Notebookcheck Logo

Review Clevo W650SH (Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548) Barebones Notebook

Maintenance-friendly all-rounder. The Terra Mobile 1548 is Wortmann's promising attempt to challenge the all-purpose notebooks of the big manufacturers. In addition to a very bright Full HD display and a GPU that is fit for games, the computer offers a lot of memory space. A treat: The computer can be fitted with a 3G module.

For the original German review, see here.

We use the competitors Acer Aspire V5-561G (Core i5-4200U, Radeon R7 M265) and Lenovo IdeaPad Z510 (Core i5-4200M, GeForce GT 740M) for classification purposes.

The Terra Mobile 1548 is based on the Clevo-barebone W650SH. With the One K56-3F we have already tested an identically constructed model. Thus we will not have a closer look at the case, the connectivity, the input devices and the speakers. For the according information please refer to the review of the One K56-3F.

Display

The Terra Mobile is equipped with a matte 15.6-inch screen and has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The brightness value of 353.8 cd/m² puts the device in the top third of the table. Contrast (300:1) and black value (1.24 cd/m²), however, turn out to be quite meager. Nowadays, such values are unacceptable for a notebook for 700 Euros (~$955). Models like the Asus N56JR offer a significantly better display. The currently cheapest version - the N56JR-S4104H (Core i5-4200H, GeForce GTX 760M) - costs, however, 200 Euros (~$273) more than the Terra Mobile.

367
cd/m²
341
cd/m²
340
cd/m²
375
cd/m²
372
cd/m²
344
cd/m²
373
cd/m²
337
cd/m²
335
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
ChiMei N156HGE-LA1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 375 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 353.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 371 cd/m²
Contrast: 300:1 (Black: 1.24 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 12.09 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 14.07 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
50% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
71% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
48.42% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.28

The DeltaE 2000 deviation of the display lies at 12.09 ex-factory. A value like this is typical for most of our measured displays. The target value (DeltaE lower than 3) is not reached by any color. The screen shows a blue cast, which can be eradicated via calibration. We tried it out.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
The Terra Mobile 1548 outdoors.
The Terra Mobile 1548 outdoors.

Due to the bright display and the matte surface, working outside is no problem. Wortmann fitted the Terra Mobile with a TN panel, which only offers limited viewing angles.

Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548
GeForce GT 740M, 4000M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
Acer Aspire V5-561G
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Asus N56JR-S4080H
GeForce GTX 760M, 4700HQ, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Display
-1%
5%
20%
Display P3 Coverage
48.42
48.35
0%
50.8
5%
58.1
20%
sRGB Coverage
71
69.8
-2%
74.4
5%
86.2
21%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
50
49.65
-1%
52.5
5%
59.9
20%
Screen
-7%
6%
40%
Brightness middle
372
300
-19%
317
-15%
375
1%
Brightness
354
280
-21%
295
-17%
341
-4%
Brightness Distribution
89
85
-4%
73
-18%
76
-15%
Black Level *
1.24
1.27
-2%
0.97
22%
0.58
53%
Contrast
300
236
-21%
327
9%
647
116%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
12.09
10.93
10%
8.52
30%
4.14
66%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
14.07
12.96
8%
10.06
29%
5.25
63%
Gamma
2.28 96%
2.39 92%
2.51 88%
2.48 89%
CCT
13480 48%
11591 56%
10564 62%
5699 114%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
45.3
48.76
56.6
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-4% / -5%
6% / 6%
30% / 34%

* ... smaller is better

Performance

With the Terra Mobile 1548, Wortmann includes an all-purpose, 15.6-inch notebook in its range. The built-in processor has enough power for everyday use, and the GPU allows playing current games. Our test device costs 700 Euros (~$955). Other equipment alternatives are available. The differences lie in the processor (Core i5-4200M), the operating system (Windows 7) and the amount of main memory (8 GB).

Processor

Our configuration of the Terra Mobile comes with a Core i3-4000M processor. The dual-core CPU is based on Intel's current Haswell architecture. It runs at 2.4 GHz, has no turbo and is a common mobile processor (no ULV) with a TDP of 37 watts.

The full CPU performance is provided during power supply operation. The Cinebench scores of the Terra Mobile lie about level with those of the Aspire since their processors have about the same level of performance. The IdeaPad delivers the best results. It is equipped with one of the most powerful CPUs. When the Terra Mobile is powered by the battery, the CPU speed decreases to 1.4 GHz and thus the scores of the Cinebench benchmarks decrease as well (Cinebench R11.5: single: 0.63; multi: 1.42).

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.06 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.6 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
31.98 fps
Help
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548
GeForce GT 740M, 4000M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1.06 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E545-20B2000PGE
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
0.84 Points -21%
HP Compaq 15-a024sg
GeForce 820M, 3110M, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
0.97 Points -8%
Asus X550LD-XX023H
GeForce 820M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1.11 Points +5%
Acer Aspire V5-561G
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1.13 Points +7%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
1.37 Points +29%
Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548
GeForce GT 740M, 4000M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2.6 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E545-20B2000PGE
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2.19 Points -16%
HP Compaq 15-a024sg
GeForce 820M, 3110M, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
2.38 Points -8%
Acer Aspire V5-561G
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2.47 Points -5%
Asus X550LD-XX023H
GeForce 820M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2.48 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
3.25 Points +25%

System Performance

The system runs relatively smoothly and Windows is also started quickly. This subjective impression is backed up by good results in the PC Mark benchmarks. However, the Aspire and the IdeaPad deliver even better results. The Aspire benefits from the stronger GPU, the IdeaPad from its stronger CPU and the hybrid drive.

PCMark 7 Score
2515 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2374 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
2882 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
3007 points
Help
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548
GeForce GT 740M, 4000M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2515 Points
Asus X550LD-XX023H
GeForce 820M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2533 Points +1%
HP Compaq 15-a024sg
GeForce 820M, 3110M, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
2464 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E545-20B2000PGE
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2025 Points -19%
Acer Aspire V5-561G
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2973 Points +18%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
4214 Points +68%

Storage Devices

Wortmann fitted the Terra Mobile with a hard drive from Western Digital's Scorpio Blue series. It offers a capacity of 1 TB and runs at 5,400 revolutions per minute. The drive shows good transfer rates, especially the 4k read/write values turn out to be above average - for a conventional hard drive.

WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
Sequential Read: 110.2 MB/s
Sequential Write: 107.5 MB/s
512K Read: 41.73 MB/s
512K Write: 60.1 MB/s
4K Read: 0.538 MB/s
4K Write: 1.568 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 1.438 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 1.616 MB/s

Graphics Card

An Optimus combination, consisting of Intel's HD Graphics 4600 GPU and the GeForce GT 740M graphics core is used in the Terra Mobile. The GeForce core is responsible for graphics demanding applications such as computer games, while Intel's chip takes care of the everyday and battery use. Both cores support at least DirectX 11. The GeForce graphics core is part of the GPU mid-range. Its base speed lies at 980 MHz. Via turbo the speed can be increased to 1,058 MHz.

Even though the Terra Mobile and the IdeaPad are equipped with the same GPU, the Lenovo computer reaches better results in the 3DMark benchmarks. This is owed to the stronger CPU. The scores of the Aspire lie level with those of the competitors.

3DMark 11 Performance
1940 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
45229 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
5193 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1067 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548
GeForce GT 740M, 4000M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1940 Points
Asus X550LD-XX023H
GeForce 820M, 4200U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1302 Points -33%
HP Compaq 15-a024sg
GeForce 820M, 3110M, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
1351 Points -30%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E545-20B2000PGE
Radeon HD 8650G + HD 8570M Dual Graphics, A10-5750M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1802 Points -7%
Acer Aspire V5-561G
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2012 Points +4%
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
2061 Points +6%

Gaming Performance

The CPU GPU combination of the Terra Mobile is able to display most games smoothly with HD resolution (1366x768 pixels) and medium to high quality settings. This includes current top titles like Titanfall and The Elder Scrolls Online.

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 91.8 43.6 23.7 11.7
Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548
GeForce GT 740M, 4000M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
Acer Aspire V5-561G
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
Tomb Raider
14%
8%
1024x768 Low Preset
91.8
95.2
4%
97
6%
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x
43.6
45.8
5%
47
8%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x
23.7
31.5
33%
25.9
9%

Emissions

System Noise

During idle the fan turns very slowly and is barely audible. Even under medium load (3DMark06 running) it does not run noteworthily fast. As soon as the notebook is under full load (stress test) though, the fan knows no limits and is clearly audible. We measured a sound pressure level of 46.8 dB. Positive consequence of it all: Even during the stress test the notebook barely gets warm.

Noise Level

Idle
31.2 / 31.2 / 31.2 dB(A)
HDD
33.3 dB(A)
DVD
34.8 / dB(A)
Load
33.7 / 46.8 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

The Terra Mobile 1548 during the stress test.
The Terra Mobile 1548 during the stress test.

Despite the powerful hardware, the Terra Mobile barely heats up across the entire load range. During the stress test we even measure lower ambient temperatures than during idle mode. This is owed to the fan, which is running at full speed under full load. Both competitors warm up more under full load than the Terra Mobile.

The graphics core of the Terra Mobile runs through the stress test (Prime 95 and Furmark running for at least one hour) in power supply as well as battery mode at full speed (1,058 MHz). The CPU runs during the stress test at 2.4 GHz in power supply mode and at 1.4 GHz in battery mode. The CPU temperature leveled off at about 50 °C in the stress test (power supply mode).

Max. Load
 23.1 °C
74 F
28.2 °C
83 F
24.5 °C
76 F
 
 28.3 °C
83 F
28.5 °C
83 F
24.8 °C
77 F
 
 28 °C
82 F
30.9 °C
88 F
26.5 °C
80 F
 
Maximum: 30.9 °C = 88 F
Average: 27 °C = 81 F
24.8 °C
77 F
30 °C
86 F
31.4 °C
89 F
25.1 °C
77 F
32 °C
90 F
32 °C
90 F
27 °C
81 F
32.6 °C
91 F
26.8 °C
80 F
Maximum: 32.6 °C = 91 F
Average: 29.1 °C = 84 F
Power Supply (max.)  45.8 °C = 114 F | Room Temperature 22.1 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 27 °C / 81 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 30.9 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 32.6 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.2 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30.9 °C / 87.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-2.1 °C / -3.8 F).

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Under medium (3DMark06 running) and full load (stress test, Prime95 and Furmark running) the power demand of the Terra Mobile stays within the normal range of a notebook with a mid-range CPU and a conventional mobile processor. However, the computer (10.8 to 15.8 watts) requires too much power in idle mode. The values of the IdeaPad (7 to 10.4 watts) show how it should be done.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 10.8 / 15.6 / 15.8 Watt
Load midlight 38.2 / 56.8 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
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 Runtime

The practically oriented WLAN test calls up websites automatically in 40-second intervals. The energy-saving profile is activated, and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The Terra Mobile reaches a runtime of 3:50 h, which is a respectable value for an all-purpose notebook. The Aspire (3:32 h) and the Z510 (3:27 h) are both played out more quickly.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Surfing
3h 50min
Battery Runtime - WiFi (sort by value)
Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548
GeForce GT 740M, 4000M, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
230 min
Lenovo IdeaPad Z510
GeForce GT 740M, 4200M, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive
207 min
Acer Aspire V5-561G
Radeon R7 M265, 4200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
212 min

Verdict

Wortmann delivers with the Terra Mobile an all-in-all well-made all-rounder. The notebook offers a good application performance and even cuts a good figure when playing games. This is topped off by a lot of memory space and simple maintenance possibilities. A slot for a 3G modem is quite exceptional for an allround notebook. To us, this seems like a good idea and we would not mind seeing other manufacturers adopting it. The display has its pros and cons: On the one hand it has a matte surface and is very bright, on the other hand it is very low in contrast and bluish.

The Acer Aspire V5-561G offers a slightly better gaming performance than the Terra Mobile. The Lenovo IdeaPad Z510 has the most CPU power at its disposal among our reference devices.

static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
In Review: Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548. Test model courtesy of Wortmann.
In Review: Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548. Test model courtesy of Wortmann.

Specifications

Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548
Processor
Intel Core i3-4000M 2 x 2.4 GHz, Haswell
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1058 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, ForceWare 335.23, Optimus
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR3, single channel, two memory banks (one bank occupied)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, ChiMei N156HGE-LA1, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM86 (Lynx Point)
Storage
WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0, 1024 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 900 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Lynx Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 eSata, Audio Connections: headphone outlet, microphone input, Card Reader: MMC, RSMMC, SD, mini SD, SDHC, SDXC, MS, MS Pro, MS Duo, mSATA slot for a 3G modem
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 3160 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
TSSTcorp CDDVDW SN-208DB
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 31.4 x 374 x 252 ( = 1.24 x 14.72 x 9.92 in)
Battery
49 Wh Lithium-Ion, 11.1 V, 4400 mAh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 2 megapixels
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Norton Internet Security (test version), Microsoft Office 365 (test version), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.5 kg ( = 88.19 oz / 5.51 pounds), Power Supply: 496 g ( = 17.5 oz / 1.09 pounds)
Price
699 Euro

 

Similar Devices

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

Review Asus X550LB-NH52 Notebook
GeForce GT 740M, Core i5 4200U
Review Update HP Pavilion 15-n213eg Notebook
GeForce GT 740M, Core i5 4200U

Devices with the same GPU

Review Asus VivoBook S451LB Notebook
GeForce GT 740M, Core i5 4200U, 14.00", 2.2 kg
Review Lenovo IdeaPad Z710 59393211 Notebook
GeForce GT 740M, Core i5 4200M, 17.30", 2.9 kg

Links

Price Comparison

Pros

+Very bright Full HD display with matte surface
+Good application performance
+Capable of gaming
+Lots of RAM and drive space
+Slot for a 3G modem (including a SIM slot and an antenna)
+Easy to maintain
+Device always remains cool
+Recovery DVD and driver DVD are enclosed
 

Cons

-Low contrast, bluish screen
-Very loud fan under full load

Shortcut

What we like

The good application performance, the vast maintenance possibilities and the bright matte display.

What we'd like to see

A display that is richer in contrast.

What surprises us

The Terra Mobile is able to be fitted with a 3G modem. This is very rare for all-purpose notebooks.

The competition

Acer Aspire V5-561G, Lenovo IdeaPad Z510, Asus X550LD-XX023H, Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E545, HP Compaq 15-a024sg, Dell Inspiron 15R-5537, Acer Aspire E1-572G-54204G50Mnkk, Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E540, Acer Aspire V5-573G.

Rating

Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548 - 05/06/2014 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
75 / 98 → 77%
Keyboard
73%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
69 / 81 → 85%
Weight
60 / 20-67 → 85%
Battery
81%
Display
74%
Games Performance
77 / 85 → 91%
Application Performance
62 / 92 → 67%
Temperature
92%
Noise
85 / 95 → 89%
Audio
40%
Camera
42 / 85 → 49%
Average
70%
76%
Multimedia - Weighted Average
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Archive of our own reviews > Review Clevo W650SH (Wortmann Terra Mobile 1548) Barebones Notebook
Sascha Mölck, 2014-05-13 (Update: 2014-05-22)