a metal coating.

Processor and equipment

The laptop runs with a pre-installed 32-bit operating system Windows system Vista Home Premium, which is not only quite easy to use, but can also provide maximum entertainment capabilities and a certain level of security. If the system fails, it can always be restored, thanks to Toshiba-HDD recovery.

At the heart of the model Toshiba laptop The Satellite A300-29H houses a Pentium Dual Core T4200 processor with a clock speed of 2 GHz and 1 MB cache. For the processor's performance, 2 GB of DDR2 RAM plays an important role, which provides a good level of performance. By the way, the memory size can be increased fourfold as a result of the upgrade. Thus, with 8 GB of RAM, the laptop will be able to support serious programs and increase system productivity.

To store personal data, just use a hard SATA drive with a capacity of 250 GB and a rotation speed of 5400 rpm. Its volume, although not very large by modern standards, will allow you to accommodate not only videos and photos, but also a large number of text documents and programs.

The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 graphics card with 256 MB of dedicated dynamic memory is manufactured using a 55-nanometer process technology and can support DirectX 10.1. The advantage of this discrete controller is the ability to decode video, as this helps relieve the burden on the central processor. Regarding the performance of the graphics card, we can add that it can handle undemanding games at medium settings.

Optical drive, ports, card reader

On the left side of the Satellite A300 laptop there is an RJ-45 network controller connector that transmits data at a speed of 100 Mbit/s, an analog VGA video output for connecting an external monitor and two USB interfaces, one of which is combined with eSATA, which can be used to connect, for example, mobile phone. The list of ports on the left side is not limited to this. There is also a FireWire interface here, which can ensure file transfer over a sufficiently long time. high speed up to 400 Mbit/s. Through the IEEE1394 port you can connect a digital video camera, connect a desktop computer and this laptop. There is also an ExpressCard expansion slot and a digital HDMI port.

The manufacturers were also pleased with the presence of a TV-out (S-Video) connector, because Until recently, installing such a port was a luxury for many models. This interface will allow you to connect the Satellite A300 to a regular TV, since it is designed to output an analog signal from the video controller to a TV or VCR. In other words, it is suitable for connecting any device that is capable of receiving such a signal. Thus, users will be able to watch videos on big screen, which you will agree is much better than watching a movie on a small laptop display.

What do we have on the right? Two adjacent USB 2.0 ports, one of which supports Sleep-and-Charge technology (recharging through the port of various devices is possible), a power socket, a Kensington lock hole, a modem connector and a built-in Dual DVD-RW optical drive that can easily play or record various files on any disk.

As for the front end, here you can see a card reader that reads cards in the Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, MS PRO, xD-Picture Card formats and two audio jacks for headphones and a microphone, and the SP/DIF optical output is combined with the headphone jack.

Regarding wireless connections, it is worth noting the ability to transfer data via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi standard 802.11b, 802.11g.

Battery

The laptop has a 6-cell lithium ion battery with a standard capacity of 4000 mAh. The maximum time that allows the laptop to work without recharging will be about 3 hours, which by modern standards is not such a high figure.

When tested, a laptop in “Reading” mode with minimal system load, reduced power consumption and 40% display brightness can last no more than 2 hours 30 minutes.

With maximum performance (watching videos or playing games), deactivated energy saving functions and 100% brightness level, it will not be possible to work for more than 1 hour 45 minutes.

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Conclusion

Fans of multimedia laptops, shiny surfaces and sophisticated appearance will certainly appreciate the Toshiba Satellite A300 laptop. But the laptop has other equally important advantages: a comfortable keyboard, a contrasting and fairly bright display, a wide range of necessary interfaces and fairly good performance. The Satellite A300 also has a good sound system that delivers excellent quality surround sound through the speakers.

Regarding glossy surfaces, opinions can be twofold: beauty or practicality. In principle, this cannot be considered a particular disadvantage.

Few people can be surprised by the internal architecture of modern laptop computers today: everything is quite the same, the vast majority of laptops are built on the same Intel platform. And since you can’t really get ahead in the performance field, the developers were forced to switch to adding more external brightness and expressiveness to their products in order to be able to at least visually stand out from the competition. Thus, the green light was turned on before the rampant design idea, which, as practice shows, knows no boundaries.

In the race for the most attractive exterior, Toshiba managed to show the highest aerobatics of skill, practically putting all its competitors on the back foot and putting an end to the “glossy craze.” The new Satellite series laptops don't just have a glossy lid and wrist rest - even the keyboard is polished. Laptops look outrageously beautiful, and the word “ugly” is also not without reason. Glossy surfaces are an excellent dust collector and eternal fingerprints. But there’s no escape, you have to pay for beauty - at least in the form of regularly wiping your laptop with a special microfiber cloth.

Toshiba Satellite A300: appearance

Today in our laboratory is one of the 15-inch representatives of the new “satellites”, which replaced the popular A200 series, Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ.

The A300-1JJ model is a relative mid-ranger in the A300 series. The laptop is built on the old Centrino platform, codenamed Napa (even without the Refresh additive), and its processor, Intel Core 2 Duo T5750, is based on the Merom core. If we talk about the entire A300 line, then the range of processors installed in it extends from Intel Pentium Dual-Core to Core 2 Duo on Penryn core. There is also a whole subgroup of laptops with the letter “D” at the end, which use AMD hardware. In terms of video subsystem, the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ is, on the contrary, one of the most powerful models in the A300 line, its share was the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 with 512 MB of hardware video memory. In other models of the series, Toshiba installs weaker discrete graphics solutions ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470, and is completely limited to integrated Intel GMA X3100 or 4500M. Our laptop has one 2 GB memory module, but there are also models with 1 + 2 GB RAM. In addition, some of the A300 series satellites are equipped with two hard drives(in our case there are two compartments, but the second one is free), and are also equipped with Wi-Fi adapters of the 802.11n standard (in our model - the slower 802.11a/b/g). Otherwise, all models in the line are very similar.

Packaging, delivery and a little about the software

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ is packaged in a small white cardboard box with a red tick on the edge, typical for all “satellites”. The name and series are printed on a sticker on the side.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: packaging box

The laptop's contents, as usual with Toshiba, are quite modest - minus the laptop itself, the following was found in the box: 4000 mAh battery (6-cell), Delta Electronics AC adapter with power cable, international limited warranty on a laptop, brief and complete guide user manual in Russian, a guide to safe and convenient operation and several loose brochures on separate sheets.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: delivery kit

Attached software On the contrary, quite a lot. Firstly, as is the case with almost all portable machines, the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ has a pre-installed licensed Windows Vista Home Premium. In case of problems with the operating system, the manufacturer suggests creating a set of two system recovery DVDs using the Toshiba Recovery Disc Creator utility, the shortcut of which is located on the desktop, and a reminder about this pops up after each boot - as long as you have such a set you won't create. It’s a pity that the user has to do this procedure on their own; it’s much nicer to find ready-made Recovery disks included in the package. The recovery process itself takes relatively little time.

Toshiba Recovery Disc Creator

The proprietary Toshiba Assist shell is a small control center that contains frequently used system utilities. The program has four tabs: “Connection”, “Security”, “Protection and Correction” and “Optimization”.

Toshiba Assist utility

The first tab provides access to the ConfigFree (Connectivity Doctor) utility and Bluetooth connection settings. Control program network connections ConfigFree allows you to find nearby wireless devices such as Wi-Fi hotspots and Bluetooth devices. The interface of this utility at the time of search takes the form of a round radar screen. In addition, the program can detect connection to network cable and automatically turn off the power to the Wi-Fi card to save power consumption. To solve possible problems with network connections ConfigFree has a Connectivity Doctor section that allows you to check the settings of all network devices and troubleshoot any problems that may arise.

ConfigFree (Connectivity Doctor)

In the “Security” section, two passwords are set - “Supervisor Password” and “User Password”.

The “Protection and Correction” tab is represented by one utility - “PC Diagnostic Tools”. The program displays all the main characteristics of the laptop, and also provides the ability to diagnose individual devices.

And the last window, “Optimization,” contains a lot of utilities aimed at working with individual components of a laptop computer. Among the most interesting is the “CD/DVD Drive Acoustic Silencer” application, which allows you to regulate the noise level of the optical drive by limiting the maximum rotation speed of its spindle

CD/DVD Drive Acoustic Silencer utility

The “Zooming Utility” utility included in the “Optimization” section allows you to use hot keys (“Fn” and “1” or “2”) to enlarge or reduce the image in supported programs, including Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, Windows Media Player, Adobe Acrobat.

To work with the built-in webcam, the manufacturer provides a program with the intuitive name “Web Camera”. The application is launched by hovering the cursor over the middle left edge of the display (where the control panel is hidden by default) or by pressing the Alt and F7 keys together.

Web Camera: Toolbar

The application allows you to take photos, shoot videos (with sound) and record audio separately. The process of recording video and sound is indicated by a blinking red dot on the corresponding icon.

Web Camera: Taking photos and recording

Photos are viewed in separate window with the ability to adjust the image scale. Image editing is not available.

Web Camera: Photo Viewer

Playback of captured video and audio is performed by two similar built-in players. In the latter case, take off your shoes, there is no image, instead of a picture, a drawn speaker is placed in the center of the screen.

Web Camera: Video and Audio Playback

The “Effects” tab allows you to add frames to the image and several options for fixing the desktop when working with the camera. All these effects look much more modest than in the pre-installed ArcSoft WebCam Companion programs on Sony laptops or LifeFrame on ASUS. Toshiba is probably aiming for serious work. :o)

Web Camera: Effects

The manufacturer also provides another program for the webcam - Toshiba Face Recognition. The utility creates a unique password based on the basic features of the user's face and provides quick login.

Toshiba Face Recognition

Especially for working with graphic files Google Picasa2 software is included.

Google Picasa2

The application automatically detects the location of photos, sorts them into albums, organizing them by date with folder names for ease of navigation, and also allows you to edit images (remove red-eye, change color characteristics, apply various effects, etc.), burn discs, print files, create web -albums and exchange pictures via email.

Google Picasa2: Image Editing

The next program, "Ulead DVD MovieFactory for TOSHIBA", is designed for editing and recording video material in DVD format. It allows you to record video from any source and then edit it, add titles or background music. The program also allows you to create menus using suggested styles or your own design.

Ulead DVD MovieFactory for TOSHIBA

In addition to the above, the capabilities of Ulead DVD MovieFactory are expanded with a disk printing utility that supports LabelFlash technology. This program has tools for adding inscriptions and drawings to the disk. True, in our case the relevance of this idea is zero - the drive in the A300-1JJ does not support LabelFlash technology.

Ulead Label@Ones

In addition to Ulead DVD MovieFactory, the laptop has a program Windows Movie Maker for creating and editing digital videos with the ability to add various video and audio effects, titles and the like.

Windows Movie Maker

To record audio discs, data discs and create backup copies, the manufacturer includes the Toshiba Disc Creator program.

Toshiba Disc Creator

To watch movies and other video materials, the laptop comes with a proprietary Toshiba player. DVD Player, the interface of which is very simple and easy to use.

Toshiba DVD Player

And given that Windows Vista Home Premium comes pre-installed with Windows Media Center– a shell for working with media files, allowing you to view photos and films, listen to music, work with a radio and TV tuner, then we have an excellent addition to the branded viewer. True, you won’t be able to enjoy watching TV programs - due to the lack of a built-in TV tuner.

Windows Media Center

Moving on to applications for working with text, the first to note is the free Adobe Reader 8.1.0, a utility for working with files in PDF format.

Adobe Reader 8

To work with documents and tables, Toshiba uses Microsoft package Works 9.0, oriented, unlike MS Office, exclusively for home use. The package includes text editor(less functional than MS Word, but more than WordPad), spreadsheet processor, database, calendar and PowerPoint presentation viewer.

Microsoft Works

As an addition to Works, the manufacturer includes a full-fledged Microsoft Office 2007 package, but only with a 60-day trial license. After this period, you will either have to say goodbye to Office or buy a full product key from Microsoft.

Microsoft Office 2007 with 60-day license

The manufacturer offers McAfee as a security package Internet Security Suite 2008 – Toshiba Edition. The license, however, is valid for only 30 days - so after a month the user will have to either renew the license at his own expense or abandon McAfee Internet Security Suite.

McAfee Internet Security Suite 2008

Well, at the end of the software review, it remains to mention two more Google programs, displayed on the desktop with the corresponding icons: Earth And Desktop. Both of them are relevant only when the laptop is connected to the Internet. The first is a geographic program for viewing maps, satellite images, landscapes and buildings throughout the Earth, as well as the starry sky beyond its borders. Google Desktop is an assistant for searching files and applications on your computer, plus additional side panel with “gadgets” (it should be noted that both can be organized using your own Windows tools Vista).

Exterior: design and ergonomics

The Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ case looks very impressive, and one cannot call such an exterior too much - the appearance of a laptop computer is well within the bounds of reason. Often applied under a layer of gloss, metallic strips, thickening from the edges to the middle of the lid, do the maximum possible to make fingerprints, dust and scratches less noticeable. However, even in such a non-standard way it is not possible to completely hide them; from some angles it is better not to look at the laptop at all, so as not to spoil the impression of its glossy splendor. Therefore, whatever one may say, the owner of a Toshiba Satellite A300 will have to acquire a special napkin for regularly wiping shiny surfaces - and will need to resort to its help often.

The body lines of the new “satellite” are vaguely reminiscent of those of the A200 series, but this is more of a visual illusion. The base now does not have very pronounced roundings on the front and back sides, and the lid does not try to bend at all to match the contours of the bottom; on the A300 it is actually flat. A significant disadvantage of the lid is its fragility: not only does it bend under light pressure, but traces of this are visible even on the laptop screen. Traditionally, for the vast majority of laptop computers labeled Toshiba Satellite, the front end of the base has a built-in 5-in-1 card reader that supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Multi Media Card, Secure Digital and xD-Picture Card memory cards, and a connector for connecting microphone, a headphone jack combined with an optical digital S/PDIF output, and a volume control wheel. The latter, by the way, has no rotation limit and changes the speaker volume through Windows settings, which comes out much smoother than when using regular buttons on other models. However, you can only determine the minimum volume by ear, but only the OS sound console can show whether you have turned it up to the maximum.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: front view

To the left of the listed connectors, completely separate, is a switch wireless interfaces together with an activity indicator.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: wireless interface slider

Unlike predecessor, the lock for securing the display on the Toshiba Satellite A300 has been eliminated; the lid is held in the lowered or raised state by a single rather tight hinge, which occupies a hefty portion of the rear part of the base. The hinge is a continuation of the frame around the screen, thanks to which the display, when the laptop is fully opened, goes beyond the bottom of the case and completely covers the entire back side of the base, preventing engineers from placing a single connector on it. The lid fastening mechanism used allows the laptop to be opened only at an angle that is noticeably less than 180 degrees.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: opening angle

Lifting the lid, we observe that the inside is in complete harmony with the external decoration of the laptop computer. According to the ornament on the lid, the base is painted with textured stripes, thickening towards the middle, and, together with the keyboard, has a glossy finish. When you press the base under your wrists, you find that the plastic “breathes”, and at the junction of the glossy and bottom parts of the base it also crunches a little. I would like to attribute the latter to the flaws of a particular specimen. Further, the chrome touchpad buttons and the gray matte (which, it is worth noting, practical) frame around the screen stand out from the integrity of the picture.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: open

Even on the unit of the built-in 1.3-megapixel webcam, which cannot be rotated and noticeably protrudes beyond the frame, there are two rubber pads that protect the glass coating of the device when the cover is lowered. As you might guess, the direction of the peephole’s “look” directly depends on the angle of inclination of the lid. When the camera is active, a tiny blue indicator lights up next to the eye. A hole for the built-in mono microphone is drilled just to the right of the block.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: webcam and microphone

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ is equipped with a widescreen (16:10 aspect ratio, WXGA) 15.4-inch matrix with a working resolution of 1280x800 pixels. Visually, viewing angles do not seem large even horizontally. It’s even worse vertically: in order to get a more or less uniform picture, you have to play with the angle of the display: either the top of the picture goes into the negative, or the bottom loses contrast and is highlighted. In addition, the screen has a “glass” coating, which in addition to all of the above will force the user to select favorable lighting - otherwise the surface will glare. There are no complaints regarding brightness; there are quite enough adjustment levels - 8, even the lowest ones allow you to clearly see what is happening on the screen.

The keyboard of the new “satellite” is a separate story. Externally, the input device is similar to other Satellites, the only thing is that all 87 keys have a glossy finish. Needless to say, the design of the laptop required such a solution; a standard matte keyboard is completely out of place here, but if you look from the point of view of practicality, you can find several design flaws. Firstly, no matter how much you wash your hands before starting work, the buttons will still instantly become covered with fingerprints, creating a visually less than rosy picture. And secondly, the complete absence of roughness can lead to slipping of the fingers, especially if the pads are wet. Otherwise, there is nothing to complain about; the mechanical properties of the keyboard are excellent: pressing the keys is soft and silent, there is no backlash (as far as this can be determined by sliding your finger over the button), the moment of operation is clearly felt. As is typical for Toshiba laptops, the green indicator for Caps Lock mode activity (upper case) is built directly into the key itself. “Enter” is a classic L-shape. The cursor block is located below the line of the main keyboard, which reduces the risk accidental pressing"shooter". There are no tricks with the location of “Fn” - the lower left corner is legitimately occupied by “Ctrl” with an increased button width. There is a “conditional” (combined with the main) numeric keypad (the “Num Lock” is turned on by pressing “Fn” and “F11” together, after which the corresponding indicator under the “F11” key lights up) and two buttons Microsoft Windows. If you press “Fn” and “F10” together, the same keys on which the “virtual” numeric keypad is located can be used to control the cursor. The corresponding indicator under the “F10” button notifies you that the function is active.

“Home”, “Page Up”, “Page Down” and “End” are arranged in a vertical row on the right. The function keys are separated from the main keyboard by a black insert (on which, in fact, the aforementioned indicators for using the cursor control mode and the numeric character input mode are located), significantly reduced in size and divided into five groups: a separate “Esc”, “F1” - “F4” ", "F5" - "F8", "F9" - "F12" and four more buttons ("Print Screen", "Pause", "Insert" and "Delete"). Russians and letters are printed in white; the designations on the keys, which are also used as a numeric keypad and cursor control buttons, are drawn in gray with a smaller point size.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: keyboard

The Toshiba Satellite A300 touchpad is a powerful breakthrough compared to the “unruly” predecessors on older “satellites”. The touchpad is flush with the surface of the base, the striped pattern of which safely continues on it. The touchpad is devoid of gloss, the surface of the panel has a slight roughness, thanks to which you can easily determine by touch the moment when your finger left it. Responsiveness to touch is excellent. At the top, instead of two texture stripes, there is a built-in white strip of backlight for the touchpad across its entire width. At the base of the panel, the total width is slightly larger than itself, in a special recess there are two “mouse” keys. The buttons are of an unusual round shape with a chrome plated finish. Of course, the first time you touch the keys, your fingerprint will be imprinted on them. Beautiful, but too tacky. The pressure is quite tight, the moment of operation is accompanied by a characteristic click. There are no graphical highlighting of horizontal and vertical scrolling zones, however, if you run your finger along the corresponding edges of the touchpad, you will find that they are there. In addition, some Satellite A300 models have a fingerprint reader installed between the touchpad keys (in our case it was missing).

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: touchpad

Directly below the mouse keys are the main status indicators, illuminated by white LEDs. Inactive symbols It is almost impossible to detect; they merge with the black surface of the base. Having the top lid down only at certain angles (if hanging over the laptop) slightly impairs their visibility. The status indicators (from left to right):

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: status indicators

AC power indicator (lit when the laptop is connected to a power source);
Power indicator (lights white when the laptop is turned on, blinks orange when the laptop goes into sleep mode, does not light up when the computer is turned off);
Battery indicator (flashes orange when the battery charge level is low, lights up orange when the battery is charging, lights up white when the battery is fully charged and the computer is connected to power, off in all other cases);
Activity indicator (shows the computer’s access to data storage devices: hard drive or optical drive, lights up at the time of access);
Indicator of access to the card reader.

Also in the A300 model, when the laptop is turned on, the Satellite series logo is highlighted.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: illuminated series logo

Whatever you say, long-standing cooperation with Harman Kardon bears fruit. Following the expensive Toshiba models, branded acoustics began to appear in laptops at a lower price level. The Toshiba Satellite A300 comes with a pair of matching speakers. The sound quality is definitely higher than usual for this laptop segment.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: stereo speakers

The remaining area between the speakers is occupied by a block of touch-sensitive multimedia keys and a power button for the laptop. When the laptop is turned on, they are all illuminated by white LEDs, and at the moment of operation they go out for a second. In case all this illumination interferes with work, the backlight of all keys can be turned off with a special button, and the “Satellite” logo and the strip above the touch panel will go out at the same time. The keys above the keyboard include (from left to right):

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: multimedia keys

Laptop power button;
Backlight off key;
Multimedia player launch key (CD/DVD button);
Play/Pause key;
Playback stop key;
Previous track selection key;
Next track selection key.

The multimedia player launch key works even when the laptop is turned off: the operating system first loads, followed by the Windows Media Player window popping up. Fortunately, touch keys They only react to the touch of a finger; when wiping the laptop with a napkin, you don’t have to worry about it suddenly turning on.

The number and arrangement of connectors is definitely borrowed from predecessor, only they look more neat due to the new design.

The following components are located on the left side of the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ (from left to right):

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: left view

15-pin D-Sub connector for connecting an external monitor;
TV-Out (S-video) port provides connection to a TV;
Connector for connecting a laptop to local network(LAN port RJ-45);
Two USB ports;
26-pin ExpressCard 34/54 connector;
4-pin IEEE1394 (FireWire) port.

On the opposite side of the laptop is the following:

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: right view

Two USB ports;
Connector for connecting the modem to a telephone line (RJ-11);
Optical drive with activity indicator, CD eject button and emergency opening;
Connector for connecting a power source;
Kensington lock port (allows you to secure your laptop with Kensington-compatible security products).

All four available USB ports of the laptop support the “USB Sleep and Charge” function, enabled using the Toshiba HWSetup utility. This function allows you to charge all kinds of devices such as players and phones from a USB port even when the laptop is turned off. Some Toshiba Satellite A300 models may not have this option; its presence can be determined by the lightning bolt marking above the port itself. And since we’re talking about the symbols above the ports, the icons corresponding to the connectors are placed on the edge of the visible part of the laptop’s base. The phenomenon is rare, but, I must say, convenient. Unfortunately, both right USB ports are located too close to the front of the laptop (and, accordingly, to the user), so when using a wired mouse, the cord will certainly get tangled under your hands.

On the back of the laptop, as mentioned earlier, due to the specific design of the hinge, there are no connectors.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: rear view

The laptop is equipped with a 4000 mAh battery (6-cell), designed for a voltage of 10.8 V, which when converted to watt-hours gives a capacity of 43 Wh.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: battery

At the bottom of the laptop there are covers for the RAM modules and two hard drives, a battery pack with two latches (manual and spring) and stickers with information about the model and serial number operating system. It is unlikely that you will be able to use the second hard drive bay on your own: there is room to put the HDD, but the interface and power supply are not routed into the bay.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: lower part

The RAM compartment has two slots, one of which is occupied by a 2048 MB module, the second is free.

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ: RAM compartment

Accordingly, if you want to increase the memory capacity of your laptop, it will be enough to purchase a second module.

Interior: interior contents

Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ is based on a dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a T5750 rating and a clock frequency of 2.00 GHz, which is based on the Merom core, produced using a 65 nm process technology and has a combined L2 cache memory for two cores 2 MB.

It differs from older processors based on the Merom core (T7xxx series) in its lower FSB frequency (667 MHz versus 800 MHz), as well as the lack of support for Intel VT virtualization technology, which, however, does not matter to most users, only the difference in price is noticeable. Slightly more significant may be the absence of FSB Frequency Switching technology in the T5750, which allows, when the processor is idle, to reduce not only its multiplier, but also the system bus frequency, thereby consuming energy more economically.

Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 in two test power modes

The Merom processor supports not only the Enhanced Intel SpeedStep (EIST) energy-saving technology, which allows you to reduce the multiplier and, accordingly, the operating frequency during idle moments, but also the Dynamic Power Coordination technology, which allows you to control the power consumption of each of the two cores independently of each other, right up to one of them into a state of Deep Sleep. In addition, Dynamic Cache Sizing technology is used (dynamically resizing the cache memory), which disables idle cache blocks - with the same goal of reducing power consumption. It also happens Intel technology Dynamic Acceleration, aimed at single-threaded environments, when only one core is used and the processor's power consumption is low - the energy reserve is used to increase the frequency of the operating core, thereby implementing a kind of “proprietary” overclocking.

The chipset in the laptop is Intel Crestline PM965, which has an external PCI Express x16 bus for connecting a discrete video card. In the role south bridge The ICH8-M chip is used, which has a built-in audio Intel core High Definition Audio.

Intel Crestline PM965

As a wireless network adapter Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG is used, which supports only the relatively low-speed 802.11a/b/g standards.

As a graphics accelerator, the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ uses a mid-level discrete video adapter ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650, which is based on the M86 chip, made using a 55-nm process technology and operating at a frequency of 600 MHz. The video card has 512 MB of GDDR2 hardware video memory with a 128-bit interface.

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650

The laptop is equipped with a TOSHIBA MK1652GSX 2.5" hard drive with a spindle speed of 5400 rpm, SATA interface and a capacity of 160 GB. The laptop is also equipped with an LG GSA-T40N DVD burner drive with the following speed characteristics:

Initially, the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ is equipped with one two-gigabyte DDR2 RAM module operating at 667 MHz in single-channel mode.

Below is a table with detailed technical characteristics of the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ and its direct competitor, as well as its opponent in processor tests and time tests battery life,ASUS M51Sr:

Testing methodology

Before testing began, the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ had its hard drive formatted for file system NTFS, then the Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate x86 operating system (English version) and drivers taken from manufacturer's website.

During testing, the following parameters were set:

Sidebar – disabled;
Welcome Center greeting - disabled;
Screen Saver – disabled;
Windows Defender – disabled;
System Protection – disabled;
Windows Update - disabled;
Scheduled disk defragmentation – disabled;
User Account Control – disabled;
Screen brightness is set to maximum;
The resolution of the liquid crystal matrix is ​​maximum, 1280x800;
Aero interface – enabled;
Desktop theme – Windows Vista;
Volume level – 10%.

Tests were carried out in two modes by changing the settings of the power management circuit. The first part took place when powered from the mains (the “High Performance” setting, or “High performance” in Russian Windows versions, which ensures maximum performance of a laptop computer and, accordingly, minimal battery life). The second part is when powered by a battery (the “Power Saver” or “Energy Saver” setting in the Russian version of Windows, in in this case maximum battery life). There have been some changes made to Power Saver that are different from the default ones.

The test package was divided into two parts:

Part 1: tests to measure the performance of both the system as a whole and its individual components:

Synthetic tests for overall performance (PCMark Vantage and SYSmark 2007);
Game performance tests (3DMark 2006 1.1.0, 3DMark Vantage, Half Life 2: Episode Two, F.E.A.R., BioShock, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, World in Conflict).

The 2nd part is focused on determining the battery life of a laptop computer; measurements are made using the MobileMark 2007 test application.

MobileMark 2007 contains three operating modes:

Productivity mode – “ragged” serious load on the system;
Reader mode – emulation of reading a pdf file (in the “Read” test mode, rewinding is done one page at a time every 2 minutes);
Movie viewing mode (DVD).

In addition to the above, 3DMark 2006 1.1.0 scenes were repeatedly run on the laptop, after which the temperatures of the LCD panel, keyboard, bottom surface, and “exhaust” were taken using an infrared remote thermometer (a point with maximum temperature) and processor (using the CPUID program Hardware Monitor). This test was carried out twice: when working on a hard, smooth table surface and on a soft, fluffy fabric surface.

Testing

As usual, we will begin our review of the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ with the synthetic Futuremark application. The PCMark test package is designed to measure computer performance when working with office and related applications, as well as in games. Overall result test is calculated by the formula: PCMark Score = 87 x (Geometric Average of Main Tests), where the geometric mean is (result 1 * result 2 * ...) / number of results. In the Vantage version, results are presented in relation to typical operating scenarios, and not to computer components, as was the case in earlier versions of PCMark.

The “Memories” scenario evaluates the performance of systems when working with digital media archives, including amateur photographs and home videos.
The TV and Movies test uses high-definition video playback and transcoding as a load.
The Gaming test measures the suitability of platforms for running 3D gaming applications.
The "Music" script is mainly devoted to transcoding audio files of various formats.
The “Communication” test simulates visiting web resources, working with by email and the use of IP telephony.
“Productivity” is another simple scenario that simulates working with typical office applications;
And the last test, “HDD,” evaluates the performance of the hard drive only.

One of the inexpensive processors of the Intel Core 2 Duo family with a T5750 rating shows its inherent result. Changing the power supply to the battery reduces the processor frequency due to the inclusion of Intel's energy saving circuits, which is why the test indicators are reduced by almost one and a half times. In fact, the test results show a general drop in performance, while the processor frequency was reduced exactly by half. It was prevented from falling even further by the lack of FSB Frequency Switching technology on board, which reduces the frequency of the FSB bus.

Version 2007 of the SYSmark test package, like its predecessor, is aimed at determining the complex performance of the system under various load conditions. SYSmark 2007 simulates the user experience aimed at solving specific problems in several of the most common applications. At the output, the package produces several indices showing system performance demonstrated under various activity scenarios, measuring system performance in real applications when solving specific problems.

Well, the result is obvious: in offline mode SYSmark, which depends mainly on processor performance, drops by half.

The 3DMark test program is a set of three-dimensional scenes based on its own graphics engine that load the video subsystem in various ways.

For the reason that the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ maximum resolution vertically is 800 points, we were forced to introduce minor changes. Testing in 3DMark 2006 was performed twice - both times at 1280x800 resolution, but in the first case full-screen anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering were disabled, and in the second - enabled (AA 4x, AF 16x). In 3DMark Vantage, the laptop was tested only at one difficulty level, Entry, with a resolution of 1024x768, and feature tests had to be disabled.

The results obtained can be classified as average by the standards of mobile video cards. Enabling anisotropic filtering and full-screen anti-aliasing reduces the final values ​​by one and a half times.

After the synthetic tests, it was time for real games. For each game, several types of settings were set, from the required maximum (anisotropic filtering 16x and full-screen anti-aliasing 4x, all other parameters set to “high”) to minimum (all parameters, if possible, set to “low”). For older games (Half Life 2: Episode Two and F.E.A.R.) a couple of tests were carried out in maximum and medium quality, for modern ones (BioShock, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and World in Conflict) - in more detail, also capturing the very lowest quality level. All games were tested only when powered from the mains. The most severe settings for the graphics subsystem were chosen to compare the results of the laptop with the “desktop” video cards that we we test regularly(an exception is the game Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, in which desktop computers and laptops we are currently using different test videos). Testing was carried out only in the native resolution of the laptop screen (in our case - 1280x800), with the exception of F.E.A.R., which used a lower resolution of 1024x768.

As can be seen from the results obtained, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 is a rather weak option for games, although it is positioned as a mid-level mobile solution. If you compare the map with its desktop namesake, which currently costs a little less than two thousand rubles, then the absolute winner remains with the desktop Radeon HD 3650. You can play modern games on the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ only by lowering the image quality settings to a minimum.

The battery life was measured using the MobileMark 2007 test package. During the tests, the laptop's transitions to StandBy and Hibernate states were disabled.

The first scenario (“Productivity”), which was used to measure the battery life of a laptop, is based on simulating the user's work in typical office applications. The load is not constant, one might even say “ragged”; the user is constantly interrupted from doing the work. The second test is to measure the battery life of the laptop while simply reading text. Adobe Reader was used as a program that displayed the document on the screen. The third and final scenario used in our tests simulated playing DVD video using the InterVideo WinDVD player.

Although the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ beats the ASUS M51Sr in almost all scenarios by an average of 20 minutes, this does not at all characterize it as a standalone long-liver. A little more than two hours of reading a book is a fairly low result. As for watching a film, in the era of popularity of long films, 112 minutes is practically nothing. This laptop battery life is typical for gaming or multimedia models. In our case, the culprit is obviously a very weak battery.

At the end of testing, we present the temperature readings of the laptop at idle and after running 3DMark 2006 for half an hour, on hard and soft surfaces. The temperature was measured using an infrared thermometer; the room temperature at the time of testing was 22 °C. On each surface, a point with maximum temperature was sought. The processor heating was measured using the CPUID Hardware Monitor program.

It is worth noting that you are unlikely to burn your hands or knees even if you work intensively on a laptop. In general, ventilation is built decently, since the main surfaces heat up minimally, with the exception of heat removal from the processor, which is confirmed by temperatures even at complete rest. The noise emitted by a laptop computer at low loads is minimal, but in the most productive modes it increases significantly.

Advantages and disadvantages of Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ

Advantages:

“Brilliant” and attractive appearance;
Reasonable cost;
Good performance;
High-quality acoustics;
Touch button block with the ability to turn off the backlight;
Possibility of charging via USB ports with the laptop turned off.

Flaws:

“Glass” coating of the matrix;
Short battery life;
Modest delivery set;
There are a lot of easily soiled surfaces (especially the keyboard and touchpad buttons);
Small viewing angles of the matrix.

Conclusion

It is impossible to say that the Toshiba Satellite A300 was a complete failure. Compared to other solutions in the mid-price category, of which there are a dime a dozen, the laptop stands out noticeably for its extraordinary appearance, and this is perhaps the main thing in the midst of similar products. Toshiba designers managed to catch the fine line separating beauty from tackiness. But the keyboard didn't work out very well; it was too dirty. On the other hand, without it the whole concept of a “brilliant” solution would die, so for the sake of beauty, please keep the keys clean.

As for the level of performance, even on the previous generation Centrino platform with a cheaper version of the processor, the Toshiba Satellite A300-1JJ looks very decent.

Check the availability and cost of the Toshiba Satellite A300 laptop

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L300 looks interesting. Its surface is painted silver, and the ends on the sides of the body are black. At the same time, the laptop has a rather stylish appearance. Although in reality the model is presented as a budget device. There is a certain play of color on the inner and outer panels of the case - dark contrasts with light. The design is well thought out. The black computers are very clearly visible on the silver-colored area under the palm. The upper part of the case is made without any decorations, there is only the company logo. The matte cover is quite reliable and practical. Almost all of the computer's panels are matte, but the display is glossy. The design of the Satellite L300 laptop is calm and measured, it can even be called modest.

Display

The L300 has a widescreen screen with a diagonal of 15.4 inches, and its resolution is 1280 by 800. It has excellent color reproduction (up to 16.7 million shades). In addition, the WXGA screen has an excellent brightness reserve, and its image is very clear. This makes it possible to watch movies in good quality. However, the mirror surface of the Toshiba TruBrite screen can, in addition to the benefits of image saturation, also be annoying if there are a lot of reflections and glare. Everything about this laptop is great, but the viewing angles are not entirely ideal, this mainly concerns the vertical indicators. But the horizontal ones are very good, they are quite wide.

Keyboard and touchpad

Now let's talk about input devices. The Toshiba Satellite L300 keyboard has 87 buttons. You can't call it rigid, and the lack of this quality while typing can cause flexing. The operation of the buttons themselves is quite smooth and almost silent.

This keyboard also has its downsides. For example, small gaps between buttons. Fingers may jump to adjacent keys while typing. In addition, the arrow buttons are made too narrow. The layout and markings are excellent. Just below the spacebar is the touchpad. It has a slightly recessed surface, which makes it quite comfortable to use, since your fingers do not slip off the pad. Although the touchpad itself is responsive, the keys underneath are difficult to press.

CPU

Now let's talk about the performance of the Toshiba Satellite L300. The characteristics of the processor will be given below. For now, we note that there is no operating system installed on the computer. For some, this is not so convenient, since before starting work, you will have to set up. However, for experienced users this is rather a plus, since they themselves can choose the system they will use on their device and its parameters.

The laptop has a single core Intel processor Celeron 575, which has a level 2 cache of 1 MB and a clock speed of 2 GHz. This option is great for entry-level laptops, and while it's not as fast or particularly powerful, it's not expensive. In addition, the Celeron 575 has 2 GB of RAM. It can be expanded up to 4 GB, and performance will be improved when solving various computing tasks.

The hard drive of this model has a capacity of 160 GB. Today, this indicator has become the norm; it is quite enough to carry out everyday work with files, store texts and programs. The graphics of this computer are represented by a built-in video card. Its performance is sufficient for undemanding games with low and medium settings. GMA 4500MHD allows you to correct photos and work with a number of office programs. This means that the limited capabilities of this video card (Blu-ray playback, video file decoding) can be used in simple applications.

Other characteristics

On the right side of the Toshiba Satellite L300 there is a built-in optical drive, a port where you can connect peripheral equipment, and a power socket. There is a hole at the end. On the front, the laptop is equipped with two connectors for connecting a microphone and headphones, in addition, there is a wireless communications switch. On the left side there is an ExpressCard/54 expansion slot and two USB ports - one above the other, there is also a fifteen-pin D-SUB video output. In addition, there is an RJ-45 network connector. And the USB interfaces support Sleep Charge technology, which helps charge your mobile phone or player even when the computer is turned off.

This laptop also has ports on the back. In particular, the connector for connecting a modem. Although the number of ports is not very large, they are quite enough for work.

Now let's talk about the autonomy of the Toshiba Satellite L300. The battery is six-section lithium-ion. The capacity is 4800 mAh. This battery allows you to work autonomously for about 3 hours.

A budget laptop allows you to solve a wide variety of tasks; its functions are quite sufficient to satisfy the needs of not too demanding users. It is equipped with an excellent display, has sufficient system performance for an entry-level system, and an interesting design that features a contrast of silver and black colors. Separately, it should be said that every port and connector of this computer is well thought out. The body has matte panels. The only downside is the display's glossy finish, which reflects objects. Otherwise, this model corresponds to the declared level. If the Toshiba Satellite L300 does not turn on, we recommend turning off the power to the device overnight and removing the battery. In the morning you can put everything back together and the problem should be fixed. If this does not help, contact your service center.

Choosing a good budget laptop is always difficult. The fact is that there are a huge number of different models on the market from different manufacturers. And it’s extremely difficult not to get lost in this ocean of laptops. You need to be at least a little aware of which manufacturer’s products are now considered the highest quality. You can, of course, buy a cheap laptop from an unknown manufacturer, but it is far from certain that it will last long. In terms of reliability, products from Toshiba are very interesting. And the entry-level Toshiba Satellite L300 laptop is quite suitable for undemanding users.

Positioning

The laptop is positioned by the company as an inexpensive device for work. And indeed, its capacity for games is not enough. However, it will cope perfectly with all programs. Playing video in high definition is also his diocese. However, the main feature of the Toshiba Satellite L300 is its exceptional reliability. It will work for many years without any problems. That is, until its iron filling becomes completely obsolete. And this will not happen soon. The laptop is perfect for those people who use mobile computers exclusively for work. Watching movies, working with photos, some light games and other multimedia tasks - that's what this laptop is designed for.

Specifications

On board the laptop is a simple processor from Intel Celeron family. There is nowhere more budget-friendly. But even this weak and ancient chip can provide acceptable device performance. RAM is represented by one module of 2 gigabytes. There is no possibility of increasing the volume. That is why games are not available on this laptop. The Toshiba Satellite L300, the characteristics of which we are currently reviewing, is equipped with an Intel GMA 4500 MHD video adapter. This is a built-in video accelerator, so you shouldn't count on any performance. It's enough for watching high-resolution videos and working with photos. But nothing more.

A 160 gigabyte hard drive now looks like a blatant anachronism. Drives from 320 gigabytes are installed everywhere, but not in the Toshiba Satellite L300. Specifications The devices with all their appearance say that this is a laptop from the “cheap and cheerful” category. Well, okay. The main thing is that it works well. And this cannot be taken away from Toshiba. Despite its rather modest parameters, the laptop works quickly and clearly. The laptop also includes an optical drive. But the main feature is the expansion slot for ExpressCard. Few devices can boast of such a feature.

Appearance and Design

There is no need to talk about any design delights in the case of the Toshiba Satellite L300. Everything is just outrageous. The bulky body is reminiscent of the legendary laptops of yesteryear. There is a strong desire to install Windows 95 on this monster. However, not everything is so simple. The laptop may look unprepossessing, but the strength of its case can be the envy of any secure laptop. It is the case that determines the exceptional reliability of Toshiba. Although its iron filling is also extremely reliable. This is a laptop for work. And that's it.

On the left, a large number of ports are concentrated in the front of the panel. The ExpressCard 34/54 slot is covered with a plastic spring plug. Below it there is a four-pin connector FireWire and two USB ports, one of which is combined with e-SATA. Next you can see a socket for connecting a local network, a connector HDMI And S-VIDEO. The sequence of connectors is interrupted by a grille in the housing Toshiba Satellite A300, through which heated air is removed from the case by a fan. The grille cells are large, you can see the massive radiator. At the hinge of the lid there is a classic D-SUB for connecting an external monitor.

IN Lately there is a clear tendency to transfer any functional elements from the front panel to other parts of the case. Here manufacturers accommodate users halfway - the front panel is not the most convenient place for any ports/buttons/slots. IN Toshiba Satellite A300 There are a lot of interfaces and controls, and therefore placing everything on the side panels is problematic and we had to move them forward. On the left there is a lever to turn on/off wireless communication. In the center there is a multi-format card reader slot, audio connectors and a volume control wheel.

The touchpad is slightly offset to the left of center Toshiba Satellite A300, but with the same striped pattern, continuing the coloring of the wrist pads, only darkened. A quick glance may not notice this ornament at all - the touchpad will seem completely black. It is made on the same level as the working surface, and is limited only by changing the tactile characteristics - the touchpad is not glossy, but slightly rough. The keys are in close proximity, large and rounded, with a metallic finish.

Keyboard Toshiba Satellite A300 black and glossy, in keeping with everything else. It is slightly recessed into the body so that the surface of the keys is just at the level of the wrist pads. The keys are a comfortable size, with slightly beveled and rounded edges on three sides. Standard layout, Latin and Cyrillic characters painted in white. Other symbols are light blue and very miniature.

Above the keyboard is a glossy black panel on which interesting elements are placed. First of all, two large speakers in the corners, covered with transparent plastic elements, catch your eye. These speakers have an extended sound range, which should have a positive effect on sound quality Toshiba Satellite A300. A similar sound system can be seen on famous Toshiba Qosmio, which traditionally have good sound. In the center of the panel there is a number of functional elements. Not far from the left speaker you can see a round button to turn the laptop on/off. To the right there is a number of touch controls that perform multimedia functions: turning on/off sound, controlling the operation of players. Next to the right speaker you can see the inscription “harman/kardon”, indicating that the speakers belong to a famous brand in the world of acoustic systems.

The keyboard operating mode indication is also interesting. A green LED reflecting the CapsLock mode is built directly into the key of the same name. ScrollLock and NumberLock mode indicators are located under the corresponding keys and are also green.

The lid is attached to the body using one wide hinge. The closing mechanism is spring-loaded, without any locks. Glossy finish display Toshiba Satellite A300, in our opinion, is suitable for the scope of use of the laptop the best way: Contrast is higher than that of matte counterparts. And a matte screen would stand out from the overall glossy design. When working indoors with bright lighting or outdoors, you will need to find a comfortable place to prevent glare from the screen. Soft pads are placed around the perimeter of the display frame to soften contact with the body. At the top center, on a slightly protruding platform, there is a web camera. On the right you can see the hole for the built-in microphone. Below, under the screen, the company logo is printed in light letters.

Design Toshiba Satellite A300 stylish, you can even call it glamorous: black glossy surfaces are interspersed with silver and metallic elements. It looks nice and very harmonious. The arrangement of interfaces and controls may not be ideal, and in some places it’s a little cramped, especially on the left, but with such variety you can close your eyes to it.

Toshiba Satellite A300 | Ergonomics and user experience

Build quality is good: body Toshiba Satellite A300 There is no creaking anywhere, the working surface and the keyboard do not sag when pressed. The materials are not expensive, but this is not surprising for this price niche. You shouldn't expect practicality from an absolutely glossy laptop: it gets dirty very quickly. The napkin included in the package will undoubtedly come in handy, and you will have to use it often.

Touch pad Toshiba Satellite A300 pleasant to use, accurate with moderate sensitivity. The keys are large and comfortable, but the metallic coating is a little confusing: how long will it last? Experience in operating such elements suggests that over time this coating will wear off and the appearance will suffer as a result. The keyboard may look beautiful due to its glossiness, but it sticks to slightly sweaty hands. And this causes a slight feeling of discomfort. But overall the quality is acceptable: false positives no, the key stroke is soft with clear fixation of positions.

On the left, the interfaces are very cramped, especially those located under the ExpressCard slot. If for FireWire The plugs are very tiny, but USB flash drives can be very wide. The placement of the audio connectors in front also cannot be called a good solution, and the card reader slot does not have a plug.

Acoustic system Toshiba Satellite A300 made us happy. Of course, it is far from comparable to external systems, but for an integrated system the sound quality is very good. Low Frequencies are weakly expressed, but the middle ones are heard more clearly than on many multimedia laptops. When playing music, the membranes vibrate very effectively. The volume level is good, however, the editors do not recommend installing maximum value to avoid damaging the speakers.

Let Toshiba Satellite A300 not very practical to use, gets dirty, but this is the price that some are willing to pay for a nice appearance. Well, the functionality is excellent. I really liked the touch control panel and the built-in speaker system.

Toshiba Satellite A300 | Performance testing

This is a multimedia laptop that should be able to solve a wide range of user tasks. And therefore its performance should be at a good level. According to the specifications, everything is very good: a dual-core microprocessor, a large amount of memory, and a discrete video card should allow you to listen to music, watch movies, surf the Internet and play games. Let's see how things really are. To obtain the results, we used the standard 3DMark benchmarks for gaming performance and PCMark for general user scenarios. Well, traditionally, we measured performance separately hard drive. All results are presented in the graphs below.

Very smooth results. The first diagram shows that all system components have decent performance, while the second shows the good efficiency of the laptop in user scenarios. Let's see how Toshiba Satellite A300 will show itself in games.

The results are very good. You can play on this machine without any problems. It is likely that even modern games will run with gentle settings at an acceptable frame rate. Let's look at the performance of the "bottleneck" of modern computers - the hard drive.

Performance is standard for laptop drives with a spindle speed of 5400 rpm. When testing with synthetic tests, we traditionally notice strange results on cached operations. And now the speed of cached recording has dropped. However, there is no doubt that in real scenarios this will not affect performance.

Based on the test results, we can say that Toshiba Satellite A300 confidently cope with all user tasks. It’s possible that you won’t be able to get a comfortable FPS level on modern “heavy” games, but there shouldn’t be any problems with less resource-intensive games.

Toshiba Satellite A300 | Temperature and battery life

Cooling system efficiency - important parameter. Components that are constantly overheated will last less. Let's see how hot it is inside Toshiba Satellite A300. We subjected the main components to maximum load and monitored the temperature dynamics. Take a look at the chart below.