Toshiba 15.6" Quad-Core Laptop

The AMD A10-4600M CPU has an Average CPU Mark of 3162, ranking it #370 among CPUs. Not awful but not great. The 4 cores is certainly enough to handle most tasks, although hardcore gamers will want to look elsehere. I’m totally ignorant about the graphics card though.

mjkane1 · June 12, 2013, 12:20am

Can anyone answer, how is this comparable to say an intel i5 or i7? I have a Turion Dual core M600 2.4ghz (4+ years old), and am looking for an upgrade…

Thanks in advance from a non-geek!

Eliaz · June 12, 2013, 12:32am

Those are the same reviews as Walmart, minus a few of the bad ones

greg_sawyer · June 12, 2013, 12:34am

Bought this last time around… I’ve only had it for a couple of weeks… but so far I am impressed. Certainly fast enough for all the usual stuff…

n8lightfoot · June 12, 2013, 12:50am

Not too excited about Windows 8, anyone want to chime in on how well this has worked out for games for them or if they have downgraded to windows 7 with any luck?

sdc100 · June 12, 2013, 12:51am

One thing to consider is that this is a 15.6" laptop with a keypad. While a keypad is nice for data entry, gaming and entering ALT-characters, it’s usually only on 17"+ laptops. Its presence on smaller models usually means that the keyboard isn’t full size. That’s something touch typists might want to consider.

Also note that this uses a island style keyboard, not the full travel keys of a desktop. Again, touch typists may not like this. In the past, these keys were know as chichlets (after the candy) and usually a sign of a cheap computer. In fact, the IBM PC jr (aka “the Peanut”) was doomed mostly because it came with a chichlet keyboard. Many younger users today don’t mind.

sdc100 · June 12, 2013, 1:10am

As somewhat of a novice myself, you’re asking the same question I asked a fe weeks ago. What I’ve learned is that your question can’t be answered as worded. In the 80’s, everything was so much easier. There was a CPU (80286, 80386, 80486, etc) and a Frequncy number, i.e. 2.3ghz. It was simple to compare CPUs. Now there are so many variables that you can’t simply say i3, i5 or i7. A fast i5, for exmple, can be faster than a slow i7. Not only do you have to consider frequency, but the number of cores as well. I’ve seen 4 core i7s at 1.9 ghz perform better than a 2 core i5 running at 2.8ghz (I think those were the numbers). And many other variables…

So there really is no answer to how this AMD compares to an i5 or i7, unless you specify which i5 or i7.

Here is a comparison that you may find useful. Your Turion Dual core M600 2.4ghz has a Pass Mark score of 1376 (ranking #826 of all CPUs), while this AMD scores 3162 (ranking #370). In other words, this computer is much faster. The lower the ranking, the better. Please note that there is more to a computer’s performance than CPU speed alone. For example, there is memory speed, how much memory you have, hard drive speed, graphics processor, operating system (Win 8 is supposedly pretty speedy), etc.

Click here to see your m600
Click here to see this AMD 4600M

I’m currently considering this Woot deal as well as an i7 laptop for about $100 more. The i7 CPU I’m considering has a Pass Mark of over 7000, and ranks about #80.

drallen85 · June 12, 2013, 1:13am

First, the 10-key is becoming standard on 15.6" laptops. Second, the “chiclet” keyboard has become mainstream. Lenovo, Apple, Toshiba, HP, Sony, Asus, Acer, etc all utilize this style keyboard.

I should note so this post doesn’t look like a pure argument. I’m not normally a fan of Toshiba, but the specs on this and the price are not bad in the least. If you need a laptop that will suffice for every day use and a bit more, pull the trigger. You won’t find much of a better deal even refurb. The A10-4600M has been a solid proc for my customers, and being able to upgrade it to 16GB of RAM is always a plus. Now just through a 256GB SSD in it and you’ll be set.

kecker · June 12, 2013, 1:25am

Decent enough laptop, but Windows 8 is a deal breaker. Want nothing to do with that piece of shit and getting another Win7 license costs too much to make this deal worth it.

sdc100 · June 12, 2013, 1:27am

I don’t understand your complaint. My point is simply that this isn’t a fullsize keyboard. Do you disagree? I, as well as my colleagues, do indeed have problems adjusting to the smaller keyboard and prefer to do without the keypad. We can always plug in a USB keypad if necessary.

As for the island keys, again, what is your point? So what if it’s become mainstream? i acknowledged that younger users don’t mind, and they often drive the mainstream market. So I;'m not sure what you’re trying to correct. Mainstream or not, it’s still nto full travel, and touch typists still prefer that. Ask any transcriptionist, where speed and accuracy are paramount. My secretary and medical transcriber refuse to use these keyboards. The reason they have become mainstream is not due to usability but other factors. They are MUCH cheaper to make, and allow thinner laptops (because they’re not full travel). YOu can also backlight them. But in terms of reliability, they generally suffer. Many island keyboards simply use bubble membrane keys – the major source of remote control failure.

So what exactly is your protest?

sdc100 · June 12, 2013, 1:56am

Anpther thing to keep in mind is that this Refurbished laptop is NOT warrantied by Toshiba. The warranty is offered by Woot. I generally avoid third party refurbishers and warranters but I have to add that Woot’s Customer Service is top rate. So if that’s any indication, I’d feel safe buying this laptop.

mevande · June 12, 2013, 2:16am

You can make the Windows 8 user interface look like Windows 7 with a neat little interface I wrote. You can toggle back and forth between Win8 and Wint GUI

Toshiba 15.6&quot; Quad-Core Laptop

Toshiba 15.6" Quad-Core Laptop