Review of Lenovo IdeaPad Y530

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 1280×800 display, whereas Vantage requires a minimum 1280×1024 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 1280×800
• 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 1280×800 Resolution
• Heavier Than Average