5. Graphics & Display: The Ambient Light Sensor Helps Conserve Energy

Where the display is concerned, the nc8230 offers an innovative energy saving solution. With the help of an ambient light sensor, the display's brightness can automatically be adjusted to the surrounding lighting conditions.

The Ambient Light Sensor of the Compaq nc8230

If the ambient light is very bright, the sensor increases the screen's brightness; conversely, if the notebook is used in a darkened room, the display is dimmed. Obviously, a darker room with a dimmed backlight will draw less power. Our measurements with the sensor activated and deactivated in changing lighting conditions showed that the sensor can extend battery life by about twenty to thirty minutes.

The sensor can be deactivated using the function keys, which allows the brightness to be adjusted manually in eleven increments. Unfortunately, the difference between the individual steps is barely noticeable; we weren't too pleased with the manual adjustment options due to the overly fine gradation.

With a maximum brightness of 133 cd/m² and a black/white contrast of 248:1, the Compaq nc8230's 15.4" display does not rank near the top of its class when measured against its competitors. In brightly lit offices, it can quickly hit the wall; however, in areas that aren't overly bright, the display does its job quite well.

The graphics subsystem consists of an ATI MRX600 with 64 MB of dedicated RAM. Within reasonable limits, this makes the notebook gaming capable.

The graphics unit of the nc8230 consists of an ATI X600. The GPU is clocked at 400 MHz, while the memory runs at 270 MHz.

Deviating from the norm, the GPU's power management driver only offers the two settings: Max Performance and Optimal Batterylife.

Binary choice: The nc8230's powerplay slider.