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special report
cadence lab
The combination of 1.7 to 2GHz Mobile Pentium 4 processors with updated OpenGL graphics support brings a new generation of high-end notebooks, such as the latest units from Dell and IBM, closer than ever to their desktop rivals.
Using a laptop instead of a desktop workstation has always been a compromise-you can't get as fast a processor, as large a screen, the same disk space, or the same performance in graphics. This will likely always be true to a certain extent. Even so, the latest generation of notebooks comes closer than you might have thought possible to match the power of desktop units.
Intel currently offers its Mobile Pentium 4 (MP4) processor in several different speeds-1.7, 1.8, and 2GHz. At the time of this review, the fastest laptop with MP4 available from IBM was 1.7GHz, although the company expects to have 1.8 and 2GHz models available soon. Dell, however, was already shipping a 2GHz model.
These notebooks are high-end in more than just speed. Both support up to two optical drives and offer large LCD screens with a resolution of 1,600x1,200. Both include built-in Ethernet and modem ports, two USB ports, one FireWire port, VGA and S-video output, and the other usual I/O ports (dual PC Card slots, infrared, audio, serial, and parallel).
But there are differences that make choosing between the two tough. The Dell M50 model has dual-- pointing devices, optional WiFi, a faster CPU, and offers better 3D graphics performance; on the other hand, the IBM A31p includes built-in WiFi and Bluetooth networking, a LED keyboard light hidden above the screen, and dual modular drive bays-allowing more flexibility in configuration and upgrading.
Testing
We tested both systems using the SPECapc SolidWorks 2001 Plus benchmark and the SPEC Viewperf benchmark (Pro/E and UGS models only). Both ran Windows 2000 with 512MB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, and a 64MB graphics processor.
In looking at the Vewperf scores, it should be noted that the Dell is not 25 percent faster than the IBM in the Pro/E real-time 3D rendering test, as a simple glance at the numbers would indicate-it's more like 5 percent faster, by what your eye actually sees. Running the two systems side-by-side, you...