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bottlenecking the loading of textures into memory. Fortunately, the framerate performance in Skyrim was as we expected and is comparable to the Acer 5951G (Core i7-2630QM w/ GeForce GT 555M).Asus A32-F80By far the worst offender in terms of noise emissions for the Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 was the fan noise. During idle and low usage, the fan was bearable, but once an application using the discrete GPU was initialized, the fans became impossible to ignore.The one benefit? Hard drive noise, if present at all, was indistinguishable relative to the roar of the fans.
Although the presence of NVIDIA's GeForce GT 555M in the Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 comes with a host of benefits during everyday operation, the downside to all of this, in addition to the fan noise mentioned earlier, is the heat produced when the dGPU kicks in. A comparison between the idle and load temperatures for the Y570 is in order:Asus A32-F80A
Notice the seemingly day-and-night difference between the "Load" and "Idle" data? That's the result of NVIDIA's Optimus software at work. Under load conditions (in the case of our test of the Y570, firing up Skyrim and/or Minecraft, and playing through a bit of the single-player campaign), the high-performance, Asus A32-F80H high-noise, high-temperature discrete GPU renders most of the graphical information being passed along to it. Under typical web browsing/document editing conditions, the integrated graphics chip does the graphical work quietly and efficiently.
We'll give the folks at Lenovo some credit, though; even though there is a striking difference in temperature between load and idle conditions on the Y570, the fact that the temperature is so even across the laptop in the idle state suggests that Lenovo spent good time modeling and optimizing the airflow through the inside fo the case for that particular situation. Asus L0690LC
If NVIDIA's Optimus technology coupled to a blistering fast discrete GPU and an already-respectable integrated GPU is the "killer app" for the Lenovo IdeaPad Y570, the next best draw for this laptop is the JBL-engineered integrated speakers flanking the media buttons and the power keys above the notebook's keyboard. Sound quality is crisp and clear all throughout the volume range, Asus NB-BAT-A8-NF51B1000 and while there doesn't appear to be an integrated subwoofer to cover bass frequencies, we're not complaining too much -- the ability to output sound at twice the volume we're used to hearing is just too entertaining!
The Y570 comes with a 11.1V, 62Wh, 6-cell rechargable lithium-ion battery, the Lenovo L10S6F01, rated at 5600mAh current discharge. The tech specs on Lenovo's website list the battery life at approximately 4 hours, but does it really measure up?Asus 90-NLF1B2000Y
In order to test the battery life, we used Battery Eater, a freeware designed to drain the battery of notebooks by any means possible. For some reason, the application detected the batteries as 3-cell, though. The results indicate that under maximum load without using the NVIDIA graphics card, the Y570 lasted for 81 minutes. On the other end of the spectrum,Asus A32-F5 testing the battery at idle produced an overall runtime of 259 minutes, or 4 hr 19 minutes. As can be seen below in the "Battery Runtime" charts, the battery life on this machine is slightly better than the overall average.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Y570, in the configuration handed to us for review, appears on paper to a well-constructed but curious hybrid. It has all the bells and whistles and heft of a desktop replacement laptop with, in some cases, the parts selection of a power-efficient subnotebook.Asus a32-x50It's a good blend, don't get me wrong -- the fit and finish, and NVIDIA's Optimus automatic switchable graphics, are both amazing for a laptop of this price ($999 standard, $869 online). But, a few design/software/optioning missteps make the notebook a hard sell, relative to other offerings such as Dell's XPS 15z:
Lenovo mentions an optional mSATA SSD drive, installed in a PCIe slot and used as a cache for the main HDD. For unknown reasons, this option, which would greatly enhance hard-drive performance, is not available in any of the customizable configurations online.Asus90-nlf1b2000yFrom the bottom, the Y570 continues its preoccupation with trippy, maze-like patterns. And let's not forget the color-matching between the heatsink and the laptop's outer edge!Lights on the front face of the laptop near the touchpad.And speaking of which, the touchpad continues the excellent tradition of the Y570's fit and finish, with a stippled surface and a color-matched scrollbar.
The IdeaPad Y570's twin USB 3.0 ports peek out from under its logo.Lenovo really worked on the little details for this computer. The area above the keyboard on the main body of the laptop is gorgeous, and is even more helpful in the dark.Asus 70-nlf1b2300z
Bargain silver plate? Hewlett Packard releases an Office notebook for less than €500 in a just as elegant as solid aluminum case called ProBook 4535s. There's no lack of equipment despite the low price. An AMD A4-3300M APU is installed here. How will the notebook fare in comparison to colleagues with an Intel processor?Asus 70-nlf1b2000y
HP's ProBook 4535s is a business notebook for less than €500 in a brushed aluminum case, alike its "older brother" Probook 4530s. Asus 90-NQY1B1000Y However, while the latter was still equipped with an Intel Core i3-2310M processor along with its integrated Intel GMA HD 3000 Graphics, the manufacturer lowers the price by using an AMD A4-3300M processor in the 4535s. The i3 in the 4530s was pretty close to the i5 range's boundaries - the dual cores of the AMD A4 series are sooner to be categorized in the entry level sector. Nevertheless, Full HD videos aren't a problem for them anymore and, according to AMD, they are even suitable for slightly more complicated applications like image editing. Moreover, there is also a HP ProBook 4535s version available with a slightly faster AMD A6-3400M.Asus 90-NQY1B2000Y
The remaining equipment also meets the claim of a business laptop: It is possible to work well with the installed Windows 7 due to good 4 GB of RAM; the 15.6 inch screen bids a standard resolution of 1366x768 pixels; Bluetooth, USB 3.0 as well as VGA and HDMI ports take care of the necessary external connections and a fingerprint sensor supplies additional biometric protection.Asus A32-N50The "s" in the name also stands for a short platform cycle of 9 to 12 months in this ProBook and the manufacturer only grants a 12 month warranty. This is to ensure that the price can be kept moderate.
Sooner a silver star than a "gray mouse": The brushed aluminum used on the lid makes a fine first impression and the cool metal of the wrist rests is also pleasant. The ProBook 4535s comes in the same case as the 4530s. It is just as an elegant eye-catcher that captivates through simplicity and doesn't use any optical frills.Asus A33-N50
While the display bezel and chassis bottom are made of matt black plastic, a silver bar lines the case and the keyboard. HP speaks of a "wear-resistant" design. This quality should stand the test of long time use. As to smudge and fingerprints - they gather on the metal surfaces but don't smear as much as on high gloss plastic.Asus 70-NQ91B1000PZ
Like the design, the stability is quite high-end for this price range. The base unit doesn't even minimally yield under pressure. Only the display lid can't completely prevent a slight warping. The two thick hinges are also covered in metal but aren't solid metal. Nevertheless, they keep the screen stable in every angle and hardly let the display teeter in vibrations.Asus 70-NQ91B1000Z
The cover on the case's bottom can be removed without a screwdriver after the battery has been taken out. Thus, it is easy to access hard disk, RAM, fan and WLAN module in the mini PCI Express.The manufacturer states a total weight of 2.33 kilograms. The basically identical ProBook 4530s weighs 2.531 kilograms; we didn't weigh the present test device.Asus 90-NGF1B1100
The connectivity also hardly leaves anything to be desired. Besides three mandatory USB 2.0 ports, the additional USB 3.0 port is pleasing because data can be transferred up to ten times faster. However, a slightly wider flash drive or connector can't be used directly side by side here at all or only conditionally because the jacks are quite close together. Moreover, the 34 mm ExpressCard slot bids room for additional extensions. But it's located immediately beneath two USB ports that would be covered by cards with a higher section.Asus 90-NQ91B1000Y
External monitors or projectors can be connected via the VGA and HDMI port. While HP has placed most interfaces on the sides, only both jacks for headphone and microphone and the SD card reader with an inserted dummy are found on the front.Asus A32-B50
The ProBook 4530s still had a RJ-11 port. The opening for this is also located on the case's right in our 4535s. However, RJ-11 hasn't been installed and the opening is closed by a permanent cover.A docking station port isn't installed in the ProBooks. That is only available in the business machines of the HP EliteBook range.Asus A42-B50
In terms of communication, the HP ProBook 4535s sports up to date technology to the largest extent. A Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 socket is available, as well as an 802.11 n WLAN module in the internal mini PCI Express slot. Merely Bluetooth is installed as the older, but still frequently used 3.0 version. The latest Bluetooth 4.0 is to offer a faster connection and lower power consumption. However, this shouldn't be of much importance for the casual user. A short test with data transmission from an Android smartphone worked smoothly.Asus A42-V1
Although this is a low-budget model among business notebooks, HP uses a few security features. The 4535s bids biometric protection via a fingerprint sensor and facial recognition software which worked perfectly in the test.ASUS 90-NER1B1000YHP likely only includes mandatory supplies for the ProBook 4535s in order to keep the price low. The included 65 watt power adapter has a sufficient capacity and the 6 cell battery with a capacity of 47 watt hours isn't anything special at first glance. That is also confirmed in the battery life test later on. HP advertises additional accessories that can be purchased on the manufacturer's site on a promo sheet.
Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit is installed on our test device - many big online retailers however "only" speak of the professional version. Arcsoft TotalMedia, an alternative to Windows Media Player, is the only full version that is installed beside the manufacturer's tools. Microsoft Office 2010 is only a trial version and has to subsequently be activated with a key, just like the 60 day trial version of the preinstalled Anti-Virus Suite.ASUS 90-NER1B2000Y
As mentioned, HP only bids a one year warranty on the laptop and battery. However, it includes a pick-up and return service. This service is likely the lowest warranty that a manufacturer grants on a notebook starting from the date of purchase. A warranty period of up to 3 years isn't uncommon for HP's higher-end laptops. The warranty period of the 4535s can be extended for at least one year starting at a price of about €40.ASUS A31-F9
The same keyboard as used in the ProBook 4530s is built into our 4535s, so with a chiclet design. There's even room for a numpad. Typing is pleasant on the 15x15 millimeter keys due to the agreeable key drop. Merely the center arrow keys (up/down) have been compressed to the size of one key and are thus somewhat imprecise to use. Users who work with external PC keyboards may need a bit of accommodation in the beginning due to the rather short key drop with a clear pressure point.ASUS A32-F9
Usual functions, such as standby, monitor selection, screen brightness and volume can be controlled via the FN buttons. There are also shortcut keys to operate audio or video playback. Two more buttons outside of the keyboard open the Internet browser, respectively the WLAN module.ASUS A32-T13
The cursor glides without interruptions over the screen via a 93x53 millimeter touchpad with a pleasant surface. Multitouch gestures can be learned and configured via preinstalled software. Two finger scrolling, enabled by default, doesn't work smoothly at first. However, the user can switch this to one finger scrolling at the right edge. Moreover, mouse and right click actions can be mapped with user-defined gestures.Asus 70-NKT1B1000
For most users a 15.6 inch screen is the most frequent compromise between a sufficiently sized desktop representation and the desired mobility of a notebook. Since a high resolution miracle can't be expected in this price range, the ProBook 4535s' screen has the standard resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The matt screen is also pleasing as it prevents annoying reflections.Asus 70-NKT1B1100
The backlight via LEDs has improved a lot compared with the ProBook 4630s. While it had an average brightness of only 186 cd/m2 in our test lab, we could determine a quite even brightness of 216 cd/m2 in the present 4535s.Asus A42-G70Despite the rather high black value, which lets black sooner look like gray compared with better screens, the contrast of 161:1 is just still acceptable. However, watching videos or scrolling through vacation photos isn't a feast for the eyes with that. | 
