IdeaPad U300s - made of metal

    The concept of ultrabooks - thin and light laptops with energy-efficient processors - was developed by Intel. At first glance, nothing fundamentally new was invented: CULV processors were used before. But stricter technical requirements are exactly what will help change the mobile computer industry for the better. Mobile computers will become thinner, lighter, more reliable, and at the same time remain very productive.

    Lenovo showed its version of the ultrabook, the IdeaPad U300s model recently, but it will soon be on sale with us. This model cannot be called cheap, but it is one of the thinnest and lightest 13-inch laptops with very impressive performance. But the main thing in it, perhaps - is what is called tactile sensations. The aluminum case gives this model a feeling of incredible reliability. However, Lenovo took care not only about the appearance: the design of the model provides minimal heating and noise.




    I got a copy with exactly such a color, although in fact the photo does not convey the rich orange color of the lid so well. However, there is a more calm silver.



    In the orange model, the entire inner surface is black, which makes the laptop quite strict. By the way, for this model they decided not to use the usual method of painting the body. Instead, the process of anodizing the metal is involved, which gives a guarantee against the appearance of noticeable scratches. In general, the laptop turned out to be really very thin, and in contrast to competitors, the thickness of the model (14.9 mm) is the same over the entire surface. The laptop resembles a book, and the same approach was used in the previous model of the series - IdeaPad U260.



    Speaking of heating. These two photos show how heat transfer occurs in a laptop and where it has the hottest spots. There are absolutely no openings on the bottom of the U300s, air is drawn in through a special membrane under the keyboard and is discharged through the openings on the left side and back through the ventilation grilles in the area of ​​the display hinges. The technology of the "breathing keyboard" is another development of Intel, which so far is presented exclusively in Lenovo laptops. By the way, a certain degree of protection against spilled liquid on the keyboard is also available. Result: the laptop case heats up very little, up to a maximum of 39 degrees at the hottest point. With U300s, another inconvenience arises: after the street it is uncomfortable to keep it on your lap for some time - it's too cold :)



    The technical characteristics of the tested instance are as follows:

    Processor : Intel Core i7-2677M 1.8-2.9 GHz
    Memory : 4 GB DDR3 (one module)
    Storage : 256 GB SSD
    Screen : 13.3 inches 1366x768 pixels
    Wireless : WiFi 802.11n / Bluetooth
    Connectors : headset (headphones and microphone), 1xUSB 2.0, 1xUSB 3.0, HDMI
    Dimensions : 324x216x14.9 mm
    Weight : 1.32 kg

    Let's look at performance: The



    dual-core Core i7 with reduced power consumption shows an 8% lower result than a full-fledged laptop Intel Core i5 in ThinkPad X220. It is much more interesting that the test results of one of the most powerful “full-sized” Core i7 of the previous generation (620M 2.67 GHz) are almost identical to those of the new CULV processor. In general, we can say that you don’t need to expect any special compromises in performance with such a laptop, everything will work quickly, and when necessary, with a low battery consumption.

    The built-in SSD-drive in the HDTune test for sequential data reading shows an average speed of about 240 MB / s - a very good indicator. In a company with a powerful processor, modified Windows drivers and specially prepared UEFI BIOS, this laptop provides not only high speed applications, but also a quick start: I got it within 12 seconds with the stated 10 to boot the system from scratch. A laptop exits sleep mode instantly.



    The battery in this laptop is also quite powerful: 54 Wh, with a stated battery life of up to 8 hours. As usual, I tested the IdeaPad U300s for the duration of autonomous playback of HD video with the following parameters: brightness and volume at 70% of the maximum, WiFi is on. The result is also not bad: 4 hours 53 minutes. Let me remind you, the ThinkPad X220 in the same test (and with a more powerful regular battery) worked a little more than 6 hours, and the ThinkPad X1 (it is also equipped with a non-removable battery) - 3.5 hours. In general, for six hours of operation, without much battery saving (but also without fanaticism), you can count on it.

    Price and Verdict
    A modern laptop should be cheap, compact and fast. As usual, only two can be selected from these three statements. The compact and fast IdeaPad U300s will not cost cheap: the specified configuration with the most powerful Intel ULV processor will appear here this fall at a price of about 50 thousand rubles. This laptop clearly belongs to the image class: it looks incredibly stylish and, as they say, is pleasant to the touch. Although, for the sake of minimal thickness, I even had to sacrifice an Ethernet connector. On the other hand, stylish models sometimes do not provide high performance, but with this the U300s are just fine. A good laptop for a successful business woman, or just for a girl, a fashion accessory and at the same time a great work tool. Be that as it may, more important to me is that U300s shows one of the options for the further development of mobile computers. And such a future looks very attractive.



    And now a small announcement: next week I will publish the first review of the new Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet Android-tablet - a very interesting model based on Nvidia Tegra 2 with a full pen input, an optional "iron" keyboard and a very strong design. I can already say for sure that this tablet is different from the most serious competitor in this market (we all know what this device is :), and from everyone else. So if you want to know something specific about this model, or if you are interested in the results of certain tests - ask in the comments, be sure to consider this when preparing the post.

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