Toshiba Satellite T135 (T135D-S1324) Specifications:
- 1.6GHz AMD Turion Neo X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor L625
- 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 (2 x 2GB)
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
- 13.3" WXGA HD TruBrite LED Backlit display (1366x768)
- 320GB 5400RPM Toshiba SATA Hard Drive
- ATI Radeon 3200 Graphics
- 802.11b/g/n, 10/100 LAN
- 6-in-1 card reader
- 6-Cell Li-ion 61WH battery, 65W Power Supply
- Dimensions: (W x L x H) 12.7" x 8.78" x 0.87"/1.35"
- Weight: 3lbs 12.9oz (with 6-cell battery)
- Price as configured: $599.99
Build and Design
The Toshiba Satellite T135-series notebooks are stylish ultraportables that look like previous 13-inch Toshiba notebooks, but in a much thinner and lighter chassis. Toshiba keeps the profile only a fraction of an inch thicker than the USB ports on the side of the notebook, though this is done in large part by cutting out things like an ExpressCard slot and optical drive. For the average user this notebook has all the advantages of a standard computer--a high resolution display, a full-size keyboard and a dual-core processor--but none of the bulk. The black color scheme on our T135D looks nice, although the red exterior of the Intel-based T135 was a nice change of pace. Toshiba offers multiple color schemes for this notebook, so if you don't think black is beautiful then there are other options available for you to purchase.
Related Articles
Screen and Speakers
The 13.3" LED-backlit screen on the T135D appears to be identical to the display panel used on the T135. Colors appear overly saturated (not always a bad thing, but a matter of personal preference) and the contrast ratio looks below average with fairly light black levels. Horizontal viewing angles are good out to at least 45 degrees to either side before you start to notice color distortion. Vertical viewing angles are below average as the display becomes over exposed or colors begin inverting after moving the screen 15 degrees forward or back. Overall screen brightness is good enough for indoor usage under bright office lights or in the shade outdoors. The glossy screen makes reflections something of a problem if you try to use the screen outdoors under direct sunlight.
Speaker quality is below average as the maximum volume output isn't loud enough to fill a large meeting room withn clear sound. The maximum volume setting on this notebook sounds more like what we expect when we set multimedia notebooks to 50 percent volume. Part of the problem is the speaker location on the bottom front edge of the notebook ... which means sound is directed down and away from you rather than up toward your ears. The other issue is the small size of the speaker drivers themselves. Toshiba simply didn't put impressive speakers into this notebook. If this is your only PC for listening to your music library then I suggest purchasing a good set of headphones.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Once again, the full-size keyboard on the T135D is identical to the T135 and we don't have much new information to share with you. The keyboard is comfortable for typing and offers excellent support even under very strong typing pressure. The palmrests are just about perfect for average adult male hands as they support the wrists without causing additional stress points while typing. The individual keys have a springy, responsive action and each key has a flat surface similar to a Chiclet-style keyboard without the additional space between each key. Typing noise is minimal, with no loud "click clack" noises while typing. Consumers who are thinking about buying this notebook for typing long documents or notes during class should have no problems with this keyboard
Ports and Features
Port selection is fairly good when compared to ultraportable notebooks, but we're starting to get worried about the lack of either an ExpressCard slot or eSATA port on 13-inch and larger notebooks. USB is fine for smaller notebooks, but larger notebooks need to offer a few more options in terms of ports. The T135D includes three USB ports, VGA and HDMI-out, LAN, audio jacks, and a Kensington Lock slot. Expansion slots include just the 6-in-1 SDHC-compatible card reader.
Front: Indicator lights
Rear: Battery
Left: Kensington Lock slot, VGA, HDMI, one USB
Right: 6-in-1 card slot, audio jacks, two USB, LAN, AC power
Performance and Benchmarks In terms of day-to-day activities it's fair to say that most consumers won't notice much (if any) performance difference between the T135 and T135D. That fact alone probably means most consumers should consider the AMD-based T135D since it's $100 cheaper than the Intel-based T135. However, we did stumble onto some issues in terms of Battery Life (more on that later in the review). HD video playback for both 720P and 1080P content was flawless, but unlike the Intel CULV solution, the T135D with AMD processor and ATI graphics didn't stress the CPU as much when playing HD video. The only test that we ran in our lab that suggested the AMD processorm might not perform as well or better than the Intel processor was the PCMark05 synthetic benchmark, but we've found that this benchmark doesn't always reflect real-world experience. Bottom line, the AMD-based T135D should offer every bit as much performance as the Intel-based T135 ... for $100 less. wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance): PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance): 3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance): HDTune storage drive performance test: Heat and Noise Battery Life Granted, it wasn't too long ago that we used to praise any notebook that delivered more than 3 hours of battery life. However, 5+ hours just isn't quite as impressive in a world with notebooks and netbooks that can run for 8 or more hour on one battery charge. Conclusion The Toshiba Satellite T135D is a solid notebook that offers a lot for a modest price. It's not perfect, but if you can learn to live with its flaws then you can save $100. Pros: Cons: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5542&review=toshiba+satellite+t135d
We found the Intel SU4100 CULV processor and Intel integrated graphics in the T135 to offer reasonable Performance, but we were particularly excited to see how the T135D would perform with an AMD dual-core processor and ATI integrated graphics. The short answer is that the 1.6GHz AMD Turion Neo X2 processor performs a little faster than the Intel offering, and the ATI graphics clearly perform better when it comes to basic gaming such as World of Warcraft or older first-person shooter games.
Noise levels were great for normal daily use. The default fan speed is always on at a low setting, pushing hot air away from the CPU and out of the notebook. The fan doesn't get much louder even if you stress the system with a game or video encoding. Unfortunately, the quiet fan means you get higher than normal case temperatures when the notebook is left on for more than 30 minutes. The external case temperatures on the T135D are roughly 10+ degrees hotter than what we saw on the T135 next to the CPU and the RAM. This makes the T135D less "lap friendly" than the T135 and you'll probably want to keep it on an airline tray table or a hotel desk when working on the road. All temperatures shown below are listed in degrees Fahrenheit.
Although the AMD-based T135D offered as much (or more) performance than the Intel-based T135 in day-to-day tasks, the AMD processor simply didn't deliver as much in the way of Battery life. In our battery test with the screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and Windows 7 set to the "balanced" profile the system managed 5 hours and 48 minutes before shutdown. This is more than enough battery life for most consumers who just need a laptop for a few hours of web browsing at a coffee shop, but it is obviously less than the 8 hours and 18 minutes of battery life we saw with the Intel-based Satellite T135.
At the end of the day Toshiba left consumers with an interesting pair of options for a thin-and-light notebook with a 13-inch display. The Intel-based Satellite T135 offers good performance, a nice notebook design, and great battery life for $700. On the other hand, the AMD-based T135D delivers better performance with day-to-day tasks and an identical design for only $600. Sure, you "only" get five and a half hours of battery life with the T135D and there's a hot spot next to the RAM and CPU, but $100 goes a long way when you're trying to save money.
Individual Ratings: *
Software & Support
Upgrade Capabilities
Usability
Design
Performance
Features
* Ratings averaged to produce final score
