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This review first appeared in issue 361 of PC Pro.
You know that AI is everywhere when it sneaks its way into a rugged laptop. With the S510, Getac is jumping ahead of rivals such as Dell and Panasonic by not only offering Intel’s Core Ultra chips but complementing them with optional GeForce GTX 1650 graphics.
This five-year-old chip still packs acceleration beyond integrated graphics, but not much beyond: the S510’s 3,394 in 3DMark Time Spy is on a par with laptops using Intel’s Arc graphics. However, any apps that take advantage of Nvidia’s CUDA platform will be significantly faster.
The NPU built into the Core Ultra 7 165U vPro is modest, to the point where Intel doesn’t even specify its standalone TOPS rating, merely “up to 34 TOPS” for the processor as a whole. It’s hard to see this as a key selling point for this laptop, but there will be occasions where it will reduce the load on the CPU.
More importantly, Intel’s recent chip ensures this is one of the fastest rugged laptops around, with its 8,533 in Geekbench 6 multicore a fraction faster than the 8,227 returned by the Panasonic Toughbook 55 MK3. That’s despite the 55 MK3 having a Core i7-1370P with six P-cores, compared to two in the Ultra 7 155U. The Toughbook struck back in Cinebench R23, though, with a 10,319 result compared to 6,456.
The S510’s literal big advantage over the Toughbook is its 15.6in display, compared to 14in for its rival, although they share the same 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. It covers a modest 55% of the sRGB gamut, but colors still look respectable and its whites are strong. It’s also readable in all light conditions. Pumped up to its 1,093cd/m2 maximum, and with a matte finish, I found it easy to read under bright sunlight.
An IP53 rating means the S510 can work in rainy conditions, but don’t take the it on a Saharan holiday.
That’s despite a bumper-packed chassis and ports protected by thick covers. You can see the full list of ports that came with my review sample in the specifications listing, but more importantly it’s customizable via modular units. If you need extra storage rather than a second battery, a removable drive is yet another option.
By including two 75Wh units, however, the S510 lasted for 15 hours under light use and almost 20 hours when playing back video. Those results aren’t as remarkable as they used to be thanks to Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, but these batteries can be hot-swapped.
As is the norm for rugged laptops, Getac builds a carry handle into the design for easy portability, and it’s also light at 2.4kg. It’s bulky, though, stretching 39mm from top to bottom, while Getac’s keyboard designers could make more use of the 375mm width. Still, this is a keyboard built for resilience rather than touch typing, and the touchpad is a good size at 107 x 60mm. Physical mouse buttons sit below, which makes sense for gloved hands.
Two programmable buttons above the keyboard can be configured using the G-Manager app. This also gives you control over power profiles and lets you tune the touchscreen for gloves or rainy conditions.
The S510 is pretty up to date when it comes to Wi-Fi standards, with 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 on offer, while the 1080p webcam is capable. There’s a slide-over privacy cover, too. Add an aggressive pair of speakers, built for volume in extreme environments rather than quality, and Getac ticks all the most important boxes.
If you don’t need the GeForce graphics then you can save a considerable amount of money, with prices starting at £1,885 exc VAT for a Core Ultra 5 125U, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. So long as an IP53 rating meets your needs, this is a top-quality and fast rugged laptop for demanding outdoor workers.
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