IN BRIEF: This value-for-money system has a heavyweight chassis that is comfortable to use

HP is pitching the Presario R3100 range of laptops at home consumers looking for a machine that can mix the needs of the small business as well as the leisure user. The HP Compaq Presario R3145EA (£1199 inc. VAT) is fitted with a 15.4-inch widescreen panel that can be used for scanning two A4 documents side-by-side or, just as effectively, used for watching a DVD movie in its native 9:6 format. The panel of our review machine was free from flaws.

The hinges are placed at the back of the main chassis, as opposed to on top as found on most laptops, which means that the screen is pitched slightly further back and lower than a standard panel. HP has had to make sure that the Presario has a good viewing angle, so that it can easily be seen by a number of viewers.

POOR GRAPHICS

The screen is supported by a graphics subsystem that consists of an ATi Mobility Radeon 9100 IGP. This is a curious inclusion, especially if HP is aiming this machine at the home entertainment market. As the name implies, this is an integrated graphics solution, which traditionally offers less than cutting-edge graphics for the price-conscious marketplace. With a 3DMark of 3128, the 9100 IGP offers better-than-average speed for such an adapter – beating Intel’s rival solution with ease – but still trails behind the performance found in a dedicated adapter.

The main body of the Presario is large, measuring 360 x 280 x 46mm, and weighs
3.7kg. It needs to be this large to accommodate the use of an Intel Pentium 4 processor, in this instance running at 3GHz. Such a processor was originally designed for use in desktop systems, but works well within larger laptop systems such as the Presario.

The processor is supported by 512MB DDR SDRAM and a Toshiba 60GB hard drive is fitted as standard. Such a pairing is what we have come to expect at this price range and is more than sufficient for use in the home or office machine. Desktop processors tend not to produce as powerful a MobileMark as their mobile counterparts, but with a score of 161this system has sufficient power to run multimedia and office-based tasks with ease.

Those buyers opting for the Presario will not be looking for a great deal of mobility from their laptop. The Presario produced a battery life, under test, of 175 minutes from a single charge, which allows for a reasonable amount of time away from mains power.

The build quality of the Presario R3145EA is excellent. We found that the larger case allowed for a good degree of rigidity, with the two large panels adding to the overall sturdiness of the machine. The keyboard was of a good size, with the keys being well spaced. There was a degree of rattle when typing, but the keys did not move too much to prove a problem.

The HP Compaq Presario R3145EA is a large, but comfortable machine to use. While the use of a desktop processor may not be to everyone’s liking, we found that this system handled the extra heat and power usage well – remaining cool to the touch even after long periods of use. Those buyers looking for a desktop replacement will be pleased with what the HP Compaq Presario R3145EA has to offer.

PRICE £1020/£1199 (EX/INC. VAT)
PROCESSOR Intel Pentium 4 3GHz
MEMORY 512MB DDR SDRAM
HARD DRIVE Toshiba 60GB
SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 15.4-inch TFT
DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1280 x 800 pixels
GRAPHICS CARD ATi Mobility Radeon 9100 IGP
DIMENSIONS 360 x 280 x 46mm
WEIGHT 3.7kg
PC CARDS (TYPE II/III) 1/0
WIRELESS LAN 802.11g
ETHERNET Yes
MODEM Yes
USB PORTS 3
FIREWIRE 1
STANDARD WARRANTY 1 yr RTB
WARRANTY UPGRADE various
CONTACT
0845 270 4215
www.hp.com/uk   

VALUE FOR MONEY 7
PERFORMANCE 6
FEATURES 7
MOBILITY 6
BUILD QUALITY 7
OVERALL 7

BATTERY LIFE 175 mins
MOBILEMARK 2002 161
3DMARK 2001 3128