NEO B4105 review
We got this NEO B4105 laptop for review which is a 14-incher from NEO’s new basic lineup of laptops having the new series of Intel Core processors. The B4105 has the Core i5 processor and they also have a similarly designed Core i3 version which is the B4103.
Design
On the outside, the NEO B4105 is coated with a scratch-resistant film with horizontal line patterns. It’s the only thing that gives the B4105 some sense of style because on the inside it’s as basic as it gets. It is quite thin compared to their previous line of Basic laptops.
Although the design inside is plain black, it doesn’t look that cheap at all. The inside, including the keyboard, reminds me of the Acer Timeline but without any additional coating whatsoever.
The keyboard is also plain yet functional. Each keys are in their usual position and NEO didn’t get flashy by adding more keys or changing the size on some. Think default layout and size which is good in my book.
My only complain with the keyboard is the uneven tactile feedback that I get. It maybe isolated to this unit but pressing some keys doesn’t quite feel the same as the others.
The touchpad features a single rocker for the right and left click buttons which reminds me of a black MacBook. However, it is positioned far from the edge that the thumb doesn’t naturally fall on the rocker’s position. Multi-touch is quite sensitive that I find myself accidentally zooming my display in and out quite often while typing.
Ports are pretty standard. There are three USB 2.0, an HDMI, VGA, LAN and the useless modem line port. The DVD-RW drive feels like it isn’t screwed tight so better check yours before you buy.
Display & Audio
The 14” glare-type display gives you a 1366 x 768 screen resolution which is standard for its size. Watching YouTube HD trailers here was quite a treat. It doesn’t look viewable outdoors though.
There’s no visible speaker but audio is quite loud for the B4105 which was a surprise. Audio seems to be coming out from underneath and all available holes. I had no problem listening to the movie inside a room even if a TV is on at the same time.
Performance
The NEO B4150 comes with a Windows 7 Home Basic 32-bit OS. I ran the Windows Experience Index like I usually do and here’s what I got.
I was surprised with the low subscore for its class on the graphics component considering that the MSI CR420 Core i3 laptop got a 4.5 on that area. I even tried rerunning the Experience Index but got the same results. The other subscores however are as expected.
Just like Core i3’s, a Core i5 is capable of HyperThreading which allows it to handle four processing threads at once making it a pseudo-quad core. However, an advantage of Core i5 laptops over the Core i3’s is the TurboBoost Technology which automatically overclocks the processor when needed and if the temperature permits.
This makes a good laptop to do some light video editing or media conversion. I was able to convert a 2:31 1080p movie trailer to iPod Touch format in 1:33 using CyberLink’s MediaShow Espresso. A 40-minute 350MB TV series was converted in less than 17 minutes.
Playing Facebook games and watching HD Flash videos were handled pretty well which is what I would expect from a Core i5 processor.
I have to mention here that the NEO B4105 gets awfully warm on the left side underneath the chassis after an hour’s use with or without the battery plugged in. It’s quite common from laptops manufactured two or three years ago but something I seldom encounter with newer laptops.
Battery Life
One glaring issue I have with the NEO B4105 is the single-charge life of its 4400maH 6-cell Li-Ion battery. It’s one of the most important thing that I look for in a laptop.
Here’s what BatteryBar has to say about it.
It says that the included 6-cell battery can only run for 2:19 hours on a single charge. I did my primitive test of draining the battery. With WiFi always on, Bluetooth off and Brightness at 50%, I used the laptop doing regular tasks. Writing, surfing the net, played a little in Facebook and watching movies while downloading. On a single charge, the NEO B4105 only gave me around 2.5 hours of usage before the battery ran out.
I don’t know if it’s because of the powerful Core i5 processor but if there’s an option to upgrade the battery to a higher capacity then you should go for it unless you want to stay connected to a power source most of the time.
Conclusion
The NEO B4105 is quite a decent powerful laptop for its price. If you can live with the heat issue and the short battery life, you can be contented with this one. However, be sure to try out every aspect of the unit first especially its physical parts. Based on the unit sent here, I don’t think this one went through a rigid quality test. Or maybe I’m just too fussy when it comes to gadgets?
Anyhow, what concerns most people buying NEO laptops is the poor quality of support that they are getting. NEO reps assured us that they have improved their support service. No need to wait a long time for available parts especially on their new line of laptops. They’re even planning on lending a replacement unit if repair would take a while.
Local Price: Php35,999
Specs:
- Processor: Intel® Core i5 430M Dual Core Processor (2.27 GHz)
- OS: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Basic (32-bit)
- Display: 14″ WXGA (1366 x 768, Glare Type)
- Graphics: Integrated Intel® HD
- HDD: 320 GB HDD
- RAM: 2GB DDR3
- Optical Drive: Super-Multi DVD+RW
- Ports: USB 2.0 x 3, VGA, HDMI, SD/MS Card Reader, ExpressCard
- Wireless Connection: WiFi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1
- Battery: 4400mah 6-cell Li-Ion
- Weight: 4.8 lbs.
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ummm… question. regardng the graphics card. is it upgradable? i dont want an integrated one kasi. thanks!
what’s good about NEO is that parts are configurable. I’m sure what you’re after is doable. Just head to the nearest NEO store and inquire how much you will be adding.
Sir Calvin, what do you mean by “configurable”? Meaning, pwede siyang kabitan ng graphics card provided its compatible with the motherboard? Im planning on buying a laptop that can actually do that; para ako na mismo magcucustomize ng specs ng laptop ko
Thanks for the reply sir!
what’s good about NEO is that parts are configurable. I’m sure what you’re after is doable. Just head to the nearest NEO store and inquire how much you will be adding.
+1
basic B3140N what a waste of money buying this kind of brand of laptop always hanging and only will used for 1 year , its not worth to invest of kind of brand of gadget like this.