It’s maddeningly difficult to choose a notebook computer based on specifications alone, even more so when you have to deal with the variable known as battery life. AMD and Intel differ quite a bit spec wise but when it comes down to how long you can use your notebook while it’s unplugged you’re looking at a whole different picture.
AnandTech has a look at how long two similarly configured notebooks, one AMD and one Intel based, last in a variety of normal usage tests. It’s a clear cut result:
The chassis are identical from the outside, and everything else is the same as well other than the motherboard, chipset, and processor. Both come with 4GB DDR2 memory, a 15.6" 1366×768 LED backlit LCD, 320GB 5400 RPM hard drive, and a DVDRW. Both also include Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11n WiFi (Intel WiFi Link 5100 for the NV58 and Atheros AR928X for the NV52). In fact, even the CPUs have the same 2.1 GHz clock speed — not that CPU clock speed matters — as well as 35W TDP ratings — not that that matters either, as we’ll soon see. On the AMD side, we have the QL-64 (65nm, 2.1GHz, 2x512K L2, 3600MHz HyperTransport bus), and on the Intel laptop we have the T6500 (45nm, 2.1GHz, 2MB shared L2, 800MHz FSB). We should also mention that the NV58 costs more than the NV52, $500 for the NV52 and $580 for the NV58. What does the extra $80 buy you?
Given that the AMD based notebook has a more advanced integrated graphics chipset and an older processor the results aren’t surprising. As for the extra $80 we’d rather sell off the included battery and go for a 9-cell or larger battery over the standard 6-cell.
