Toshiba Satellite P50t-B
The office drone with the secret gaming habit and 4K screen
Ignore the unassuming, brushed metal facade; the Satellite P50t-B is hiding some serious clout beneath that sleek, businesslike exterior. It’s the only laptop on test to embrace 4K, with a 3840x2160 resolution display that offers incredible detail and clarity. It’s also touchenabled, making it easier to navigate Windows 8’s tablet-optimised tile interface.
Don’t be blinded by the sheen of that 4K screen, though. For gamers, it’s not such a killer feature. Playing games at that lofty resolution or upscaling is ill-advised, unless you’re willing to play everything with the graphical detail set to low and at a frame rate that will often drop down to single figures. You’re best off sticking to 1080p and saving 4K resolution for showing off your holiday pics.
Despite not quite containing the grunt for 4K gaming, the AMD Radeon R9 M265X graphics card is perfectly adept at running 3D without the lag, while the processor, a quadcore number clocked at 2.4GHz, is the current gaming standard – in fact it’s favoured by every single laptop on test. Performancewise, AMD’s graphics lag behind that of rival Nvidia, so although capable the Satellite P50t-B’s visuals are rarely awe-inspiring. The differences are minimal, but noticeable when playing the latest gaming titles.
The keyboard is both roomy and responsive, while the trackpad does its job admirably. Itchy trigger fingers would be advised to still invest in a proper gaming mouse, though. Connections are thorough, with four US B 3.0 ports, a 4K-ready HDMI out and a multi-card reader.
Battery life could be better at just over three hours of use, but the impressive sound capabilities – it has seriously deep, booming audio – and reasonable portability make this a great choice for people looking for a do-it-all laptop that’ll fit in at work, but be ready to play. Serious gamers should look elsewhere, though. Love Pin-sharp 4K touchscreen. Office-ready design Hate Graphics lag behind others on test. Most games won’t actually run at 4K. Battery life could be better T3 Says Ready for the office and the gaming arena, but its graphics let the side down