| Rating | Where to buy |
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Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR features a great hardware configuration for its present market price. It sports Intel Pentium 2020M 2.4 GHz processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 500 GB hard drive and comes with a gorgeous look and sleek design. It features Windows 8, USB 3.0 port, HD webcam, and microphone.
What is in the box?
The box contains the Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR notebook, 6 cell lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.
Design and features
Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR felt durable in hand. It is light (5.4 pounds), and slim (1.31 inches). Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR comes with a polished look. The mercury silver finish on the top and around the touchpad below the keyboard makes it a perfect looking companion for anyone who prefers style over fashion. The hardware configuration is pretty solid given its price. The Intel Pentium 2020M 2.4 GHz processor is speedier than Intel Pentium B980 processor; moreover, it supports the new Virtualization technology that enables it to run multiple operating systems simultaneously and offers increased system security, and reliability. To support smooth and speedy operation, Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR comes with 4GB DDR3 1600 MHz RAM. Speaking in plain English, Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR is capable of running latest official and academic software at ease.
On the negative side, unlike most notebooks, Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR comes with its DVD R/W located on the left side. Some users may find this not only unusual but also irritating at first. The left panel contains the Power In and USB 2.0 port.
The right panel contains a mic in, 3.5mm audio in, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI, LAN, and VGA port, the large side vent, and the Kensington lock.
The SD card reader is located on the front side. The front side also has three nice LED indicators.
Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR features a full-sized keyboard with the 10-key numeric keypad. The Power on button is located above the keyboard and in between the built-in stereo speakers. The touchpad is made a little bigger to allow you to enjoy the new Windows 8 Modern gestures like scrolling, pinch zoom, and swiping.
Performance
We powered on the notebook; it started configuring itself for the first boot. Windows 8 appeared on screen in delightful colors. We were using the notebook in a relatively dark room, yet the default brightness and contrast setting did not hurt our eyes. We turned more lights on and the color, brightness, and level of black did not seem to reduce. The display was as crisp and clear as it was earlier in low ambient light. The smaller fonts were easily readable thanks to the 720p HD display.
The touchpad worked really great with Windows 8. Switching to different views, and apps and pinch zooming was very easy to perform. We found the keys of the keyboard to be soft. They hardly made noise as we pressed the keys.
Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR comes preinstalled with Microsoft Office (trial), Microsoft Essentials, and trial versions of Norton Security, and Anti-Theft, and WildTangent games console. We uninstalled Microsoft Office trial, and Norton security software. It took only a couple of minutes to fully remove those trial versions and get rid of the unwanted alert messages.
We installed Norton AntiVirus 2013, Microsoft Office 2010, Adobe Design Premium CS5, and DOSBox (we were actually feeling nostalgic and wanted to play Raptor, Fatal Racing and other DOS games we used to play in our childhood). The DVD R/W did a good job reading the disks while installing. It did not make noise or unwanted vibration. The installation was quick. The programs loaded and ran pretty fast. We especially enjoyed playing the good old DOS games thanks to better support for DOSBox on Windows 8.
Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR comes preloaded with Internet Explorer 10. The Wi-Fi reception of the notebook was great and flawless during our use. We watched some 720p YouTube videos, made a few video calls on Skype to judge the performance of the mic and webcam. No complaint in those areas. We ran the notebook continuously for 3 hours and 3 minutes before the battery ran out of its juices. The battery life was still impressive because, we played games, used Wi-Fi, and DVD R/W during these 3 hours.
| Pros | Cons |
| Satellite C855-S5132NR sports 2.4GHz Intel Pentium 2020M processor, 4GB DDR3 1600 MHz RAM, 500 GB Hard drive. Stylish look, good battery backup, nice display, Windows 8. | The DVD R/W is located on the left side. |
Conclusion
Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR notebook offers a great hardware configuration and sleek look. It performed flawlessly during our tests. Except for the unusual placement of the DVD R/W (on its left side), the Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR can be a very desirable notebook for any user looking to buy a notebook under $400. We give Toshiba Satellite C855-S5132NR notebook a prestigious 4.5-star rating. You might also like our post on Best laptops under $500.
Specifications
Screen: 15.6 inches 1366×768 720p HD
Processor: 2.4 GHz Pentium
RAM: 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Hard Drive: 500 GB @5400 rpm
Optical Drive: DVD SuperMulti drive
Onboard graphics: Mobile Intel HD graphics
Wireless Type 802.11bgn
Number of USB 2.0 Ports 2
Number of USB 3.0 Ports 1
Model number: PSCBLU-03D00P
Weight: 5.4 pounds
Dimensions L x W x H 9.53 x 14.96 x 1.31 inches