Toshiba LX835-D3380 review: A speedy, comfortable all-in-one PC from Toshiba
This all-in-one desktop from Toshiba won't dazzle you with any new features to go along with Windows 8, and that's OK.
Toshiba is best known for its laptops, but after entering the U.S. desktop market in 2011, the company has put out straightforward, attractive all-in-one PCs at a steady cadence. The $1,399 LX835-D3380 is no exception, offering a safe, fast, and slightly more expensive entry point to Windows 8.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
The difficulty for Toshiba, and for every all-in-one in this price range, is the Dell XPS One 27, the $1,399 version of which has slower components than the Toshiba and no touch capability, but comes with a 27-inch, 2,560x1,440-pixel-resolution display. The Toshiba's 23-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel screen can't compete. That makes the LX835-D3380 most appropriate for those who value speed and who are interested in the Windows 8 touch-screen experience.
The Toshiba's plastic case won't win any manufacturing awards, but there's something to be said for the way its curvy gunmetal bezel hugs the lower corners of the display and swoops around the bottom edge. Unlike other Windows 8 all-in-ones, the LX835-D3380 doesn't have extended screen-reclining capabilities, but you should find brief touch interactions, while either sitting or standing, comfortable enough.
For the touch screen itself, the LX835 doesn't really stand out. It has reasonably sensitive, 10-point touch input, but as with its competition, you still get some tactile resistance that can make for a jittery experience when you're playing games or engaging with other apps that require extended input. The cost of making a large desktop touch screen as smooth as that found on a good smartphone or tablet might be prohibitive, but until that happens, PC-based touch will always feel a bit subpar.
Toshiba LX835-D3380 | Vizio CA24T-A4 | Asus ET2300INTI | |
---|---|---|---|
Price at debut | $1,399 | $1,249 | $1,299 |
Display size/resolution | 23-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel touch screen | 24-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel touch screen | 23-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel touch screen |
CPU | 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3630QM | 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-3210M | 3GHz Intel Core i5-3330 |
Memory | 8GB 1,600MHz DDR3 SDRAM | 6GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM | 8GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM |
Graphics | 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 630M | 32MB Intel HD Graphics 4000 | 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT630M |
Hard drives | 2TB, 5,400rpm | 1TB, 5,400rpm | 1TB, 7,200rpm |
Optical drive | dual-layer DVD burner | None | dual-layer DVD burner |
Networking | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless |
Operating system | Windows 8 (64-bit) | Windows 8 (64-bit) | Windows 8 (64-bit) |
Pricing for Windows 8 PCs has been higher than for their Windows 7 equivalents, so you're right to feel some sticker shock at the figures for each of these systems, most of which would have landed at around $1,000 or so with the equivalent components last year. The Toshiba comes in higher than the
If you're not interested in a touch screen, I'll point you toward HP's configurable Envy 23xt line of all-in-ones. I configured a nontouch version that was otherwise identical to the Toshiba system. Toshiba itself offers a Windows 7 version of this PC, the
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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Rendering multiple CPUs | Rendering single CPU |
What's nice about this Toshiba is that it demonstrates a noticeable performance edge over PCs that cost just $100 less. You still need to endure the Windows 8 learning curve with this PC, and a 7,200rpm hard drive, or better, a hybrid drive option would give this system more credibility among those with serious speed demands. But unlike the other lower-cost Windows 8 desktops we've seen since launch, the Toshiba LX835 would make an acceptable mainstream gaming or video-editing computer.
Toshiba hits most of the required notes for this PC's connectivity options. You get six USB 3.0 jacks, an SD card slot, analog audio and headphone jacks, an Ethernet jack, an HDMI input, and an array of hard controls for adjusting the volume, the display input, and display brightness. A digital audio output or even a Thunderbolt port wouldn't be unheard of in a Windows PC in this price range, but I would be happy to trade any of those for the upgrade to the Core i7 CPU.
Conclusion
Aside from making you learn Windows 8, the Toshiba LX835-D3380 should feel familiar to anyone who has purchased a new PC in the last few years. Its fast Core i7 chip provides some distinguishing speed, and you'll have to adjust to a recalibrated PC price scale, but this system has commodity desktop written all over it. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, particularly if it means a comfortable experience. For those who pick this system up, that's exactly what you'll get.
Performance testing conducted by Joseph Kaminski. Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations
Apple OS X Mountain Lion 10.8; 2.7GHz Intel Core i5-3330S; 8GB 1,600MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 512MB Nvidia GeForce GT 640M graphics card; 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive
Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit); 3GHz Intel Core i5-3330; 8GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 630M graphics card; 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive
Toshiba LX835-D3380
Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit); 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3630QM; 8GB 1,600MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 630M graphics card; 2TB 5,400rpm hard drive
Microsoft Windows 8 (64-bit); 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-3210M; 6GB 1,600MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 32MB Intel HD Graphics 4000 (embedded); 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive