Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pi 3540 review

Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pi 3540 Review

Reviewed by: Rory Reid

Reviewed on: 2 September 2008

The Pi 3540 is a Centrino 2 laptop, so it benefits from excellent wireless connectivity. 802.11b and g networks are supported, as is 802.11n high-speed. Software is pretty impressive, too. You get the Microsoft Works productivity suite, which includes word processing, spreadsheet and database applications, plus you get a copy of Nero Essentials S to help you write CDs and DVDs.

Performance
Despite being a Centrino 2 laptop with a relatively fast CPU, the Pi 3540 is an average performer. It clocked a mere 2,380 in PCMark 2005, which is pretty lame considering the similarly priced Samsung Q210 racked up 5,184. 3D performance isn't so hot either. It scored 2,259 in 3DMark 2006 which, to its credit, is a tiny bit better than the Samsung.

Battery life is pretty average, too. It lasted 1 hour 30 minutes in our CPU-intensive Battery Eater test, and 2 hours 35 minutes in the less intensive reader test. That's pretty lame compared to the 3 hours 14 minutes and 5 hours 28 minutes achieved by the Q210.

We have to give props to Fujitsu Siemens for the Pi 3540's extremely quiet operation. You can barely hear the thing when it's running -- and that's nothing to do with the gimmicky 'quiet mode' button above the keyboard, which seems to serve absolutely no purpose.

Conclusion
The Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pi 3540 is a fairly average laptop with above-average looks. It doesn't excel in any particular area, but it is pretty affordable, so for that it earns our respect. However, if you're after a faster, lighter, longer-lasting -- albeit uglier -- Centrino 2 laptop, you'll be better off with the Samsung Q210.

Edited by Nick Hide