Charles' HP ProBook 5310m Full Review w/ Pics/Benchmarks

[Charles P. Jefferies]

HP ProBook 5310m Review
By: Charles P. Jefferies

INTRODUCTION
The HP ProBook 5310m is a new 13.3-inch ultraportable from HP. It is less than one inch thin and features up to 5 hours of battery life, a Core 2 Duo processor, and a price under $1,000.

**This is not an 'official' NBR review, but I wanted to write my own review and put my word out there. I've included my own 'spin' on some sections. Feel free to post comments.**

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click on any of the links to go to a particular section . . . or scroll down and read the whole thing.
Note each link opens a new page.

1. Specifications
2. Build & Design
3. Keyboard & Touchpad
4. Screen & Speakers
5. Input/Output Ports & Wireless
6. Battery Life, Heat & Noise
7. Performance Analysis
8. Warranty & Included Software, Upgradeability & Expansion
9. Conclusion & Pros/Cons

[Charles P. Jefferies]

SPECIFICATIONS
I purchased the following pre-configured model: FM997UT:

• 13.3-inch anti-glare display (1366x768)
• Intel Core 2 Duo SP9300 processor (2.26GHz/6MB L2/1066MHz FSB/25W TDP/embedded)
• Windows XP Pro installed (via W7 Pro downgrade rights)
• Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics
• 2GB DDR3-1066 RAM (max. 4GB)
• 320GB 7200RPM hard drive (Seagate 7200.4 ST9320423AS)
• 4-cell Li-ion battery (41Wh)
• Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN wireless, built-in Bluetooth 2.1

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT

• Weight: 3.79 lbs
• Dimensions: 12.9” (W) x 8.7” (D) x 0.93” (H)

This fixed configuration is $899 (MSRP). Other configurations start at $699. The ProBook 5310m configurations do not vary too much (see HP's page here for a full list: LINK. The main differences are in the processor (Celeron ULV or Core 2 Duo), screen type (matte or glare - 'Brightview'), and mobile broadband support. The base $699 config only includes a Celeron ULV 1.2GHz processor, which is very weak compared to the SP9300 in this config. However, the Celeron-based models will have slightly better battery life. Mobile broadband adds about $100 to the price.
The 5310m can be custom configured however doing so adds several hundred dollars to the pricetag.

[Charles P. Jefferies]

BUILD & DESIGN

The most striking aspect of the 5310m is how thin it is – less than one inch at 0.93”. Its sides are chiseled inwards around the ports to give it an even sleeker appearance. This notebook is also quite light to match at 3.79 pounds with the 4-cell battery. A 6-cell battery will be available for this notebook by 2010 but it will stick out the bottom and add weight.

The 5310m has a clean-cut modern look. The chassis has some interesting design characteristics. The keyboard is an island/chiclet-style model where the keys sit above the surface and have more than typical spacing between them. The keyboard bottom is recessed below the palmrest and the area above the keyboard so that the tops of the keys are level with those areas. It looks great.

The display hinge is integrated into the back of the notebook and not sitting on top of the chassis like most notebooks. This allows the display to open with a lower profile and keeps the design cleaner. When opened, the bottom of the display panel tucks behind the notebook. The hinge is strong and there is minimal display wobble.

The 5310m's build quality is excellent. The chassis takes significant effort to bend and no areas exhibit flex. I have not found any weak points in the design either. The quality is consistent; any given area appears to be of the same quality as another. Fit and finish is also top-notch; there are no rough or unfinished areas.
The lid flexes when twisted from side-to-side however this is normal. It has ample protection since pushing on the back of the lid does not cause any screen ripples. The benzel around the lid is amply secured; I was not able to pull it away from the display surface.

The build materials are of high quality. The palmrest, the area immediately above the keyboard, and the entire back of the lid are brushed aluminum. It feels and looks great and gives a quality impression far above that of plastic.
The base of the keyboard and screen benzel are glossy black plastic which is slippery to the touch. All of the plastics used are thicker than the plastics on normal consumer notebooks.

The bottom and sides of the notebook are rubberized for a soft, grippy feel (almost exactly like the surfaces of Razer gaming mice). This is a very nice touch, pun intended.
The downside of the ProBook 5310m's design is that it is very difficult to keep clean. The glossy black plastic areas pick up fingerprints and dust easily, and even the brushed aluminum shows a lot of fingerprints. I find myself bringing a microfiber towel everywhere. In the pictures the dust is easy to see, but even using canned air that is as clean as it wanted to get.

[Charles P. Jefferies]

KEYBOARD

The keyboard is one of the best I have used on a notebook, island/chiclet and standard styles included. Tactile feedback is superb. The keys have a direct feel and all key positions (up/down/in motion) are well-defined. They have a matte finish. The audible feedback is pleasant and encourages typing. The keyboard is not quiet but also not loud enough to disturb people. There is zero flex, which adds to the solid feel of this notebook.

I want to highlight that this keyboard has dedicated home, end, page up, and page down keys which I would buy no notebook without. HP made the unfortunate decision not to include these keys on its new Pavilion dm3 and Envy 13 consumer notebooks. The Apple MacBook/Pro also lacks these keys.
I have two small gripes with this keyboard. Number one – tapping on the very right side of the spacebar does not register a keystroke (about one centimeter over). Personally this is not a problem since I tap further towards the center but it may require adjustment for some. Number two – the printscreen key is not dedicated, but rather a secondary function in the Insert key. This is a minor annoyance but forgivable.

TOUCHPAD

The touchpad functions as expected. The buttons are excellent, providing deeper clicks than most notebooks with better feel and are also very quiet. The buttons are also separate (not a single piece of plastic); this may seem like a small detail but is important from my perspective. The touchpad has a dedicated scroll zone on the right side, which is a convenient feature. Again, a small detail however many notebooks are leaving this out.
The touchpad's surface is glossy, which unfortunately means it works well only when fingers are almost completely dry. A matte surface is preferred from a usability standpoint. I personally use an external mouse most of the time.
One feature I miss on the 5310m that HP has on its consumer Pavilion notebooks is a dedicated touchpad on/off button.

STATUS LIGHTS & SHORTCUT BUTTONS
HP used lights sparingly on this notebook. There are only four lights total:

• Hard drive activity indicator under the left palmrest (white)
• The only power indicator is the power button itself (white, always illuminated)
• The battery charge indicator is on the left side next to the power plug (orange; only illuminated when charging)
• Wireless on-off button on the right side of the keyboard (blue for enabled and orange for disabled; always illuminated but is barely visible)

All lights on this notebook are only faintly lit, an appreciable feature in darker environments. The conservative use of lights and their low intensity is welcome after seeing consumer notebooks with OVER 9,000 blindingly bright lights for everything under the sun.
There are three buttons next to the keyboard on the right: wireless on/off, mail shortcut, and Internet shortcut. This notebook has no media keys (it is a business notebook after all).

[Charles P. Jefferies]

SCREEN

The ProBook 5310m has a 13.3-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 1366x768 resolution. It has LED backlighting for improved power efficiency over traditional CCFL backlighting. The 5310m is available with two screen finishes – anti-glare (matte) and BrightView (glare/glossy). The matte screen was a selling point, personally – it does not reflect like the mirror BrightView finish, which is an important functional attribute for a portable notebook like this that will be used in various lighting environments. A matte screen is also easier to clean than a glossy one. The downside to the matte display is that it makes the display look less clear than a glossy one, however this is to be expected.
The picture quality of this display is 'average' at best. It appears to have a somewhat cold temperature i.e. appears slightly washed out; the contrast could definitely use a boost. Brightness however is satisfactory and scales well on battery (even 2/15 is fine).
Viewing angles are well below average; this display needs to be looked at head-on to get an accurate picture. Side-to-side produces significant color-shift/inversion, from above it washes out and from below darkens. The display has a narrow 15-20 degree 'acceptable' range off-center horizontally and vertically.

Personal take: a top quality screen was not on my preference list; the 5310m's display is satisfactory and the matte coating is appreciated in all environments versus a glossy one (no glare). The poor viewing angles can be a pro or a con: it is beneficial in crowded places for privacy reasons (though that should not be relied on), but not beneficial if several people want to view the screen at once.

SPEAKERS
The 5310m has two small speakers under the palmrest. They are surprisingly clear and are more than tolerable. There is even a perceivable amount of bass. The volume level is not particularly loud however is adequate for quieter environments.

[Charles P. Jefferies]

INPUT & OUTPUT PORTS
All picture descriptions are left to right.

Left Side:

Power jack, exhaust vent, USB, DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet

Right Side:

SD card slot, headphone/microphone jack, 2x USB, Kensington lock slot

Overall The 5310m has a respectable number of ports, including DisplayPort. It has no optical drive. A traditional VGA port will not fit into this notebook's chassis so DisplayPort was the natural choice. Comments about this notebook have expressed concern over the choice in place of HDMI. The 5310m is a business notebook and not an entertainment notebook. HDMI is designed primarily for connections to home HDTVs. While some monitors support HDMI, DisplayPort is a superior standard for connecting to everything but HDTVs; see here for details: http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/d.../19/46464.aspx

DisplayPort to HDMI and VGA adapters are available for cheap online should the need arise.
The 5310m also lacks ExpressCard, but I am not listing this as a con since it is available with built-in mobile broadband (usually that is added via an ExpressCard adapter).

WIRELESS
The 5310m comes with an Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN or a generic Broadcom card; both support the N band. It is also available with built-in Bluetooth 2.1. My system has Intel wireless and Bluetooth.
When the system arrived Bluetooth was not installed on the system; I eventually had to go to HP's website and download a 100MB file to get it working, which I found to be inconvenient. It works flawlessly otherwise and was a selling point because I use an external Bluetooth Razer Orochi mouse.

[Charles P. Jefferies]

BATTERY LIFE
Informal testing is yielding at least four hours of battery life while surfing the Internet with the four-cell battery. Compared to other notebooks in its class this is about the median; some smaller 12-inch notebooks get less (around three hours) while similar notebooks with larger battery packs (ASUS UL30) get seven hours or more. I am used to one – one and a half hours of battery life so four hours is amazing. For users that require more battery life, as noted HP is going to make a six-cell available for this notebook; that should produce another two hours of life for a total of six. As a matter of fact, the 5310m's battery is so thin that it could be stored easily in a notebook sleeve, so those considering this machine should not rule out getting an additional battery.

HEAT & NOISE
The 5310m is cooled by a single fan on the left side of the chassis. The chassis generally feels lukewarm all over at idle, slightly more on the left side since that is where the processor and RAM are located. The hard drive is located under the right palmrest which is also warm. Under full load the left side of the chassis can get quite hot, mostly around the vent. It is uncomfortable to use on a lap under full load for extended periods; the CPU reaches in the upper-90*C range, which is high but just within the acceptable thermal range for the Core 2 Duo processor:

To make the notebook run that hot however I had to run the notebook under full load for an hour. During 'normal' usage such as office productivity and web surfing, the notebook has not been more than warm.
The general noise level is low. This is a quiet computer and picking it out of any background noise requires concentration. At 100% speed the fan is easily audible though not annoying. I have not been able to push the notebook to 100% fan speed even under full load; only during startup does the fan reach this speed and back off (probably a diagnostics check).

[Charles P. Jefferies]

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS
The 5310m is available with two processors: an Intel Celeron SU2300 (1.2GHz/1MB L2/800MHz FSB - Intel Page) and a Core 2 Duo SP9300 (2.26GHz/6MB L2/1066MHz FSB - Intel Page); mine has the latter. The Celeron is the more power efficient of the two however has far less processing power. The Core 2 Duo P9300 is a standard voltage processor, not a low voltage version. Note that both processors are embedded – as in, cannot be removed/replaced. Both processors support virtualization, which is useful for running virtual machines i.e. Linux in Windows. Many Intel processors do not support virtualization, especially those in consumer notebooks.

For all benchmarks I have Windows 7 Professional 32-bit, some HP utilities, and Microsoft Security Essentials Antivirus installed; I disabled System Restore and Windows Search.

wPrime Processor Benchmark

The Core 2 Duo SP9300 processor is a high-performance dual-core processor. 35 seconds for the 32M benchmark is nothing to bat an eye at; this processor is faster than almost all dual cores found in consumer notebooks around this price range.

Futuremark PCMark05 Overall System Performance Benchmark

A score of 4,410 is very impressive for a notebook with integrated graphics. Desktop replacement gaming notebooks typically score between 7,000 – 8,000, however much of that is due to their powerful graphics cards. Typical budget consumer notebooks score under 4,000 points, and ultraportables like the 5310m typically score under 3,500. The 5310m has class-leading performance.

HDTune Hard Drive Benchmark

The Seagate 320GB 7200RPM drive has impressive performance. Most notebooks have 5,400RPM hard drives with 40-45MB/s transfer rates; this 7,200RPM drive has a smoking 72.4MB/s average and 92.9MB/s peak. The hard drive is the slowest component in any computer and therefore any increase in speed is welcome.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE COMMENTS
The 5310m is an impressive performer especially for its class; its performance far outpaces that of most ultraportable notebooks. The Core 2 Duo P9300 processor is strong and can handle almost any application with ease. The Seagate 7200RPM drive is extremely fast relative to most notebook hard drives which greatly aids overall performance and responsiveness. It also helps shut down/boot up times; after tuning up the system (disabling Windows Search and System Restore), I timed Windows 7's shut down at 11 seconds and boot up from pressing the power button to the fully-loaded desktop at 24 seconds. System responsiveness is excellent; I noticed no lag opening, switching between, or closing applications.

[Charles P. Jefferies]

WARRANTY
The 5310m comes standard with a one-year parts, labor, and battery warranty. Frequent travelers may want to invest in accidental damage coverage; extended HP Care Packs are available.

SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION

This particular 5310m configuration comes with Windows XP Professional pre-installed via the Windows 7 downgrade rights. This is understandable given that most businesses still use XP, however I promptly wiped the machine and installed Windows 7.

My criticism centers around the software setup. It seems like HP put a lot of unnecessary items on this notebook. These are items I found and would have uninstalled immediately:

• MS Office
• McAfee
• PDF Complete reader
• WinZip
• Skype
• Lightscribe system software?
• Roxio Creator?

The last two items are out of place since the 5310m has no optical drive. Perhaps if users have external CD drives it would be useful, but it should be their responsibility to obtain proper software. Lastly, Skype borders on bloatware.
I would have like to have seen a much cleaner hard drive.

UPGRADEABILITY & EXPANSION
The 5310m's hard drive and RAM are user-upgradeable. It uses standard 2.5-inch, 9.5mm profile hard drives or SSDs (SATA). The RAM upgradeability is limited since it only has one RAM slot; to reach the maximum 4GB capacity a single 4GB stick must be used, which cost around $200 right now. On the bright side, Windows 7 is very gentle on memory usage; even with iTunes, Firefox, and OpenOffice running, memory usage is peaking at around 800-900MB. Prices will eventually fall for the 4GB modules. Regardless, only one memory expansion slot is definitely a con.

[Charles P. Jefferies]

CONCLUSION
The 5310m is one of the hidden gems of the notebook market this year. This sexy ultraportable is extra thin, very well built, has great system performance with the Core 2 Duo processor, and over four hours of battery life, all for about $900. It stumbles in some areas – the screen is below average and the glossy touchpad can be a turn off, however in most situations the pros outshine the cons. I highly recommend the 5310m to anyone shopping for a reasonably-priced ultraportable with the above described attributes.

PROS

• Sexy ultra-thin design (0.93” thin)
• Well-built
• Lightweight (3.79 lbs)
• Outstanding keyboard*
• High performance
• Decent battery life (4-5 hours)
• Non-intrusive status lights
• Good value

CONS

• Lackluster screen
• *Spacebar does not register all the way on the right (see keyboard section)
• Limited RAM expansion
• Can run warm under heavy load
• Tough to keep clean