Toshiba Presents New Laptop Satellite L40

Toshiba recently launched 18 laptops in India spanning across four new series and various price points. One of the models is the Satellite L40, which belongs to the Satellite L series. This series comprises mainstream models that offer a blend of style and performance. Let’s find out what it packs under the hood and how it performs.

Design and Specifications

Weighing slightly less than 2 kilos, the Satellite L40 is one of the lightest mainstream laptops. It’s also one of the slimmest in its class measuring just 24 mm in thickness with the lid closed—mind you, it’s not an Ultrabook.

The Satellite L40 too uses an ultra-low voltage processor, and you have a choice. If you want to stick with just the basic everyday applications like office suites, web browsing and media playback with the antivirus running in the background, there’s the Satellite L40-A I0110 that’s powered by the Intel Core i3-3227U processor (1.9GHz dual-core with 3MB cache). The Satellite L40-A X0110 is for those who want more power to multitask and run demanding applications. It runs the Intel Core i5-3337U processor (1.8GHz dual-core with 3MB cache), which features Turbo Boost technology to boost the clock speed up to 2.7GHz if the applications demand. You don’t have any choice of colours, though. The Core i3-powered I0110 comes clad in a pearl white chassis with thin stripes and the X0110 sports a brushed blue and black colour theme.

Except for the different processors, the I0110 and X0110 are identical in configuration. Both the laptops come with 4GB of RAM and 750GB hard drive (5400 rpm), a good step up from a 500GB drive which has become a common feature these days. The only user upgradeable component in the laptop is the RAM for which a removable cover is present on the bottom of the chassis. A 4GB module is installed in one of the two RAM slots. The other slot can be used to add more memory. The Satellite L40 supports up to 16GB of memory.

With a 14-inch display, the Satellite L40 is slightly compact and much lighter than 15.6-inch laptops. The display is LED backlit and has a standard resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, which translates to an aspect ratio of 16:9. Despite being significantly more expensive than the I0110, the X0110 doesn’t feature a discrete graphics processor. The graphics is fuelled by the integrated Intel HD Graphics.

As for connectivity, you get Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi N and an Ethernet port for wired network connection. The Ethernet port, a USB 2.0 port and the slot-loading DVD-RW drive are placed on the left side. The right side houses a large cluster of ports, which includes two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, a D-sub port and audio jacks. The exhaust vents are placed towards the rear just before the Kensington slot. A small portion of the bottom of the chassis (where the processor resides) and the cover for the RAM slot are also vented to draw heat out of the chassis. Four rubber feet on the corners elevate the laptop slightly to add clearance for the vents and prevent the laptop from slipping easily. Similarly, thin pieces of rubber are stuck on the outermost edges of the screen bezel to prevent it from coming in direct contact with the palm rest.

Key Specification Overview

Processor                Intel Core i3-3227U

Speed                     1.9 GHz

Cache                      3MB

RAM                         4GB

Type                         DDR3

Speed                       1600 MHz

Expandable upto       16GB

Inbuilt HDD                 750GB

Speed (RPM)             5400

Format                       2.5 inch

Optical Drive              DVD Writer

Screen Size               14 inches

Maximum Display Resolution(dpi)        1366 x 768

Panel Type                 HD Clear SuperView LED Backlit

Chipset Model            Intel HM76

GPU Model                 Intel HD Graphics

HDMI Port                   Yes

Ethernet Port (Nos)     1

Ethernet Type             10/100/1000

WiFi Type                    802.11 b/g/n

Audio Solution             High Definition Audio

Speakers                     Onkyo Speakers

Sound Technologies    DTS Sound

USB 2.0 ports               1

USB 3.0 ports               2

Bluetooth                      4.0

Built-in Camera            Yes

Microphone                  Yes

Digital Media Reader    SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC

Battery (Type)               Li-Ion

Battery Cell                   4 Cell

OS                                Windows 8

Weight                          1.96 Kg

Warranty Period           1 Year