Full review of Lenovo IdeaPad Y530
The Y530 uses Intel processors from the Centrino 2 lineup; our model came with a P7350, 2GHz Core 2 Duo, 250GB hard drive, 2GB RAM, and last but not least a dedicated GeForce 9300M GPU.
Design and Features
For a 15.4-inch laptop, the IdeaPad Y530 is quite heavy at 6.6 lbs / 2.96 kg, but in return it feels very sturdy and solid. Being a Lenovo laptop, it has a characteristically low-key, elegant design. Although the IdeaPad consumer laptops are somewhat more exciting than Lenovo's ThinkPad business laptops.
The screen has a 'frameless' glossy-all-over finish that provides really vibrant colors, but also some inevitable reflections.
Like most Lenovo keyboards, the one on the Y530 is a pleasure to type on, and above it is a row of touch sensitive, orange-glowing buttons for media control; both are quite nice-looking and useful. The touchpad is slightly larger than average, and is very accurate and comfortable to the touch.
There is no shortage of connectivity on the Y530 - it comes with HDMI, 3 USB ports, Ethernet, modem, s-video and VGA out. Bluetooth is built in, and you can also get it with an optional remote.
Performance and Battery
The Intel P7350 is a fairly powerful processor with a 2.0GHz clock and the latest 1066MHz front side bus. Our review model came with a standard 5,400rpm hard drive, but it can also be configured with desktop-speed 7,200rpm drives, which should boost everyday performance somewhat.
The 9300M GS graphics card from Nvidia is a lower-end solution that is able to play some games, but newer games will only run smoothly at lower settings and resolutions.
PCMark Vantage Pro and WorldBench 6 delivered scores of 2872 and 70 respectively. We had also planned to run 3DMark Vantage, but alas, the IdeaPad Y530 only has a 1280x800 display, whereas Vantage requires a minimum 1280x1024 resolution for some reason.
You don't expect a whole lot of battery life from a 15-inch laptop with a 6-cell battery, but the IdeaPad was still able to deliver 2 hours and 45 minutes during average to heavy use that involved browsing and using Word while playing music and video files in the background. Watch a DVD and you can shave roughly half an hour off that total.
Bottom Line
At $1,000 or less, depending on configuration, the IdeaPad Y530 is nothing less than a bargain. So far, Lenovo has only delivered durable, quality laptops and continues to do so in its IdeaPad consumer series. If you're on the market for a 15.4-inch entertainment laptop, the Y530 is definitely worth considering.
Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 Technical Specifications
- Processor 2GHz P7350 Core 2 Duo
- Memory 2GB DDR2
- Harddrive 250GB
- OS Windows Vista Home Premium
- Weight 6.6 lbs
- Screen 15.4"
- Screen resolution 1280x800
- Graphic Card Nvidia 9300M GS
- Battery Life 2:45
Pros
- Excellent Price/Performance Ratio
- Nice-Looking, Low Key Design
- Good Keyboard and Touchpad
- Touch Sensitive Media Buttons
Cons
- Only 1280x800 Resolution
- Heavier Than Average
Rate this review
Similar Lenovo laptops
| Model | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. G550 Notebook | [+] Best Offers | |
| 2. IdeaPad Y560 Notebook | [+] Best Offers | |
| 3. IdeaPad U460 Notebook | [+] Best Offers |
Newsletter Sign-Up
Most Popular Laptops & Gear
-
1. Hp Pavilion Dv4-2169nr Entertainment Notebook P...
-
2. iPad Wi-Fi 16GB Tablet
-
3. MacBook Pro MC374LL/A Notebook - Core 2 Duo 2.4...
-
1. EOS 7D Digital SLR Camera
-
2. Cyber-shot DSC-S2100 Point & Shoot Digital Came...
-
3. D3000 SLR Digital Camera Kit w/ 18-55mm Lens
-
1. iPod touch 8GB Flash Portable Media Player
-
2. iPod touch 32GB Flash Portable Media Player
-
3. iPod touch 64GB Flash Portable Media Player
-
1. BRAVIA KDL-40EX700 40" LCD TV
-
2. iPod touch 8GB Flash Portable Media Player
-
3. D3000 SLR Digital Camera Kit w/ 18-55mm Lens
Powered by 
Latest Updates
-
ASUS Eee PC 1000HE
The Eee PC has a slightly faster Atom processor and a faster FSB compared to the previous models. While this is not enough for anyone to upgrade, it could certainly attract first-time netbook buyers. Read More
-
Dell Vostro A860
When price and performance must share in compromise, few laptops on the market readily answer the call of duty. When it comes to getting high quality at an affordable price, the Dell Vostro A860... Read More
-
Dell Mini 9
By now Dell has a full range of netbooks in sizes 9", 10", and oddly a 12" model, of which we’re looking at the smallest 9-incher here. Read More
-
Weird, Extraordinary and Record-Breaking Laptops
Here are the laptops that break one record or another, be it oldest, ugliest, cheapest or just very out of the ordinary. Read More
-
Netshelter Last Gadget Standing CES 2009
As we wound up the show on it's official last day, we attended a micro-awards ceremony. In its 8th annual performance, the Last Gadget Standing hands you off with the top 10 "user" voted gadgets of... Read More
-
Top 10 Useless Gadgets of CES 2009
Thousands of new products are unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas each year. Some of them change our lives forever, and some of them are... interesting in other ways. Read More
-
Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2009
Yet again, Apple's professional geeks will offer up sessions and hands-on code probing and testing at Moscone West in San Francisco. The dates for 2009 are June 8-12. Read More
-
E3 Expo
The E3 Expo - also known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo - is the one trade show to visit to get the latest news from the computer and video games industry. Read More
-
CeBIT - Hannover 3-8 March
Unlike CES, CeBIT is open to the public, so there's no need to be a press or industry affiliate to have a look at this massive trade show, which is the largest in the world. Read More
-
International CES 2009
Find out all you need to know about the 2009 International CES. It features 2,700 exhibitors, including companies who manufacture products or provide services for the audio, digital imaging, home... Read More
-
Mac World Conference
Make sure to make a note about the Macworld Expo at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, January 5-9. If you're a Mac user and wish to meet equivalent people in the industry this is the place for you. Read More
-
Apple iPad debuts, falls short of hype, still kinda neat
In case you missed it, the Apple tablet we've been hearing about debuted in an invite only affair in San Francisco around 24 hours ago. So did it live up to the hype? Nope. But that doesn't mean... Read More
-
Mysterious 'Creation' Touted by Apple - Yup, it's Tablet Time
Apple yesterday sent out an invitation to journalists to come and see their "latest creation." And there's nary a soul out there who doesn't think this means the long awaited Apple tablet is even... Read More
-
Psystar - Another Step Closer to Death
A US District Judge recently threw out the bulk of Psystar's latest countersuit, while agreeing with the bulk of Apple's charges. Looks like the end is neigh for this particular hackintosh... Read More
-
March on Tux Penguins! - 7000 Linux Guides
TuxMobil isthe World Wide Web's biggest resource when it comes toLinux-based operating systems and laptop computers. Read More
-
Linux Deal in Full Gallop: The GazelleValue
Laptopicalis always on the hunt for a good value. Sure, we review our fairshare of more expensive gaming and business notebooks, but mostof all, we relish our role as the everyman's laptop blog... Read More
-
Linux Certified - Preloaded PC
In the past we'vetalked about ways to transform your laptop from a Windows-basedversion to a cutting-edge Linux version, Read More
-
Early results of browser ballot show losses for IE
Although many have still found ground for complaint with the EU's newly mandated browser ballot, early reports indicate that it is having its desired effect - more people are trying out browsers... Read More
-
Microsoft Courier to be ultraportable 'digital journal'
The latest tidbit about Microsoft's Courier device is that it is going to function as an extremely portable, lightweight 'digital journal' of sorts. Users can expect it to be centered around... Read More
-
Microsoft Windows browser ballot coming out in EU next week
Windows users across select countries this week and soon all over the EU will be informed they have "an important choice to make" - and that's whether or not they want to keep using IE or not. Read More
Best & Worst as Voted by Readers
| The Best | Votes |
|---|---|
| Top 10 Netbooks | 23 |
| Top 10 Technologies of 2008 | 19 |
| Top 10 Useless Gadgets of CES 2009 | 11 |
| The Worst | Votes |
|---|---|
| Top 10 Netbooks | 21 |
| Top 10 Technologies of 2008 | 3 |
| Top 10 Useless Gadgets of CES 2009 | 3 |
| The Best | Votes |
|---|---|
| Mac World Conference | 11 |
| International CES 2009 | 5 |
| E3 Expo | 5 |
| The Worst | Votes |
|---|---|
| International CES 2009 | 2 |
| E3 Expo | 1 |
| The Best | Votes |
|---|---|
| Axiotron Revamps ModBook - Now Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger | 7 |
| More Trouble For New MacBooks - Now It's RAM, GPU | 4 |
| Keycarbon's Raptor - Hardware Key Logger | 2 |
| The Worst | Votes |
|---|---|
| Axiotron Revamps ModBook - Now Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger | 2 |
| More Trouble For New MacBooks - Now It's RAM, GPU | 2 |
| Apple Waiving License Fees For Mini DisplayPort Spec | 1 |
| The Best | Votes |
|---|---|
| Linux Certified - Preloaded PC | 4 |
| March on Tux Penguins! - 7000 Linux Guides | 2 |
Editor's Choice
-
Top 10 Laptops for Geeky Girls
Not everyone wants their laptops to be basic and drab. With laptops becoming more portable by the year, they're taken into the public eye and flaunted for all to see. Below is a list of the top... Read More
-
Top 10 Technologies of 2008
Laptopical's T.J. Aaron summarizes the breakthroughs in technology of 2008. As we are nearing the end of 2008 - find out what made his Top 10 of the most successful and talked about technologies of... Read More
-
Top 10 Netbooks
The netbook world has gotten increasingly crowded, and until the massive popularity of the form factor wanes this trend will only increase. Beyond Asus and Acer, major corporations like Dell, HP... Read More
-
Axiotron Revamps ModBook - Now Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Axiotron has taken a good look at their tablet ModBook and improved it in a number of ways. Read More
-
Apple Considering Liquid Cooling For MacBooks
Apple is considering using liquid coolant to keep the temperature down on future MacBooks and other devices. Read More
-
Apple Waiving License Fees For Mini DisplayPort Spec
Apple's is attempting to drive up adoption of the Mini DisplayPort specification by offering free licensing for it. Read More
-
Better Late Than Never Says Linuxtards as Lenny Arrives
After 22 months of development, Debian version 5 (codenamed "Lenny") is finally available. Debian is a big Linux distribution in itself, and also important because it constitutes the foundation of... Read More
-
Linux and SSD Options Confirmed For 10-inch Aspire One
Acer has come clean and announced their SSD and Linux options for the new 10" Acer Aspire One. Read More
-
Quanta Demonstrates 'Touchless' Touching
Windows 7 is known for its multi-touch capabilities, and many are excited to develop implementations of this which will be effective and easy to use. Quanta has devised their Optical Touch... Read More
-
New Microsoft Surface Has Grand Plans For Hospitals
Microsoft has developed a new Surface which is dynamic and multi-touch. Doctors are hopeful that it can be used to make sharing information amongst professionals and also with patients... Read More
-
Windows 7 Software Features Multi-touch Media Transfer
With new software developed for Windows 7, you can transfer music and other media to your iPod, iPhone, Android phone and various cameras using just your fingers. Simply place the device on the... Read More
Latest Laptopical.com tweets
Event Calendar
Find the latest expos and events related to laptops and
mobile technology with our Event Calendar.
Go to Calendar
Funny Computer Links
A collection of hilarious links, updated weekly or sometimes daily.
Check em' out!
All of our links
Write for Laptopical.com
Do you have any tips on news or cool new laptops/gadgets you would like
to see at Laptopical.com?
Let us know about it!
Tip us on news!
Contact us
We are always on the lookout for new, interesting ideas and content. Do
you have anything to share?
Contact us
Comments
By:
Verify (type this text in the box below the image)