Toshiba R700 / R705 /R630 Owners Thread

Hi guys!
I became a bit confused when I tried to figure out what is the difference between Satellite R630 and Portege R705.. Why'd Toshiba do that? the same model under two brand: Satellite and Portege! anyway, Is there any difference between them?? (in my country only R630 is available)
"freezing" issue also made me worried. You guys have this problem? Is it a "very common" issue? or it did happen for only a few people?

 

@arrow007:
1) There's no reason to go with 32-bit Windows because 64-bit is mainstream and all devices and software are compatible, not to mention you want to upgrade to 8GB RAM. 64-bit only boosts general performance in that it will recognize 4GB or more of RAM (maximum for 32-bit is ~3.73GB, IIRC).
2) Well, at this point, if you have 4GB RAM, you're pretty well off, especially at DDR3 1333 MHz speeds. If you absolutely need 8GB for performance reasons, go ahead, but I'd wait for single 4GB DDR3 sticks to lower in price. Seeing as you have an Intel X25 SSD and I don't, you probably have the money for 8GB now, but hey. Which brings me to...
3) As long as height, width, and depth of the SSD match that of the HDD, you're fine swapping out the old drive. If the SSD isn't 9.5mm high, adapters are available (and possibly already included with your purchase) to fix that. Otherwise, I wouldn't know about further fine points on SSD installation because I'm not exactly ready to part with a tidy sum for a nice Sandforce-equipped drive yet. So sweet...

@taghawi:
The fan is quite loud only when you really stress the integrated graphics, it seems. Otherwise, I see no reason why it would influence anyone's decision as for whether they could live with this machine. If it gets loud, it certainly quiets down (and cools down) quick enough. I could see someone getting annoyed with intense HTML5-encoded websites, as the Internet Explorer 9 test demos can bring IGPs to their knees.

@mrmbmh:
I believe the Satellite R630 is basically the R705 and all its features, lacking ExpressCard, fingerprint reader, and Bluetooth just the same. It just has a Core i5--perhaps the 430M, to keep prices somewhat lower.

 

Hi guys...i am considering this laptop and had few questions..

- does it accept regular 2.5 inch hdd's? (so can i put a 500gb drive?)
- the fan noise - is it really noticeable/loud?

thanks

 

I had a Western Digital 500GB drive in my R700 before I installed the SSD. It fit no problem. I have not found the fan to be any louder than any other laptop I have used over the years. It does kick in to high gear a bit more frequently than some though...

 

I've just got a R630-12G (Germany) and I'm pretty happy with it except for the fan. It is way too loud for me. I changed the bios settings to "Cooling Method: battery saver" and "Processing Speed: Low" but it is still quite loud in idle (no processing at all). Right now the R630 is about 2m away and I still hear the fan considerably. When I start to e.g. watch HD videos it get's a lot louder, which would be ok for me. But not when I'm just using Word! Health Monitor says that fan level is 43% - the actual minimum as other people mentioned. Btw it's definitely the fan and not the high-pitched cpu whine that other people reported here.

Is it possible, that there's something wrong with mine? Should i replace it? It really doesn't seem to be like e.g. pff1029 said:

PS: In contrast to other opinions I like the keyboard. It is also a little bit loud but touch typing works as fast as it did with my Thinkpad!

 

I ended up receiving a replacement laptop from Newegg to help solve my hinge issue, but now there may or may not be another problem and I was wondering if someone could help me out.

This is not a huge deal, but on my spacebar if I press it around the area of that magnifying lens on the left side and at about the same spot on the right side, the press isn't picked up at all an no space is inserted.

I never noticed this before, but is this the same on all the other laptops or just on mine? Its not a huge deal, but I was just wondering. Thanks!

 

If your problem is a sticky spacebar (does it seem to lock or stick about 2/3 along to the left when depressed?) I solved it by inserting a sliver of plastic under (just a sliver, about a 1/4 of an inch cut from a thin strip) and using it to persuade the space bar to flex upwards more.

 

If you want a thin and light, you are going to live with two things: 1) Heat and 2) Fan noise. Thin is great for traveling but not good for dissipating heat.

Toshiba uses their Airflow Technology to keep the keyboard and touchpad cool. The downside is that the fan runs all of the time, even at idle. On my R705, it usually sounds like a low hum. It is perfectly acceptable to me since the fan on my previous thin and light (HP dv3z) ran much higher and louder and didn't cool the laptop to the same degree as my Toshiba. My wife used to comment how loud my HP was. She has never said anything with my R705.

If the fan is too loud for you, you probably need to go with something not so thin. My wife's laptop is a 13" that is relatively quiet, but it weighs over 4.5 pounds. I'll take a little fan hum and the R705's form factor over a heavy laptop any day. But that is just me.

 

It's not so much that the keys are sticky but that the outer edges of the space bar don't register a press down consistently. I was just wondering if that was the case on all of the R700's or if I just had a faulty one.

 

Yes, I know about the trade-offs with thin and light laptops (although I had an almost silent Thinpad X41 before). And I would live with a little fan hum. I'm just concerned that with the laptop I have here is something wrong because the fan is a lot louder than a little hum. That's why I asked here for other opinions.

 

A while back I recorded my R705 with the internal microphone and posted a video on youtube at the following link:

YouTube - Toshiba R705 fan

Turn up the volume and see if you yours is much different. The closest sound I can compare it to is a desktop fan at low volume (i.e. more hum than whoosh) . According to Toshiba's PC Health Monitor, the fan usually is running at or around 43% when I am doing anything other than watching HD video. What speed is your's running at?

 

The battery lasts 4-5 hours on normal "office" usage, I used the full 5hours today. (up to critical battery warnings and all.)
Been charging for 1.5hours and it's up to 50%. Does a full charge take 3hours?

 

Any one had Sony SZ prior to these Toshibas? What are your impressions? Is it smaller and ligher, is fan noise louder? I'm considering replacement for my old SZ4.
Unfortunately, in Russia they only sell R630 at the moment, and they charge around $1000 for it here..
I assume it's same as R700 minus fingerprint sensor and matte screen?

 

How long do you think it will last with internet surfing (forums etc) + few youtube videos?
My SZ lasted aroung 3 hours only, i assume that R700 will deliver more?

 

Around 4 hours I guess with brightness at 40% or lesser... at it's dimmest you could probably squeeze an hour or 2 more. Hopefully someone else can give their estimates too.
Oh, you could always get the 9 cell battery if that's what you need.

 

Thanks!
I just read very positive R630 user review, the only thing that guy complains about is that he claims that while in ECO mode, it can lose wifi connection quite often? Can anyone confirm this?

 

has anybody of those who own this notebook tried to install any linux on it? or could someone start a linux live dvd and report whats happening? thanx!

 

I purchased the R705 from Best Buy about a week ago. This is the first laptop I have had and overall it is a bit of adjustment from the desktop.

An issue that has come up is odd loading of some of my web pages and no response to trackpad taps. I play a lot of Facebook games, and they were fine the first few days. Now, however, the game screen is cut off and not fully visible, with the bottom icons strangely floating in the middle of the game screen. I cannot "click" on the icons with trackpad taps. (The cursor will move where I want it but I cannot tap to click.)

I am also finding the very right of the trackpad for scrolling up/down does not always respond (on any web page, not just the games).

I've tried in both Chrome and Explorer and it's the same issue in both. What might be causing this?

Other than that, it's quite a nice laptop. I do not care for the keyboard as I feel the keys are a little too spaced out and oblong shaped for my ease of use.

 

I actually had problems with Chrome when I tried one-finger scrolling, despite installing the SmoothScroll extension. What always works smoothly is the two-finger multi-touch scroll. If anything else gives you trouble, search out TwoFingerScroll, which will smooth scrolling and clear up scroll issues on applications that still can't get along with Synaptics touchpads (I'm looking at you, Zune).

 

Hey everyone. I've been looking at the tecra r700 (portege) laptop and I like what I'm seeing. I just have a few questions about it and I guess toshiba in general as well.

How is the keyboard? I've read in reviews that it's alright but not great by being stiff and the spacebar having flex in it.

Also will the laptop burn my legs off if I have it on my lap while browsing the web or watching youtube hd? I know some people here have mentioned it can get quite hot.

Finally how good is toshiba's warranty? Will they treat me like an idiot if something goes wrong with it or are they better than that?

 

Here's one link:
[all variants] Toshiba Portege R700 / R705 Linux Hardware Compatibility Thread - Ubuntu Forums

There are more to be found on google easily.

 

At this point, what we know for sure is that nobody can tell you for sure what you'll think of the keyboard. It's going to come down to personal taste.
There is nothing physically/mechanically/ergonomically wrong with it.

Try one in a store if this is a big issue for you.
There's no need for opinions on it to keep being asked.

The fan is almost totally inaudible for me when doing regular web browsing, running basic programs, etc. Only when watching videos or doing more intensive tasks does it ramp up to a very noticeable whirl/hum or whatever you want to call it.
Several other users have reported the same. More users than there are saying otherwise so one has to guess that..
A: They are doing something more intensive at the time it's loud.
B: There is something wrong with theirs.
C: They were born with hearing that amplifies the exact frequency that the R700 makes, making it seem much louder to them than anyone else.

 

I love this laptop except for the keyboard. I don't understand when people talk about it being mushy... to me it is stiff. I can still type very fast on it so it's not an issue for me. But... I absolutely hate the spacebar! I hate the way it looks (sloped) and sometimes I will hit it and it won't space over.

I also wish the end button was below the home button, then page up and page down below that... just makes more sense to me. I end up hitting end when I want to hit page down. I use page up and page down much more than home and end. These might be things only particular to me, but I thought I'd mention it.

I also don't like the right and left-click buttons below the trackpad. They are so loud when you right-click and left-click. Annoying.

I was worried about the fan, but I think it is quieter than my last Toshiba.

I always use a laptop pad so my legs never get hot.

Don't know about the warranty.

 

Thank you! It sounds better than mine but it's hard to say. I ordered an replacement yesterday and will compare them tomorrow. Then I'll know if there really was something wrong with it. I will report later.

 

Hi everyone-. I'm new to the forum. I've owned the R700-S1320 for about 3 weeks now and absolutely love it. Just wanted everyone to know that even the R700 with all the goodies incl. express card, docking port, matte screen, finger print reader, does WIDI! All one has to do is download the intel software from the Toshiba site, install, get the Netgear push to TV adapter, and you're good to go. What this means is that the R705 from best buy is not the only R700 series to be able to do wireless display, and that at $999 for the R700-S1310/11, only $170 more than the best buy model, you get all the goodies including wireless display and a 3 year warranty!!! Why toshiba doesn't mention this is probably just marketing, but I thought that everyone on the forum should know.

 

Have you tested the maximum distance that the the R700 can be from the TV adaptor. I read that it was limited to 12 feet.

 

I too hear a high pitch noise (although its not really bothering me)

It "runs" for 5-7 seconds, stops for approx. same amount and starts again.

I found that it depends on:
- battery installed or not
- power plan

Also: try inserting battery and listen. It starts ssssssssss'ing (can only be heard if u hold it against your head). This however is "normal -> every adapter does this

 

The WIDI works everywhere in my master bedroom, so at least 15 feet. Doesn't have to be line of sight. I haven't yet tested it from another room, but it's not really meant for that, seems to be at least as far as blutooth will go. I find that the high pitched whine is coming from the i5 processor, and doesn't seem to be confined to this toshiba model, but at least all the laptops running the core i5 processors. It's definitely not the hard drive. Perhaps in this model, it's a little more apparent because there is not heat sink on the processor.

 

Wow. I read this post randomly yesterday and today this actually happened to me for the first time. The display got dimmer for about 5 seconds and then all the highlights increased (which brightens all the whites in the screen-- giving it that washed out look) so strange.

Did any of you guys figure out what was wrong with this?

 

Thanks for the info!

After playing around with it some more last night, I was able to get the Facebook games to load properly. It seems that the zoom setting had been applied and it somehow messed up the game loading properly. I didn't think I touched the zoom and hadn't even found it until yesterday. Slowly learning where all the functions are. . .

 

That's good news. For those of you who use Intel's wireless display (previously WIDI) with the Netgear PTV1000, make sure to download the latest updates. Latency times are improved and the fast cursor means that you can use your HDTV as a large monitor without being tied to an HDMI cable.

 

THANK YOU, Jamshil, for answering a question that even Toshiba Tech support could only theorize about, which is, does this model support VT-d. Thank you thank you thank you.

 

Dear all,

Not (yet) an owner but hope it's OK to post on this thread.

I'm looking for a laptop to use for fieldwork in Africa and have been thinking about the R630. A lot of people recommend Toshiba laptops for robustness, but the R630 blurb ticks a lot of other boxes as well, especially the advertised 9 hour battery life and the DVD.

From what I've read on this thread most people are getting 4-5 hours battery life (and seem fairly happy with this), which is quite a difference! (the other two laptops I've bought both approached what the manufacturers claimed).

So I was wondering: has anyone got anything remotely like 9 hours usage out of it? Also, if anyone has the L630 (which would be perfect but for the 4h50 claimed battery life), I'd be really interested to know how you found the battery life compared to the R630.

I'd be using it for things like word processing with a dimmed screen, not playing 3d games or watching videos much.

I'd really appreciate any guidance,

Thanks very much,

Stuart

P.S. Something that was said about small laptops and noisy fans made me think that this small laptop might not cope as well in the heat (say 40 degrees) than a 15 inch one?

 

Just got my r700-s1321 yesterday...its great!

Has anyone reporting fan loudness tried running the "Cooling Performance Diagnostic Tool"?

The fan noise on mine is variable, sometimes noticeable and within acceptable range...and i cannot stand noise. It gets loudest when I block the air intake while operating the unit on a pillow when couch surfing



My only gripe is an apparent bit of crapware which has added an incompatible add-on to Firefox, "automatic password input in fx 1.0".

When enabled, it causes Firefox to crash when started in normal mode.
I've disabled this add-on by running in safe mode, so I can now run in normal mode...but the uninstall button for this add on is not active and there is no apparent listing in the windows uninstaller.

Has anyone figured out how to uninstall this bugger ?

 

Volume control keys:

fn + 3 = lower
fn + 4 = louder


These work on my r700-s1321 which has graphics on the 3 & 4 keys indicating the additional functions. When i use them, there is a tiny visual indicator of volume change, the taskbar speaker icon's 'waves' change as the volume is adjusted...

 

Works on my R700

 

The optical drive on my r700-s1321 is putting out some serious vibration when spinning disc. Loaded wireless drivers from cd yesterday, thought the unit was going to blow apart.

Glad it was not sitting on my lap at the time

Is anyone else getting major vibration and noise from the optical drive?

 

Try it with a different disk in the drive. This usu has more to do with the disk you have in there (being unbalanced) than the drive itself.

 

One question for the Portege R700 owners (and anyone else feeling good to answer it ): Is it possible to replace the optical drive with

a) a dummy to lose weight (how much would that be?) or
b) another akku?

Thanks very much,
ahja

 

Has anyone tried charging battery from 0? It takes like a whole night

Not having gfx for volume meter is annoying as hell

 

Just getting to grips with my new R630.

So far so good. Fan only noticeable when playing HD video. Multitouch track pad feels unresponsive when scrolling. Any idea how I tweak the sensitivity of this?

Also, is someone able to direct me to the Intel or Toshiba page with the correct download file to enable WIDI?

thanks.

 

Robkeyman was the one who downloaded the Intel Wireless Software (WIDI). In the States, the Netgear PTV1000 adapter costs $99 USD. I use mine all of the time to watch video on my HDTV and to stream my Rhapsody music subscription or Pandora. The latest software update minimize the latency issues experienced when WIDI first came out. Now if Intel can get past the copyrighted video issue...

 

Anandtech has posted an in-depth review of R700-S1330 with many benchmarks.

 

The review reminds me of my earlier comments regarding the various R700 models and configurations available. Here is what I had to say about purchasing the R705 instead of the R700:

"At $799, I believe the R705 is a steal when you consider size, weight and performance. Once you get beyond $1,000, the price-performance scale can tip to other notebooks out there with discrete graphics, higher-res screens, longer battery life, etc.

At any rate, I love my R705. But I will admit to a tinge of jealousy every time I see a feature I am missing. I suspect all of you with R700s could admit the same thing when you know how little I paid for mine."

I still feel the same way although there are some of you that found a way to get an R700 for a similar price to the $799 I paid. With Bing cash back no longer, that appears to be a little more difficult.

 

I'd like to install a free lightweight operating system on my R630 to use for video playback only whilst travelling. Can anyone advise on something suitable and also let me know if this will let me get a significantly greater amount of video playback out of the battery? Also, will playing video back from an SD card or usb stick will improve playback time too?



Thanks

 

Is your model with DL DVD ?
I just checked Toshiba's russian site. They have 3 R630 models, one of those is with DL dvd drive and from specs it's a bit heavier and thicker that those with single layer dvd drive... I'm just curious if difference is noticeable in real life.

 

It turned out the monitor was the culprit for my previous problem. Plugged into a different monitor and it works fine.

However I have now discovered a worrying issue. There is a sort of whine coming from the top-left of the machine where the side vent is. It's fairly quiet - in fact I can't hear it over the fan when the laptop is turned on. What worries me though is that if I hold my ear to the vent I can hear it even if the laptop is fully shutdown and off and with the power cord removed. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

from what I know, the only difference between 1320 and 1321 is the daul-layer capable DVD burner. Mine doesn't seem any thicker or heavier than the other R700s.

i tested the burner yesterday and it works with Nero. win7's built-in app failed & wasted a DL disc. Win7's file explorer doesn't update when you remove/update/add a file. it's mind boggling that a serious bug like THAT could still make it through the final release of a OS + all the updates. microsoft never fails to disappoint!

 

I noticed that but didn't research it. Do you know if it has it been confirmed to be a system deficiency (as it would seem to be).

 

I don't have a fix to add, but I am seeing this pretty often on mine as well. Very annoying.