Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)^*If I could I would give it 3 1/2 stars. I really couldn't decide between the two, so please get as much as you can out of the context.*^
Quick Pros and Cons--
Pros:
Packed with cutting edge hardware
Decent display
3D BLU RAY!!
Great looks
Decent speakers for portable
Pretty justifiable for gaming but not perfect
Nvidia 3d package and software is impressive
Cons:
Runs extremely hot
Short battery life
3d can be a gimmick depending on the content
SLOW boot times can be up to 2 minutes from complete shutdown state
3d Glasses are very uncomfortable and don't have great coverage
Performance is not always solid and framerate drops do occurThe Toshiba A665 3DV Laptop: One of three (competing with Asus and Acer) brand new 3D capable notebooks to enter the market. Personally this was a budget-wise entrance into the much hyped recent 3d technology. I can honestly say that the 3d hype eventually got to me in and I decided to narrow my search for a 3d capable laptop instead of just a standard notebook.
**Overview**:
I caught wind somehow of a new PC/X360 game called 'Sniper Ghost Warrior'. It looked like a ton of fun and I really wanted to get back in touch with my earlier PC gaming days. Being a diehard playstation gamer myself, I figured this to be the opportune point to buy my first laptop. More importantly however, this is a much cheaper solution to get into the world of 3d without spending a fortune because 3D TVs as of now are upwards of 2000 dollars, include that with the limited 3d-capable software of consoles and you have a real pocket gouge.
**Review**
Let me make this very clear: The Tiding factor in my decision between this model and the Asus g51j 3d model was the capability of 3D BLU RAY! This is HUGE. Not only is a blu ray player a very nice bonus, but the implementation of a software patch later this year will allow you to watch whatever blu rays are available in 3d. Once again, this comes down to the price point: being an efficient machine that does it all without having to go buy a 3d capable BD player and TV. Whether you would rather watch your movies on the big screen is an entirely different story.
Let me just say, the blu ray playback(no 3d) on this display has been fairly disappointing. I am so peculiar with my displays, I like my pixels very tight and my image razor sharp but not overblown. I hate a soft and dull image. This screen isn't that, but it's not what I expected. I used 'Crank' on Blu Ray as demo material(one of the most pixel popping blu rays out) and I was not extremely impressed. I used one great reference scene where the camera is following Jason Statham down a brick alley, the white artisan style bricks usually have so much depth and crystal clear pixels. They just didn't seem to pop as much with this display. However further viewing proved the display and BD Drive to be ample for viewing, however it doesn't match up to a great small-medium 720p TV in my opinion, which doesn't seem possible: Generally the smaller the screen, the higher the pixel count(more pixels "built in) to the LCD screen and the sharper the picture(take the super sharp display of the apple iPad. The screen is so tiny but the resolution is virtually double because there are so many pixels on such a little screen). But then again this is a computer, not a TV, and I guess with the 3d capability it almost makes up for it.
--Gaming is a much different and extremely complex situation as far as graphics. All games are developed differently, have different settings, and you can tune settings in game and in windows providing a hugely complex situation which I can't firmly give a good answer as to how it looks. All I will say is that coming from console gaming (where graphics generally aren't pushed to the limits) this display is more than enough to fit my graphics tastes.
--Onto the hardware for gaming: I think in general terms, this computer packs more than enough hardware to get the job done... by the books and on paper, HOWEVER: On my first playthrough of sniper ghost warrior (a very pleasing game visually, but no crysis) I quickly ran into some framerate issues on the first mission(not even with 3d on). Not huge at all, but at a certain point in the map things would start to slow down/lag and if I jumped or looked in a certain direction things would get jaggy but not unplayable at all. It was hard at first to get over that tiny little hiccup however, seeing that I just dropped $1600 for a top notch, technologically supreme piece of hardware(this thing was built for gaming and media). Just playing Left 4 Dead 2 (in 3d) last night I ran into some huge framerate issues, but mostly at the very end of the mission.
--Early Problems/Performance issues:
I ran into some very frustrating issues early on, but it seems to be working itself out fairly decently now.
**PLEASE HERE ME LOUD AND CLEAR ON THIS: I suspect that these framerate issues may be a result of the hard drive, even though it is a 7200rpm, I'm not sure what other specs it has(cache etc.), however I can't imagine that it's too sophisticated due to it being a laptop drive. The main reason I suspect that it is the hard drive is because in general use, this thing has terrible seek times. The One thing that really got to me was that from a shutdown state, this laptop takes a SOLID Minute to 2 minutes JUST TO BOOT UP. I mean I'm talking you can't do a single thing, not even open the task manager(ctrl-alt-delete) while it's booting up. All you can due is stare at the time glass. For some reason though it doesn't always take this long to boot up. It seems like it's getting a lot better, I think I just booted up last time in about 30 seconds or less. The only thing I can figure is that it has really arranged things and prioritized allowing the most important things to be processed first. I've also run into slow multitasking and program running a few times. I have a feeling that the frame rate drops in L4D2 were a result of something else happening, possibly even a BS automatic windows update that starts without notification or permission(though you can turn them off).
I also ran into problems with the 3d glasses losing sync, flashing, flickering all the time, until I realized that the transmitter works best pointed directly at the glasses, unlike most bluetooth/wireless hardware.
--Aesthetics:
The laptop itself looks very savvy, has great innovative looks and seems to be durable and solid. The lid and main chassis(under the keyboard) has a matted, thin linked chain pattern finish. It's pretty eye catching and helps minimize fingerprints. The mouse pad melts right into the rest of the the base, without being recessed which I liked. Overall it's a pretty good looking piece. The keys are smooth plastic and feel great. They have a great, thin, lightweight feel to them without being flimsy or cheap feeling. The only thing I didn't really like was that the lid doesn't lock, it just closes flush with the base. Not really a big deal but I was just used to that with my brother's laptop. I should also note that the keyboard is not backlit. Some of the manufacturers misleadingly label a whole series as having a "backlit keyboard", when in fact only some models have a fully lit keyboard. This model has a thin lit bar at the top of the mouse pad along with a LED under the logo in the corner and the media controls at the top being lit. One of the media controls themselves is the button to which you turn the lighting on or off. They lay flat/flush with the chassis and are touch sensitive, no actual button mashing.
One thing I hate: LITTERED WITH STICKERS!!! Most noticeably is a MASSIVE sticker with the model and different features all with logos and a 25th toshiba anniversary graphic in the bottom right covering more than half the distance from the right side to mouse pad. Combined with, oh, a half dozen other stickers and the smooth aesthetics are immediately killed, but you won't be bothered by that for long.
--Inputs/outputs:
This laptop has pretty basic I/Os. 3 USB ports, power cord, standard computer monitor out, ethernet, a hard drive connection, HDMI out, and headphone and microphone jacks.
++ This is somewhat of a disappointment for audiophiles as there are no audio outs( optical would be nice but I don't even know if any laptops utilize that). You're basically left with an 1/8 jack which you could buy various cables and adapters. Of course you could use HDMI, but as a fairly new format not all stereo receivers and audio devices are going to have that. The only reason I really criticize is because I'm into music production which relies on tons of higher end cable formats that you simply aren't going to get to communicate with a PC without lots of trouble. For everyone else these I/Os should be fine. Oh, there's a SD memory card slot on the front side. Also the harmon kardon speakers are quite impressive for their tiny size. They have okay bass and they don't sound cheap. Any type of surround is represented poorly however and gamers and audiophiles will quickly be turning over to their favorite headset.
--Battery Life:
I haven't adequately tested it but I estimate it at about an hour to two hours, gaming or just general OS usage. I guess it's really a given considering the hardware, this isn't a netbook designed to last, but more of a desktop replacement if you want to see it that way. I should note that this estimate is based on full out, bright screen, hardware pushing settings. Toshiba provides this laptop with an "eco mode" which can be turned on by a touch sensitive button...Read more›
Click Here to see more reviews about: Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV LED TruBrite 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)
Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV: True Stereoscopic 3D Multimedia Entertainment
Enjoy premium sights and sounds as you take your 3D games to a whole new dimension with the Toshiba Satellite A665 3D edition laptop (model A665-3DV), which features a 15.6-inch HD TruBrite widescreen 3D display with LED backlighting and a 120Hz refresh rate. It's powered by the 1.73 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7-740QM processor, which provides a speed boost to 2.93 GHz in Turbo Mode. When compared to the previous Core 2 Duo generation of processors, the Intel Core i7 Quad-Core series performance has increased up to 137 percent.
You'll enjoy a 3D experience right out of the box with the included NVIDIA 3D Vision kit (with software, a pair of wireless active shutter glasses and an emitter), enabling you to get in the action quickly with easy set-up and intuitive conversion of supported content for stereoscopic 3D viewing. The system supports functionality that will become available in new drivers and software enhancements, so you'll be able to take advantage of new capabilities such as the ability to play Blu-ray 3D content and more.
The A665-3DV includes a read-only Blu-ray Disc optical drive lets you play high-def Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal-clear resolution as well as create your own DVDs and CDs with the Super-Multi drive. And you'll get excellent video playback as well as gameplay from the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 350M graphics processor, which includes 1 GB of DDR3 video memory.
Toshiba's A665 series laptops has been redesigned with the Fusion X2 Finish--an elegant matte textured surface with a gloss trim that's durable, uniquely stylish, and less prone to fingerprints. It's also packed with exclusive Toshiba technology, including a power-saving Eco Utility to help reduce power consumption based on your needs, USB Sleep-and-Charge port, and a hard drive impact sensor that protects your data.
Thanks to the built-in webcam and Toshiba Face Recognition software on this machine, you'll enjoy a more convenient way to communicate, log on or share your laptop among the family. And this laptop also includes the innovative Sleep and Music functionality, which lets you listen to music through its speakers without booting up.
This Satellite comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).
Key Features
NVIDIA 3D Vision Technology enables you to step in to a whole new world of three-dimensional movies and gameplay. Combined with the 120Hz 3D display of this laptop, advanced software, and included high-tech wireless glasses, NVIDIA 3D Vision transforms hundreds of PC games, 3D movies and digital photographs into an eye popping, interactive experience. Just slip on the stylish specs and fire up your laptop.
3D-ready, 15.6-inch widescreen HD TruBrite LED-Backlit display not only renders stunning visuals, but it's more environmentally friendly as it uses less power (1366 x 768 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate).
1.73 GHz Intel Core i7-740QM processor (with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.93 GHz) delivers maximum processing power in response to peak demands. Intel's Turbo Boost technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload--providing more performance when you need it the most. It also comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics--an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing.
640 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
4 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (expandable to 8 GB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 350M with 1 GB of dedicated DDR3 video memory (up to 2781 MB of total available graphics memory) provides up to 10 times the performance of integrated graphics with amazing visuals and Windows 7 compatibility. Let your GPU do the work for video playback with NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology--helping extend battery life, reducing fan noise, and freeing the CPU for multitasking. And experience the new visual capabilities and features built into Windows 7 with a new class of GPU-accelerated video and image processing applications built with Microsoft's new DirectCompute API.
Watch Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal clear resolution with the read-only Blu-ray drive; also supports reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM The drive also offers Labelflash printing, which enables you to personalize your discs and keep them looking attractive and organized with direct-to-disc laser printing.
Wireless Connectivity
With its integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers.
With integrated Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, you can communicate and synchronize wirelessly with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as printers and cell phones.
Harman Kardon stereo speakers bring an added dimension to music, movies and gaming with rich, immersive virtual surround sound.
Dolby Advanced Audio blends a suite of technologies to deliver a stunning audio experience from headphones or your laptop speakers. It analyzes audio signals and restores tones often lost in encoding, mimicking the same optimization techniques that go into tuning movie theaters and mixing rooms, resulting in brighter highs and deep, thumping bass tones. It also expands stereo signals to 6.1- or 7.1-channel playback for a listening experience that will have you talking long after the performance.
Included Toshiba Software:
Toshiba Media Controller offers simplified media sharing. Using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, it lets you share videos, music and pictures from the media library on your laptop with compatible devices in your home entertainment network, or with other compatible laptops and devices, like an Xbox 360 game console. And you can do it all without moving equipment, burning discs or fumbling with cables.
Toshiba Bulletin Board is an easy-to-use organizational and productivity app that lets you build your own personalized space on your desktop. With Toshiba Bulletin Board, you can quickly and easily manage your to-do lists and calendars, plus create your own custom work area by pinning your favorite photos, documents, links and more.
Toshiba ReelTime helps you cut down the time it takes to search for files. The easy-to-use app takes traditional text-based file structures one step further to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. Accessible from your taskbar, it shows you a visual timeline of your recently accessed files--using graphical thumbnails--so you can easily identify and get to your files faster.
Included Toshiba Utilities:
Toshiba eco Utility makes it easy to go green as you go mobile. Hit the Eco Button and you'll launch the Toshiba Eco Utility, which puts all sorts of easy-to-read information on your screen, and gives you the ability to adjust the power settings on your laptop. It also activates a light showing you're in the Eco Mode. The Toshiba Eco Utility lets you pick the optimal power plan for your situation. Choose High-Performance when you need every watt you can get, Power Saver for the least energy consumption, or Balanced as a perfect blend of the two.
Sleep and Music lets you enjoy your favorite tunes through speakers built into your Toshiba laptop without booting up--helping you conserve battery life. Just plug your portable player into the microphone jack, step back and enjoy.
USB Sleep and Charge offers a great way to keep your portable electronics powered up without requiring your laptop to be on. With this laptop's Sleep and Charge USB port, you'll be able to charge your smart phone, MP3 player, and other portable electronics--all without having to keep your laptop awake.
Hard Drive Impact Sensor takes the worry out of taking your most important files and multimedia on the go. Able to detect sudden movement along three different dimensions, the impact sensor (a complex system of hardware and software) helps safeguard your data by "parking" the hard drive heads in the event of a drop or sudden movement. And it works faster than you can blink to help protect your laptop and all-important data.
Up to 4.4 hours of battery life (12-cell battery; 98 Wh)
Dimensions & Weight: 14.98 x 10 x 1.48 inches (WxDxH); 5.8 pounds
Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.
And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings
What's in the box
This package contains the Toshiba Satellite A665-3DV notebook PC, 3D glasses, 3D emitter, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.
It also comes with the following software:
Norton Internet Security 2010 (30-day trial); Microsoft Works 9; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Edition (60-day trial); Google Toolbar; Microsoft Windows Media Player 12; Microsoft Silverlight; Toshiba PC Health Monitor; Toshiba Online Backup (30-day trial)
This laptop is backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty.
Environmental Specifications
Energy Star 5.0 certified
Gold EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its environmental impact.
RoHS compliant effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances
Learn more about Toshiba's environmental commitment.
Learn More
25th Anniversary of Toshiba Laptops
This year, Toshiba celebrates its 25th anniversary of innovations and quality in the notebook PC business. Beginning with the launch of the Toshiba T1100, the world's first clamshell-type, fully functional laptop PC, Toshiba has led the with such innovations as the first laptop with a color monitor in 1991 and a laptop with integrated CD-ROM drive in 1995 (followed by the addition of a DVD drive in 1998). And in 2009, Toshiba unveiled the world's first ultraportable laptop with 512GB solid state drive.
Today, Toshiba continues to be a leader in eco-friendly manufacturing, with virtually all of its consumer laptops earning EPEAT Gold status for meeting standards that help reduce overall environmental impact.
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