Price + Quality: choosing a budget laptop

Usually for reviews on Habré, I choose the most "fancy" laptop models of Lenovo. What is logical: it is in such models as the ThinkPad X220 or IdeaPad U300s you can see modern technology in all its glory. According to him, you can try to guess the further development of the mobile computing industry. Personally, I focus on IPS displays, hybrid disk systems (HDD + SSD) and the use of metal not only in the cases of professional models, but also in ordinary custom laptops.



Meanwhile, budget laptops get from me and in the reviews of my colleagues from computer publications, much less attention. Probably, this is not quite deserved. After all, to make a reliable, convenient and powerful enough laptop, which at the same time will cost a reasonable amount - is sometimes more difficult than developing a cool new product “from scratch”. In this article, I will try to correct the situation and talk about the three current Lenovo laptops in the budget segment. The ultra-compact ThinkPad X121e notebook, the workhorse of the ThinkPad Edge E420 and the home desktop replacement for the Lenovo G570 hit my selection.



ThinkPad X121e



This ultra-compact laptop with a 11.6-inch display has not yet appeared on sale in Russia. The review of its predecessor - ThinkPad X100e - actually opened the blog of the Lenovo company on Habré. Compared to the more renowned ThinkPad T and X-series, this laptop clearly “did not look” - the case is plastic instead of fiberglass and metal, the performance is higher than that of a netbook, but still does not reach the best samples. But it is in theory. In practice, the model was very nice, strong and with a very comfortable keyboard. And, most importantly, the cost of the model was below 15 thousand rubles: before that, a new Thinkpad could not be bought at that price. The currently available modification of the ThinkPad X120e uses a more economical and less “hot” AMD processor, and it can be purchased at prices ranging from 14 to 22 thousand rubles, moreover, in the latter version - with the integrated 3G module.

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What has changed in the ThinkPad X121e? First, for the first time for this model, users will get a choice between Intel and AMD processors. The choice here is about the same as in other laptops: Intel is a bit more powerful, AMD is a bit cheaper. Secondly, the design of the model has seriously changed, the laptop is now even more like the Edge series.







The technical characteristics of the model are as follows:

Processor : AMD E-350 1.6 GHz or Intel Core i3-2357M 1.3 GHz

RAM : up to 8 GB DDR3

Hard disk : up to 320 GB or 128 GB SSD

Graphics : AMD Radeon 6310M or Intel HD 3000

Screen : 11.6 inches 1366x768 dots matte

Dimensions : 289x208x23,5 mm

Weight : from 1.4 kg

Battery life : up to 6 hours



I will sum up. If the very first ThinkPad X100e normally felt in office tasks, but seriously thought about the eternal when processing photos, the updated X121e without any problems will cope with both. And buyers finally got a choice between Intel and AMD platforms, which is good news.



ThinkPad Edge E420



The price tag on this 14-inch laptop starts at 19 thousand rubles for a version with an Intel Core i3 processor. The most expensive - with an Intel Core i5 processor and 4 gigabytes of RAM - costs about 25 thousand rubles. People often ask me which laptop to choose, and if we are not talking about a mobile computer for games, and the budget is limited, I recommend this particular model. The ThinkPad series has always been characterized by increased reliability, and the Edge lineup is no exception, despite the lower price. Powerful display mounts, a sturdy plastic case with a matte finish, a keyboard with moisture protection: all this provides the notebook with a better chance of surviving even with not very careful handling.







With a weight of 2.2 kilograms, this laptop remains quite mobile, and at the same time it is equipped with a full-size keyboard and an optical drive. At a comparable cost with the X120e, this model is suitable for those who need maximum comfort when working, albeit to the detriment of weight. A great addition to a convenient keyboard will be a large touchpad, as usual - with a duplicate trackpoint joystick.







Specifications:

Processor : Intel Core i3 or Core i5

RAM : up to 8 GB DDR3

Hard disk : up to 500 GB

Graphics : Intel HD 3000

Screen : 14 inches 1366x768 dots matte

Dimensions : 343x233x28,7 mm

Weight : from 2.2 kg

Battery life : up to 6.2 hours with a standard battery, up to 11.7 hours with extended



Lenovo G570



For a start - a small review of Lenovo's line-ups, so that it is clear what's what. There are only three of them: they are familiar to all ThinkPad and IdeaPad, as well as the budget series (Lenovo Essential). Once upon a time it was called the Lenovo 3000, and still this name sometimes pops up in price lists. Lenovo G570 refers just to the budget series, which presents the most affordable laptops. But cheap is not always necessarily bad, which is usually confirmed by positive responses about these models in the media (for example, here ).







Specifications:

Processor : Intel Pentium or Core i3 or Core i5

RAM : up to 8 GB DDR3

Hard disk : up to 750 GB

Graphics : AMD Radeon HD6370M

Screen : 15.6 inches 1366x768 dots glossy

Dimensions : 376x249x34 mm

Weight : from 2.6 kg

Battery life : up to 6 hours



The cost of this model starts from 14 thousand rubles (for the version with an Intel Pentium processor) and ends around 25 thousand rubles (Intel Core i5). In the Lenovo G570, the plastic case is for the first time supplemented with aluminum inserts - it is made of a palm rest around the touchpad. This model is designed for use in the home, and can be connected to an external monitor or TV via HDMI.







This year, in the G-series, the 17-inch was first added to the 14 and 15-inch models. At a cost of 22 thousand rubles, this laptop is equipped with a much more powerful graphics accelerator Radeon HD6650M, and may well be considered a gaming model. This series of mobile computers is notable for the largest number of modifications - there are options for every taste and wallet, in the maximum versions up to 6 GB of RAM and up to 750 GB of disk storage are offered.



Of course, the Lenovo range of budget notebooks is not limited to these three models. I can also mention the IdeaPad S100 netbooks with Intel Atom dual-core processors, the 12-inch IdeaPad S205 with a processor and integrated AMD graphics. In the heavier weight class, there are 13-inch IdeaPad V370 (from 19 thousand rubles), as well as a 14-inch G-series laptop - Lenovo G470 with a price tag of 18 thousand rubles). Thus, everyone can find a Lenovo laptop to taste in the most affordable price range.