Notebookcheck Logo

Toshiba Portégé Z20t-C-121 Detachable Review

Business device with stamina. Toshiba primarily did a facelift with the Portégé Z20t-C: The C models come with Skylake processors now and bring a Type-C USB port (USB 3.1 Gen 1). Despite a price north of about 2000 Euros (~$2234), the device is not flawless.

For the original German review, see here.

With the Portégé Z20t-C, Toshiba has launched a 12.5-inch detachable laptop. We are already familiar with it since we have already reviewed the Z20t-B predecessor last year. Our current test model comes with a Core M processor of the Skylake generation. Its competitors are devices such as the HP Elite x2 1012 G1, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N, the Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700, the Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12, and the Microsoft Surface Pro 4.

Since the Z20t-B and the Z20t-C use the same design, we will not cover case, connectivity, input devices and speakers in detail here unless there are differences. Information about these is available in the Portégé Z20t-B review.

Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121 (Portege Z20 Series)
Processor
Intel Core m7-6Y75 2 x 1.2 - 3.1 GHz, Skylake
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics 515, Core: 1000 MHz, dual-channel, 20.19.15.4300
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR3, dual-channel, soldered
Display
12.50 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 176 PPI, capacitive (10-point) + digitizer, native pen support, Toshiba TOS508F, IPS, Hardened IOX glass, anti-fingerprint and anti-reflective coating, glossy: no, detachable screen
Mainboard
Intel Skylake-Y Premium PCH
Storage
Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH, 512 GB 
, 430 GB free
Soundcard
Conexant CX20753/4 @ Intel Skylake PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 2 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: audio combo, Card Reader: MicroSD, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: gyroscope, e-compass, TPM 2.0
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-LM (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, Sierra Wireless EM7305, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 21 x 309 x 215.2 ( = 0.83 x 12.17 x 8.47 in)
Battery
72 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Primary Camera: 5 MPix no flash
Secondary Camera: 2 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Cyberlink Power Media Player 12, McAfee LiveSafe-Internet Security (trial version), MS Office (trial version), 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
1.51 kg ( = 53.26 oz / 3.33 pounds), Power Supply: 150 g ( = 5.29 oz / 0.33 pounds)
Price
1800 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

The new model is hardly different from the Portégé Z20t-B. The micro USB port of the latter has been replaced by a Type-C USB port (USB 3.1 Gen 1). In addition, the Z20t-C no longer comes with two pens. Only a compact stylus is included, which can be inserted in the tablet. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi performance falls slightly behind the theoretical potential of the installed Wi-Fi chip.

The Z20t-B includes these two pens. The Z20t-C only comes with the smaller pen. It is a pressure sensitive model again.
The Z20t-B includes these two pens. The Z20t-C only comes with the smaller pen. It is a pressure sensitive model again.

Size Comparison

309 mm / 12.2 inch 215.2 mm / 8.47 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 1.5 kg3.33 lbs300 mm / 11.8 inch 213.5 mm / 8.41 inch 8.05 mm / 0.3169 inch 1.2 kg2.66 lbs293 mm / 11.5 inch 224 mm / 8.82 inch 14.5 mm / 0.571 inch 1.1 kg2.38 lbs291 mm / 11.5 inch 201 mm / 7.91 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 1.3 kg2.84 lbs292 mm / 11.5 inch 202 mm / 7.95 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 1.1 kg2.35 lbs290.3 mm / 11.4 inch 198.8 mm / 7.83 inch 6.3 mm / 0.248 inch 693 g1.528 lbs278.8 mm / 11 inch 194.1 mm / 7.64 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 1.2 kg2.57 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 SA5-271-70EQ
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
568 MBit/s
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Broadcom BCM4356 802.11ac 2x2:2 (876 Mbps)
534 MBit/s
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 SA5-271-70EQ
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
566 MBit/s +52%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Broadcom BCM4356 802.11ac 2x2:2 (876 Mbps)
453 MBit/s +22%
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
372 MBit/s

Display

Pixel grid
Pixel grid

The Portégé comes with a matte 12.5-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The brightness of the display (329.8 cd/m²) is all right, however, several competitors perform better in this aspect. We did not like the low contrast (562:1). We would have expected a value north of 1000:1 in view of the computer's price point. It is positive that the display never shows PWM flickering.

328
cd/m²
349
cd/m²
349
cd/m²
308
cd/m²
354
cd/m²
338
cd/m²
304
cd/m²
330
cd/m²
308
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Toshiba TOS508F tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 354 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 329.8 cd/m² Minimum: 28.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 354 cd/m²
Contrast: 562:1 (Black: 0.63 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.28 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 9.15 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
63% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
43.95% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
42.51% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.73
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
IPS, 1920x1080
Toshiba Portege Z20t-B-10C
IPS-Panel, 1920x1080
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
IPS, 2160x1440
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
IPS, 2736x1824
Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700
IPS, 2160x1440
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N
sAMOLED, 2160x1440
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
IPS, 1920x1280
Display
0%
53%
56%
58%
22%
Display P3 Coverage
42.51
42.63
0%
65.8
55%
67.5
59%
68.1
60%
53.8
27%
sRGB Coverage
63.7
63.6
0%
96.2
51%
96.6
52%
97.4
53%
73.7
16%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
43.95
44.1
0%
66.8
52%
69
57%
70.2
60%
53.8
22%
Response Times
56%
20%
54%
42%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
61 ?(28, 33)
25 ?(9, 16)
59%
46 ?(17.2, 28.8)
25%
30 ?(11, 19)
51%
33.2 ?(15.2, 18)
46%
Response Time Black / White *
36 ?(7, 29)
17 ?(4, 13)
53%
31 ?(6, 25.2)
14%
16 ?(4.4, 11.6)
56%
22.8 ?(10.4, 12.4)
37%
PWM Frequency
50 ?(50)
200 ?(18)
Screen
7%
29%
53%
29%
265%
19%
Brightness middle
354
342
-3%
451
27%
389.2
10%
341
-4%
363
3%
322
-9%
Brightness
330
301
-9%
425
29%
392
19%
318
-4%
378
15%
319
-3%
Brightness Distribution
86
76
-12%
80
-7%
92
7%
87
1%
90
5%
97
13%
Black Level *
0.63
0.393
38%
0.37
41%
0.27
57%
0.36
43%
0.03
95%
0.42
33%
Contrast
562
870
55%
1219
117%
1441
156%
947
69%
12100
2053%
767
36%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
8.28
9.69
-17%
11.04
-33%
3.61
56%
6
28%
4.8
42%
6.02
27%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
12.71
14.92
-17%
6.91
46%
10.06
21%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
9.15
9.27
-1%
10.45
-14%
3.8
58%
8.12
11%
5.04
45%
6.29
31%
Gamma
2.73 81%
2.95 75%
2 110%
2.16 102%
2.23 99%
2.57 86%
2.4 92%
CCT
5953 109%
6010 108%
8849 73%
5969 109%
7011 93%
7255 90%
7712 84%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
40
40.4
1%
74
85%
63
58%
63.4
59%
73
83%
47.8
20%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
63
100
59%
97
54%
97.4
55%
73.2
16%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
4% / 5%
46% / 37%
43% / 49%
47% / 38%
265% / 265%
28% / 22%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The DeltaE 2000 shift is 8.28 out-of-the-box. This is too high for the price point. A value smaller than 3 would be desirable. The grayscale should be improved, too. The deviation from the desired value is apparent. The display is not bluish.

CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Color Saturation
CalMAN - Color Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 29 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 93 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
61 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 28 ms rise
↘ 33 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 96 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Toshiba has equipped the Portégé with a viewing-angle-stable IPS display. Thus, you can read from it from every position. The device can be used outdoors. The display's matte surface pays off here.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use

Performance

With the Portégé Z20t-C, Toshiba has a 12.5-inch detachable laptop on offer, which is primarily targeted at business customers. It delivers sufficient performance for office and web applications. At the time of testing, the test model was available from 1800 Euros (~$2010). Other variants are available. The currently cheapest model costs about 1000 Euros (~$1117).

Processor

The Portégé is powered by a Core m7-6Y75 (Skylake) dual-core processor. The CPU's low TDP makes passive cooling possible. The processor works at a base clock of 1.2 GHz. Thanks to the Turbo, the clock rate can increase to 2.9 GHz (two cores) and 3.1 GHz (one core). The CPU did not reach the maximum Turbo clock in the CPU tests we have run. It clocks at 2.3 to 2.4 GHz in the single thread tests and only works at 1.6 to 1.7 GHz in the multithread tests. The measured clock rates did not change even after the 7th run.

All things considered, the CPU falls significantly behind its potential. Thus, the surcharge for the Core M7 processor does not pay off. Those who select a Core M5 or Core M3 model save a lot of money without forgoing much performance.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
3854
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
6302
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6190
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
99 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
180 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
25.23 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 SA5-271-70EQ
Intel Core i7-6500U
128 Points +29%
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Intel Core m5-6Y54
111 Points +12%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Intel Core m5-6Y54
107 Points +8%
Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700
Intel Core m5-6Y54
99 Points 0%
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
Intel Core m7-6Y75
99 Points
Toshiba Portege Z20t-B-10C
Intel Core M-5Y71
97 Points -2%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel Core m3-6Y30
91 Points -8%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
88 Points -11%
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N
Intel Core m3-6Y30
86 Points -13%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 SA5-271-70EQ
Intel Core i7-6500U
320 Points +78%
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Intel Core m5-6Y54
255 Points +42%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Intel Core m5-6Y54
232 Points +29%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel Core m3-6Y30
206 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N
Intel Core m3-6Y30
204 Points +13%
Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700
Intel Core m5-6Y54
200 Points +11%
Toshiba Portege Z20t-B-10C
Intel Core M-5Y71
190 Points +6%
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
Intel Core m7-6Y75
180 Points
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel Core m3-6Y30
172 Points -4%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 SA5-271-70EQ
Intel Core i7-6500U
218.6 Points +34%
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Intel Core m5-6Y54
184.4 Points +13%
Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700
Intel Core m5-6Y54
169.9 Points +4%
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
Intel Core m7-6Y75
162.9 Points
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Intel Core m5-6Y54
155 Points -5%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel Core m3-6Y30
147.1 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N
Intel Core m3-6Y30
138 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N
Intel Core m3-6Y30
112.4 Points -31%

System Performance

The system runs smoothly and we did not face problems. The PCMark results are good. The Portégé performs better than its competitors, which is due to two reasons: First, the Toshiba Detachable comes with a very fast SSD and second, it uses a low desktop resolution. It is not possible to improve the system performance any further. Toshiba has exhausted all possibilities here.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3068 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3513 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4060 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
HD Graphics 515, 6Y75, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH
3068 Points
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
HD Graphics 515, 6Y54, Liteon L8H-256V2G
2983 Points -3%
Toshiba Portege Z20t-B-10C
HD Graphics 5300, 5Y71, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256GVNU
2816 Points -8%
Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700
HD Graphics 515, 6Y54, Samsung MZNLN128HCGR-000L2
2733 Points -11%
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
HD Graphics 515, 6Y54, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1027
2717 Points -11%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
HD Graphics 515, 6Y30, Samsung MZFLV128 NVMe
2426 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N
HD Graphics 515, 6Y30, Lite-On CV1-8B128
2217 Points -28%

Storage Device

Toshiba has equipped the Portégé with an SSD from Samsung. It is an M.2 model with a total capacity of 512 GB. About 430 GB are available to the user. The transfer rates of the SSD are good.

Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH
Sequential Read: 505 MB/s
Sequential Write: 501 MB/s
512K Read: 412.6 MB/s
512K Write: 422.4 MB/s
4K Read: 32.87 MB/s
4K Write: 89.7 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 352.4 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 316.9 MB/s
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH
Toshiba Portege Z20t-B-10C
Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256GVNU
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1027
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Samsung MZFLV128 NVMe
Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700
Samsung MZNLN128HCGR-000L2
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N
Lite-On CV1-8B128
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Liteon L8H-256V2G
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-10%
-18%
-30%
-20%
-41%
-17%
Read Seq
505
530
5%
512
1%
663
31%
497.9
-1%
419.8
-17%
501
-1%
Write Seq
501
473.3
-6%
462.1
-8%
158.2
-68%
153.5
-69%
162.9
-67%
297.2
-41%
Read 512
412.6
424.7
3%
376
-9%
313.1
-24%
401.2
-3%
298.7
-28%
351.7
-15%
Write 512
422.4
446.9
6%
295.2
-30%
158.2
-63%
154.5
-63%
160.9
-62%
295.7
-30%
Read 4k
32.87
22.91
-30%
31.83
-3%
30.14
-8%
36.2
10%
27.49
-16%
28.31
-14%
Write 4k
89.7
88.2
-2%
64.5
-28%
68
-24%
95.5
6%
48.44
-46%
90.3
1%
Read 4k QD32
352.4
295.6
-16%
269.6
-23%
243.7
-31%
389.5
11%
236.2
-33%
285
-19%
Write 4k QD32
316.9
197.3
-38%
178.2
-44%
149.2
-53%
154
-51%
135
-57%
268.4
-15%

Graphics Card

Intel's HD Graphics 515 GPU is responsible for graphics rendering. It supports DirectX 12 and works at up to 1000 MHz. The results of the 3DMark benchmarks fall slightly behind the potential of this graphics core. The competitors are not any different. The Core m3 model of the Surface Pro 4 still delivers the best results. RAM works in dual-channel mode in the Portégé. This allows a more efficient use of the graphics core and, as a result, the performance is higher than with single-channel RAM.

3DMark 11 Performance
998 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance
Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 SA5-271-70EQ
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i7-6500U
1635 Points +64%
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m3-6Y30
1344 Points +35%
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y54
1334 Points +34%
Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y54
1109 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m3-6Y30
1077 Points +8%
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m7-6Y75
998 Points
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m5-6Y54
851 Points -15%
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
Intel HD Graphics 515, Intel Core m3-6Y30
814 Points -18%
Toshiba Portege Z20t-B-10C
Intel HD Graphics 5300, Intel Core M-5Y71
775 Points -22%

Gaming Performance

The hardware of the detachable laptop can run several games at low resolution and quality settings. These are primarily titles with low hardware requirements. Demanding games such as Tomb Raider are not playable.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 35.6 18.8 16.2 4.3

Emissions & Energy

Temperature

The Portégé during the stress test
The Portégé during the stress test

In our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour), the Portégé behaves the same in mains operation and on battery. The CPU clocks at 600 to 700 MHz at the beginning of the stress test. The clock rate falls to 500 MHz later on. The same is true for the graphics core. The clock rate falls from initially 400 MHz to 350 MHz. Despite low clock rates, the temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in several measurement segments.

Max. Load
 26.6 °C
80 F
32.7 °C
91 F
41.3 °C
106 F
 
 27.2 °C
81 F
33 °C
91 F
45 °C
113 F
 
 30.2 °C
86 F
34.5 °C
94 F
43.1 °C
110 F
 
Maximum: 45 °C = 113 F
Average: 34.8 °C = 95 F
41.3 °C
106 F
34.1 °C
93 F
27.6 °C
82 F
43.2 °C
110 F
36.1 °C
97 F
27.7 °C
82 F
39.7 °C
103 F
36.6 °C
98 F
28.5 °C
83 F
Maximum: 43.2 °C = 110 F
Average: 35 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  29.6 °C = 85 F | Room Temperature 21.8 °C = 71 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.8 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 45 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.2 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.7 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 43.1 °C / 109.6 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (-15 °C / -27 F).
Temperature increase, front side (load)
Temperature increase, front side (load)
Temperature increase, rear side (load)
Temperature increase, rear side (load)
Temperature increase, front side (idle)
Temperature increase, front side (idle)
Temperature increase, rear side (idle)
Temperature increase, rear side (idle)

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.232.234.22536.231.736.23132.731.832.74029.631.429.65030.630.430.66328.926.828.98027.826.827.810027.926.127.912528.52628.516026.72526.720025.724.325.725026.422.726.431538.82238.840056.621.356.650058.820.658.863063.719.663.780061.619.161.6100063.918.863.9125066.418.666.4160063.418.863.4200064.318.364.3250065.218.665.2315066.918.666.9400065.618.765.6500065.718.865.7630068.218.968.2800066.819.166.81000064.61964.61250058.918.858.91600051.918.751.9SPL77.231.277.2N39.11.639.1median 63.4median 19median 63.4Delta11.71.311.735.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseToshiba Portege Z20t-C-121Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes can be checked/unchecked!)
Value 1: Pink Noise 100 % Vol.; Value 2: Audio off

Power Consumption

We recorded a maximum power consumption of 8.9 watts when the system is idling - an acceptable result. The energy demand is 18.6 watts at the beginning of the stress test and falls to a minimum of 18.2 watts later on. The power adapter is rated at 45 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.3 / 6.1 / 8.9 Watt
Load midlight 16.3 / 18.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

Our realistic Wi-Fi test simulates opening web sites. The profile "balanced" is active, the energy-saving functionalities are disabled and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The Portégé achieves an excellent battery life of 13:24 h.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 25.10586.0.0)
13h 24min
Battery Runtime - WiFi v1.3
Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121
6Y75, HD Graphics 515, 72 Wh
804 min
Toshiba Portege Z20t-B-10C
5Y71, HD Graphics 5300, 72 Wh
760 min
Huawei MateBook m5-6Y54
6Y54, HD Graphics 515, 33 Wh
263 min
Microsoft Surface Pro 4, Core m3
6Y30, HD Graphics 515, 38 Wh
488 min
Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700
6Y54, HD Graphics 515, 41 Wh
440 min
Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S W700N
6Y30, HD Graphics 515, 39.5 Wh
525 min
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
6Y54, HD Graphics 515, 37 Wh
443 min
Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 SA5-271-56HM
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 37 Wh
321 min
Acer Aspire Switch 12S SW7-272-M3A0
6Y30, HD Graphics 515, 34 Wh
343 min

Pros

+ matte touchscreen
+ high-end input devices
+ digitizer support
+ fast SSD
+ excellent battery life

Cons

- low-contrast display
- only 12-months warranty
- no upgrade options
- no fingerprint reader
- high price

Verdict

In review: the Toshiba Portégé Z20t-C-121. Test model provided by Toshiba Germany.
In review: the Toshiba Portégé Z20t-C-121. Test model provided by Toshiba Germany.

With the Portégé Z20t-C, Toshiba delivers a 12.5-inch detachable laptop. The Skylake processor brings enough CPU performance for office and web applications. The computer works silently and hardly gets warm when running everyday tasks. A fast SSD makes for a fast system. In addition, there is a good keyboard, which might satisfy prolific writers. The detachable laptop does not lack stamina. Its two batteries bring the device through a whole work day without problems.

The matte touchscreen is not fully convincing. Pros are the matte surface, wide viewing angles, and the brightness. However, the contrast is too low in view of the price point. In addition, competitors such as the Surface Pro 4 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700 deliver significantly better color coverage. Unfortunately, Toshiba only includes a one-year warranty. This is too low for a device of this price range. While the Z20t-B came with two pens, Z20t-C's users have to do without the big pen. Only the small stylus is included, which can be inserted in the tablet part.

Although every manufacturer offers detachable laptops, the Portégé Z20t-C is unrivaled in a sense. Currently, no other manufacturer offers such a combination of matte touchscreen, very long battery runtimes, pen input, keyboard dock including supplement battery, and LTE modem.

However, the price is accordingly steep: The test model costs about 2000 Euros (~$2234). Those who accept lower-end hardware can go for the entry-level model for just under 1000 Euros (~$1117).

Toshiba Portege Z20t-C-121 - 07/25/2016 v5.1(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
82 / 98 → 83%
Keyboard
84%
Pointing Device
90%
Connectivity
67 / 80 → 83%
Weight
69 / 35-78 → 79%
Battery
96%
Display
83%
Games Performance
52 / 68 → 76%
Application Performance
77 / 87 → 88%
Temperature
88%
Noise
100%
Audio
44 / 91 → 48%
Camera
61 / 85 → 71%
Average
76%
85%
Convertible - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 3 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Toshiba Portégé Z20t-C-121 Detachable Review
Sascha Mölck, 2016-08- 1 (Update: 2018-05-15)