PC Nextday Zoostorm Versa 83-6701 review

The Zoostorm Versa 83-6701 has a Core 2 Duo T9300, the fastest processor here at 2.5GHz, but a slower frontside bus speed than the 2.26GHz P8400 found in the Samsung Q310.

This means that it lagged slightly behind in our PCMark benchmarks. With a GeForce 9300M GS, it also achieved comparable Call of Duty 4 scores to the Q310. However, Zoostorm's processor consumes more power, and has a battery life of just one-and-a-half hours.

The 83-6701 shares the same chassis as Novatech's X60MV, but has a more adventurous black and white livery. The lid has a glossy piano-black finish, while the keyboard panel and the keys are white, with a silver border around the keyboard itself. Although it's uncluttered, the acres of white below the keyboard will inevitably become tarnished over time. It also features the same all-in-one touch pad and buttons unit that we don't like: the buttons are stiff and have very little travel. The keyboard is better than the X60MV's, though, and feels firmer, with good travel and feedback.

The Zoostorm 83-6701 also suffers from the same lack of expansion, with only three USB ports, no HDMI port and no support for Gigabit Ethernet or Draft-N wireless networking. It doesn't even have a webcam. It does, however, have a 320GB hard disk, which is ample for multimedia files.

We were impressed by the quality of LCD screens this month, and the 83-6701's was no exception. Lighting was even and colours were accurate. However, the contrast wasn't as good as on the Satellite's screen (right), and its glossy finish won't suit brightly lit environments.

While it performs well, the Zoostorm 83-6701 lacks expansion and has a poor touch pad. The Asus X71SL has a Blu-ray drive and, at £50 less, is better value.