Poor Video Signal Quality At The VGA Port
Due to their relatively small display diagonal, ultra-portable notebooks can only be used to a limited extent for applications like spreadsheets or image editing. When working in a stationary environment, users can alleviate this deficit by attaching an external monitor with greater image diagonal. We tested the Averatec AV3220H1 on an 19" CRT-monitor (IBM 6558 P202). The result: the VGA port's signal quality is poor with high display resolution and with the typical refresh rate. The user gets a muddy, distorted image on the external monitor.
| Resolution/Refresh Rate | Image Quality |
|---|---|
| 1024 x 786 @75Hz | clear/sharp |
| 1024 x 786 @85Hz | clear/sharp |
| 1280 x 1024 @75Hz | clear/sharp |
| 1280 x 1024 @85Hz | slightly blurred |
| 1600 x 1200 @60Hz | very blurred |
| 1600 x 1200 @75Hz | very blurred |
We had no complaints about the image quality of the 12.1" TFT display. With a maximum brightness of 130cd/ m², it is sufficiently bright for working in a regular office environment. However, when working in environments with more light, for instance, in daylight, the display quickly reaches its limits due to a poor white-black contrast of 104.1 (which, in turn, is due to the high amount of black: 1.25cd/m²).
Technical Data
As a comparison, we used the Asus S5200N , a device based on Intel's Pentium M. We also found it interesting to compare it with the Averatec 3150P . Clocked at a lower rate, this device is based on the AMD Athlon-XP-M 1600+. By launching this product, Averatec introduced its first cost-efficient ultra-portable device to the market.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Averatec AV3220H1 | Asus S5200N | Averatec 3150P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Two-Spindle / Ultraportable | One-Spindle / Ultraportable | Two-Spindle / Ultraportable |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 284mm x 30mm x 245mm / 11.2" x 1.2" x 9.7" | 276mm x 34mm x 233mm / 10.9" x 1.3" x 9.2" | 270mm x 32mm x 250mm / 10.62" x 1.26" x 9.84" |
| Weight of unit (incl. batt) | 2110g / 3.92lbs | 1390g / 3.06lbs | 2053g / 4.52lbs |
| Weight of charger and cable | 360g / 0.79lbs | 408g / 0.90lbs | 320g / 0.70lbs |
| Display Size | TFT-12.1" | TFT-12.1" | TFT-12.1" |
| Display Resolution | 1024x786 / XGA | 1024x786 / XGA | 1024x786 / XGA |
| CPU | AMD LV Mobile Athlon XP-M 2000+ | Intel Pentium-M 1700MHz | LV Mobile AMD Athlon-XP-M 1600+ |
| Memory Type | PC2700 DDR SDRAM CL2.5 | PC2700 DDR SDRAM CL2.5 | PC2100 DDR SDRAM CL2.5 |
| Amount of Memory | 1x512 MB | 2x256 MB | 1x512 MB |
| Chipset Northbridge | VIA KN400A | Intel 855GM/82855GM (GMCH) | VIA KN266 (VIA VT8372) |
| Chipset Southbridge | VT8235 | Intel ICH4-M | VIA VT8233A |
| Graphics Controller | Integrated Unichrome up to 64 MB (UMA; 8, 16, 32, 64 MB user selectable) | 82852/82855 GM/GME up to 64 MB (DVMT) | VIAProSavageDDR KN266 (UMA; 8, 16, 32 MB user selectable) |
| Hard drive bay | internal/no bay | internal/no bay | internal/no bay |
| Ethernet//WLAN | VIA Rhine II 10/100 MBit// Broadcom 802.11g | Realtek RTL8139 810xFamily and Intel PRO/WLAN 2100 802.11b | VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter and Intersil Prism 2.5 USB WLAN-Module 802.11b |
| Bluetooth-Radio | No | No | No |
| Modem | Smart Link 56K Modem | AC97 SoftV92 Data Fax Modem with SmartCP | Smartlink 56K |
| Audio | VIA AC'97 Enhanced Audio Controller | SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio | VIA AC97 |
| Battery Capacity | 43 Wh | 23.6 Wh | 43.2 Wh |
| Battery Weight | 320g / 11.3oz | 173g / 6.1oz | 320g / 11.3oz |
| Pointing Device(s) | Touchpad | Touchpad | Touchpad |
| DVD-/CD-R/RW-Drive | QSI CDRW/DVD SBW-242 8x//24x/10x/24xDVD//CD-R/RW | Asus SCB-2408 CDRW/DVD SBW-242 8x//24x12x24x DVD-//CD-R/-RW | MATSHITA UJDA730 8x/16x10x24x-DVD/CDRW-Combo |
| Harddisc | Hitachi Travelstar 80GN IC25N040ATMR04-0 ATA-6 40 GB/4200rpm/2 MB | Hitachi Travelstar 80GN IC25N060ATMR04-0 ATA-6 60 GB/4200rpm/8 MB | Hitachi Travelstar40GN IC25N030ATCS04-0 ATA-5 30 GB/4200rpm/2 MB |
| PC Card Slot(s) | 1x type II (L) | 1x type II (R) | 1x type II (L) |
| Floppy Drive | No | No | No |
| USB ports | 3x USB 2.0 (R) | 3x USB 2.0 (2xL, 1xR) | 3x USB 2.0 (R) |
| 1394 ports | No | 1x (R) | No |
| IR port | No | No | No |
| Serial Ports | No | No | No |
| Parallel Ports | No | No | No |
| VGA out | Yes (L) | Yes (L) | Yes (L) |
| PS/2- Connector | No | No | No |
| Headphone/Microphone/ Line In Connector | Yes/Yes/No (F) | Yes/Yes/No (F) | Yes/Yes/No (F) |
| Video-In/Out | No/No | No/No | No/No |
| Extras | - | 3 in 1 card reader | - |
| B=Back side, F=Front, L=Left side, R=Right Side |
Regarding the feel of the surface and the production quality of the chassis, Averatec's AV3220H1 does not match the Asus S5200N. The Asus clearly shows better quality, and it looks classier as well. When comparing the Averatec AV3220H1 with the 3150P, however, the new model makes a much better impression.
