Toshiba KIRAbook KIRA-10D (2015) Notebook Review

Toshiba equips the KIRA-10D with a matte IPS display (16:9) and the native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. This means our review configuration is a small specialty since almost every Ultrabook or high quality subnotebook for private users has a touchscreen and therefore usually a glossy display surface nowadays. Toshiba also offers configurations with a WQHD touchscreen (221 PPI, additional charge between 100 and 250 Euros, ~$109 and ~$274, depending on the configuration), but there are technological differences. Toshiba still sells the 2014 models (KIRA-101 and KIRA-102) with an IPS touchscreen, while the 2015 version (KIRA-107) uses an IGZO touchscreen. The main advantage of the IGZO panel is the lower power consumption. Despite the drawbacks in respect of the resolution (FHD) and pixel density (156 PPI), the picture of our review unit is very sharp, and you cannot see individual pixels from a normal viewing distance. A special feature of all KIRA models is the pre-calibrated display. We will have a closer look at the results shortly.

Probably the biggest problem of the predecessor (IPS touchscreen, WQHD) was the low luminance, which disqualified the Ultrabook for use outdoors. Those problems are gone with the matte Full HD panel. The average brightness is much higher than the predecessor at 315.8 cd/m² and the result is average within our comparison. The brightness distribution is good at 92%, and subjectively, you cannot see any brightness differences. The measured black value of 0.29 cd/m² is decent and results in a very good contrast ratio of 1,152:1. Only the predecessor managed an even higher contrast thanks to the lower black value (0.16 cd/m²; 1.367:1), but all the other rivals fall behind. You can see some weak screen bleeding at the edges when the luminance is high and there is a black background, but this is complaining on a high level.

The viewing-angle stability is excellent, even for an IPS display. From an angle above or below you can only see minimal brightness and contrast losses, but the content is perfectly visible from all positions. Thanks to the matte surface there are no reflections from flat viewing angles, either.

Toshiba currently offers four different configurations of the KIRA, but only two (KIRA-10D, KIRA-107) are from the current model year (2015). The other two versions (KIRA-101, KIRA 102) still use the old hardware from 2014.

The two current models have similar hardware specifications and only differ in terms of the display. Our review configuration (KIRA-10D) with the matte FHD IPS display is available for an RRP of 1,549 Euros (~$1700); the KIRA-107 with a WQHD IGZP touchscreen costs 1,799 Euros (~$1974). Both models use the Intel Core i7-5500U CPU with Intel HD Graphics 5500, 8 GB RAM (DDR3L, dual-channel) as well as a 256 GB SSD. The KIRA is therefore well-equipped for office tasks and multimedia applications, including light picture and video editing.

The Intel Core i7-5500U is a dual-core processor based on the Broadwell architecture. The nominal clock of the frugal 15-Watt CPU, which is manufactured in a 14 nm process, is 2.4 GHz, but it can be raised up to 3 GHz (one core) and 2.9 GHz (two cores), respectively, via Turbo Boost. Hyper-Threading is supported as well, so the chip can execute up to four threads simultaneously.

The processor can utilize the Turbo Boost pretty well in practice. Load for one core will result in the maximum Turbo clock of 3 GHz, and we can also see the full 2.9 GHz for two cores at first (consumption ~18 Watts). The TDP limitation will set in after around 30 seconds and the processor clock levels off at 2.7-2.8 GHz. This means short load peaks can be compensated for very well. The CPU is also on the expected level in the benchmarks and manages 121 points (single-core) and 289 points (multi-core) in Cinebench R15. The 28-Watt CPU of the Apple MacBook Pro 13 Retina has an advantage in the multi-core test and is around 20% faster.

The full performance is basically available on battery power as well, but the TDP limitation at 15 Watts will set in immediately and both processor cores run at 2.7-2.8 GHz. More information and benchmarks of the Core i7-5500U are available on our dedicated page here.

The Toshiba KIRA was not designed as a gaming notebook. The integrated Intel HD Graphics 5500 actually manages smooth frame rates in less demanding or older titles, sometimes even with high settings, but you will have to reduce the settings and the resolution with more complex titles. Current blockbuster titles, however, are not playable even with these limitations. Even though the integrated GPUs got much quicker over the last couple of years, dedicated graphics cards still have a clear advantage. The Asus Zenbook UX303LN with the dedicated GeForce 840M, for example, is roughly twice as fast in Tomb Raider. 

More benchmarks of the Intel HD Graphics 5500 are available in our Tech section.

The Toshiba KIRA-10D is usually a very quiet notebook. The fan is often deactivated while idling, thanks to the SSD you will have a silent notebook (29.6 dB(A)) in these situations. The fan occasionally spins up during light workloads like browsing the web or when you write an email, but it is still hardly audible (32.2 dB(A)). The small fan does, however, get pretty loud under load with up to 43.9 dB(A). This noise is clearly audible and annoying in quiet environments; the predecessor was much quieter at 36.8 dB(A). The fan is more active in the High-Performance mode, so we can recommend the power profile "Balanced" if you do not need the maximum performance.

The surface temperatures while idling are not critical with average results of 25 °C and 27 °C at the top and the bottom, respectively. There is a hotspot at the top right under load where we can measure 42 °C. The palm rest and a big part of the keyboard stay cool, but you can feel some warming up at the number's row. Still, this does not affect the usability. Thanks to the comparatively low temperatures at the bottom it is basically no problem to use the notebook on the lap, but you should be careful not to block the air intake. You should not place the notebook on a soft underground when you stress it, either, otherwise the temperatures can quickly rise. A 3DMark06 test run on a pillow resulted in the same score, but the core temperature was 10 °C higher at 96 °C.

The low consumption values result in very good battery runtimes in combination with the 52 Wh battery (4-cells). Toshiba advertises a runtime of up to 13 hours, but this value is easily beaten by Battery Eater's Reader's Test. With the minimum display brightness and deactivated wireless modules, the KIRA-10D lasts for more than 23 hours with the energy-saving power plan. This is a nice result, but, unfortunately, not very relevant in real life. 

The battery tests with an adjusted display brightness at around 150 nits are a more realistic scenario. The WLAN test (Balanced, WLAN on, 150 nits) determines a runtime of 8:38 hours for our review unit; the predecessor had to be recharged two hours sooner. Our new WLAN test is, however, more demanding, so the advantage of the new device is even bigger. The MacBook Air is similar as well (also determined with the old WLAN test!), while the Asus Zenbook UX303LN and the Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 last a couple of minutes longer. We check the runtime during video playback with the short movie Big Buck Bunny (H.264, FHD). With the adjusted brightness, deactivated wireless modules and the energy-saving mode we can determine a runtime of 9:30 hours, so even longer journeys are no problem. 

The worst-case scenario is simulated by the Battery Eater Classic test (maximum brightness, High-Performance, all wireless modules on). The result is a minimum runtime of 2:15 hours, which means the KIRA-10D surpasses all the rivals.