DEAD DEAL Toshiba 15.6" laptop - $229 at Best Buy

[Kaido]

Best Buy link:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/toshiba-...lack/8790192.p

Manufacturer's website:

http://www.toshiba.com/us/computers/laptops/satellite/C50/C55-B5300

This is basically the same deal as last year's $229 sale model:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2351976

Details specs: (PDF)

http://cdgenp01.csd.toshiba.com/content/product/pdf_files/detailed_specs/satellite_C55-B5300.pdf

The basics:

1. Available in-store (check availability online)
2. Available online (free shipping)
3. Nice cheap basic laptop (low-end but durable plastic)
4. Includes Windows 8.1 with Bing (can be downgraded to Win7 with your own license key; drivers below)
5. Setup is easy (I skip registration, plus it no longer asks you to setup a Microsoft online account, just a local PC account)
6. Model number is C55-B5300
7. Part number is PSCMLU-03X09J
8. Tested HD in Youtube in Chrome; both 720p & 1080p are stuttery OOTB. Note that this Celeron is an Atom (Bay Trail) chip!
9. Bottom access panel is (15) #1 Philips screws (I believe they're all the same size, all on the bottom - 2 are for battery removal), which gives you access to the RAM & HDD
10. Touchpad is perfect now (previous cheap models were finicky in response)

Spec-wise:

1. 2.16ghz dual-core Intel Celeron N2840 CPU
2. 500gb 5400rpm 7mm HDD
3. 4GB RAM
4. DVD burner (not all cheap laptop models have this, so +1)
5. Webcam, Numpad, SD reader
6. HDMI + VGA (you can DVI with an HDMI to DVI adapter or cable)
7. Combo headphone/mic jack
8. 10/100 Ethernet
9. (2) USB 2.0 & (1) USB 3.0 ports
10. 15.6" LED 1366x768 screen (pretty decent, nice mid-range TN panel, definitely not super crappy like most cheap laptops)

Upcoming projects:

1. Update: Verified, can take 8GB DDR3L 1.35v (single chip). Memory says "4GB DDR3L 1333MHz (Memory is not user upgradeable, factory installed only)", but it looks removable to me (there's only one slot), so I'll try sticking an 8GB DDR3L chip in there (the max the chipset can handle per Intel's specs).
2. Update: Verified, took a 7mm Crucial MX100 just fine. See post #5 for details on the glue goop. Appears to be SATA2, max speed 236 MB/s in testing. HDD - will try swapping out with a 7mm SSD.
3. Update: Win7 installs fine. Turn on CSM & turn off Secure boot in bios. Drivers listed below. Will try installing Windows 7 on it (was successful with the prior model).
4. Update: Cannot play 720/1080p Youtube videos without stuttering; 480p is the max for smooth playback (on both Win7 & Win8). See about trying to get HD Youtube videos to play (downloading all Windows/system updates available).

Windows 7 drivers: (if you want to downgrade to Win7 Pro 64b with your own key)

a. Ethernet Controller: Realtek PCIe FE family controller (specifically "Win7 and Server 2008 R2 Auto Installation Program (SID :1682807)")
b. Network Controller: Qualcomm Atheros AR9485 wireless (unofficial driver site; search for AR9485 in your browser, 6th one over is the Win7 64b driver)
c. PCI Device: Realtek PCIE CardReader
d. PCI Encryption/Decryption Controller: Intel® Chipset Device Software (INF Update Utility)
e. SM Bus Controller: (same as PCI Encryption/Decryption Controller)
f. Universal Serial Bus (USB) Controller: 8/9 series Intel USB 3 eXtensible driver
g. Generic VGA display adapter: (not called out with a warning in Device Manager, but good to get the correct one anyway) Intel HD Graphics

Microsoft Office:

1. If you are a student, Office 365 is free for some .edu addresses, thread here
2. Office 2013 Home & Student is available for $115 (instant download) or $102 (keycard shipped) from Amazon
3. Office 365 is a monthly subscription that is available for $6.99 per month & includes unlimited online storage, access to a PC or Mac license, access to a tablet license, and access to Office online; more info here

 

[DaveSimmons]

> 8. Tested HD in Youtube in Chrome; both 720p & 1080p are stuttery OOTB

Thanks, it's very helpful to get info like this. I'll probably wait for a Black Friday deal on something faster but $229 is great for a mom-puter or if you don't need HD.

> 3. Office 365 is a monthly subscription that is available for $6.99 per month & includes 1TB of online storage, access to a PC or Mac license, access to a tablet license, and access to Office online;

FYI, this has now changed to unlimited OneDrive storage if 1 TB wasn't enough for you.

 

[Kaido]

> 8. Tested HD in Youtube in Chrome; both 720p & 1080p are stuttery OOTB

Thanks, it's very helpful to get info like this. I'll probably wait for a Black Friday deal on something faster but $229 is great for a mom-puter or if you don't need HD.

> 3. Office 365 is a monthly subscription that is available for $6.99 per month & includes 1TB of online storage, access to a PC or Mac license, access to a tablet license, and access to Office online;

FYI, this has now changed to unlimited OneDrive storage if 1 TB wasn't enough for you.

Oh right, totally spaced that - edited the OP, thanks:

http://blogs.office.com/2014/10/27/onedrive-now-unlimited-storage-office-365-subscribers/

Yeah, it's perfect for a momputer. I'll see if the Windows & Toshiba updates help out with Youtube performance at all, because that is what would make this perfect - the ability to play high-def online videos for a cheap price. So we'll see. And I'll see about swapping parts out next week - see if I can do Win7 on an SSD with 8GB RAM (will also retest Youtube if it works).

Oh and as far as security goes, I've been recommending Avast Internet Security lately ($40 a year or $80 for 3 years). It has a special feature called "Safezone" that basically makes a virtual machine for Chrome to run in (fullscreen only, unfortunately - no windowed mode), which is a SUPER easy way to manage a momputer (keeping it safe from viruses & spyware) because you can "pop" the virtual bubble anytime you want to completely reset Chrome & the virtual environment:

http://www.avast.com/en-us/internet-security

I've done this before (a protected virtual machine for Internet surfing, using VMware Player), but it's subject to lag for stuff like Youtube videos because it's running under an emulated video card, plus it's not exactly user-friendly for non-technical people. With Safezone, it's running directly on the hardware, it's just that the session is virtualized, so all you to do is click on the desktop icon & it launches fullscreen - easy peasy. Barring that, I would go with Malwarebytes Live, which has active spyware protection. It's $25 for a year for up to 3 computers: (not sure if they still sell the $39 "lifetime" disc anywhere online)

https://store.malwarebytes.org/342/purl-consumer?x-source=website

 

[SunnyD]

1. 2.16ghz dual-core Intel Celeron N2840 CPU

Keep in mind, this is essentially a big netbook. This will be the same CPU you find in tablets and Chromebooks. It's the current generation Atom CPU.

 

[Kaido]

Some additional notes:

1. BIOS is nice (nice GUI with mouse support).

2. You can switch the special keys off by default in BIOS (change to Standard F1-F12 mode) under the Advanced tab.

3. On initial setup, Windows 8 takes a really long time to do the first-run configuration after you punch in a username & whatnot. Like 10 or 15 minutes. Same with rebooting for updates...it's not a lightning-fast machine.

4. To install Windows 7, you'll need to disable Secure Boot in the BIOS & change the boot mode to CSM Boot (instead of UEFI).

5. Reasonably quiet. Fan is really only noticeable under full load.

6. BIOS entry key is F2 (during the Toshiba boot logo). Boot menu is F12 (to boot to DVD or USB).

7. RAM swap was cake. 4GB to 8GB, standard clips, not soldered. There's just no easy access panel, that's all - so there's a truckload of screws to get unscrew. Shows right up in BIOS.

8. The HDD was a bit more of a pain. It has a rubber shock-absorber jacket that you remove first (just a snug-fit type of deal, pop out the stoppers & slide the drive assembly out of the SATA connector).. On the top of the drive, it has stick-on foam padding (with a clear sheet between the two). On the bottom of the drive, it has a stick-on metal heat shield with 2 HDD screws & an additional flange so that it can be tethered to the chassis. So you have to peel them off carefully, which leaves glue goop on the drive & lessens how much tackiness the foam & shield have for putting on the replacement drive. Super cheap, but what do you expect for $230 right? Haha.

9. Windows 7 installed without a hitch (after changing the BIOS to CSM Boot & disabling Secure Boot). Missing drivers:

a. Ethernet Controller
b. Network Controller
c. PCI Device
d. PCI Encryption/Decryption Controller
e. SM Bus Controller
f. Universal Serial Bus (USB) Controller

So (1) RAM swap went fine, (2) HDD swap (to SSD) went fine, and (3) Windows 7 installed fine. Next step is to (1) find the drivers, and (2) finish the Win8/Toshiba updates to test Youtube HD.

 

[Kaido]

Keep in mind, this is essentially a big netbook. This will be the same CPU you find in tablets and Chromebooks. It's the current generation Atom CPU.

Correct. As I learned with the last batch of cheap laptops, the formerly "good" Celerons got switched to lesser Atom-based Bay Trail chips: (which are now called Celerons, aka Bay Trail-M)

http://ark.intel.com/products/82103/Intel-Celeron-Processor-N2840-1M-Cache-up-to-2_58-GHz

Notebook Check has more information:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-Celeron-N2840-Notebook-Processor.117418.0.html

Hard to keep up with the chips when they keep changing the game! Haha. The benefit is that the CPU is a 22nm chip with a max TDP of 7.5 watts, plus the LED screen, so the power supply for the laptop is very small physically & tops out at only 45 watts, which is nice (and cool-running!).

 

[SunnyD]

Staples has a similarly equipped Asus model that can supposedly be pricematched and couponed to about $150 if you're feeling brave.

 

[Kaido]

Belarc Advisor said the NIC was a Realtek PCIe FE family controller. Found the manufacturer driver download page here:

http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads...d=7&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

The Windows 7 driver for the NIC is called "Win7 and Server 2008 R2 Auto Installation Program (SID:1682807)" & is available here:

ftp://WebUser:r3iZ6vJI@209.222.7.36/cn/nic/Install_Win7_7089_09222014.zip

This worked like a champ. I have Windows 7 running updates to see what drivers it can pull from Windows Update.

 

[Kaido]

Staples has a similarly equipped Asus model that can supposedly be pricematched and couponed to about $150 if you're feeling brave.

Link, and does it have a DVD driver in it?

 

[SunnyD]

Link, and does it have a DVD driver in it?

Yes, it has a DVD burner in it.

Staples: http://www.staples.com/ASUS-X551MAV-...roduct_1064935

(In store only due to coupon: 90825, $75 off)

PM to Best Buy : http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-15-...lack/7288011.p

or to WalMart : http://www.walmart.com/ip/ASUS-Black...s-8.1/37332618

PM is YMMV due to terms of coupon, but the Staples registers WILL accept PM + coupon. It will depend on the manager and/or cashier.

 

[Pulsar]

Good deal, and GREAT information from the OP.

 

[daveybrat]

Just an FYI, it's on sale right now for $199.99

 

[Kaido]

Yes, it has a DVD burner in it.

Staples: http://www.staples.com/ASUS-X551MAV-...roduct_1064935

(In store only due to coupon: 90825, $75 off)

PM to Best Buy : http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-15-...lack/7288011.p

or to WalMart : http://www.walmart.com/ip/ASUS-Black...s-8.1/37332618

PM is YMMV due to terms of coupon, but the Staples registers WILL accept PM + coupon. It will depend on the manager and/or cashier.

Nice, thanks!

 

[Kaido]

Just an FYI, it's on sale right now for $199.99

Wow, time to stock up! :thumbsup:

 

[sm625]

> 8. Tested HD in Youtube in Chrome; both 720p & 1080p are stuttery OOTB

Thanks, it's very helpful to get info like this. I'll probably wait for a Black Friday deal on something faster but $229 is great for a mom-puter or if you don't need HD.

lol so, to be clear, this thing cannot play a video?

 

[Kaido]

lol so, to be clear, this thing cannot play a video?

I completed all of the Windows 8 & Toshiba driver updates (from their included Service Station software - just a BIOS update) & the best I could get out of it smoothly was 480p on Youtube. 720p stutters & 1080p is worse. It cannot play HD Youtube in Chrome. That definitely takes the deal down a notch for me, but for a basic momputer or business machine, it's fine, especially for the current $199 price.

 

[Kaido]

FWIW, the plastic gets smudgy, even if your hands aren't greasy. Cheap plastic.

Also, I found the wireless driver for Win7 on a third-party driver support site. Qualcomm Atheros AR9485: (search for AR9485 in your browser, 6th one over is the Win7 64b driver)

https://www.atheros.cz/atheros-wireless-drivers.html

Hunting down the rest of the drivers this afternoon.

 

[Kaido]

The auto-detect chipset software from Intel took care of the SM Bus Controller & PCI Encryption/Decryption Controller:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=20775

Just have PCI Device & USB left. It's not the Intel ME driver (that's usually for the PCI Simple Communications Controller). Update: Got the USB driver, it's the 8/9 series Intel USB 3 eXtensible driver:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=22824&lang=eng&ProdId=3467

 

[SunnyD]

The auto-detect chipset software from Intel took care of the SM Bus Controller & PCI Encryption/Decryption Controller:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=20775

Just have PCI Device & USB left. It's not the Intel ME driver (that's usually for the PCI Simple Communications Controller).

What's the VendorID and PCIID of the device. Easiest ways to figure out what it is. (Device manager, properties, Details tab)

 

[Kaido]

What's the VendorID and PCIID of the device. Easiest ways to figure out what it is. (Device manager, properties, Details tab)

Got the PCI Device - Realtek PCIE CardReader:

http://www.realtek.com.tw/Downloads...=25&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

I cheated by grabbing another Toshiba (with the stock Win8) & running Belarc on it :biggrin: Have 100% of Windows 7 drivers now :thumbsup:

Update: Graphics driver was just generic VGA, so I installed the official Intel HD one for Win7:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=24329&lang=eng

Update: FWIW, did a Windows Experience Index & got a 4.2 with the 8GB RAM & SSD upgrade under Windows 7. I also ran AJA System Test on the MX100 & got a max of 236 MB/s, so it looks like it's capped at SATA-II speeds, not SATA-III. Win7 also cannot play 720p or 1080p Youtube. I can test out XBMC/Plex if anyone wants the results for 1080p file playback. No HD Youtube is disappointing.

 

[rci2990]

you might have a defective unit or your internet has issues.bought one yesterday updated windows updates and thats all i did.youtube videos run flawless at hd 1080.and that was using chrome.

 

[SunnyD]

you might have a defective unit or your internet has issues.bought one yesterday updated windows updates and thats all i did.youtube videos run flawless at hd 1080.and that was using chrome.

Unless I'm wrong, he downgraded to Win7 and it looks to me like he didn't have the right drivers installed. Probably going to make a hell of a lot of difference right there.

 

[Kaido]

Unless I'm wrong, he downgraded to Win7 and it looks to me like he didn't have the right drivers installed.

Tested on Win7 & Win8.

 

[Kaido]

you might have a defective unit or your internet has issues.bought one yesterday updated windows updates and thats all i did.youtube videos run flawless at hd 1080.and that was using chrome.

Thanks, I'll try it - I have a box full of them, so I'll pop another one open & give it a shot. Very strange. Internet is 100 megs down, no issues there.

 

[VirtualLarry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0IRBwBizHY

1080P relaxation video

I played that full-screen, and right-clicked on the video, and selected "stats for nerds".

It showed "stage FPS: 10", "video FPS: 27-28". It was dropping 1-2 frames per second, and wasn't totally smooth.

That's on my Asus X551M laptop with a Bay Trail N2830 dual-core CPU, in Win 8.1 w/Bing 64-bit. Waterfox 32.0.3, newest Flash Player.

My CPU usage graph looks like a mouth full of shark's teeth. 15%, then 95%, then 15% again for a while. Not sure what's causing the spikes. The video also jitters every few seconds.