IdeaCentre B520 - a gaming candy bar with 3D support

The very first Lenovo monoblock that fell into my hands was the now discontinued Lenovo C300, an affordable “atomic” nettop with a good 20-inch screen. More than two years have passed since the release of this model, and the lineup of Lenovo compact desktop computers has expanded significantly during this time. This year, an interesting IdeaCentre A700 with a touch screen replaced me with a TV for a couple of weeks, and I must say, it did pretty well. But the monoblocks of the IdeaCentre B-Series have always stood apart. Powerful iron, excellent built-in audio system, unusual appearance. In general - a candy bar for enthusiasts. For those who do not want to waste space on the desktop (and below it) on a full-sized system unit with a monitor, instead preferring a turnkey solution.

I tested one of the most expensive monoblock modifications with a 3D screen. In this article I will tell you in detail about my impressions, but I want to start from the most important point that you should think about when buying such a device. The IdeaCentre B520 is without a doubt a computer for the demanding ... selfish person. Unlike the A700, which can become a family entertainment center, the B-series gaming candy bar with 3D support is designed for one person. A maximum of two. But in this situation, he is able to deliver maximum pleasure, no less than a home entertainment system, which is several times more expensive.


Technical specifications



Processor : Intel Core i7-2600 3.4 GHz
Memory : 8 GB (up to 16 GB)
Display : 23 ”1920x1080 pixels 3D (NVIDIA, 120 Hz)
Hard disk : 2 TB
Video card : NVIDIA GeForce GT555M 1 GB
Optical drive : Blu-Ray
Connectors : 6xUSB, eSata, audio, HDMI in / out, antenna input, Ethernet
Wireless networks : WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth
Additionally : webcam, TV tuner, card reader SD / SDHC
Dimensions : 567x426x88 mm
Weight : 10 kg

A similar modification (only without Blu-Ray) - one of the most expensive in Russia - costs a little less than 60 thousand rubles. However, in our market there is a very large assortment of modifications of this monoblock, with a price tag of 25 thousand rubles per basic model. For the money, of course, there will be no 3D, but complete with the budget Core i3 processor, you will get the same powerful GeForce GT555M graphics card. There are also modifications without 3D support, but with a touch multitouch-display - I'm sure for someone this option will be even more attractive.

Performance
The monoblock uses an unusual tandem from the desktop 4-core Intel processor and the top, but mobile, Nvidia graphics card. As a result, Lenovo was able to combine high performance with compactness and low noise cooling system. Here's what happens in the GeekBench processor test:



The result is almost two times higher than that of the IdeaPad Y570 laptop with a mobile dual-core processor. The video card in the FurMark test shows the following result:



For comparison, the latest Intel integrated video shows a result of about 150-160 points, and mid-level NVIDIA accelerators - about 400. You can see the results of other synthetic tests in the monoblock review on Hi-Tech.Mail .ru. Once again I note that the performance in games does not depend on the modification of the candy bar - even in the cheapest model you will get a similar video card that can cope with any games.

Options and connectors
Together with the all-in-one you get a set of fairly modest keyboards and mice. This seems to me a plus, since an avid gamer or just a picky user will buy a keyboard and mouse "for themselves" in any case. The rest will be enough and a basic set, which does not greatly affect the total cost.



The main set of connectors is located on the rear panel. In addition to standard connectors, there is an analog video input and an antenna connector. Using the standard Windows Media Center, you can turn a candy bar into a TV. Although it seemed to me the preferred option to connect the IPTV set-top box to the HDMI input - the quality is better. Using the eSATA connector, you can connect an external hard drive, although a full-time (3.5-inch) two-terabyte drive is enough.



For flash drives and memory cards there is an additional panel of connectors on the side.

Tri-de



To view 3D content in monoblock technology is used NVIDIA. These wireless glasses come with the computer. Accordingly, in 3D mode, the monoblock screen switches to a frequency of 120 Hz, alternately showing a picture for the left and right eyes, and the shutter starts to work in glasses. 3D viewing kits for other computers have an infrared transmitter that activates this mode, but the B520 has it built-in.

Then everything is simple: we launch 3D video using a player supporting this mode (in the kit there is one from Cyberlink), the candy bar switches to 3D mode in about a second, the glasses start working. Turn off the video (3D only works in full screen mode) - the glasses go into standby mode. As a result, although there is a built-in battery in the glasses that needs to be recharged, in two weeks of periodically watching films and games in 3D, I could not put the battery in.

I liked the quality of 3D: you can argue about the need for such entertainment in general, but the IdeaCentre B520 shows three-dimensional special effects no worse than in movie theaters. Especially if you are watching a video sitting a meter away from the screen. For family viewing, 23 inches of the display may not be enough, and there are only one glasses in the kit. An extra couple will cost about 4-5 thousand rubles.

Summary



The choice between a monoblock and a traditional dextop is always determined by what you need first of all - a turnkey solution or the possibility of an upgrade. IdeaCentre B520 is ready to work one minute after you open the box with the computer. What is important - in terms of performance, it is not inferior to conventional desktop PCs, due to the use of the Intel desktop processor. Unlike the “entertaining” A700, the B-series all-in-one is capable of something more: it can also become a media server for other devices in the home network, and can be used for video or photo processing, and it’s quite suitable for work tasks. FullHD screen, capacious (and replaceable) hard drive, powerful hardware are combined in it with relative compactness and minimal noise level. And all this is available in trim levels at a very reasonable price.

And what would you choose, a candy bar or a desktop PC? In what situations is a candy bar the best choice? Or do you need a laptop with an external display?