X-bit labs

Sony VAIO and HP Compaq: Two Office Notebooks in Our Lab (page 9)

Category: Mobile

by Galina Sudareva

[ 06/17/2005 | 11:34 AM ]

Configuration

The notebooks are both based on the Centrino platform of the second generation. So, it’s the more interesting to compare them between each other since their configurations only differ much in the graphics subsystem.

The following table lists the technical characteristics of the Sony VAIO VGN-FS115ZR and the HP Compaq nx8220.

Both notebooks models represent the latest advances in the notebook industry, being based on the i915PM (Alviso) chipset from Intel. These mobile chipsets use the PCI Express bus that brings such advantages as higher bandwidth and the option of disabling some of the lanes when the load is low or when the system is idle. The Sony VAIO and the HP Compaq use the same model of the central processor. It is Intel Pentium M 740 (1.73GHz frequency, Dothan core, 0.09-micron technology, 2048KB L2 cache, 533MHz FSB). Added the integrated wireless network controller (IEEE 802.11b/g), we really have a Centrino platform here, which is defined as the combination of an Intel Pentium M processor, a mobile chipset, and a WLAN controller.

The Sony VAIO and the HP Compaq use discrete graphics controllers with dedicated memory, the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6200 and ATI Mobility Radeon X600, respectively. Both controllers are attached to the PCI Express interface. The manufacturer claims the GeForce Go 6200 supports up to 128 megabytes of graphics memory. In fact, this GPU has 32 megabytes of dedicated memory, but it can also use a dynamically allocated part of the system memory. This innovation is called Turbo Cache. I want to show you a screenshot of the Everest program that reports on all the technical features of this graphics controller.

As you can see, the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6200 has four pixel pipelines and one vertex processor. The dedicated graphics memory is clocked at 598MHz, while the GPU is clocked at 301MHz. A screenshot of monitoring performed with RivaTuner is presented below to better illustrate the point:

The ATI Mobility Radeon X600 supports up to 64 megabytes of dedicated graphics memory. It has four pixel pipelines and two vertex processors. The memory is clocked at 540MHz, and the GPU at 398MHz. Here’s an Everest screenshot:

As for system memory, the Sony VAIO uses two 256MB modules of PC2700 DDR SDRAM (clocked at 333MHz). Thus, the total amount of memory is 512MB, while the maximum supported amount is 1 gigabyte. It would be better to have DDR2 here that has a higher bandwidth than DDR. So, the Sony VAIO has two memory slots (both are located at the bottom of the case under a special cover that is held on screws).

The HP Compaq uses DDR2 SDRAM clocked at 400MHz. This notebook also has two memory slots, both occupied with 256MB modules (the maximum supported amount of memory is 2048 megabytes). One of the slots is at the bottom of the case under a special cover. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the location of the other.

The cooling systems of these two notebooks are quiet enough. The only drawback is that the surface between the keyboard and the edge of the HP Compaq notebook would become too hot at times. I measured the temperatures of the notebooks as they were doing our performance tests:

• Sony VAIO VGN-FS115ZR: 35°C top, 41°C bottom, and 39°C at the output of the cooling system
• HP Compaq nx8220: 36°C top, 44°C bottom, and 39°C at the output of the cooling system