Toshiba Satellite C70D-C-10N Notebook Review

Less than the present 1600x900 pixels no longer look good when distributed over 17.3 inches. It results in a still acceptable pixel density of 106 ppi with subjectively good image sharpness. The maximum brightness of 264 cd/m² (center, battery mode also) is satisfactory for the price range. That is also true for the contrast of 471:1, although it is only middling in the total comparison. The prior model Toshiba Satellite C70D-B-10X with the same screen, as well as the other laptops in the test, cannot compete in terms of contrast here due to a higher black value. Toshiba does not offer higher resolutions or IPS screens in this series, but one features a matte surface.

Like the comparison laptops, the review sample cannot score with an accurate color reproduction. The DeltaE rates of 11 and 13 are too high but typical for TN screens and cause a visible bluish tint here. The color profile linked in the box could remedy this. The subjectively vivid color reproduction as well as the limited viewing angles common for TNs is more than satisfactory for the price. The screen in the recently tested 800 Euro (~$894) HP Envy 15-w000ng x360 convertible does a much worse job. Outdoor use on a very cloudy day did not cause problems despite the moderately reflective surface.

The performance of AMD's newest A4-7210 APU, which can clock at up to 2.2 GHz, is only in the lower range despite its four physical cores. A special feature is the configurable TDP of 12 to 25 watts (review sample: 25 W). The RAM only operates in single-channel mode. The direct predecessor is the lower clocked but otherwise very identical AMD A4-6210, found in the Satellite C70D-B-10X. As the chart below illustrates, the single-core performance does not even come close to that of an Intel Core i3-5005U (2x 2.0 GHz, Hyperthreading, TDP: 15 W). The predecessor based on an A4 APU is outperformed. Devices added only for CPU comparison, such as Asus' X751MA (Pentium N3530) and IdeaPad 100 (Pentium N3540), are roughly on par with our review sample or slightly below it. In return, the Stream 13 based on a Celeron N2840 is clearly defeated.

The clock fluctuates at 2 GHz in the Cinebench 15 loop. It is usually 1.8 GHz with occasional peaks in the Prime95 stress test. That does not change in battery mode.

Thanks to the four physical cores and reasonable hard drive, the system performance measured with PCMark 7 ranges on a low, but not the lowest level. Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge E550  achieves an edge of 50% over the review sample. That is not as much due to the marginally faster CPU as the considerably swifter HDD. Handling was mostly smooth and better than expected in practice. The time needed to open programs was acceptable.

All laptops in the comparison only sport the CPU-integrated graphics cores without a dedicated memory. Thus, they are at the bottom end in performance, but are still faster than the sluggish Bay Trail graphics cores in Pentium CPUs. However, the Radeon R3 graphics in the A4-7210 lags behind compared with the Intel HD 5500 in Core i processors.

We were forced to use older and/or graphically undemanding games for our gaming benchmarks. Despite that, not more than the often unsightly minimum setting of 1024x768 pixels was usually possible. "Counterstrike: Go" from 2012 was an exception though, it does not look at all bad in the medium presetting. We were disappointed that not even "StarCraft 2" or "Diablo III" ran smoothly in an acceptable presentation quality.

System Noise

Like the contenders in the test, Toshiba's Satellite C70D-C-10N is quiet in all load states. Potential fan noises are not audible at a normal distance from the device. Thus, an in-depth analysis is not needed. If the large keys in the keyboard were quieter, the review sample could be unconditionally recommended for noise sensitive environments.

Low performance, little waste heat - the maximum temperature of 38 °C (100.4 °F) on the underside in the stress test is not worth mentioning, and easily allows using the device on the lap. The wrist rest even only reaches 31 °C (87.8 °F).

Ambient effects and equalizer settings can be selected in the Realtek HD Audio Manager. Music is mid and treble heavy and lacks bass in default settings. However, it cannot be denied that the clear, differentiated and fairly natural sound conveys a certain dynamic and surround feel. The distinctness of instruments only suffers marginally even in bass-heavy Metal music with multiple E guitars plus bass and drums. However, we would have wished for more body, which is of course not possible for the lack of speaker capacity. We cannot complain about volume fluctuations, distortions or other annoyances. Overall, the C70D-C-10N does a surprisingly good job for this price range.

Power Consumption

Our comparison here is based on the relatively few tested 17-inch office laptops from the past twelve months. There is no need for a standby power consumption of 0.3 watts. Apart from the idle maximum load state, the review sample belongs to the most frugal laptops. That is, however, also true for some other devices with A4 APUs from AMD, such as the predecessor, the Toshiba Satellite C70D-B-10X.

Our database for the real world Wi-Fi test using enabled energy-saving mode and a screen brightness dimmed to approximately 150 cd/m² is still a bit limited due to the changes made in our test procedure a few months ago. The review sample achieved very decent 282 minutes with its 45 Wh battery, while the faster ThinkPad Edge E550 (15.6 inches!) with a 48 Wh battery lasted 10% longer, which equals 310 minutes. The rates of the old, somewhat less demanding Wi-Fi test are not directly comparable.