Lenovo IdeaPad V460 Review

Lenovo IdeaPad V460

Review Summary:

The IdeaPad V460 combines good looks and good performance with subpar battery life.

Pros

• Stylish design
• Good build quality
• Nice keyboard
• Decent speakers

Cons

• Less than 4 hours battery life
• Touchpad too sensitive

Lenovo IdeaPad V460 Full Review

 

Business notebooks aren't always affordable -- Lenovo aims to change that with its V-series IdeaPad. Today we look at the V460, which has a 14-inch display,Intel Core i5 processor and comes in under $800.

Our Lenovo IdeaPad V460 has the following specifications:

• 14-inch 720p (1366 x 768) glossy display with LED backlighting
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core i5-430M dual-core processor (2.26GHz up to 2.40GHz Turbo Boost, 3MB L3, 2.5GT/s QPI, 35W TDP)
• Intel HM55 chipset
• Switchable graphics:
• Dedicated Nvidia GeForce G310M 1GB
• Integrated Intel HD graphics
• 4GB DDR3-1066 dual-channel RAM (2x 2GB)
• 320GB 5400RPM Western Digital hard drive (WD3200BEVT)
• Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 1000
• Integrated biometric fingerprint reader
• DVD burner (HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GT30N)
• 1-year limited warranty
• 6-cell li-ion battery (11.1V, 48Wh)
• Weight: 4.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 13.4” x 9.3” x 0.8~1.3”
• MSRP: $799

The specifications are slightly less than expected for this price range, however this review will show whether the promised "good build" quality makes up for the gap.

Build and Design
The IdeaPad V460 has a stylish professional look which is at home in nearly any environment. The chassis and lid are covered in finely brushed aluminum, which not only feels great, but adds strength. The V460 weighs in at 4.85 lbs, which is slightly more than usual for a 14-inch notebook. The chassis is relatively thin with an average height of about one inch. The V460's build quality is above average for its price range. Grabbing the two front corners of the chassis and twisting produces minimal flex. The chassis surface is rigid and does not bend under pressure thanks to the aluminum.

The lid is reasonably strong and does not feel flimsy; however, applying pressure to the back of the display with my fingers produced some ripples on the screen; the aluminum did not help as much here as I thought it would. My main complaint with the V460's design is the use of black glossy plastic for the screen surround; it attracts and shows dust and fingerprints easily and is difficult to keep clean.

Fit and finish is good; gaps between parts is consistent and there are no sharp or unfinished edges. There are volume up, down, and mute buttons above the keyboard. They are touch-enabled and work well. Unlike most notebooks in its class, the V460 has a biometric fingerprint reader built into the palm rest area. Overall the V460 has good build quality and good looks. The use of aluminum on the exterior makes a big difference.

Ports and Features
The V460 has an average selection of ports. An ExpressCard slot is included though it lacks USB 3.0 and eSATA.

Front: Wireless on/off switch 

Back: Battery pack

Left: Kensington Lock slot, VGA, heat exhaust vent, HDMI, Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, microphone and headphone jacks

Right: ExpressCard/34 (top), 4-in-1 card reader (bottom), DVD burner, USB 2.0, AC power jack

Keyboard and Touchpad
Lenovo's IdeaPad line continues to use a traditional keyboard instead of the "Chiclet" Apple MacBook-style types, which is by no means a bad thing. The V460's full-size keyboard has a superb feel and, on the whole, provides a great typing experience. The keys have just the right amount of travel; key positions (fully up/down or in-between) are defined well. The keyboard has virtually no flex.

The keys make a pleasant sound when pressed and are not loud; the V460 could be used in most places without disturbing neighbors. A characteristic I like about this keyboard is the thickness of the plastic keys; they feel solid and durable.

The touchpad is good overall. The dimpled surface is easy to track on and has a clearly defined border. The two touchpad buttons are quiet and provide good feedback. I experienced some odd tracking issues with the touchpad, however; the default settings are a bit too sensitive. Occasionally the cursor would skip an inch or two on the screen because one of my fingers ventured within a centimeter of the touchpad surface unintentionally.

Screen and Speakers
The V460 has a 14-inch display with a glossy surface and LED backlighting. The overall quality of the screen is average; it is not better or worse than competing notebooks I tested over the past year. Contrast is low; black levels are not as deep as they could be. Colors are somewhat washed out; the display has a blue-ish cast at default settings which is typical for an LED-backlit display. Brightness is satisfactory. Viewing angles are narrow; from side to side, colors start to wash out after 35 degrees in either direction. Vertically there is significant color inversion after 15 degrees off center.

The 1366 x 768 resolution is also typical for a 14-inch notebook. This resolution is too low for office productivity; with just 768 pixels of vertical space, only about one-half of a Microsoft Word page is viewable at a time (or less). With a higher resolution like 1600 x 900, more content could be displayed on the screen at a time, improving multi-tasking capability.

The V460 has two stereo speakers located above the keyboard and they are surprisingly decent; they have good range and do not distort even at maximum volume. Bass is perceptible, though the V460 lacks a dedicated subwoofer.

Performance and Benchmarks
The V460 has mid-range components which are enough to handle just about any modern application (within reason). This is not a gaming machine; the Nvidia G310M graphics will not go far with today's 3D games. However, for general use there is more than ample performance. The Intel Core i5 processor has two cores, enabling users to run several programs at a time without slowing down. The V460's 4GB of RAM is plenty for running modern programs. The included 320GB 5400RPM drive is whisper quiet, but slow.

wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

PCMark Vantage measures overall system performance (high scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark Vantage measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

CrystalDiskMark storage drive performance test:

Heat and Noise
The V460's cooling solution consists of a single fan pushing warm air out the left side of the chassis. The fan stays off most of the time while performing basic tasks like web surfing. Every five minutes or so the fan turns on for about 30 seconds to get rid of built-up heat and then turns off. The fan noise is relatively high-pitched making it easy to notice and pick out of any background noise. It was tough not to notice the V460 while running benchmarks, when the fan was on all the time. If Lenovo used a larger diameter fan, it would have been quieter. For the V460's intended usage, however, fan noise should not be an issue.

Battery Life
The V460's 6-cell, 48Wh battery sustained it for three hours and 20 minutes during our standard battery rundown test (Windows 7 Balanced power profile, 70% screen brightness, and refreshing a web page every 60 seconds). The battery is not exactly powerful and the time is somewhat disappointing; four hours or better would have been nice, especially considering the V460 is aimed towards business use.

Battery life test results (higher scores mean better battery life):

Conclusion
The Lenovo IdeaPad V460 represents a good value in the budget businessnotebook market. It has great build quality, stylish looks, and a good keyboard. Overall performance is very good for everyday applications. Decent speakers were a welcome surprise.

The V460's main issue is its limited battery life; it struggles past the three hour mark. Business notebooks typically have four or more. Another issue is the fan, which is noticeable when it turns on.

In the V460's case, the pros outweigh the cons. This notebook is recommendable to those looking for a better quality notebook under $1,000.

Pros:

• Stylish design
• Good build quality
• Nice keyboard
• Decent speakers

Cons:

• Less than 4 hours battery life
• Touchpad too sensitive

Individual Ratings: *
Software & Support 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 

* Ratings averaged to produce final score