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| M-Tech 5600 |
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Heavy Gear March 2003 • Vol.3 Issue 3 Page(s) 30 in print issue |
M-Tech 5600 | ||
 Notebook manufacturers are always looking for ways to increase performance while decreasing cost. This fixation is making desktop processors increasingly popular in mobile systems. The M-Tech 5600 is just one of many notebook systems that uses a desktop processor to deliver extra performance. Specifications. Our M-Tech 5600 arrived with a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 processor. Its 533MHz frontside bus is faster than the 400MHz frontside bus we typically see on notebook systems, and you can upgrade the 512MB of PC2100 DDR SDRAM to 1,024MB. In addition to the fast processor and increased frontside bus, the 5600 includes the new ATI Mobility RADEON 9000 graphics chip. ATI's latest chip seems to do an excellent job with 3D applications, including gaming. Our model included a modular DVD/CD-RW combo drive, but you can choose another type of optical drive if you prefer. A secondary battery can replace the floppy drive if you need some extra battery life. As you'll see, this may not be a bad idea. Our unit arrived with Windows 2000 Professional installed, but both versions of Windows XP are also available. M-Tech will even ship you a model with no OS installed if you prefer something other than a Microsoft OS. (All hail the Penguin.) Design. The 5600's silver-and-gray appearance looks sharp, although I didn't particularly care for the rainbow color M-Tech logo on the lid. The case seems to adequately protect the LCD. If you really need a high-resolution display, you can order a 5600 with a UXGA (1,600 x 1,200) display, but my eyes were thankful for the 15-inch SXGA+ (1,400 x 1,050) display on our model. The display was reasonably bright, and color looked good. DVD video was no problem for this machine. The audio wasn't as impressive as I had hoped for, but it was better than some systems. The keyboard was decent, although I take exception with the layout, specifically the placement of navigational keys such as PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN to the right of ENTER and BACKSPACE. Aside from the layout, the keyboard had a nice feel to it and it was easy to type on. Performance. There are some performance issues certain users will need to keep in mind. The 104 MobileMark 2002 Performance Rating, for instance, jumped out at us right away. There is no way a 2.8GHz system should be scoring in the same range as a Pentium III-M system. M-Tech confirmed that the desktop processor throttles back when the unit is running on battery power (which MobileMark requires). A much slower processor thus skewed the performance numbers. Despite reducing the processor speed, the 5600 managed just a 93-minute Battery Life Rating. That means you'll want the secondary battery if you want to watch a movie or get some work done away from a power outlet. On the other hand, we ran PCMark2002 with the processor at full speed, and the results were noticeably better. The CPU Score of 6788 was one of the better CPU Scores I've seen from a notebook system. The 5379 Memory Score was equally impressive. Even the 478 HDD Score, although not a world-beater, was strong. By comparison, the PCMark2002 CPU Score fell to 3208 when we ran the system unplugged. The system is also an excellent gaming system (provided you're plugged into an outlet). This is one of the first systems I've seen able to play GTAIII at the display's native resolution. Final word. The M-Tech 5600 is highly skewed toward performance, and portability suffers as a result. Nonetheless, M-Tech bills the 5600 as a desktop replacement, so although I never particularly like seeing a 93-minute Battery Rating, I'll go a little easier on the 5600 than I would if I saw a similar battery rating from a smaller and lighter system. Given reduced performance and the low battery life, you won't ever want to stray too far from an outlet with this system. The 5600 would make an excellent commuter system to carry back and forth between work, but leave it at home if you plan on a lengthy business trip. In the end, I'll give the 5600 3 CPUs for its performance, features, and competitive price, but I would advise highly mobile users to look elsewhere. by Chad Denton M-Tech 5600 $2,203 M-Tech (888) 246-8956 (231) 547-5560 www.m-techlaptops.com CPU Rating: 3 (out of possible 5)
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