Conclusions
Toshiba Satellite C655D AMD E-240 Fusion APU Notebook Review - Mobile 30

The AMD E-240 is quicker overall than your typical Atom netbook, thanks mostly to its significantly better graphics performance. 3D gaming on the E-240 is possible. While you won’t be able to enjoy a complex game such as Just Cause 2, older and less complex titles shouldn’t be an issue. That’s a major improvement over Atom’s IGP, which basically broke down and cried the instant you tried to run anything 3D on it.

Yet while the 3D performance of the E-240 is adequate, there are weaknesses. The Youtube results were particularly disappointing. In my eyes, the ability to play Youtube videos smoothly at 720p is a litmus test for modern consumer PCs. If a computer can’t do this it is making a substantial sacrifice on the dual alters of price and portability. 

Battery life was also lackluster. To be fair to the E-240, the Toshiba Satellite C655 ships with a small battery. Still, I hoped to see this laptop provide at least six hours of battery life during normal day-to-day use. The nearly five-hour figure is not bad for a laptop this size and this price, but it indicates that AMD is still playing second-fiddle to Intel on the battery life stage.

Toshiba Satellite C655D AMD E-240 Fusion APU Notebook Review - Mobile 31

These issues aside, the fact that AMD will sell this processor in a 15.6” laptop is undeniably interesting. Intel’s decision to restrict Atom to small computers forced budget buyers into a difficult choice. On the one hand, you could purchase a netbook and enjoy the portability, but you had to put up with a tiny display, keyboard and touchpad. Alternatively, you could purchase a cheap 15.6” laptop, but the battery on such laptops is often little more than a boat anchor.

AMD’s E-240 makes it possible to buy a portable laptop with a large display and keyboard and over four hours of battery life at an affordable price. This is a great choice to have, and one that could change the netbook market as we know it. Nevermind tablets; if AMD is able to make $349 Fusion-based 15.6” laptops common, these will prove to be the true netbook killers.

This makes for a complex verdict. Yes, the AMD E-240 is slow. But this laptop, the Toshiba Satellite C655, is a nice laptop for the price – and this laptop only exists because AMD has finally produced a competent Atom competitor. The 15.6” display, with its correspondingly large keyboard, is more pleasant to use than your typical 10.1” or 11.6” netbook. If you’re looking for a laptop, but your budget is slim, the Toshiba Satellite C655 should be on your short list.

Further Reading

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