Dell Studio 14: Defining Solid
by Dustin Sklavos on August 19, 2010 2:49 AM ESTSynthetic Graphics Performance with 3DMark
When we get into our battery of 3DMark tests is where we're going to start seeing how the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 stacks up against its predecessors along with the other entry-level chips on the market, as well as Intel's own HD integrated graphics. The 5470 Dell outfitted our Studio 14 with is a best-case scenario for the chip, running its 80 stream processors at a 675MHz clock speed and its GDDR3 at an effective 1.6GHz. That speed on the memory is going to be important, too, because the 5470 remains crippled with a 64-bit bus.
The Mobility Radeon HD 5470 produces a modest improvement over the older 4330, and basically keeps pace with the GeForce 210M and 310M. It has a clear advantage over the integrated graphics parts from both AMD and Intel, but that advantage only seems large in the scale we're operating at here: the 5470 is still worlds away from the next performance class, and as we'll see it's adequate at best for gaming.
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jasperjones - Thursday, August 19, 2010 - link
You must think your readers are somewhat dumb. I don't see any reason why, in recent reviews, we're being shown the table with system specs twice.Dustin Sklavos - Friday, August 20, 2010 - link
As a convenience so you don't have to memorize the specs every time you look at the first page. :)Hrel - Thursday, August 19, 2010 - link
yeah... 900 dollars?! Only way this laptop is worth that is if you put an ATI 5650 GPU or better in it, and a screen with a resolution of 1600x900 or better.taltamir - Friday, August 20, 2010 - link
with a GPU that crappy, why bother at all?The only two options should be the 5650 (or faster) or no discrete GPU at all (saving both money, power consumption, and weight)... having a crappy discrete GPU is a DRAWBACK not a plus for a laptop... its still not playing any games.
JarredWalton - Friday, August 20, 2010 - link
That's only partially true. Even the 5470 and 310M are about 2.5 times faster than the best current IGPs (with the exception of the G320M that's only used in Apple MacBook, since NVIDIA can't make Core 2010 chipsets). If it were a $75 upgrade, that would at least be something you could justify, but $150 is what it costs to get the 5650/335M level, which are another 2.5X increase over these entry GPUs.synaesthetic - Monday, August 23, 2010 - link
These GPU upgrades are barely worth $50 extra on the price. Asking $150 is absolutely ludicrous.But really, no laptop maker offers reasonably priced discrete GPU upgrades except for Sony (where they are almost always $50 extra regardless of what type of GPU you get).
As another poster mentioned, this machine is not a good deal. In the 14" space, the HP Envy 14 and the Sony Vaio CW rule the roost. Especially if you catch the Vaio CW on a Best Buy sale, where you can get the CW27FX variant with the i5-520M, 1600x900 LCD, NV GT330M and a BD-ROM drive for $950.
asmoma - Sunday, August 22, 2010 - link
I'm curious about the performance and the battery life/energy usage of the phenom pxxx and the kite platform. Is someone at anandtech working on a review? :)JarredWalton - Sunday, August 22, 2010 - link
Yes... when the replacement gets here. We got an early piece of hardware, and unfortunately all the wrinkles weren't ironed out.Avenger19 - Sunday, August 22, 2010 - link
Hello,I would like to wade in with my 2c worth. I have owned a Studio 14 for about 1 month, I7 720, 8GB ram, Crucial C300 SSD. I am very happy with the configuration, the only downside is the relatively wimpy ATI video chip. I have a 5870 SLI machine for those tasks. The size and weight are perfect for me The "lack" of LED indicators are a blessing for me. Highly recommended.
geforcefly - Thursday, August 26, 2010 - link
My Studio 1458 has been a really good laptop for me. And one of the few 14" machines that has an LED backlit panel, slot load DVD, Core i5, AND an optional extended-life battery. I love the clean design and my i5-430 will outperform the old T9900. 4GB, 320GB, and 1,366x768 is plenty of pixels without having to look though a magnifying glass.