Toshiba Satellite L50-C-275 Notebook Review

For the original German review, see here.
With the Satellite L50-C-275, we have a new model of the L50 series under review. Compared to its predecessor models (Satellite L50-B), Toshiba has changed many things. A new case is used. In addition, the Radeon graphic of the predecessor has made way for the GeForce 930M GPU and the Broadwell processors have been replaced by Skylake models. Our review will reveal, whether the Satellite has benefited from these changes. The Satellite has many competitors, including the Acer Aspire E5-573G, the HP Pavilion 15, and the Lenovo Z51-70.
Case & Connectivity
It is quite obvious that the Satellite L50-C is the successor of the Satellite L50-B. However, the new model is significantly more angular. The entire casing is made of plastic. The top side of the base unit and the lid are uni-colored in "satin gold" as described by Toshiba. In addition, these two parts feature a hairline pattern and a glossy finish. The other parts of the case are mainly from matte, black plastic. However, the sides are an exception since Toshiba has used a high-gloss finish on them.
You can find some small flaws in the build quality: The optical drive is not completely enclosed and the gaps are not absolutely accurate. However, Toshiba should improve the stability. In our opinion, the base unit can be twisted too easily. While the computer lacks a maintenance hatch, it is easy to remove its underside. You do not need to open the case for replacing the battery, since it is connected externally. It is held by two screws instead of clips.
There are no surprises as far as the interfaces are concerned. Two of the three USB ports support the USB 3.0 standard. A video out (HDMI) is available. The interface layout is good. The area beside the palm rest remains free of cables.
The memory card reader is one of the faster ones of its kind. During copying large data blocks, it achieves a maximum transfer rate of 88.1 MB/s. Moving 250 jpg files (5 MB each) is done at 68.7 MB/s. We always use our reference card (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) for testing memory card readers.
Windows 10 Home (64-Bit) is used as the operating system. A recovery DVD is not included. Toshiba offers a one-year warranty for this computer - which is too short for a 750-Euro (~$826) laptop. The warranty can be extended to three years for about 70 Euros (~$77).
Input Devices
The Satellite comes with an unlit Chiclet keyboard. The flat, slightly roughened keys feature a short travel and a clear pressure point. We liked its crisp resistance, which we did not expect in a device like the Toshiba. The quality of the keyboard is better than the requirements for home use and also allows frequent typing. The multi-touch capable ClickPad has a size of about 10.6 x 6.4 cm (~4.17 x 2.52 in). Therefore, there is ample space for gesture control. The slightly roughened surface does not prevent the fingers from gliding. The touchpad features a short travel and a clear pressure point.
Display
The Satellite comes with a glossy 15.6-inch display with a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Brightness (284.9 cd/m²) and the contrast (1131:1) in particular are pleasing. Unfortunately, the display shows PWM flickering at 50 Hz when the brightness is 30% or lower. This might cause headache or eye problems in many users.
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Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 332 cd/m²
Contrast: 1131:1 (Black: 0.26 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.07 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.87
ΔE Greyscale 4.25 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
83% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
54% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
82.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.49
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM detected | 50 Hz | ≤ 30 % brightness setting | |
The display backlight flickers at 50 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 30 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 50 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8516 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. |
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
21 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6 ms rise | |
↘ 15 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 43 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (20.8 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
24 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 12 ms rise | |
↘ 12 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 31 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.5 ms). |
Performance
The Satellite L50-C-275 is a multimedia all-rounder in 15.6-inch format. It brings sufficient performance for all usual application scenarios and can run games smoothly. Our test model costs about 750 Euros (~$826). In addition, Toshiba offers variants with different colors and configurations. At the time of testing, the cheapest model with Pentium N3700 processor, HD display and 1 TB hard drive was priced at 399 Euros (~$439). It does not include a dedicated GeForce graphic.
Processor
The Satellite is powered by an Intel Core i5-6200U (Skylake) dual core processor. This CPU is one of the ULV models and features a TDP of 15 watts. This mid-range processor is powerful enough for most user requirements. The CPU works at a base clock of 2.3 GHz. Thanks to Turbo, the clock rate can increase to 2.7 GHz (both cores) or 2.8 GHz (only one core). The Turbo is used in mains operation and on battery. In our tests, the CPU outperforms its direct Broadwell predecessor (Core i5-5200U) by 10 to 15%. This is due to the improvements in the Skylake architecture and the slightly higher clock rates.
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
HP Envy 15-w103ng x360 | |
Toshiba Satellite L50-C-275 | |
Lenovo Ideapad 500-15ACZ | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng |
Peacekeeper - --- | |
HP Envy 15-w103ng x360 | |
Toshiba Satellite L50-B-1TD | |
Toshiba Satellite L50-C-275 | |
Dell Inspiron 15-5558 | |
Acer Aspire E5-573G-5785 | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Lenovo Ideapad 500-15ACZ |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
A fast SSD and a powerful processor make for a fast and smoothly running system. Problems did not crop up. The PCMark results are very good. Our comparison figure shows that notebooks with weaker AMD graphics core perform rather better than our test model. This is due to the fact that the PCMark 8 benchmarks in particular benefit from AMD GPUs. It is hardly possible to improve the system performance of the Satellite. You could only add a second RAM module.
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2961 points | |
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 3593 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4095 points | |
Help |
PCMark 7 - Score | |
Toshiba Satellite P50-C-10G | |
Acer Aspire E5-573G-5785 | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Dell Inspiron 15-5558 | |
Lenovo B50-80 | |
Lenovo Ideapad 500-15ACZ |
Storage Device
Toshiba has equipped the Satellite with an SSD from Samsung. It is an M.2 model (2280) with a capacity of 256 GB. About 200 GB of the storage capacity is available to the user. The rest is used by the Windows installation and the recovery partition. The transfer rates of the SSD are very good.
There is a place for a 2.5-inch hard drive inside the Satellite. However, our test model cannot be retrospectively fitted with such a drive since the necessary SATA slot is missing. Apparently, 2.5-inch hard drives are reserved for cheaper Satellite models.
Graphics Card
The graphics core is very different to that of the Satellite predecessor model's: The Radeon R7 M260 has made way for a GeForce 930M GPU. The latter is a mid-range model, which supports DirectX 12. The GPU clocks at up to 941 MHz, which is significantly lower than the predecessor's (GeForce 830M; 1.150 MHz). However, a bigger shader count (384 vs. 256) makes up for this. As a result, the 930M performs better than its predecessor in the 3DMark benchmarks. Moreover, the Nvidia GPU outperforms the Radeon core used in the Satellite L50-B models.
The GeForce graphic and Intel's HD Graphics 520 GPU form a switchable graphics solution (Optimus). Nvidia's GPU handles demanding applications like computer games, while Intel's graphics core is used in everyday tasks and on battery. The graphics cards are switched automatically. User intervention is possible, yet not necessary.
3DMark 11 Performance | 2227 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 45401 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 6065 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 1314 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
Compared to its predecessor, the Satellite's gaming performance has improved significantly. It can run many games smoothly. However, the user usually will have to do with an HD resolution (1366x768 pixels) and low to medium quality settings. The maximum resolution of the display can only be used in a few games. Very demanding games like “Assassin's Creed Syndicate” are not playable at all. You have to select a different notebook for higher gaming performance. GeForce 940M devices are already available from about 600 Euros (~$661). Notebooks with GeForce GTX 950M GPU start from about 900 Euros (~$991).
low | med. | high | ultra | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tomb Raider (2013) | 121.4 | 58.4 | 33.2 | 15.6 |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 73.4 | 47 | 38.4 | 13.4 |
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) | 62 | 39 | 19.8 | 12.7 |
Just Cause 3 (2015) | 34.3 | 28 | 13.9 | 12.6 |
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) | 25 | 16.4 | 9.6 | 7.7 |
XCOM 2 (2016) | 26 | 9.6 | 6.2 | 3.1 |
BioShock Infinite - 1366x768 Medium Preset | |
Toshiba Satellite L50-C-275 | |
HP Pavilion 15-ab052ng | |
Lenovo Ideapad 500-15ACZ | |
Lenovo B50-80 |
Emissions & Energy
System Noise
The fan usually inactive and the Satellite works silently while idling. The fan does not get too loud under load. During the stress test, we measured a noise level of 36.6 dB(A) - a good value. You might suspect that CPU or GPU throttle - but this is not the case.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 31.3 / 31.3 / 32.2 dB(A) |
DVD |
| 38.6 / dB(A) |
Load |
| 36.4 / 36.6 dB(A) |
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30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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Temperature
The Satellite behaves the same during the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) in mains operation and on battery. The graphics core permanently works at maximum speed (941 MHz), while the processor clocks at 2.7 GHz (mains operated) or 2.5 to 2.6 GHz (on battery). The notebook does not get too warm. It only exceeds 40 °C (~104 °F) in three measurement segments next to the fan.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.5 °C / 109 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 46.9 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.6 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 31.3 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30 °C / 86 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 (-1.2 °C / -2.2 F).
Speakers
Power Consumption
The energy consumption of the Satellite is unobtrusive regardless of the load. We measured a power consumption of up to 10.1 watts while idling. During the stress test, it increases to 51 watts - CPU and GPU work at full speed. During everyday gaming the energy consumption is about 36 watts (+/-5 watts). The power adapter is rated at 65 watts.
Off / Standby | ![]() ![]() |
Idle | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Load |
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Key:
min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Battery Life
Our realistic Wi-Fi test simulates web surfing. The profile "balanced" is active and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The Satellite achieves a battery life of about 5:45 h - a good value.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Toshiba Satellite L50-C-275 delivers sufficient performance of everyday tasks and can run games smoothly. Most of the time, the computer works quietly and it does not get too warm. A fast SSD makes for a smooth and responsive system. The built-in keyboard is better than what is needed for home use. In addition, the battery runtimes are good. The IPS Full HD display pleases with wide viewing angles and high contrast. Its brightness is also decent. Unfortunately, the manufacturer uses a glossy display. It is unreasonable that Toshiba offers only a one-year warranty for the Satellite. This is unacceptable in view of a price of 750 Euros (~$826).
If you do not mind the glossy surfaces, you will get a balanced multimedia all-rounder in the Satellite, which does not have any serious flaws. However, the short warranty and the PWM flickering (at low brightness) somewhat spoil the overall impression.
Toshiba Satellite L50-C-275
- 02/23/2016 v5 (old)
Sascha Mölck