Samsung Q430 14in notebook

Good, but average, performance

The Q430 performs reasonably well. The GeForce 310M gives it a 3DMark 06 score that's slap bang in the middle - not up there with hardcore gaming graphics chips, but a darn sight better than integrated graphics. Its PCMark Vantage performance shows it delivering an average Core i3 rating.

Better your battery

Battery life, by contrast, is ahead of the 15in notebooks Reg Hardware looked at this year, thanks to a 57Wh, 5200mAh battery.

Samsung has installed Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, which warrants a thumbs-up. It has also bundled an array of utilities, but, other than its Battery Manager, nothing that really noticeably improves on the tools Windows itself provides.

Battery Manager is interesting. It allows you to charge the battery to a maximum of 80 per cent of its total capacity. Yes, you lose off-the-mains runtime, but, says Samsung, your battery will retain its overall capacity for longer. The value of this utility will depend on how much time you expect your machine not to be tethered to an AC power source - or how long you expect to keep the laptop.

The Q430's retail price is £699, par for the course when it comes to 14in and 15in Core i3-based machines. Better buying a nicer looking one...

Verdict

Not a bad laptop, just a slightly naff-looking one. ®

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