Review: Samsung R65 notebook computer

The Samsung R65 notebook uses the Intel Core Duo processor that is now becoming common in notebook computers.

It effectively gives the computer two separate brains that can split the tasks that the computer has to perform.

Because they're not completely separate - both are contained on one physical chip - the system is known as 'dual-core': the one processor has two 'cores' which do the work.

The Intel T2300 processor in the Samsung R65 runs at 1.66GHz and has 1Gb of memory to complement it. The graphics card, an Nvidia GeForce Go 7400, has 256Mb of its own memory as well.

Its overall performance in Windows was fairly impressive, comparing well with other notebooks that use the same processor. However, the R65 fell down somewhat when it came to gaming performance.

Despite the presence of a dedicated graphics card rather than an integrated chip, the R65's performance when it came to displaying games was poor to say the least. That said, it will be able to play some recent games with quality settings turned down, but anything higher than that is likely to present some problems.

Physically, the notebook doesn't present much to write home about.

Samsung is one of the few manufacturers to make its own chassis, rather than relying on ones bought from other manufacturers, but this one is a bog-standard square silver and black affair.

Its weight is average at 3.15Kg, but it is on the thin side, making it at least easy, if not partularly light, to carry around.

The screen is a 15in high-brightness model, which means it has less of an anti-glare coating than other screens. This is good for general work as it means the screen has a higher contrast, but it can make it very reflective under bright light.

The other features of the notebook are good. It comes with an 80Gb hard disk, and a multi-format DVD-writer that can read and write any kind of CD or DVD (although not the forthcoming Blu-Ray or HD-DVDs).

Battery life was good, at a little under three hours for general use, and 140 minutes when playing back a DVD.

There are ports for network and modem connections as well as built-in Bluetooth and wireless networking capabilities (it will connect to 802.11a, b or g networks).

There are also four USB ports, a mini-Firewire port and two PC Card slots, as well as a multiple memory card reader (for all common formats except CompactFlash). That's in addition to the audio (two-channel stereo sound) and video (VGA and s-video) ports.

The notebook is well-built, and the keyboard is pleasant to type on, with keys deep enough so that fingers don't get too tired after a long typing session. The trackpad mounted downward of the keyboard is also very useable.

In addition to Windows XP Home, it also comes with Norton Anti-Virus 2005 and Cyberlink DVD Solution. The one-year international warranty means that owners should be able to get help anywhere in the world in case of a breakdown.

In short, this is a capable general-purpose notebook but it's not going to be suitable for people who want to play games on it. For the more outdoors-minded among us, however, it's a good solid performer and it has good credentials for use by people on the move.

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Verdict: While the Pegasus 550N is a little more expensive than a standard notebook of this size, it still represents good value and has a a slightly faster processor than the R65.
Rating: 4/5
Price: £940