The LG X300's edge-to-edge display features Corning Gorilla glass

The 11.6” subnotebook has a few other attractive embellishments, but some of its components are dated

The X300 in 'shiny white'...

...and in 'light brown'

Gorilla glass is resistant against scratches and chips

LG unveiled its new 11.6” subnotebook at this year's CES, where it received a great deal of attention. On the 7^th of March, LG announced that the ultra-thin and light, X300 would be released for sale in Asia later this month. LG hasn't announced any plans to launch the X300 in the US yet, although this is likely as the machine is due to be released in South America and the Middle East very soon. Unfortunately there have been no price leaks since our CES report on the X300. However, more information about the X300 has been released by Corning Incorporated; the glass and ceramics specialist just announced that it is the supplier of the glass used in the X300's edge-to-edge display.

The X300 is an attractive machine, and it features a few nice embellishments: an edge-to-edge 11.6” HD display (featuring Corning's Gorilla Glass), a border-less touchpad and a reflective keyboard. Harrison Park, the general manager of the PC Division at LG Electronics said that Gorilla glass was a pivotal part of the ultraportable's novel screen:-

“Slim, lightweight mobile PCs will be the main trend this year. By using Corning's Gorilla glass, we were able to design a thinner device with a durable and strong display.”

Gorilla glass is made of aluminosilicate and can be made as thin as 0.5mm; apparently it's environmentally friendly, protective, lightweight and durable. The glass is chemically strengthened with a compression layer on its surface; consequently, X300 users should notice that their machine's display is far more resistant to scratches and chips (pictured), and will feature far fewer flaws compared to other glass displays.

The X300 features some dated components – why?

The X300 is marketed as an ultraportable, and it appears to fit nicely into this category: weighing only 970g and measuring only 17.5mm thick. Its battery life is listed as 7 hours, although this is alongside the caveat that some of this life must be made up by swapping the main 2 cell battery when its empty, for the spare 2-cell battery supplied with the machine. The X300 should therefore run for 3.5 hours on a 2 cell battery, which is very energy efficient.

LG's press release mentioned that the X300 features the Menlow platform and a 2GHz Intel processor. The Menlow platform is the old codename for a specific combination of processor and mainboard, namely a Silverthorne 45nm CPU and a Poulsbo chipset. The only processor clocked at 2GHz in the Silverthorne (now Atom) range is the Intel Atom Z550 single core processor. This is compatible with Intel's SCH US15W chipset, which features an Intel GMA 500 GPU. The specifications sheet also mentions a Z530 and a Z540 as possible choices for processors. These are dated components by any subnotebook's standards, let alone for a machine likely to enter the market during the second quarter of this year.

The Z550 is ranked 250 in our CPU benchmark list, and is unlikely to score more than 600 in 3DMark06. The GMA 500 is capable of processing some HD content, although it's 3D processing power is very poor: it only achieved 68 in 3DMark06 and 137 in 3DMark05. It does support DirectX 10.1, but can only utilise up to 128MB of the system's memory. It is therefore ranked fairly low on our GPU benchmark list at 225.

With such poor core components, LG's primary plan must be to reduce heat output, and partly, to reduce energy consumption. By giving the system lowly tools, and placing them in the hands of end users who will only tend to use it for light work, the X300 can do without a cooling system. Consequently, the machine is fan-less, and this is, in part, what makes it so light and slim. The X300 should therefore be completely silent during operation, and relatively cool. This aspect is further enhanced by the inclusion of a 128GB SSD in the system.

The X300 also features SRS TruSurround HD sound; WLAN 802.11n support; a 3G embedded modem; Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR support and a 1.3MP webcam. The subnotebook's interior and exterior is finished in 'shiny white'; users can also change the lid to 'light brown' although it's not clear if the underside or any other aspect of the X300 can be changed to this color too.

Specifications