Lenovo ThinkPad T420 41786VU Review

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Lenovo ThinkPad T420 41786VU
1,149 $ at amazon.com
  • Intel Core i5 2520M (2x2.5 GHz)

  • NVIDIA Quadro NVS4200M

  • 4 GB RAM Size

  • 500 GB HDD Capacity

2

Our summary of all reviews

  • Performance

    /100

    At this level, the performance is very low. This limits the user to usual activities e.g surfing the web, writing emails. Using applications like Word or Excel is possible, though at a very low speed. Gaming and other high performance tasks are impossible. People looking for a secondary laptop or using non-complex applications only will be satisfied.

    • 3DMark Vantage

      1696 #

    • Cinebench xCPU 64Bit

      10391 #

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  • Design

    2.6/5

    The reviewers rated the laptop design as below average. The laptop appearance will surely not please everyone’s taste, yet people who do not put a major emphasis on design will be satisfied.

  • Build Quality

    4.0/5

    The build quality provides for high standards to people requiring good protection for the laptop’s inner fragile parts. People on the move will find this laptop suited to handle both everyday life circumstances (putting it in and out of your bag/carrying it around) and significant challenges(falling from the desk to the hard floor, using it in a bus travelling on a bumpy road) very well.

    • Base Unit Flex

       : 

      5.0/5

      Active people with lifestyles requiring traveling, and who place a high value on perfection will be very satisfied with this laptop.

    • Hinge Stability

       : 

      4.0/5

      The screen hinge, connecting the monitor and the laptop body, is characterized by good tightness and flexibility. The display might slightly wiggle after opening the laptop or when moving around, but it does not cause any real annoyances.

    • Display Panel

       : 

      3.3/5

      Some minor colour distortions might occur under significant pressure on the back of the display, or when moving the screen back and fourth. Hardly any gaps between the different parts of the frame can be found.

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  • Display

    3.3/5

    Generally the reviewers deemed this laptop to be above average. Users could expect this display to provide for average satisfaction with office work as well as multimedia use. Gamers and professional designers might however not find this display to their taste. To get a more comprehensive review of this display, users should check the ratings of the different attributes of this screen.

    • Display Resolution

      1600 x 900

      This resolution allows the user to browse a website and skype at the same time, with the two windows open next to one another. High resolution video and picture editing might be problematic, while graphic design and low resolution editing are trouble-free. Gamers will need to afford a powerful graphic card to be able to support the native resolution. Most movies will be viewable with no black bars at the top and the bottom of the monitor.

    • Color Reproduction

       : 

      3.0/5

      The color spectrum covered by the display is acceptable. Both color saturation and natural appearance of the pictures are good enough for viewing HD movies and gaming. Professional designers however will find that only a higher level of color reproduction will satisfy their needs.

    • Contrast

       : 

      1.7/5

      This contrast can be simply described as bad. Black areas resemble a shade of dark gray, and whites look dirty. Office workers will not enjoy this notebook as reading text will tire the eyes after some time. Shadows are either too dark or too bright, which really can destroy a good movie, or a beautiful picture.

    • Contrast Value

      160 :1

    • Brightness

       : 

      3.1/5

      The maximum brightness of this computer is adequate for viewing the screen comfortably, even under bright ambient light. However, the users must be cautious to only push the brightness to its maximum in bright conditions, eg. outdoors. Setting the brightness to a high level will drastically decrease the battery life. In addition, using the notebook at maximum brightness in a dark room will be tiring for the eyes.

    • Average Brightness

      216.75 cd/m²

    • Reflections

       : 

      3.4/5

      Viewing the display without major difficulties is achievable in almost all indoor lighting conditions. Office workers should be satisfied with this laptop. Reflections on the display will however cause discomfort when outdoors, unless the laptop is positioned in shaded spaces.

    • Viewing Angle

       : 

      3.3/5

      Two individuals can sit next to one another comfortably, and still view the screen with hardly any image deviation. Colours might start to change if you move far to the sides of the display, so viewing the screen with a group of people will not guarantee a clear picture for everyone.

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  • Sound

    2.5/5

    The internal speakers of this laptop provided for a below average sound quality. Low sounds are still recognizable. Music can still listened to although the users should account for the necessity of external speakers when planning to watch a movie with a group. Musicians should not even stop to consider this laptop for their work, and gamers will be disappointed as the sound will be convincing. Even maximum volume will not make the sound experience enjoyable.

    • Maximum Volume

       : 

      3.0/5

      The peak volume of this laptop is acceptably loud. If relying only on the maximum sound output of the internal speakers of this laptop, watching movies with a group of friends should be manageable. It will be as well quite challenging to clearly distinguish sounds at peak volume if you are at the other end of the room.

    • Sound Clarity

       : 

      2.7/5

      This sound clarity is below average. Movies and games might not be as enjoyable because the sound will be muffed or suffer from interferences. Your expectations will be betrayed when watching an HD movie.

    • Lows

       : 

      1.0/5

      With the internal speakers of this laptop, there is practically no bass, making music or movies feel flat. The sound is thus either scratchy, too low or flat.

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  • Keyboard

    3.8/5

    This keyboard will be valued by most users as convenient for frequent use. Be it for writing long emails, or surfing the net, most users will be satisfied with the comfort and the speed this keyboard provides for. If your professional life requires long typing hours, along with the highest levels of comfort, then you might want to consider a keyboard with higher rates.

    • Layout

       : 

      3.8/5

      The layout of this keyboard might not feel comfortable for everyone. Inconveniences such as unintuitive positioning of different keys and different key sizes compared to the standard layout will be encountered. This most likely will lead to typing errors until the user readjusts to the keyboard.

    • Keyboard Size

       : 

      5.0/5

      This keyboard is characterized by large keys, thus dramatically reducing the frequency of typing mistakes. Typing is as well made very comfortable thanks to the deep palm resting area, which is as well handy when playing games, or for any activity requiring long hours of commitment. The whole keyboard is well proportionate with just the right spacing between the keys, providing for an ideal size for most users.

    • Key Responsiveness

       : 

      4.0/5

      This keyboard’s responsiveness provides for quite a satisfying typing experience. Not much pressure is needed for key feedback and key action feels smooth enough to allow the users to enjoy typing for extended periods of time. This keyboard is as well characterized by good key feedback, which allows for an above average typing speed. Most users should be pleased with this keyboard.

    • Keys Clicking Sound

       : 

      2.7/5

      The keyboard will produce a sort of click-clack when typing which, although not exceedingly disturbing, might still make people around you uncomfortable. In quiet environment specifically, the contrast between the clicking noise and the silent surroundings might be quite annoying.

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  • Touchpad

    3.4/5

    Most reviewers agreed that this touchpad should be to the liking of many users. The levels of accuracy, the size and the smoothness vs. resistance rates make this trackpad fairly above average. It is well suited for office work, browsing online and most other usage, although demanding users, designers and alike, might require a higher level of accuracy and would thus prefer an external mouse. The trackpad button quality was generally described as good and fitting the needs of most users.

    • Touchpad Surface

       : 

      2.9/5

      The feeling of this touchpad will vary depending on the users and their preferences. For most reviewers, this touchpad was unsuitable for extensive use. Because of problems such as excessive roughness or a slippery surface, the users might not be satisfied quite yet with this touchpad.

    • Sensitivity

       : 

      3.0/5

      Your expectations of an accurate touchpad should be generally satisfied. The levels of precision and speed provided by this touchpad are quite decent, and for most users, this touchpad will be just enough for daily use. Although the accuracy can be fine tuned in the Windows or Mac settings, the basic accuracy hardware wise is enough.

    • Touchpad Size

       : 

      3.0/5

      The size of this touchpad is above average. You can browse through large displayed pages, although it might require frequent finger movement. Putting the sensitivity settings up on your computer should make your mouse move faster, and thus cover “more ground”, without much sacrifice of the accuracy of your pointer.

    • Buttons

       : 

      3.9/5

      The reviewers considered the button quality of this touchpad to be satisfactory. Most users can rely on the accuracy and the smoothness of this button to carry out regular tasks. Very demanding users might find that the buttons fail to strike the right balance between being easy to click and giving clear feedback, making them a little too soft or too stiff. The button’s clicking sound will be acceptable for most, although sensitive users might prefer an even less noticeable auditive feedback.

    • Buttons Noise

       : 

      3.0/5

      The buttons respond with a decent click when pressed.

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  • Webcam Quality

    3.3/5

    The picture quality is decent under good light conditions.

  • Battery Surfing

    10:00 h

    The battery life is outstanding. You will be able to use your laptop for the better part of a whole work day. This of course requires you to turn down the brightness of your screen, as the display uses a lot of energy. You should also only plan to do office work and light browsing. If you are going to play games, stream videos, or surf websites with a lot of flash advertisement, the expected battery life will be considerably shorter. The energy saving mode should be enabled at all times, if not this will of course cause the battery life to drop even shorter.

    • Battery DVD/Video

      2:36 h

      This battery will only provide for 2 to 3 hours of work with energy demanding applications. You will probably be able to watch one movie or stream a couple of videos. Gaming will consume much more energy compared to watching videos, thus the battery will not last as long. For mobile use, an external battery is a good idea as it will double the time you are independent from power sockets.

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  • Weight

    4.32 lbs

    This laptop is comfortable to carry around during a busy day, with all your information within reach. Though there are lighter notebooks available and the extra weight in your bag will be noticeable, it will yet not be exhausting, even when you pack the charger. The weight of this laptop will not be a problem for most users, even those not used to carry around heavy weights.

  • Noise

    3.7/5

    Most users will find the laptop to be on the quiet side. There is some noise emitted from the fan, the CD drive and other laptop parts, yet most will not experience any inconveniences due to it. Noise sensitive people might opt for an even quieter computer.

    • Noise Idle

       : 

      3.7/5

      You could hear some silent noise from the fans when the laptop is idle.

    • Noise Normal Use

       : 

      3.5/5

      Noise emitted from this laptop will not cause any major inconveniences when doing office work or browsing the Internet. Although it might be be noticeable in a quite room, it should not be obstructing your concentration.

    • Noise Full Load

       : 

      3.0/5

      When you are watching a movie, editing a video, or playing games, the noise emitted by this laptop will not be of much disturbance according to most reviewers. The degree to which you will be annoyed depends on your sensitivity and on how quiet your surroundings are.

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  • Temperature

    4.5/5

    The laptops stays always cool. All reviewers found, the heat from the notebook will not be a problem for your fingers or legs. You can watch movies, even play games on a hot summer day without the laptop emitting any heat.

    • Heat Top: Full Use

       : 

      5.0/5

      The laptop keeps quite cool at normal use. That’s very convenient.

    • Heat Top: Normal Use

       : 

      5.0/5

      The temperature on top of the notebook is excellent. It never gets too warm.

    • Heat Bottom: Normal Use

       : 

      4.5/5

      The temperature at the bottom is excellent. It never gets too warm.

    • Heat Bottom: Full Load

       : 

      4.0/5

      There could be a spot where the laptop gets a little warmer but never unpleasantly.

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4

Where to buy

You can get the Lenovo ThinkPad T420 41786VU for 1,149$
A

All external reviews  Lenovo  ThinkPad T420 41786VU

Language Source URL Review Date Author

English

computershopper.com 10/7/11 Jamie Bsales

English

www.notebookreview.com 9/29/11 Charles P. Jefferies

English

www.pcadvisor.co.uk 8/26/11 Jon L Jacobi

English

www.pcworld.com 8/25/11 Jon L. Jacobi

English

www.laptopmag.com 8/3/11 Avram Piltch

English

www.insidehw.com 5/15/11 Marko Nesovic

Deutsch

www.notebookcheck.com 4/8/11 Martina Osztovits

Deutsch

www.notebookjournal.de 4/5/11 Shezan Kazi
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Total number of reviews: 8