ET Reviews: Lenovo IdeaPad Z510

NEW DELHI: You would automatically assume that a 15.6-inch gaming notebook is going to big and bulky. However, Lenovo has worked hard to change this notion with the new IdeaPad Z510 notebook — despite some serious specs, it is just an inch thick and weighs 2.2kgs. Thanks to the tapered design, the Z510 feels slimmer than it actually is.

The top lid has a matte finish which gives the notebook a premium look and keeps smudges at bay. On one side is a heat vent, dual USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet, VGA and HDMI out while on the other side is an optical drive, card reader and a USB 2.0 port.

We feel that Lenovo has cut some corners with display quality. Not only does it have a low (for 15.6-inch) resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, it doesn't get very bright and neither are the colours and viewing angles as good as the competition.

For the asking price, you get a machine running Windows 8.1 on a fourth generation Intel Core i5 processor, 6GB RAM, Nvidia GT740 GPU (2GB memory) and a 1TB hybrid hard drive (with 8GB flash memory).

With this kind of power, we had no issues playing games like Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts with medium to high visual settings. In terms of multimedia, the Z510 had no issues playing full HD videos. The stereo speaker output was superb with good bass — it's also loud enough for a small room.

In terms of battery, the notebook managed to last about two hours with heavy usage (gaming, video playback, image editing). With more relaxed use, it managed a respectable four hours on a full charge.

While the IdeaPad Z510 impresses with its design and hardware specification, it loses points on the average display. For the same price, the Dell Inspiron 15 seems to be a overall better choice. It has similar hardware specifications with AMD Radeon graphics and a brighter display with better viewing angles.

Price: Rs 55,629

Specifications: 15.6-inch display (1366 x 768 pixels), 4th gen Intel core i5, 6GB RAM, 1TB SSHD, Nvidia GeForce GT740, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, Windows 8.1, 2.2kg.

Pros: Slim design, lightweight, great hardware and performance, loud audio.

Cons: Average display brightness, poor viewing angles, sub par battery life.

Also See: Dell Inspiron 15

Price: Rs 53,999

Specifications: 15.6"LCD (1366 x 768), 4th gen Intel Core i5, 6GB RAM, 1TB HDD, AMD Radeon HD8670M, 2 x USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, Win 8, 2.25kg.