If you’ve read our Samsung Q430 overall review already, you’ll know that this little laptop has a lot to offer for frequent travellers or those on a budget, but what’s it like when it comes to more intensive multimedia use? Read on to find out in this section of our Samsung Q430 review.
Read the rest of our Samsung Q430 review
Samsung Q430 review
Samsung Q430 review: Portable power
Samsung Q430 review: Battery and build
The Samsung Q430 has evidently been designed with portability in mind, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a pared back device that’s unable to deliver bouts of turbo performance when necessary.
Instead, Samsung has fitted the Samsung Q430 with Intel’s Core i3 M350 processor. Running at 2.27GHz, this chip has a lot to offer, and is also a cost effective solution. It may only be a dual-core chip, but the Core i3 features four processing threads, using a technology referred to by Intel as Hyper-Threading.
The result is a laptop that’s much better at multitasking than older machines, despite the relatively low price point. It’s unusual to see a machine with 3GB of memory these days – rather than 4GB – especially considering the use of a 64-bit operating system, but the Samsung Q430 still ticks along at a fair pace.
It’s only when working with lots of resource intensive apps – such as Photoshop, DVD creation software and such – that the Samsung Q430 starts to slow down. Stick to lighter tasks – browsing the web or watching movies, for instance – and this machine responds quickly at all times.
Although the Samsung’s Intel Core i3 incorporates its own GPU – with Intel HD Graphics in place – Samsung hasn’t taken advantage in this case. Instead, the Samsung Q430 uses its own dedicated GPU, with no capability to switch between the two.
The Samsung Q430’s graphics card is an Nvidia GeForce GT 330M chipset. This GPU offers 512MB of dedicated graphics memory, and the result is somewhat surprising for such a compact laptop.
Sure, the Samsung Q430 is no high-end gaming machine, but it is capable of running the latest games. You may need to turn down detail settings to get the best out of more demanding games, however.
The graphics card is also easily capable when it comes to high-definition video playback, running HD movies without any dropped frames. You’ll need to plug in an external display if you do want to watch films in true HD, however, as the Samsung’s 1366 x 768-pixel resolution won’t show all the pixels of a 1080p video file.
There’s plenty of support if you do want to plug in an HDTV or external display. An HDMI port on the left-hand side of the Samsung Q430’s chassis lets you output high-def video and audio, and there’s also a VGA port for older analogue equipment – such as monitors and projectors.
If your TV is DLNA compliant, you’ll also be able to connect the Samsung Q430 wirelessly, streaming music or videos using Samsung’s AllShare application.
The Samsung Q430 is a bit of a surprise package then, offering a decent turn of power when required. From light gaming to high-definition movies, it’s capable of meeting most home requirements.
Read the rest of our Samsung Q430 review
Samsung Q430 review
Samsung Q430 review: Portable power
Samsung Q430 review: Battery and build
