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HP Compaq nx6125 Turion 64 Notebook

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Monday, 22 de August de 2005

Here's a second look at the AMD Turion 64 Mobile Technology through an HP Compaq nx6125, a rugged looking 15-inch mainstream notebook featuring a biometric scanner for that added dose of security. A Compaq AMD

As detailed in our review of the AMD Turion 64 powered MSI S270, AMD has proven that their latest mobile platform is able to yield notebook designs that are small yet fast enough to compete with Intel for the dollars of price conscious consumers. From a performance standpoint, there's no denying that AMD still has much ground to cover before its Turion 64 Mobile Technology or any other mobile technology can even rattle Intel's leadership in notebook technologies, especially where battery life and performance are concerned. Of course, those well-tuned qualities come at a price and that's where AMD's Turion 64 comes in with its own interesting proposition.

With that said, desktop replacement (DTR), budget business and consumer notebooks are a couple of categories where AMD can tempt consumers away from the more pricey Intel offerings with its own blend of features. One such product is in the form HP's Compaq nx6125, a 15-inch business notebook for the budget minded that is built on the same chassis as the more expensive nx6120 Intel Centrino notebook.

At first glance, the nx6125 does appear to have a rather intimidating presence with its fairly large footprint and serious business shade. Matching its chunky dimensions is a heavy mass of 2.72kg, which immediately suggests that the nx6125 is far from being a lightweight computing companion for frequent travelers. There is however a good reason why it has such a stout and weighty physique, and that's because of the notebook's tough bodywork.

There is no hiding that the HP Compaq nx6125 is a budget business notebook and because of this need to keep production costs low and the fact that it needs to support a 15-inch LCD panel, the chassis and bodywork had to be fabricated out of strong, thick and tough ABS plastic. Adding to its sturdy outlook is its industrial styling where straight/sharp lines, angles and obtrusive exhaust vents are evident all around. Nevertheless, the build quality is solid and despite its plastic housing, the nx6125 doesn't look cheap at all.

Front – (left to right: Left speaker, Status LEDs, 5-in-1 Memory Card Reader and Right speaker.)

Left Profile – (left to right: Analog VGA port, Mini-DV FireWire-400 port, 2 x USB 2.0 ports, MIC-in jack, Earphone jack, ExpressCard slot and Smart Card reader.)

Right Profile – (left to right: Optical Disc Drive and RJ-11 Modem Phone jack.)

Rear – (left to right: Kensington slot, Power jack, RJ45-Ethernet jack, USB 2.0 port and S-Video TV-out.)

HP Compaq nx6125 Technical Specifications
ProcessorOperating SystemSystem MemoryLCDVideoHDDOptical DriveCommunicationAudioI/O Port BatteryAC AdaptorDimension (W x Dx H)WeightSecurity

AMD Turion 64 MT-37 (2.0GHz processor with 1MB L2 cache)

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

512MB DDR SDRAM module
Upgradeable to a maximum of 2GB via two SODIMM slots

15-inch XGA active matrix TFT
1024 x 768 pixels

Integrated ATI MOBILITY RADEON X300
Up to 128 MB allocated system memory
1 x 15-pin D-Sub Connector
1 x S-Video TV-out

Fujitsu 2.5-inch PATA (MHT2060AH PL)
60GB
5,400 RPM
8MB Buffer

NEC ND-6450 DVD Writer
CD-R Write: 24x
CD-RW Write: 24x
CD-ROM Read: 24x
DVD-R Write: 8x
DVD-RW Write: 4x
DVD+R Write: 8x
DVD+RW Write: 4x
DVD+R DL Write: 2.4x
2MB Buffer

SoftV.90 Data Fax Modem with SmartCP
Broadcom NetLink (TM) Gigabit Ethernet
Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN

AC'97 (Soft Audio)
Stereo Speakers

3 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x IEEE1394
1 x Smart Card Reader
1 x ExpressCard slot
1 x RJ11 modem jack
1 x RJ45 Ethernet jack
1 x Headphone-out
1 x Microphone-in

Standard: 6-cell Li-Ion battery, 51.84Wh
Optional: 8-cell Add-on Li-Ion battery, 51.84Wh (280 x 127 x 20 mm)

Standard: 65-watt A/C adapter

328 x 267 x 31 mm

2.72kg with 6-cell Battery
3.22kg with Optional Travel Add-on Battery

Primary System Password
Administrator Password
Hard Disk Drive Password
Kensington Slot
Integrated Smart Card Reader

Secured and Well Endowed

Where security is concerned, HP has built in a bevy of security features to prevent, as much as possible, unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in the nx6125. The most entry-level security is provided by passwords where the BIOS, hard disk drive and even the simple action of powering on the notebook can be made doubly secure with different passwords. Next up the security chain is Smart Card authentication while a Biometric scanner located on the wrist rest rounds up the arsenal of security features by the nx6125. Incidentally, the HP Compaq nx6125 is the first HP notebook to pack a biometric scanner, and judging by the trend of business notebooks these days, it's very likely we'll see more of such stringent security features gracing HP's future lineups.

A Biometric scanner is the most versatile of security functions as it frees you from having to remember an additional password with an added reliability in the uniqueness of fingerprints.

The HP ProtectTools Security Manager is the main console for all things related to security.

Apart from having a host of security features to woo over protective business users, the nx6125 is also a notebook that's well endowed with a number of valuable connectivity ports. Going into specifics, there are three USB 2.0 ports and a mini-DV FireWire jack to provide high-speed and high-bandwidth connections. A combination of a 15-pin D-Sub and an S-Video TV-out port makes it easy to set the HP notebook up for presentation purposes.

At the front of the nx6125 is a 5-in-1 card reader that will read SecureDigital cards, MemoryStick/MemoryStick Pro, Multimedia Card, SmartMedia and xD flash memory cards.

Seated within the row of shortcut keys is the WiFi on/off button for instant deactivation of the onboard wireless card to safeguard against rogue access via wireless means.

The slit below the ExpressCard slot is the Smart Card reader.

On The Component Side of Things

Fixed storage of our review unit is provided by a 2.5-inch Fujitsu 60GB PATA hard disk drive with 8MB buffer. Like the Toshiba hard disk drive in the MSI S270, the spindle rotation speed of HP notebook is also rated at 5,400RPM, but where difference has to be pointed out, the Fujitsu hard drive in HP's notebook is a lot quieter than the MSI S270, hence delivering a quieter computing experience.

The chassis of the HP Compaq nx6125 with all access panels removed.

The primary storage on the HP notebook is a 60GB Fujitsu 2.5-inch Parallel-ATA (PATA) hard disk drive.

Samsung PC2700 (DDR333) memory module.

Plan view of the keyboard and touchpad.

There is a whole lot of space on the large keyboard for anyone to conduct quick and easy typing. Keys are soft, quiet and are very responsive. Layout is very much the same as a regular full-sized desktop keyboard with each key bearing bold and clear markings. There's also a generous amount of clearance at the bottom edge of the spacebar to facilitate ergonomic typing.

By default, the HP Compaq nx6125 notebook come with an XGA-resolution (1024 x 768) LCD panel. While this should provide adequate screen space for most business users, a sharper and higher resolution SXGA+ version is available for those willing to fork out a little more cash.

Main components of the nx6125 as reported by Windows Device Manager.

Benchmarks, Part I

Now that we have the HP Compaq nx6125 as the second notebook in our lab to bear the AMD Turion 64 Mobile Technology badge, the comparison we're drawing today should help paint a clearer picture on the performance and power consumption of Turion 64 powered notebooks.

The HP Compaq nx6125 performed quite well in MobileMark 2002, outperforming the MSI S270 by 26 points with a more superior "MT-37" Turion 64 processor that's rated at a faster 2.0GHz clock speed and packs a larger 1MB L2 cache. One interesting observation here is that although the HP notebook was able to pull ahead the MSI S270 with the help of the fastest available 25W TDP Turion 64 processor, it was still no match for the BenQ Joybook S72, which was driven by a 1.73GHz Pentium M processor with 2MB L2 cache.

With the comparison of results above, it's proven beyond doubt that in the 32-bit mobile computing space, the Intel Centrino Mobile Technology is still by and large the most balanced and optimized platform for use in notebook computers.

Both the 'Standard' and the optional 'Travel / Extended' battery have a power yield of 51.84Wh. Shown above is the nx6125 attached with the optional 'Travel' battery, which can be used to power the notebook concurrently with the 'Standard' battery pack.

With the second AMD Turion 64 powered notebook in our hands, the real world power consumption of Turion 64 processors can be determined more accurately. Since both the MSI S270 and HP Compaq nx6125 are using the "MT" (25W TDP) version of the Turion 64 processors, the figures we've obtained are a good gauge of where these new processors stand in terms of power consumption. Additionally, this also hints of the power draw estimate of the "ML" (35W TDP) Turion 64 processors.

Going back to the comparison, we could tell that the MSI S270 is in dire need of a system/battery optimization because its power draw is a tad higher than the HP Compaq nx6125, which in comparison had to power a much larger and more power hungry 15-inch LCD panel. From the observations made in both MobileMark 2002 and the chart above, the HP Compaq nx6125 stands out as a better-engineered AMD Turion 64 notebook.

Benchmarks, Part II

Never mind the wide gap between the two AMD powered notebooks and the BenQ Joybook S72. Games such as Warcraft III and Unreal Tournament 2004 were found to be very playable with the integrated Radeon X300 graphics core that's found on both the HP and MSI notebooks. However, do be prepared to tune down the visual quality for some newer titles in exchange for a smoother game play.

Battery Life to Weight Ratio

In this section, we'll evaluate the portability and mobility of a given notebook. Battery life, mass and volume are among the many factors we consider with regards to mobility. By dividing the battery life of a notebook (uptime taken from MobileMark 2002) over the multiplication of mass (in kilograms) and volume (m³), we'll be able to derive a simple ratio of just how well balanced a given notebook is in terms of weight, volume and battery life.

*Do take note that this section does not factor in the performance figures for notebooks benchmarked with power saving features disabled while running off the abundant AC power supply. Battery saving modes and associated technologies such as Intel SpeedStep would kick in when a notebook is in portable mode where battery stamina is of paramount importance than maximum performance.

Predictably, with a heavy mass of 2.72kg and knowing that the Turion 64 is not the most power efficient processor around, the portability ratio of the nx6125 was not impressive. At 0.307 for the 'Standard' battery, the HP notebook is not as portable as the larger Acer TravelMate 8100 and the Dell Inspiron 6000. Even when powered by two battery packs, its portability ratio is still a good distance away from the BenQ Joybook S72's 0.544 that was derived using a 'Standard' battery pack. Needless to say, there are better choices around should you be searching for a notebook to accompany you on frequent outdoor meetings. Even though HP's portability rating was pulled down by its bulky dimensions and mass, we got to admit that it was great for outdoor extended usage - that is if you have your own transport to move this notebook around in comfort.

Should You Consider One?

By incorporating the AMD Turion 64 Mobile Technology into their notebook lineups, companies such as HP and MSI can now offer a wide array of affordable notebooks that are very competitively priced to woo both business users and average consumers. In doing so, the once unoccupied territory of value notebooks that offer decent battery life, processing power and uncompromised functionality is finally plugged. Never mind that notebooks powered by the new AMD platform are not as powerful nor energy efficient as its Intel Centrino counterparts, but products such as the HP Compaq nx6125 should be able to hold its own and grab a sizeable market share by budget inclined procurement managers, students, home users and the likes.

The HP Compaq nx6125 sure has a lot to offer considering its reasonable price of about US$1,440. Security features are plentiful, ranging from multilevel password access to hardware protection in the form of a Biometric scanner and Smart Card Token authentication. There aren't many notebooks with such a rich list of security features and certainly fewer at such an affordable price point. Let's not forget that it's well built too, evident by its thick plastic hide that was fabricated out of high impact ABS plastic.

No compromise was made when it came to connectivity and features. Three USB 2.0 ports and one mini IEEE1394 jack take care of peripheral expansion while the 5-in-1 card reader and the 8x8x DVD writer provided swift and practical forms of data storage and exchange. Network connectivity is granted through a combination of Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g WiFi and Bluetooth. Apart from its low-resolution screen, weight and consequently low portability ratio, the HP Compaq nx6125 is great value for money as it has all the right ingredients to not just sell itself as a decent business notebook, but also as a day to day notebook that's even suitable for light gaming and entertainment for everyone else.