HP Compaq Mobile Workstation 8510w > Reviews (1)

Mobile Workstation

**************************

Basic Idea

HP is a well known name in consumer electronics, especially in computers and printers. Workstations from HP are most popular due to most advanced features and time to time updates. Some of workstations are really rocking with ultimate processing speed and advanced features. Workstations are generally considered as highly configured desktop PCs, but the tradition has been changed now. People wants a good workstation but they also want to carry it while traveling. I also think that, these should be a good workstation PC but it should be like notebook kind so that I can carry it with me. HP has its solution and they really caught the inner thinking of consumers. After rocking success of desktop workstations PC, HP has now decided to enter in mobile workstation market. If we take a look on some other brands, than Dell also have some high end mobile workstations with extremely high configurations. But they are generally meant for higher end business use and configurations and price tags are very high. So as per personal use, HP has some good mobile workstations. This laptop, HP Compaq Mobile Workstation 8510w, is called as mobile workstation but it is generally a kind of high configured notebook PC. The features are really good but it more than like notebook.
I want to discuss some good features and performance of this mobile workstation, and how it can be a good friend of your routine business.

The Workstation

This mobile workstation is completely looks like a notebook and nothing different than any notebook. But the main differences are its features and performance. Notebook has 15.4" TFT display size and it is like popular 15.4" screen size laptop. So this display size is most popular in notebook category and this workstation also has similar kind of display screen and it doesn’t show any kind of hard feeling like heavy weight and display screen. You will find that, you are using any notebook of 15.4" display size. Second important thing about this workstation is its display aspect ratio. As per my opinion or choice, I don’t like wide screen resolution screen. I always prefer 4:3 aspect ratio screens for better view in applications. Wide screen is completely for gaming and watching movies. So for business purpose, widescreen notebooks are not a good choice. Coming to the screen resolution of this notebook, it has 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) display screen. The aspect ratio is something like 5:3. This is a perfect screen ratio for any application use. For some applications like AutoCAD and other drawings software’s, we need some squire size of display screen. The squire size or non widescreen display screen gives more size of working space other than wide screens. Wide screen display size is perfect for watching movies and gaming.
***
Further discussion point of this workstation is its design and weight. Design is most important due to mobility and this notebook is also named with mobile workstation. It has 15.

4” display size so that there is nothing special with its dimensions as it similar to any 15.4” notebook, but the thickness of this workstation is important. I think this notebook has excellent thickness with only 1.1 in height. If we have a look on Apple’s MacBook than it is similar like that. Apple’s MacBook has only 1 inch thickness and this notebook is similar to MacBook. Weight is slightly higher than any other similar notebook, but this doesn’t matter.

Processing Speed

Processing speed is most considerable point for any computing machine rather than design and look. This is a mobile workstation and design doesn’t matter too much. We will only consider its processing speed and performance.
This workstation has best available processor with some good combination of RAMs and graphics memory. Now the point goes to its preinstalled processor. If we have a look on history, than we will find that notebook processors are not such high with compare to desktop processors. We don’t have any notebook with quad core processor and all notebooks are available with highest core 2 duo processors only. If we wants extremely fast performance of the modern technology, than we need to go for some good desktop workstation.
***
Processor

This mobile workstation has best available processor for notebook with Intel T series, Core 2 Duo T9300 and the total clock speed is something like 2. GHz. 2.5 GHz speed is not such a regular speeds, it is a best for any notebook machine and desktop also. The processor is of core 2 duo family and most of the desktop PCs also have this kind of processors. Quad core processors are slightly costly and they are only available for desktop PCs. But the most of the desktop PCs use most popular series core 2 duo processors only. Having a look on notebooks, 2.5 GHz speed processor is a best available for notebooks. Second important feature of this processor is its good front side data bus speed with about 800 MHz. 800 MHz speed is best available for any notebook processors and this workstation also has best speed processor. HP has tried to give, whatever is fast and best available. Next important feature of this processor is its cache memory and it also has good capacity with 4 MB of total L2 cache memory. Cache memory is important for fast processing speed and it stores temporary data while processing. The other good combination with this processor is its latest chipset with Mobile Intel PM965 Express chipset. For desktop PCs, we have many advanced chipset but for notebooks, Mobile Intel PM965 Express is the best available chipset. So this mobile workstation has all latest and important stuff.
***
Memory

Coming to its next important feature in terms of preinstalled memory. Any computing machines have three kind of memory, first is Random access memory, second is data storage capacity and third one is cache memory.
Cache memory has been discussed and now the time is for most important memory size with random access memory, generally called as RAM. This mobile workstation has good preinstalled memory size with 4 GB of DDR2 SDRAM.

Here we are missing something. The RAM has a speed of about 667 MHz. What is important about this RAM? I don’t think that this is a good preinstalled RAM for this workstation. Only the good point of this RAM is its size with about 4 GB. And what are the bad points? First one is its speed and it has regular 667 MHz of speed. Second thing is its technology and this RAM has DDR2 technology but we are now in DDR3’s world. The installed size is good but the other points are not so good. 667 MHz speed is considered as regular speed and this RAM’s are slightly old and of course out dated. So HP has provided mixed solution, the good size of RAM but with slightly older technology. If we have a look on processing speed with this RAM, than it will provide adequate processing speed with any application and there are nothing like any trouble with this RAM. The best combination of processor and RAM is only possible with same king of speeds. If we need best performance than we have to keep some 800 MHz speed of RAM for this mobile workstation also. The main reason of having 800 MHz of RAM is due to its processor’s front side data bus speed and it is 800 MHz 800 MHz RAM’s are generally available in both DDR2 and DDR3 technology. But the best solution will be with DDR3 technology RAM.
***
Storage Capacity

Second and less important memory feature is its storage capacity. Storage capacity is not such important feature as we can easily upgrade it or we can have external storage media to store our data. Every person has different choice about storage capacity but the common requirement is something like 160 GB to 500 GB. This mobile workstation is slightly disappointing in terms of storage capacity, but it doesn’t matter. This notebook has only 120 GB of total capacity hard disk drive with Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm speed. I think this is not a good decision to providing such a low capacity hard disk drive at the present. But we can use this storage for programmed and applications only or we can upgrade it easily. Second important point about hard disk drive is its technology. This hard disk has serial ATA technology and it has moving parts in it. We have some latest and good hard disk drives in terms of solid state drive. Solid statedrives don’t have any movable parts in it and they are more trustable than serial ATA drive. The maim disadvantaged of solid state drives are its cost. Solid state drives, SSDs are very costly and available in low capacity with compare to serial ATA drives. If we wants to but a good 500 GB serial ATA drive, than it will cost us as much as 50 to 70$, but the SSD drives will cost us about 400 $. We can get 2 TB capacity serial ATA drive in 400 $.
SSD drives are in their initial stage and they are very costly. Most important feature of SSDs is trustable technology. We always have problems of hard disk crash in serial ATA drives and the good solution of this problem is SSD drives. SSD drives doesn’t have any movable part in it and sue to this feature they have every less chances of hard disk crash.

***
Graphics Memory

Next important combination for good processing speed is graphics memory. We can’t take graphics memory so easy and it has similar kind of importance with Processor and RAM. As per my experience and opinions, graphics memory is most important feature for any computing machine and there are no mean of having good capacity RAM and processor without having good capacity graphics memory.
Coming to the graphics memory of this mobile workstation, it has good preinstalled graphics card with ATI Mobility FireGL V5600. The total dedicated graphics memory is about 256 MB and it can share addition require memory from Ram till 512 MB.
***
Performance with some applications

Having a look on processing speed with some applications, like Adobe Photoshop CS3, 3ds max, Google sketch-up, CorelDraw x4 and Autodesk MAYA, this workstation has mixed response. For Adobe Photoshop CS3, this is a perfect solution. For 3D graphics applications, this is an average solution. And for Autodesk MAYA, it is not so good. So if you want to buy it for your daily routine business use than it is a good solution but for some advanced applications and use, you need to go for some more advanced desktop workstations.
You can also upgrade this workstation with some advanced features like DDR3 technology Ram, more advanced graphics memory for getting better performance.
Overall this is a good product for business use and mobility features. Good effort from HP. Recommended.