Samsung RV510 review

We have always been huge fans of Samsung's entry-level laptops, but unfortunately the RV510 failed to impress us quite as much as previous models have. This is largely due to its poor usability.

The large keyboard is spongy and slightly unresponsive, making it a little frustrating to type on. This is compounded by the fact that, like the HP Compaq Presario CQ56-111SA, the touchpad is easy to brush when typing, so make sure you try before you buy.

Nevertheless, the screen is very bright and produces vivid images which make the laptop great for viewing photos and films. The standard glossy Super-TFT screen coating is in place, but manages to suppress reflections in bright light well.

An attractive silver paint finish has been implemented and this contrasts nicely with the black screen bezel and mock-chrome mouse buttons to make this an aesthetically pleasing laptop.

Build quality is surprisingly good and at 2.4kg this is quite light. The 247 minutes of battery life is also useful for those who travel a lot and require a decent battery life.

The Intel Celeron T3500 processor isn't the most powerful and only beats the MSI CR630. Nevertheless, those with basic performance requirements and who are content with simply running office applications, checking their email and browsing the internet will find their needs catered for.

Those after more power for multi-tasking resource-intensive applications should consider the HP Compaq Presario CQ56-111SA.

Benchmarks

Battery life: 247 minutes
MobileMark 2007: 158
3DMark 2003: 1555

Basic multimedia

The entry-level graphics card will allow you to run basic multimedia tasks only – but watching DVDs on the integrated drive and videos via the internet won't be a problem.

Ample storage is provided courtesy of a 320GB hard drive and, unless you have huge music, photo and movie libraries, you are unlikely to fill it in a rush.

802.11n Wi-Fi provides the fastest wireless networking technology currently available, so you'll get impressive networking speeds when connecting to a router, and there are three USB ports for attaching peripherals, such as an external mouse or even an MP3 player for charging.

We always have high hopes for Samsung laptops, but the RV510 unfortunately just doesn't quite deliver, thanks to its irritating keyboard and mouse and performance that is a little underwhelming.

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