Lenovo positions its ThinkPad Edge series as being slightly more stylish than its other lines while retaining the usability features that have long made ThinkPads popular with corporate users--and that's a pretty fair assessment. What the PR people don't mention is that the performance may not be great. For general business use, however, the ThinkPad Edge E420 we tested would certainly be adequate, and its price will appeal to small-business owners and other people in search of an affordable all-purpose laptopwith a 14.1-inch display.
Configured with an Intel Core i3-2310M CPU (the low-end chip in Intel's current-generation lineup), 4GB of DDR3 1.3MHz RAM, Intel HD 3000 graphics, a 500GB 7200-rpm hard drive, and the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional, our test system came with a modest price tag of $719 (as of July 21, 2011). This laptop also includes a built-in fingerprint reader, Bluetooth, an integrated 720p webcam, a 34mm ExpressCard slot (unusual in a budget laptop), an SD/MultiMediaCard slot, and a DVD burner.
The major downer with our test unit, as previously mentioned, was its performance. It turned in a lackluster WorldBench 6 score of 98, and frame rates on our Far Cry 2 and Dirt 2 gaming tests were equally disappointing, topping out at 32 frames per second for Dirt 2 running at 800 by 600 resolution with the lowest detail settings on the laptop's 1366 by 768 display. Of course, those scores were not particularly surprising given the low-end Core i3 CPU and the integrated graphics, but they should give pause to anyone who needs to run processor-intensive applications such as large databases or video editors. The good news is that Lenovo offers faster processors and more memory as customization options--but you'll pay handsomely for such upgrades
Edge E420 Specs as reviewed:
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M 2.30GHz
- Screen: 14.0” 1366 x 768 screen with anti-glare
- OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
- Memory: 4GB RAM
- Storage: 320GB 7200RPM hard drive
- Graphics: Intel HD 3000 graphics
- Optical Drive: Multi-Recorder DVD/CD
- Battery: 6- cell lithium ion
- Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n
- Ports: VGA monitor out, HDMI, Ethernet port, microphone / speaker combo jack, 4 x USB 2.0 ports (1 powered, 1 USB/eSata combo), 4-in-1 card reader, 34mm ExpressCard slot
- Weight: 4.6lbs
- Dimensions: 13.34” x 9.05” x 1.10 – 1.29”
- Warranty: 1-year standard
The Edge E420 was ordered direct from Lenovo.com during a sale event, the price was $539.10 before any taxes. Shipping was free.
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