Gateway 15″ NV53: Budget Notebook Review Part 1

Based on specs alone, this is the best laptop that $450 CDN can buy right now. There is the $400 USD Toshiba Satellite with the same CPU but slower Radeon 4100 graphics, no HDMI, no webcam, and no digital audio output. Best Buy also sells a Dell Inspiron with similar specs for $450, and although it has the more desirable Intel T4300 Dual Core CPU, its 4500M graphics and lack of HDMI, webcam, and digital audio output makes it (on paper) worse than the Gateway. Numbers and features aside, whether the Gateway NV is actually any good will be judged by its performance, design implementation, and overall usability.

Spartan Packaging & Laudable Cost Cutting:
I was not expecting this inexpensive machine to be luxurious. Truth be told, I did not think it would even be decent; however, I was pleasantly surprised. The Gateway’s presentation is nothing special and is remarkable only in that the company clearly spent little on packaging (and I commend this cheapness). As is the case with most manufacturers now, there are no restore/Windows discs included, so you have to burn your own. The AC adapter is slim, and there are no instructions except for a single simple sheet.

Good Equipment for the Price:
The exact model number is NV5370H, which is currently available only in Canada at Futureshop for $450 CDN. Americans can get similar configurations for around the same price. Using AMD’s newest 45nm dual-core CPU - which is a competitor to Intel’s cheaper 800MHz bus “T” series chips - the M300 Athlon II X2 runs at 2GHz and is fully 64-bit. Gateway has thrown in plenty of RAM (3Gb DDR2 667MHz) and hard drive space (320Gb 5400rpm), along with the necessities like an 8x DVD-burner, wireless b/g/n, a webcam, HDMI, and even toslink digital audio output. There is no Bluetooth, but installing a mini PCI-E BT card can be easily accomplished. As of today, I cannot find another laptop in this price range with HDMI output, which to me is essential for when I need the highest quality color and image quality that only a high-resolution and good external monitor can supply. Unlike all Intel based budget notebooks, the NV53 uses an AMD CPU, so the graphics, an ATi Radeon 4200, is respectable, can decode HD video codecs and actually performs adequately with most newer games. I have chosen not to do benchmarks, but others have noted that the M300 is slightly behind Intel’s T4300 (2.1GHz), while the Radeon 4200 is far faster than the Intel 4500m for 3D performance. You will not want to do serious and regular gaming on this laptop, but occasional play is very possible. Do not be dissuaded from this laptop just because it uses an AMD CPU. The latest M300 is faster clock-for-clock and more energy efficient than the QL-62 that it replaces. I would personally choose the AMD model even if it were costlier than the Intel version due to the superior Radeon graphics.

The battery is pretty standard: 4400 mAh, 6-cells. AMD’s newer 45nm CPUs will enable this laptop to draw closer to Intel for battery consumption. For general websurfing, with screen brightness at 50%, and wireless on, you should be able to squeeze a usable 2:30-3 hours from the rechargeable lithium-ion battery, but do not use the NV53 as if it were a 6-cell netbook.

Microsoft’s Windows 7 Home Premium is a substantially better operating system than Vista, and the NV53 ships with the 64-bit version. Although initial downloadable updates and set-up will take some time - especially with the need to burn 3 DVDs as system restore discs - once you are up and running, you will appreciate 7’s responsiveness, stability, and very smart RAM management. With its 3Gb of memory, this Gateway lets you run many programs quickly and simultaneously.

Part 2 of this review will delve into the usability of the NV53’s keyboard, trackpad, screen, webcam, and wireless. Additionally, I examine Gateway’s notoriety for unsatisfactory customer support and questionable reliability.