TOSHIBA Satellite L670-12J
A usable desktop replacement with a sturdy build and plenty of power on offer…
Toshiba’s Satellite range is hugely varied, covering everything from entry-level budget laptops to multimedia powerhouses. The Satellite L670-12J is a sturdy mid-range desktop replacement machine that makes up in power what it lacks in portability.
The 2.8kg chassis is one of the heaviest and bulkiest in this group test, beaten only by the HP. It has a solid build that
can take a few knocks if you venture out on the road, but the battery life of just 208 minutes means you’ll need to take the charger on longer trips. The lightly patterned design is more subtle than the HP’s, although the shiny surface is just as bad at picking up dust and fingerprints.
The 17.3-inch display is also near identical to HP’S widescreen offering and just as good for watching movies, as well as working on your documents side by side. Images are sharp, thanks to the 1600 x 900 pixel resolution, and the glossy Super-TFT coating brings colours to life, creating a vibrant picture.
The full-sized keyboard, complete with dedicated numeric keypad, is one of the benefits of the large chassis, and usability is among the best in this group. The keys are a joy to type on and firmly set in place, as are the two mouse buttons beneath the touchpad. The touchpad itself is a little cramped, but the textured surface is responsive and it can be turned off using a button on the chassis, just like the HP.
Assured performance
With an Intel Core is processor on board, performance was easily the best in this group. Only the Intel Core i3 Acer and Hi-Grade came close, but this laptop comfortably beat them in our benchmarking tests and proved itself capable of multi-tasking with even the most intensive applications Anyone who needs a solid amount of power should look no further.
Unfortunately, while the Acer comes fitted with a dedicated nVidia graphics card, this laptop makes do with an integrated GPU. The resulting 3D power still beats the Sony and even the Mesh, which also features an nVidia graphics card, but only the most basic games will run and multimedia tasks are limited to editing photos and watching movies.
Features are standard for the group, with 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet available for networking and the usual three USB ports for adding peripherals, one of which doubles as an eSATA port. VGA and HDMI outputs and a memory card reader round off the features.
Portability may be limited and a dedicated GPU sorely missed, but the Satellite L670-12J is a strong performer and a highly usable laptop- easily recommended as a desktop replacement machine.
Specs Detail
- PROCESSOR INTEL 2.26GHZ CORE 15 430M
- MEMORY 4096MB DDR3 SDRAM
- HARD DRIVE 250G8 (5400RPM)
- OPTICAL DRIVE TRI-FORMAT DVD DL
- SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 17.3-INCH SLPER TFT
- DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1600 X900 (WXGA++)
- GRAPHICS CARD INTEL GMA HD
- DIMENSIONS 415 X 254 X 40MM
- WEIGHT 2.8KG
- WIRELESS LAN 802.11N
- ETHERNET GIGABIT
- USB PORTS 3
- FIREWIRE NO
- OPERATING SYSTEM WINDOWS 7 HOME PREMIUM
- STANDARD WARRANTY 1 YR C&R P&L
Price £629
A usable desktop replacement with a sturdy build and plenty of power on offer…
Toshiba’s Satellite range is hugely varied, covering everything from entry-level budget laptops to multimedia powerhouses. The Satellite L670-12J is a sturdy mid-range desktop replacement machine that makes up in power what it lacks in portability.
The 2.8kg chassis is one of the heaviest and bulkiest in this group test, beaten only by the HP. It has a solid build that
can take a few knocks if you venture out on the road, but the battery life of just 208 minutes means you’ll need to take the charger on longer trips. The lightly patterned design is more subtle than the HP’s, although the shiny surface is just as bad at picking up dust and fingerprints.
The 17.3-inch display is also near identical to HP’S widescreen offering and just as good for watching movies, as well as working on your documents side by side. Images are sharp, thanks to the 1600 x 900 pixel resolution, and the glossy Super-TFT coating brings colours to life, creating a vibrant picture.
The full-sized keyboard, complete with dedicated numeric keypad, is one of the benefits of the large chassis, and usability is among the best in this group. The keys are a joy to type on and firmly set in place, as are the two mouse buttons beneath the touchpad. The touchpad itself is a little cramped, but the textured surface is responsive and it can be turned off using a button on the chassis, just like the HP.
Assured performance
With an Intel Core is processor on board, performance was easily the best in this group. Only the Intel Core i3 Acer and Hi-Grade came close, but this laptop comfortably beat them in our benchmarking tests and proved itself capable of multi-tasking with even the most intensive applications Anyone who needs a solid amount of power should look no further.
Unfortunately, while the Acer comes fitted with a dedicated nVidia graphics card, this laptop makes do with an integrated GPU. The resulting 3D power still beats the Sony and even the Mesh, which also features an nVidia graphics card, but only the most basic games will run and multimedia tasks are limited to editing photos and watching movies.
Features are standard for the group, with 802.11n Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet available for networking and the usual three USB ports for adding peripherals, one of which doubles as an eSATA port. VGA and HDMI outputs and a memory card reader round off the features.
Portability may be limited and a dedicated GPU sorely missed, but the Satellite L670-12J is a strong performer and a highly usable laptop- easily recommended as a desktop replacement machine.
Specs Detail
- PROCESSOR INTEL 2.26GHZ CORE 15 430M
- MEMORY 4096MB DDR3 SDRAM
- HARD DRIVE 250G8 (5400RPM)
- OPTICAL DRIVE TRI-FORMAT DVD DL
- SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 17.3-INCH SLPER TFT
- DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1600 X900 (WXGA++)
- GRAPHICS CARD INTEL GMA HD
- DIMENSIONS 415 X 254 X 40MM
- WEIGHT 2.8KG
- WIRELESS LAN 802.11N
- ETHERNET GIGABIT
- USB PORTS 3
- FIREWIRE NO
- OPERATING SYSTEM WINDOWS 7 HOME PREMIUM
- STANDARD WARRANTY 1 YR C&R P&L
Price £629
