Review Samsung RF511 Notebook
Although Samsung has launched nothing new onto the market in terms of looks (see RF510), the RF511 is, however, up to date in terms of technology. Besides the Core i7 2630QM, the Intel quad core with the best performance-price ratio, a gaming capable Nvidia Geforce GT 540M does its job in the case. The matt WXGA screen and the case's everyday suitable and nevertheless elegant look is an attractive point for many buyers. Toshiba PA3921U-1BRS Dell Vostro 1500 battery
Will the advantages of the RF511 be enough to justify the comparatively high price of 959 euros (less expensive versions available)? The quad + GT 540M hardware is namely available in the Aspire 5750G, Asus X53SV, Packard Bell TS11-HR-275GE), , Lenovo IdeaPad Y560p and Toshiba P750-100 for starting at 685 – 729 euros. Can workmanship, ergonomics and a matt display make up for all this? We will show you the advantages as well as the (few) disadvantages of the RF511. Lenovo L11S6Y01 Battery HP Pavilion dv3 battery Samsung AA-PB3VC3B
The Samsung RF511's build is identical to the predecessor's, RF510 (Dec. 2010). If both 15.6 inchers were placed next to each other, you wouldn't notice a single difference. The interior still has its matt, respectively slightly glittering surface made of painted and partly brushed aluminum. The cool feel provides you with a pleasant work feel, which is enhanced by the case's very low temperatures. HP 593554-001 HP G72 battery Dell Vostro 1510 battery
The base unit is adequately stiff, but not as stiff as we would have liked to see in the premium sector. We can twist the base unit slightly with both hands, dent the plastic base plate marginally in the center and even more so beneath the optical drive.
The hinges have a firm grip on the lid, but have a slight tendency to teeter. The maximum opening angle of about 135 degrees is just enough for use on the lap. The 2.5 inch hard disk and the DDR3 RAM module (two occupied slots) are found underneath the cover on the bottom. Dell XPS M1330 battery HP 593572-001
Performance
The quad Core i7-2630QM with 4 x 2.0 GHz (default clock) is installed into many notebooks, thanks to its good performance-money ratio (laptop prices start at 700 euros). When required, it can be overclocked up to 2.9 GHz via Turbo Boost (one core). All details can be found on the data page. HP Pavilion dm4 battery Compaq Presario A900 battery
The incorporated HD Graphics 3000 ensures a (comparatively) economic use when battery life, but not GPU performance, is needed. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M (2048 MB) is automatically disabled by Nvidia Optimus. Dell Inspiron M5030 battery Fujitsu FPCBP79
The CPU test, Cinebench R11.5 (multi, 64 bit), records 4.18 (default mode) up to 4.36 points (speed mode). The "identical" 2630QM in the Fujitsu NH751, however, achieved 4.83 points; even 5.0 points are possible with the Aspire 7750G or Asus G73SW-TZ083V. Considering this, the RF511 has a comparatively weak computing performance with the same CPU. The reason: The other devices (all 17 inches) can apparently exploit the Dynamic Frequency Overhead (Turbo 2.0) for a longer period due to a larger cooling system. This is the time that the CPU clocks higher than 2.9 GHz, so over its turbo reference. Asus K50I battery TOSHIBA Portege Z930 battery
PCMark Vantage achieves 6548 points. This is a fairly tight score because the Fujitsu NH751 reaches 7181 points with the same CPU and similar GPU. Gaming machines, such as the Asus VX7-SZ062V (GTX 460M, 8657) or the MSI GT780R (GTX 560M, 8599), even accomplish a lot more. DELL Vostro V130 battery
The new PCMark 7 finishes with 2073 points. New Core i7 quad systems with a similar mid-range GPU, like the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560p (2630QM, HD 6570M) are on the same level (2137). However, as soon as an SSD is used, like in the Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G (GT 555M), the overall performance increases significantly: 3430 in the Ethos 8915G. Acer Aspire 4738G Battery Toshiba tecra r840 battery
The GeForce GT 540M (1024 MB DDR3) belongs to the upper mid-range graphics units. The chip supports DirectX 11 and GDDR5 memories. However, a DDR3 video memory is installed as usual, but, a total of 2048 MB. In contrast to many other manufacturers, it doesn't clock with 800 MHz (Aspire 5742G), but with 900 MHz instead. Acer Aspire 5536 battery HP 462890-722 battery Toshiba Satellite L350D battery
3DMark 2006 (1280x1024) finishes with 8075 points. A Radeon HD 6850M (~9700) can even top that with the same memory unit. The HD 6550 and 6650 (~7515) lag behind slightly. The 3DMark Vantage score (P4335) can also surpass the HD 6550M (P3700). 3DMark 11 fetches 1011 performance points. The HD 6550M (P1107) and even the older HD 5650 (P1024) are on a similar level. HP ProBook 5310m battery ACER Aspire One D257 battery
The GeForce GT 540M (1024 MB DDR3) belongs to the upper mid-range graphics units. The chip supports DirectX 11 and GDDR5 memories. However, a DDR3 video memory is installed as usual, but, a total of 2048 MB. In contrast to many other manufacturers, it doesn't clock with 800 MHz (Aspire 5742G), but with 900 MHz instead. Sony VGP-BPS13S DELL Vostro 3400 battery HP 593553-001
3DMark 2006 (1280x1024) finishes with 8075 points. A Radeon HD 6850M (~9700) can even top that with the same memory unit. The HD 6550 and 6650 (~7515) lag behind slightly. The 3DMark Vantage score (P4335) can also surpass the HD 6550M (P3700). 3DMark 11 fetches 1011 performance points. The HD 6550M (P1107) and even the older HD 5650 (P1024) are on a similar level. Sony VGP-BPS21 Dell Precision M6400 battery
Battery Life
In contrast to the prior RF510, Samsung has taken a big step for more energy efficiency by upgrading to Sandy Bridge. While an i5 460M processor together with a GT 330M consumed 14 to 19 watts in idle (min/max) before, we now are at 8.6 to 15 watts with a quad core and considerably stronger graphics. The idle power consumption is remarkably low, especially since these 15 watts relate to the screen with a brightness of 280 cd/m2 and we are dealing with a 45 watt CPU (predecessor RF510: 35w). Silent Mode was only enabled for the minimum measurement (8.6 watts) in the idle power assessment (CPU throttled to 800 MHz). Sony VGP-BPS13A/Q Samsung Q30 battery HP ProBook 4510s battery
The effective power increases to a steep 102.5 watts when CPU and GPU compute with full power (stress test). Now we know why the small 90 watt power adapter reaches a temperature of 54.5 degrees in this test. The adapter appears to be overburdened in this staged situation. This could also be a reason for the described throttling and the resulting power consumption fluctuation between 88 and 102 watts. Such a high power consumption as in our stress test isn't usually achieved in 3D gaming, though. The measurement during 3DMark06 proves this: 80 watts. HP G7000 battery Acer UM08A73 DELL Vostro 3750 battery
You can roughly expect three hours of WLAN runtime from a strong multimedia device nowadays. Our test device refutes this standard. It achieves over six hours in low load while surfing at a brightness of 100 cd/m2 (significantly reduced) with its 57 Wh battery (200 mAh). The previous RF510, with an i5 460M, didn't even last for three hours. That is the best WLAN runtime that an i7-2630QM has achieved to date. Second best: Fujitsu NH751 with just under 6 hours. HP EV06 battery ASUS M70 Battery
The 90 watt power adapter needs 2:40 hours for recharging afterwards. The 15.6 incher lasts for over eight hours in the unrealistic, since undemanding, idle test (without GPU/CPU load, lowest brightness, wireless disabled). Fujitsu FMV-E8200 battery Dell Studio 1737 battery
You can roughly expect three hours of WLAN runtime from a strong multimedia device nowadays. Our test device refutes this standard. It achieves over six hours in low load while surfing at a brightness of 100 cd/m2 (significantly reduced) with its 57 Wh battery (200 mAh). The previous RF510, with an i5 460M, didn't even last for three hours. That is the best WLAN runtime that an i7-2630QM has achieved to date. Second best: Fujitsu NH751 with just under 6 hours. ASUS G73JH-TY042V battery ASUS N50VC Battery
The 90 watt power adapter needs 2:40 hours for recharging afterwards. The 15.6 incher lasts for over eight hours in the unrealistic, since undemanding, idle test (without GPU/CPU load, lowest brightness, wireless disabled). Compaq Presario CQ60 battery