August 9, 2013
by Dreadnought Six
NCIX, a computer company that sells computers, parts, PC games and other gadgets, let me demo and review this laptop.
Lenovo IdeaPad Z500
Lenovo is one of the awesome companies that actually sell some darn good computers. Their laptops have true accessibility, performance and power. Although Windows 8 is completely unusable, I’m sure, as a geek, you’ll figure something out. If you’re not a geek, go get a geek. They’re not that hard to find.
The IdeaPad Z500 is a great starter laptop. For those who want something cheap, but has a bang for their buck, this one is a great choice.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Intel i5-3230M @ 2.6 GHz (Dual-core) with 3 MB Cache
- Intel HD 4000 GPU (shared RAM)
- 6 GB DDR3 SDRAM (2 slots)
- 1 TB HDD @ 5400 RPM
- 15.6″ (1366 x 768)
- 4 cell 5 hour battery
From my personal experience, it holds out. It’s very fluid and smooth when it comes to processing. I gamed on it for a bit (Minecraft) and find it fine on run. Considering Windows 8, I still felt a bit locked out. Other than that, the performance is good, the graphics are great and the sound is fine.
I’m sure the 6 GB RAM can be upgraded to 8 GB, but that’s my only preference. Oh, and install something like Windows 7 (it should be worth it) and get rid of that lousy Windows 8 operating system. After installing Windows 7, you may commence ULTIMATE TWEAKING! Play around with the settings, install all the necessary proprietary drivers, install your own personal theme, the whole nine yards! Then after that, you can finally sleep soundly at night.
Unless, you actually like Windows 8. If so, go to the doctor and get yourself checked out.
In conclusion, the Lenovo IdeaPad Z500 is a laptop that’s doing what it’s supposed to do: work. It’s your typical home, browsing, word processing and gaming laptop. I don’t think it can handle bigger multimedia power (like a heavy session of League of Legends), but it can certainly give what the user wants.
Priced around $700, it’s a great buy!
Lenovo IdeaPad Z500
Keep Chewing!