Rick's CF-31 MK1 Review

As some of you know I just bought a slightly used CF-31. The model is a CF-31AGP7G2M which is...

Model Number:
CF-31AGP7G2M Status:
DISCONTINUED MSRP:
$6,017

Description: WinXP (Win7 COA), Intel Core i5-540M 2.53GHz, vPro, 13.1" XGA Touch, 250GB, 4GB(2+2), Intel WiFi a/b/g/n, TPM, Bluetooth, Discrete Graphics ATI, GPS, Emissive Backlit Keys, Gobi, Dual Pass (Upper:WWAN/Lower:GPS), Webcam, No Drive, Toughbook Preferred

It came configured with a Samsung 128GB SSD drive and 4GB RAM. The seller on eBay had loaded Windows 7 64bit on it supposedly. I say supposedly as I never got to see that... It would only bluescreen when I turned it on. I had planned on reloading W7 32bit anyway from a Recovery DVD that I have. I was a little bummed to have to wait to see what it could do AFTER I loaded everything. I was eager to see how the seller had things loaded and to compare 64bit to the 32bit I wanted to load. Regardless... I am very pleased for $1900... The laptop looks almost brand new. The touchscreen is flawless with only a few minor scratches on the top lid.

The laptop also came with a very nice DVD R/W caddy...

So... I loaded the W7 Recovery Disk and waited. The first thing I noticed was how long it took the Recovery Disk to load everything onto the drive. I am used to it taking 20 minutes... This one took 40-50 total. But all drivers were loaded with the exception of the Gobi modem. That was easy enough to fix.

Then there was the hours of updating... I load MS Office and update again. I load my GPS Utilities and I start tweaking the SSD drive per the link that Blair posted months ago. (They have changed some stuff on the site by the way.) If you have an SSD drive and you HAVEN'T tweaked it per the SSD Guide there... You have no idea what you are missing. Go HERE to read more about that!

So... First thoughts.

The Screen - WOW... I need welder's goggles to look at this Toughbook now! At full brightness you can stare into the sun for a full minute then look at the screen and it is even brighter! 1200Nit VS the 1000Nit on the CF-30 makes more difference than you can imagine! The graphics are much more crisp and clear as well. I haven't done a lot of reading on this model yet so I am not sure of that is because of the ATI Discreet Graphics in this model or not. Feel free to jump in and school me about this or any part of this review. I'll take all suggestions, tips and tricks as well as knowledge! I took the Toughbook out into the full sun on my deck and the screen was like watching TV in a dark room. It was that clear and bright. I was amazed. I then turned the LCD all the way down and noticed that I could still read the screen, though not as well. It reminded me of the old CF-28 transflective models. I have read that this is an LED screen so I imagine this means better battery life. One other note... The screen seems to be more of a pure white instead of slightly yellow. I assume that this is because of the LED illumination instead of the cathode tube in the other models. Anyway... VERY nice screen.

Touchscreen - Seems to take even a lighter touch to make it work. I like it. I am hoping they fixed the dreaded touchscreen failures of the past. But this calibrates easily and holds the calibration after the several days I have been loading, rebooting and updating it.

The CPU - IS FAST! It is an Intel Core i5-540M 2.53GHz CPU. With the SSD installed and tweaked, it rivals most desktop platforms. It is almost as fast as the gaming desktop I built. (That I never play games on, LOL) At 2.53GHz it is smokin' fast.

WIFI - The range seems on par or better than most custom cards I have used. It doesn't seem to drop connection as some do and is very stable. It is an A/B/G/N card from Intel. I love the N speed and seems as fast or faster than the SR-71 card in my personal CF-30. I like it! W7 is running the show here and not PROSet. I have noticed that with XP Pro builds... PROSet wants to control it... (After using the Recovery Disk) But with W7 builds, it lets Windows control it. Fine by me.

GPS - The OEM GPS sucks... No pretty picture here. I will eventually tear it apart and install my own custom system or maybe load in a TechTuff kit if he has one for the CF-31. TechTuff kits are on par with my own and I like them in my CF-30 builds. They are a huge time-saver for me as I can avoid all the time consuming micro-soldering I normally have to do. The OEM GPS seems to take a while to lock, 20 seconds or so where my custom stuff locks on immediately. The OEM GPS picks up 3 satellites with fair to good reception and maybe 1-2 others with less reception but overall I am very disappointed that Panasonic couldn't have done better here. This stuff just doesn't cost that much more to build it right the first time. It reminds me of the GPS systems I installed in some police and fire department builds... Because the OEM stuff always let them down. The CF-31 GPS seems to be even worse than my stock CF-30 GPS. (Which is actually not too bad.) I was really hoping for something more. My custom GPS units normally have 9-10 pegged sats where this OEM unit struggles to find 5-6.

Emissive Keyboard - Truth be told... This is another reason I bought the CF-31. My CF-30, while still a very capable machine with its 500GB drive, was getting a little long in the tooth. I had a friend give me a CF-52 that I built with a SSD and tweaked that. It is also a 2.5GHz or so machine and is lighting fast. But no illuminated keyboard. And I didn't feel like making the mod to make that happen. I have too much on my plate for something that is not making me more money right now. I missed my illuminated keyboard so I decided on the CF-31... After 2-3 years it was time for an upgrade anyway. I'll give the CF-52 to my Mom as a birthday present as it will beat the crap out of her old Dull I gave her years ago. Anyway... I can't do without my emissive keyboard now.

Webcam - After dialing into a certain site and taking off... Only kidding. I decided on a CF-31 with a webcam so I can keep in touch with family members who have iPads and Facetime. I know there is a way to link the two and need to look into it more. Any suggestions here would be appreciated. I was surprised to see that there was no Panasonic programs loaded here. The only thing I can find on the laptop that even addresses the webcam is MS Silverlight... Something that auto downloaded with all the updates where it is usually an optional update I avoid. What is the story here? Even in Silverlight... The picture seems very dim... I'll need to look into this more. (No pun intended.)

Gobi Modem - I have always heard, since it came out, that Gobi was the way to go as you can pretty much use any carrier you want. This has the Gobi 2000 which is 3G. I have a Verizon 4G Hotspot so I won't be using the Gobi modem... But it is nice to know I can if needed, particularly if a certain carrier runs a special and I want to jump on it. It's kind of like having an extra 1000 rounds of ammo under the bench. You may not get around to shooting it... But it is nice to know it is there!

Other Stuff - WHAT... There is a FAN in my Toughbook? I am not sure you will be able to do THIS with this CF-31... Anyone know how sealed the fan unit is? The fan was actually a little irritating when I was loading all the software and doing all the updates. Of course, the CPU is pretty busy and needs cooling... But it was weird hearing a fan. Something that will take time to get used to. I am actually typing this review on my work CF-30 while I have the CF-31 on just beside it. The fan is totally silent now. Another note and something I would like others who have the CF-31 to chime in on... I did a battery recalibration last night and noticed that the fan would speed up and slow down in almost 3-4 second cycles. Speed up... slow down... speed up... slow down. Do others hear this as well?

The small port covers don't just snap closed... They push closed and then you pull them up to lock them in place. I would imagine that this will save on torn port covers being accidentally ripped off the machine. I also like how Panasonic imbedded the rubber on the laptop itself and not on the port cover. This looks to be a smarter move for a better seal. The DC cover has foam on the port cover in addition to the rubber seal on the laptop. I think the smaller port covers (DC, USB, LAN and HDMI) are a great upgrade. The rest are the normal bullet-proof covers like the 29/30 series.

Did you say HDMI? Yup... I can't imagine using this all the time but I do have a nice 120" screen in my media room that is projected by... guess what... a Panasonic projector! It's nice to know I can plug into the projector for anything I need to put up on the screen. Most of you don't know this but I was a sign painter in my 20s and I still like to keep my hand in it by painting signs and banners for my customers, family and friends. Being able to plug in my laptop (even though I have a desktop unit integrated into the system too) will be a nice addition. I design something in Photoshop, project it on my wall to make a pattern and then freehand paint it.

The touchpad seems "stiff" and I am hoping it loosens up with use. Scrolling is a pain and I have noted this on various other laptops. I seem to remember that my CF-30 was like this when I bought it new. It is almost like I need to tap my finger down onto the touchpad for it to recognize that I want to scroll. On both my work CF-30 and Personal CF-30 the scroll is effortless. I hope this one works out... Just a small complaint.

Questions that I have... The ATI Discrete Graphics... I have read that this is a great upgrade as the graphics card is larger and not integrated onto the mobo.... Is this correct? It seems that this is the type to have for HD content and such. Has anyone compared the two??? (Step up Rob and answer this!) How much better is the ATI for just regular use. I mean... I noticed a difference right away but I am not sure how much that has to do with the screen color and brightness.

What about "Toughbook Preferred"? I know that this is aimed at Business EUs.... But I wonder if I too have 24/7 tech support now. LOL

Plans - I have a Samsung 250GB 540 Series SSD that I was planning on installing right away... But I also have a potential customer that might be buying a sailboat and sailing the Caribbean for the next 6 months. (I know... Tough life!) He is supposed to get back to me if he wants a CF-30 with this installed. If not... I plan on installing it into the CF-31. I went with the Samsung model over the normal Kingston Hyper X because of price and also the reviews I read on the Samsung unit. If anyone has other suggestions for an SSD they like... Let me know.

Okay... Sorry for the lengthy review but I noticed that Blair said he was expecting a review... LOL

I can't let Blair down! Plus... As the CF-31s become more affordable for all... I thought this review might help a little. So if you have read this far and you have comments, questions, suggestions or whatever... Post them up. School me on what I missed or got wrong.

Thanks for everyone hanging around this forum all these years. I have said in the past that we have enough talent and brains to run our own planet... One day... You never know.

Thanks all!

Rick

 

Good job on the write up Rick. It's good to see you have come to your senses about SSD's! Just kidding. Could ever imagine using a computer without one now? BTW, Les Tokars is a good friend of mine. He is one smart mutha!

 

You do realize your little review could cost me dearly. I like the sound of it so far

CF-52...No Emissive Keyboard on my MK4 is a turn-off but my CF-53 has one which is why this is my every day Toughbook.

SSD... The Samsung 250GB 540 Series SSD is a very good drive but also I have the Kingston Hyper X. You are right, the Samsung drive is better and faster.

CF-31 sink...I have seen a few video's dumping buckets of water on the 31 but none in the sink . Would love to see how they protect the fan from getting wet ??

 

There is a video showing how that works. The fan doesn't blow directly into the case. It is on top of a sealed heat sink. So it just blows on top of this heat sink. Two videos one showing dust, second showing muddy water. Let me see if I can find them.


Found them.

Toughbook 31 Hybrid Cooling Dust Test - YouTube

Toughbook 31 Hybrid Cooling Mud Test - YouTube

Their is one more, I haven't found it yet. Shows it still in the machine.

 

By the way... Whenever I try to rate the system (WinSAT.exe) it causes a bluescreen. I went into the task scheduler and disabled it... But has anyone else had this issue?

 

Yes it happened to me last year on my CF-52MK2 , my problem was the Intel series 320 SSD was having problems. I updated the firmware and never had the problem again. Other problems are from a driver that needs updating to the antivirus software.

https://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGHP_enCA533CA533&q=WinSAT#q=WinSAT+gives+blue+screen

 

Blair,

Yeah... I've been reading up on it. They also suggest to revert to older video drivers to check and see if that is it. I just disabled the service for now. When I load the new Samsung 250GB SSD... I'll try it again and see.

They also suggest RAM as a possibility... But I just checked and it has Panasonic RAM installed. I was thinking about going with the 1.37V Crucial 4GB X 2 RAM as they say it gives slightly better battery life.

So many things to play around with...

 

Just like a kid in a candy store :yes:

 

Well... I just ordered the 8GB Crucial RAM and I decided on the Kingston X 300 Series 240GB SSD... It has higher write speeds. Both are on the way from Newegg... Ill use the Samsung drive in another build.

 

I know this thread is a little old, but

first, let me say: Nice review!
second: I see you have 8 GB RAM. Did you use a Panasonic 64-bit recovery disc? (Does one even exist?) or a vanilla install w/ drivers from Panasonic?

 

I installed 8GB of RAM thinking that I would eventually install 64bit W7... But at present I have 32bit working...

 

Great Write up, Although your CF-31 MK1 (CF-31AGP7G2M) only came with the 1100 nit screen not the 1200 nit ones.

The later 2nd and 3rd Generation CF-31's with the Sandy Bridge i5 22** and Ivy processors i5 33** (from mid 2011 to present day)came with the newer 1200 nit screens.

The (performance model) Mk2 also come with the ATI HD 6750 the (performance model) MK3 gets the new ATI HD 7750.

Just thought you should know.

Cheers :thumbsup:

 

Welcome to the Panasonic Toughbook forum

My guess Rick might know this already, he got this one because the price was right and also it was a big upgrade from the CF-30MK1 that he was running. Thanks for the info...good to know

 

Thanks for the warm welcome

 

Hello Rick,

I have the same trouble with the webcam on my machine.

Did you find a remedy?

Jim

 

Jim,

I think the issue is that there is no Panasonic program that uses the camera. I attend Fuze meetings with my Toughbook and the camera works great as does the microphone.

So it does work... You just need something that uses the camera to use it.

 

I can tell you about the ATI graphics in your toughbook as I previously owned a CF-31 for a couple of years.
The ATI graphics in the toughbook is a gimped version of the gpu you'd find in a regular laptop and it only runs at about 300mhz.

The single and most important issue with the ATI graphics that I only discovered after emailing panasonic years ago, was that the ATI graphics and the Extended Battery pack are incompatible. If you have both, then your battery pack is good only for making your cf-31 heavier.

 

Yeah... I read up on that... AFTER I bought it! I miss having the extra battery!

 

Oaks, the recovery disk for my CF allowed you to choose between loading 32Bit OR 64Bit and then you can burn a system image of your drive One time only. But then again, if you reuse the recovery disk from Heartland, and then choose 64Bit (if you picked 32Bit the first time) you can then burn an Image disk One Time only! (Again...)

I have a slightly older CF-31Q and I love it!

 

Thanks Psycho,
I have an extra caddy and SSD, so I will try this. The recovery disc I have says "This disc contains 32-bit software". So I did not think it would have 64-bit, so this is great news if my disc is the same as yours. My CF-31 is an MK1, (older than yours) so MMMV. Will let you know.

 

Shoot!! My recovery disc only had 32 bit. (grumble)

 

Same with my S10, BUT you can get it to make 64-bit recovery DVDs after installing it. On the spare drive install 32-bit Win7, then look in the Panasonic menu for the Recovery Disc Creation Utility. This is a one-shot deal that will ask if you want to make 32 or 64 bit disks. Select 64-bit and it will make them, even from a 32-bit installed OS.

 

It is a bit confusing the first time using the disk. But what happens is that you install the image from the heartland disk and it installs the 32B OS with 64B in a hidden partition.

If you want a 64B OS on it, you need to burn a Recovery Image in 64B and then use that disk to reinstall the OS in 64B to your HD.

When you burn that recovery image it will ask if you want it in 32 or 64 and you only get to burn ONE copy so choose wisely! ;-)

 

Any Opinions on GPS systems in the 31? Ublox LEA-6S vs SiRF4

I was looking at the two available aftermarket ones and the Ublox seems to have an edge from what I have read. a bit faster lock, a bit more stable over time. They are the same price though. Just looking to see what people have experience with and what they like.

 

Yes BUT if you happen to have a spare drive/caddy like me you can do the install all over again then pick the other OS and make a copy of that one too. Yes it will take a while but at least you will have both 32bit and 64bit OS. :thumbsup:

 

If your unit has Gobi 2000 WWAN, check in Device Manager which Port (COM & LPT) uses NMEA (COM 8 in my unit). That Port is the correct COM # for GPS. In the CF-30, Gobi GPS would only detect satellites if you removed the battery, but in the CF-31, mine detects my location within 30 seconds from inside my house (without removing the battery or any other foolishness). I have not tried it "out & about" yet, but it should work well.

 

G'day fellas,

I have just purchased a CF-31ACBNNPM.

Devilled if I can find a resource to tell me what Mark this is, and what it was issued with?

Can somebody help - Mark?
- Description?

And, it has an internal GPS that talks fine to Oziexplorer and OpenCPN. It appears to be set on WGS84 but I would love to know whether it is an Panasonic installed GPS or an add-on. I see it is on Comms Port 3 but only see drivers.

How can I access the GPS settings?

Thanks for your wisdom!

Zmtndoc.

 

Mk1....