LENOVO IdeaPad Y730 Review: Fully media equipped laptop

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y730 is a fully media equipped laptop that brings entertainment handy to the ones, who want access anywhere and anytime. For the gamers, finally there is this gaming laptop that can satisfy all that they have ever wanted. This can be called the first ever laptop that respects the whims of the gaming communities. Lenovo has finally taken an aim at netting the valuable game-loving customers.

Build and Design

The build of Lenovo IdeaPad Y730 is quite sturdy and strong. The laptop looks heavier and is somewhat geometrical in shape with crisp edges and angles. It looks like a big video game and we have to admit that the chassis shape is not a comfortable one. The laptop is given a rather cubical, childish shape, and the colours like red add to the “box-like” look of the laptop. The lid is red colored in the featured laptop. The rest of the body is greyish-black. The hinges are not the cylindrical one but rather the pivoted hinges. Overall the Lenovo IdeaPad Y730 gives a conservative IBM look, with some colour added to it.

Display

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y730 uses the same graphics processor and displays as the other IdeaPads. Determined to make the gaming experience an ideal one, Lenovo makes use of the ATI Radeon Mobility 3650 with 512MB of memory, which makes it ultra-durable to hardcore animation in 3D. The screen is a 17″ one, which lets you open two documents in parallel. When talking about gaming and movies, it is always better with the bigger. The resolution however is little disappointing at 1440×900, which is too less for a screen 17″ big. The main disadvantage we have been talking about in all the Lenovo notebooks is seen in here too. The extra glossy screen is a nagging experience, if there is some light behind you.

Keyboard and touchpad

The keyboards of Lenovo Y730 have a gaming keypad called the Game Zone keypad by Lenovo. This is an addition to the number of steps taken by Lenovo to make this one stand apart as a laptop for gaming. The gamers would definitely love this additional keypad. Rest of the keyboard is generic form of the Y530 keyboard. The touchpad and mouse keys are flat. The entire keyboard is a well-cushioned one and is pleasant to type on. It can be more-or-less termed as the silent keyboard and rebound is crisp and noiseless. A panel of media keys brings media control at easy reach. The Keyboard of Lenovo Y730 is therefore a piece of delight and it’s hard to find factors to complaint about.

Performance and Benchmarks

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y730 comes with a 3GB of DDR3 RAM, which is a very good compensation at the price they are offering. However, a 4GB RAM would have been perfect for handling games of all sorts. The performance of the laptop is therefore good. A core 2 Duo T5800 processor supports the operations of this laptop. On normal usage, the laptop has been found to be of great capabilities. However, the pace of the laptop retreats a bit if you put on a high demanding game, while the internet and music runs on the background. But that is beyond the requirement use, which mostly doesn’t occur in daily life. So, the performance can be counted upon as fairly acceptable and good. The start-up and shutdown times are a little more then expected, but can be tolerated.

Battery Life

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y730 has a battery life of 2 hours and 32 minutes on web browsing over Wi-Fi with music playback, after which all batteries drain out. This is something we regretted in a laptop so well designed. If you are travelling and you love games, you wouldn’t like to save back batteries and put off the music of your games. And if you plan to do some work after a long-duration game, then you need to get to the charging station first. That’s what we found nagging. If you aren’t the one who has to be on a flight for more than 3 hours, then it is a perfect notebook for you.

Specifications of Ideapad Y730

Processor: 2 GHz T5800 Core 2 Duo from Intel
OS: Genuine Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Memory: 3-GB DDR3
Display: 17 inch WXGA, 1440X900
Hard drive: 320 GB SATA
Battery: 6 cell lithium
Weight: 7 lbs
Pros: Strong built; reasonable price; finger-touch media control keys; excellent gaming features

Cons: Overly reflective screen; heavy; battery life is quite less;

MSRP: $899 (base price)