My Official M860TU REVIEW!!!

Thats a good question Micheal, I'm trying to examine it as fast as I can, It comes down to theres good and theres bad, and can I deal with the bad.

also Added Noise info to review.

 

UPDATED a Pros and Cons list.

 

I take it that it doesn't amaze you, but that it isn't too bad? That's the impression I'm getting from these reviews: that it's good, but not great. I defenitely don't get the impression that it's any better than the m15x when I compare reviews of both.

 

i would say great, but has its flaws. nothing is perfect. I can think of worse defects.... like overheating, downclocking, noisy chassis, cracking chassis, slow keyboard rexponse rate........reming you of something? +rep for anyone who guesses it!

 

The m15x? I wanted the rep...

All of that has been fixed except for the screen creaking, which isn't a huge deal. The rest are just random build quality issues, which the NP8660 may or may not have over time. BTW, it seems a hot chassis is a bigger problem with the NP8660. So far, I'm pretty disappointed with the 15" gaming notebooks out there. Voodoo is my last chance for a good 15" gaming laptop, otherwise I'll just go with a MacBook Pro...

 

bingo! you got it

 

m15x for the rep thanx Helios

And Michael, You pretty much guessed it. tho I have not used, or seen the m15x, so I can't really compare the 2. I dont understand why the m15x gets 3dmark06 scores closer to the 10000, and we have ddr3 and only get a little over 9000.

 

What is your battery life when you set it for Maximum Battery instead of Maximum Performance?

To maximize your battery life your screen brightness should be turned down as low as you can make it while still being able to read it comfortably, any unnecessary programs running in the background should be exited, your wireless and Bluetooth cards should be off if you are not using them, and your Power Management setting should be set for maximum battery life.

 

Very nice review Steven!

It’s nice to see that you've finally got your laptop, and I hope all is working out ok for you. Spend a few days adjusting your notebook to your liking, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it even more.

 

At 4:19 PM PST I unplugged it, and set it to maximum battery in the power settings. I've been using it non stop surfing the web and posting here , and right now 40 minutes later, I am at 71%

 

at that rate, it "should" last 138 minutes.

 

is it just me, or do battery indicators seem to run fast from 100%-70% and then start to slow down in the reduction?

 

That's not bad at all and would be about the longest time mine would ever be unplugged. Needless to say, I'm not in college.

 

Thank you for the update!

 

yeah, your being too thorough now. our european reviews are going to be old news at this rate!

 

haha sorry helios,, and wheres my rep.

Ok add another screenshot, this one of CPUZ while in power saver mode, notice the core speed at 1595.9, but I'm sure a drop in prefprmance is expected while in power saver mode.

 

Ok one hour has gone by, and I've got 56% left, So I'm thinking power saver mode well give a little over 2 hours.

 

Are you using your wireless card for Internet access, or your CAT5 cable?

The wireless card uses up your battery and you should get about 20-30 minutes more life if you are using your CAT5.

I am not saying you should use the CAT5 because when you are traveling and using a hot spot for wireless Internet access you will be on battery when you can't find a plug, but it would be nice to get a comparison.

 

I'm using wireless. I wanted to do both tests (power saver and preformance) with the same things going on, ie... for both tests I surfed the web the whole time.

 

A third test plugged in would finish the set

 

do you not have your own test model yet paladin?

 

^--^
Nope...I sent it to NBR to do a review.

 

haha, very funny

 

Seriously...

One at Max Performance

One at Max Battery using WiFi

One at Max Battery with your CAT5 plugged in and your WiFi card off.

 

Oh, my bad. I thought you meant plugged in to ac power

And I doubt NBRs review will be better than mine.

 

I can't figure out why the DVD-Rom drive is an issue for you. If as you grab the notebook you hit the eject and it opens....just grab it in a different way...it's just...I don't get it.

 

perhaps there is a way to disable the physical button to open and just use a software click to open.
It pops open during burn completions. Im sure there must be a way.

 

I also don't understand why the optical drive is such a problem for you.

 

Becasue I'm constantly picking it up, or repositioning it everytime I go to type, and by force of abit thats where I put my hands to pick it up, or move it. tho I'm working on it, still its quite annoying, If your getting one, wait, and youll see. I've not had that problem with any of the laptops I've ever used.

 

Here is what you can do. Cut out a piece of plastic, and tape it onto your DVD button to prevent the button from being pressed again.

 

So, to be clear, you accidentally continue to hit the actual button to open the drive, right? It isn't just pressure you're exerting around that general area (gripping it) that causes it to open? It's annoying that it continues to open, but isn't repositioning your grip much easier than dealing with it opening every time? That constant repositioning probably also contributes to the chassis becoming smudged with fingerprint stains so quickly.

Also, by the sound of it, you're using it on your lap, not as a desktop replacement, which is probably causing the (what seems to be excessive compared to others' impressions of the notebook) heat problems you're detailing in the review.

It seems that the emphasis of those two things as major cons and design flaws in your review is a bit unfair; it seems like the usage pattern of the machine is what's causing the problems. It wasn't designed to be used on a lap.

 

I think you can still put it on your lap as long you don't play graphic intense games, I think someone said this before forgot whom.

 

I'm sure you can, but it will still run much hotter than it otherwise would if the vents are occluded, which is highly likely when it's resting on one's lap. People also give off heat, so the air being (partially) sucked up through the bottom of the chassis will be hotter than if it were resting on a desk or better yet on a laptop cooler.

Of course, that whole people-give-off-heat thing might be more of a problem for steven than others. Maybe he has some abnormally high body temperature

 

I couldn't have said it better.

Seriously, I couldn't.

 

I bought a laptop, not a desktop, so of course I will use it on my lap, that is the entire reason I sold my Gaming rig that I just built 3 months ago. so that I could have a laptop, but also something I could play games on when the occasions arise. Now this is my review of the M860TU, so I'm putting my personal experience and opinions in it, Maybe I'm not allowed to do that, this is my first review, and I don't really know review etiquette. I'm sure when Justin's Review (which is over a week late) and NBRs review comes out, they might say things I disagree with also, furthermore, they might even mention things that contradict each others reviews. Maybe I will add that my review is based on me using my laptop like most people, and by adding that disclaimer people will get a better understanding of my re"view".


On a side note, the Power just went off. The battery test on power saver mode is complete, the verdict...

2 hours 10 minutes on power saver mode, it went into forced sleep mode @ 4%.

 

Also, while o my lap, Im using a Cooler. So it is not directly on my lap.

 

It's not a laptop, it's a notebook.

 

I am not trying to knock your review; it's one of the most comprehensive thus far and greatly appreciated by those with vested interest in the laptop (or, should I say, notebook ).

That said, I think that, because your usage patterns likely differ from the majority of people that own gaming laptops, your idea of putting a disclaimer regarding your usage patterns would greatly clarify and put some perspective on your overview and impressions. Of course you are allowed to include your personal opinions about your laptop in a review, but the disclaimer would help people understand how/why you developed those conclusions.

Thanks for doing these battery life tests, too; looks pretty good for a gaming laptop (used on a lap!)

 

So you have the notebook and the cooler on your lap?

Sounds like a lot of weight there, and you might also be contributing to dust accumulation from your clothes, sofa, bed etc. on the cooler and notebook itself.

Like some people have stated, this is a desktop replacement, so it should be on a hard flat surface with the power brick elevated so the dust won't accumulate and become a filter.

 

In my review I'm trying to be fair, I'm trying to give the pus and the negatives, for people like me that want to sit in comfort while typing a 2000 word essay, or just relaxing to surf the web, that is who I guess my review will help the most. When I game, I've got it on a hard surface, I don't put it on my lap when I game. Only when I'm surfing the web do I got it on my lap. I understand desktop replacement to be as powerful as a desktop, but as mobile as a notebook. Therefore, The mere idea of not using it on my lap is ridiculous, or else I would of kept my desktop, which was twice as fast at this, and just bought a cheap little laptop for school.

 

Thanks Steven! You've been very helpful and have been providing great feedback...now for Donald's plugged in test

 

Yeah well see about that plugged in test, Would it count if I turned off the notebook wifi, and plugged in a USB wifi?

 

When I hear "desktop replacement", I think of a notebook computer that is bulkier/heavier than mainstream notebooks and is generally meant to remain on a desk (rather than lap) in order to conserve space, just have one computer (as opposed to two, especially if you're a lighter gamer), or to be used as a mobile workstation / gaming rig on the road (but usually set up in a docking station or on a desk when at destinations). I think that many people share this idea and that few people expect a desktop replacement notebook to be suitable for use on a lap or purchase something with that intention. If I had your intentions in mind prior to purchasing the NP8660, I absolutely would have stuck with the gaming desktop / highly portable mobile solution for school.

So, I think that "the mere idea of not being able to use it on [your] lap [as being] ridiculous" is really only your idea that it's ridiculous. To the majority, I would consider your expectations and perceptions to be outliers.

 

you,ve sparked me an idea mike.

 

I am to sparking ideas what arsonists are to sparking fires...

... so I hope it's not a malicious idea

 

I don't think it would count as well, because there would be a power draw from the USB port, and I'm guessing the internal wifi would produce better results, if it has a larger antenna.

No rush on the test though, whenever you get around to it.

 

I guess I'm an outlier too. If I wanted a true desktop replacement I'd get one of those crazy 20" not-sure-what-to-call-it things. But especially for something that is in the 15.4" form factor, not being able to use it on your lap (with a cooler) for casual web surfing seems somewhat unreasonable.

 

I never said that you aren't able to use it in that manner Delta_CT, I just said that I (and I think many others) believe it's intended to be used on desks and that it will definitely run hotter when not used that way.

I completely agree it would be unreasonable not to be able to use it that way without it melting down for those sort of applications.

I'm not quite sure what to call those 20" laptops-that-fold-up-into-briefcases (at least for the Dell), either. But, I'd also consider that a desktop replacement, or at least some perverted hybrid.

What are you going to school for, Steve? (sorry if this has been answered already)

 

I'm going for a BS in Computer Science, and I want to Major in Computer Forensics.

 

That's really cool, man. I was forced to take a couple Java courses and a couple of MATLAB courses, though I only use MATLAB (if I need to program) for actual projects.

Computer forensics? What's that -- like recovering hastily deleted files of a kiddie p0rn sicko to incrimiate him/her (though I must say I would be a bit more suprised if a woman was convicted of such a crime... O_O)? It sounds pretty interesting. You know there are people on CSI trying to look cool doing what you'll end up doing