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Page 4 of 5
PERFORMANCE
Mobile AMD dual core processors can more often be found in the budget notebook segment, especially in Acers and HP Compaqs of the sub-RM2.5k price range. Plus the fact that the other Tablet PC manufacturers more commonly use Intel’s dual-core processors or Intel’s ULV processors, it is quite a surprising fact that HP chose to use mobile AMD dual-core processors in the TX series. In the case of the TX1316au, the AMD TK-55 Athlon64 2x mobile processor is used in place of the more powerful (and newer) Turion 2x processors. Maybe it has to do with the cost savings that can be achieved by using AMD processors (as AMD based notebooks ARE clearly less expensive than its Intel counterparts). Maybe to the designers and heads at HP, AMD processors are more energy-efficient (maybe they are).
But in terms of raw theoretical performance, even the newer Turions are only comparable to the older Intel Core Duo, and tests done by numerous publications and websites confirm this. So, to see if the TX1316au – with its older Athlon processor – could provide satisfactory performance for day to day normal usage, I ran it through the usual gauntlet of tests: 3DMark05, SuperPI, HDTune, FEAR (I know it’s getting old, but it’s still a good test for low end machines) and Counter Strike: Source.
Maybe, just maybe, the 2GB RAM could help the TX1316au to shine.
But, before that, I would have to concede that the TX1316au runs Vista and Aero quite fine, although it feels a bit strained doing so, as one can definitely feel some slowdown when multitasking. Maybe it could do better with XP, although the lack of a Windows XP Tablet PC Edition copy nearby hampered out wishes to test this.
As for bloatware, HP only included what can be considered as a “standard” package: Trial Office 2007, Symantac/Norton Anti-Virus (which you would want to uninstall as quickly as possible), and a few other HP utilities. Not too bad, actually.
Now, to the tests. First, we go through the 3DMark05 run, and with the TX1316au’s Geforce 6150 IGP, performance can only be worse than the Geforce 7150 IGP found in the HP Compaq V3614au that I have reviewed last year. Do the results confirm this hunch of mine? Let’s take a look.
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Toshiba Satellite M100 (1.2GHz C2D
ULV, 1GB RAM, Intel GMA 950, 120GB 5400rpm HDD)
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363 3DMarks
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HP TX1316AU (1.8GHz Athlon64 2x, 2GB
RAM, GF6150 (64MB shared), 160GB 5400rpm HDD)
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422 3DMarks
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HP Compaq
V3614AU (1.9GHz Turion2x, 512MB RAM, GF7150 (64MB shared), 120GB 5400rpm HDD)
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708 3DMarks
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HP Compaq
6515b (1.6GHz Turion2x, 2GB RAM,
Radeon X1250 (512MB shared), 120GB 5400rpm HDD)
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871 3DMarks
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HP Compaq
6510b (2.2GHz C2D, 2GB RAM, Intel X3100, 120GB 5400rpm
HDD)
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916 3DMarks
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*C2D = Core 2 Duo, HDD = Hard Disk Drive, ULV = Ultra Low Voltage.
There you have it, ladies and gents. Even with 1.5GB more memory then the V3614au, the TX1614au struggles, and loses badly. The only machine it outperformed was the C2D ULV powered, Intel GMA 950 equipped M100, and even then with only a difference of around 50 odd 3D Marks. With around half of the 3D Mark rating of the V3614au, this shows the clear inferiority of the Geforce 6150 and the Athlon 64 2x when compared to the Geforce 7150 / Turion 2x combination.
Translated into practical terms, this should mean that the TX1316au should be more then capable for normal daily tasks like web surfing and multimedia applications, but it should bog down with considerable multitasking or games (which will specifically be tested later).
Now, we move on the SuperPI, to see just how badly the TK-55 Althon64 2x performs when compared to the TL-58 Turion 2x, and other processors. The program was set to calculate PI to the 2 millionth decimal place, and the result is as follows.
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HP Compaq V3614AU
(1.9GHz Turion2x, 512 RAM, GF7150 (64MB shared), 120GB 5400rpm HDD)
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2m 05s
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HP Compaq
6515b (1.6GHz Turion2x, 2GB RAM,
Radeon X1250 (512MB shared), 120GB 5400rpm HDD)
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2m 05s
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HP TX1316AU (1.8GHz Athlon64 2x, 2GB
RAM, GF6150 (64MB shared), 160GB 5400rpm HDD)
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2m 02s
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Toshiba Satellite M100 (1.2GHz C2D ULV, 1GB
RAM, Intel GMA 950, 120GB 5400rpm HDD)
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1m
46s
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HP Compaq
6510b (2.2GHz C2D, 2GB RAM, Intel X3100, 120GB 5400rpm
HDD)
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55s
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Again, I must remind all that SuperPI is not optimized for multi-core processors, so this should only serve as a rough estimate of processor performance.
Surprising enough (even IF it is a rough estimate) the Athlon64 2x outperforms both the Turion on the HP Compaq 6515b AND the newer Tyler TL-58 processor on the V361au, by a very narrow margin. Maybe it’s a fluke, but multiple re-runs of the same test confirms this. Maybe it’s the extra RAM? But, the 6515b has about the same amount of RAM… Plus, the fact remains that the TX1613au runs on Vista, which is supposed to be very resource hungry. Go figure.
The last system benchmark for the TX1614au is HDTune, which posted the following results for the Hitachi 160GB HDD:
Compare that to the HDTune results of the V3614au, below:
And the one from my Dell XPS M1210:
Being a Hitachi HDD, which is known for its performance, the results obtained are comparable to the one from my Dell M1210. It also has quicker access time and a burst rate that is higher than the Fujitsu on the V3614au.
Next, to the games. Running at 640x480 with “computer settings” set at MEDIUM and “graphics” setting set at MEDIUM (mostly, with a few LOWs), the built in F.E.A.R benchmark ran and achieved the following results:
Compare that to the one obtained from the V3614au (on the same settings, but “graphics” was set on LOW):
Next, was a round of Counter-Strike: Source, with the following settings:
And here are the results:
Again, compare that to the V3614au's results (same settings with Trilinear filtering):
Clearly, the Athlon64 2x + Geforce 6150 combo struggles to keep up with the Turion2x + GF7150 combo, especially at gaming. Granted, not many people would want a compact Tablet PC for gaming, but it’s a point worth noting nonetheless.
As for battery life, the TX1614au lasted for about 4 hours with its 6-cell extended battery in normal use, which entails a bit of WIFI surfing, some typing, music and some videos. This is very, very good, making the TX1614au a very mobile tablet indeed. With the 6-cell extended battery and the 4-cell standard battery, you should be set for at least 6 hours of freedom from a power outlet, which is exceptional.
Lastly, there’s the issue of heat. The TX1613au does, unfortunately, get a bit hot under load, although one can hold it so that the vents stay clear of your hands in Tablet PC mode. Granted, it’s not MacBookPro level scalding hotness, but the heat is bad enough that you do not want to hold the TX1613au in your hands while playing FEAR.
All in all, the TX1613au is a capable performer for daily, undemanding use; and easily accomplishes what it was designed to do: being a fully-featured yet low-cost Tablet PC. Just don’t expect miracles from it and it'll satisfy you.
Next: Conclusion
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