Lenovo is one of the world's leading notebook manufacturers. The plans voiced by the Chinese corporation take a leading position in terms of sales in the segment (while Peloton is headed by HP). Experts note the constantly growing quality and manufacturability of electronics under the Lenovo brand, and laptops are no exception. The company brought to the market productive and competitive computer models. The Chinese capture the market in several segments at once. For example, in the premium-class notebook class, the ThinkPad line stands for brand honor, which, according to many experts, is close in quality to Apple's devices.
An example of a successful, according to some analysts, budget model is the IdeaPad G580 laptop. It is worth noting immediately that this device has a lot of configurations, in some cases very different from each other. Many experts consider the Lenovo G580 (20150) model to be considered typical, the technical characteristics of which, in a particular aggregate, have a high frequency of occurrence in Russia. At the same time, it is quite possible to study the features of a laptop without resorting to searching for differences between individual specifications. What will we do today. Consider the design aspects of Lenovo G580, the technical characteristics of the device, the functional features of individual hardware components.
"Iron"
The laptop is equipped with an Intel Core processor in version i5, clocked at 2.5 GHz. The amount of RAM is as much as 6 GB. The memory technology is DDR3, the clock speed of the modules is 1.6 GHz. These resources are enough for the correct and stable launch of "home" type programs (such as, for example, PhotoShop). Ideal gamers probably will not appreciate the capabilities of the Lenovo G580 - the technical specifications in nominal terms are too "office". But if we are talking about games, it is quite acceptable to say that a computer will pull very many of today's "best sellers".
The volume of the laptop’s hard drive is 1 thousand GB, while the rotation speed of the axis of the hard drive is not too large - 5400 rpm. The hard drive works on the SATA interface. This means that the device is adapted to quickly transfer large volumes of files. However, almost all modern "hard drives" have this property. Therefore, here we fix: the laptop is equipped with a solid hard drive that is not inferior to those installed in competing solutions from other brands.
The computer is equipped with a display made using WXGA LED technology. The screen diameter is 15.6 inches, the resolution is 1366 by 786 pixels. There is a built-in webcam, however, its resolution is very modest - 0.3 megapixels. The video subsystem of the computer is controlled by the “tandem” of Intel HD Graphics model 4000 video cards (in some versions - 3000) and the GeForce GT model 635M (in some models - G710). The first type is the so-called standard video card, the second is “discrete”. Running games, as you know, depends not only on processor power, volume and RAM technology. A very significant role is also played by the performance of the video subsystem. With her, experts believe, thanks to the separation of functions between the standard and discrete graphics cards, everything is in order in the laptop.
The most important characteristic of the Lenovo G580 laptop is a wide range of communication capabilities. The brand manufacturer gave the device users the maximum integration with other devices - the same computers, televisions, mobile gadgets.
There is a DVD-RW, support for WiFi, Bluetooth. The audio system uses Dolby Advanced technology, 2 speakers in the computer. Communication with other devices is via USB 2.0, 3.0, VGA-slot, HDMI-connector. The network card is equipped with an RJ-45 port. There is a combined type audio slot, as well as a card reader. The laptop battery is very powerful, it consists of 6 sections with a total capacity of 47 watts / h.
The laptop is medium in size. Its length is 376 mm, its width is 245, its thickness (with the lid closed) is 34.3. The device weighs relatively little - 2.6 kg. Manages a laptop 64-bit Windows OS in the 8th version.
Design
For any modification of the device, including the "typical" laptop for the Russian market, the Lenovo G580 (20150) laptop, technical specifications are very important. But no less significant for users of the device is the aesthetic component, design.
The laptop case is characterized by the absence of sharp corners. The main parts are made of high-quality plastic, metal is partially used. The design of the case, according to experts, is very reliable. No backlash, gaps or creaking is observed. An elegant touchpad is seen in front. The vents, like many laptops, are on the bottom.
Many experts perceive the appearance of the device as strict and somewhat conservative. At the same time, experts believe that such a design can suit a larger number of buyers than if it had some unusual elements adapted to a particular style, gender or age of the user.
Now we will study the most important characteristics from the point of view of consumer properties of the laptop in more detail, as well as other features of the device.
CPU
First in terms of importance for a device such as the Lenovo G580 laptop, technical specifications are, of course, processor properties. What is the main PC microchip, such is the laptop, say experienced IT specialists. The performance of the i5 processor installed in most G580 modifications with a 3 MB cache running on two cores is slightly higher than that of the "brother" with the index i3-3210M (typically a budget chip), but at the same time it is inferior to i7-3520M (close in characteristics to the "premium" chips). Although among experts there is an opinion that there is not much difference which processor is installed on the Lenovo G580. The technical characteristics of the Core i3, some experts believe, in principle do not lag behind their analogues and do not get ahead of them.
It should be noted that, depending on the modification of the laptop, the brand manufacturer can install a variety of processors. That is, you should not be surprised if we find a computer of this line where the Celeron chip is located in the catalog of our favorite online store. An interesting fact is that this processor brand is more than 15 years old, and it is apparently not going to give up its market position.
Some users can conclude, seeing how “average” in level the processor is equipped with the Lenovo G580 - the technical specifications of the laptop are much inferior to those of their counterparts. But this conclusion will be premature. If only because in modern computer technology the role of the processor is not the most determining. Even if the processor brand is based on the Lenovo G580 even 15 years ago, the technical characteristics of Celeron in modern versions make the chip quite competitive.
It may well turn out that with an average-performance microcircuit, a particular laptop will be able to perform more tasks than a model of another company with a more powerful processor. Why? It's simple: due to better optimization of other hardware components.
Therefore, without paying significant attention to what chip the laptop is equipped with - i5 or Celeron, we will study other technical specifications that are equally important for determining the real capabilities of the Lenovo G580.
Screen
The laptop display is equipped with LED-backlight, providing high quality images when viewing from any angle. The brightness of the screen is estimated by experts as sufficient for the user to perform everyday tasks. The screen is glossy, which contributes to high quality color reproduction (but there is also a minus - glare will be noticeable). The type of display surface, as most experts believe, is not the most important characteristic of the Lenovo G580 laptop. In a user environment, opinion is generally similar. Moreover, if absolutely necessary, the laptop can be connected, using numerous connectors, to an external device with a more powerful display (for example, to an HD-TV).
The aspect ratio of the laptop display is 16 to 9, which allows you to view widescreen video on it, which is now considered the standard multimedia standard. In the horizontal plane, the visibility of the screen, according to many experts, is slightly better than in the vertical.
Sound
Each of the two built-in speakers has a power of 1,500 watts. They are located very well - in front. Therefore, the entire sound stream is directed towards the user. Using the pre-installed software module Dolby Advanced Audio, you can flexibly adjust the audio settings (such as, for example, the frequency range). You can use third-party software equalizers (at least the one that is in Windows Media Player). In terms of sound quality, expert opinions vary widely. There are opinions that there are "drawdowns" for individual frequencies. However, if the user is not a professional musician, then the sound quality of his tunes, experts say, should be quite fine.
Video card
If we buy a laptop in the version where the GeForce GT 635M graphics module is located, then we can assume that we are lucky. This video card has 2 GB of RAM and also supports the latest Direct X11. Although this module cannot be considered typical gaming, many gamers will be satisfied with its performance. In particular, industry products such as Battlefield 3 will be able to run on a laptop with virtually no braking or freezing (unless, of course, setting the maximum detail for graphics). Not bad computer copes, as experts say, with racing (level F1, released in 2012). And if we are talking about the "typical" modes of using Lenovo G580, the technical specifications of the video card more than correspond to them: you can run a movie, flash movie, make a presentation or "take photos" on the device without problems.
Keyboard, touchpad
The computer is equipped with a branded keyboard with an ergonomic and stylish design, the use of which, experts say, is very comfortable. The keys have a "long stroke", low clicking noise. The marking of the buttons is very high quality. There is a block of numbers activated by the NumLuck button. The touchpad of the laptop is not in the central part, but slightly to the left of the axis. Conveniently, its surface has a point structure. This has a positive effect on cursor stability. The technical characteristics of the Lenovo IdeaPad G580 in terms of control are very important. Everything is alright with them.
According to the observation of a number of experts, the keyboard that the laptop is equipped with is exactly the same as on the brand’s premium devices - ThinkPad computers. The presence of a digital keypad makes the laptop more preferable than analogues when it comes to schoolchildren, students in universities, in accounting, or, say, at some stages of engineering computing.
Battery
The 6-cell battery provides reliable autonomous operation for 4-5 hours when using the device with medium intensity. But under certain load conditions, which testers were able to achieve (for example, video processing with compression), the battery barely lasted for 60 minutes. If, for example, you surf the Internet without a break, reading mainly text files and occasionally downloading pictures, then the battery will last for about 3 hours.
Software
In most configurations, the laptop is equipped with Windows 8 version running on a 64-bit circuit. This operating system provides the best support for existing hardware components, so replacing this OS with other (as an option, earlier versions of Windows) is undesirable.
It is worth noting that there are notebook modifications on the market that are supplied without an operating system (or equipped with DOS modules that have extremely limited functionality).
Wifi
One of the most popular options for modern laptops is wireless. No exception and the Lenovo G580. WiFi specifications in the device are fairly standard. The module communicates in any of the ranges existing today - "b", "g" and the fastest - "n". It is possible, if there is no router, to organize computer-to-computer (or ad-hoc) communication sessions.
Expert Summary
Specialists praise the laptop for a balance of features and performance. The device is an optimal tool for performing everyday tasks of the user (access to the Internet, listening to music, creating and editing documents, etc.). The functionality of the laptop is excellent, and regardless of the hardware components installed in one or another configuration. The specification does not matter: whether we are dealing with a model 20150, or in our hands Lenovo G580 (20157) - the technical characteristics together will give almost identical performance. The difference is in the small details regarding the architecture of the individual chips. It doesn’t matter which processor is installed on a particular Lenovo G580 - i3 model, whose technical specifications are nominally more "budget" or "classic" - Celeron.
Experts recognize that the price-performance ratio of this laptop is one of the most optimal among devices in this segment. They praise the computer for a large number of communication capabilities (including the modern USB 3.0 port, which allows transferring files at a very high speed), each of which is characterized by stable operation and ease of use.
Notebook Lenovo G580, the technical characteristics of which we reviewed today - an excellent solution for a relatively low (in the range of 18-20 thousand rubles, depending on the particular dealer) cost.
Laptops, as most experts note, is a technological niche in which competition between brands is not for design and usability (in this component, computer technology loses to mobile gadgets), but in terms of performance and stability. Of course, both are provided by brands in conjunction with certain segments, and in the case of Lenovo G580 we are talking about a budget type device. According to experts, the Chinese brand has every chance of retaining a place in the group of world leaders in the supply of low-cost computers with the optimal combination of price, functionality and performance. The G580 is an example of a successful, competitive model that can enable a Chinese company to grow its success in the international market.