Lenovo ThinkPad X220 42862AU Review

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Lenovo ThinkPad X220 42862AU
904 $ at amazon.com
  • Intel Core i3 2310M (2x2.1 GHz)

  • Intel HD Graphics 3000

  • 4 GB RAM Size

  • 320 GB HDD Capacity

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Our summary of all reviews

  • Performance

    22 /100

    At this average level of performance, all office work is well managed. No problems will be encountered with multitasking or multimedia applications. Older games as well as casual gaming e.g. “The Sims III” are supported. People looking for a primary laptop and who do not require high performance gaming will be satisfied.

    • 3DMark 06 1024 x 768

      3793.33 #

    • 3DMark Vantage

      1678 #

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  • Design

    3.2/5

    The reviewers’ opinions tended predominantly towards moderate satisfaction concerning the laptop design. The notebook’s appearance was decently received and should prove to be at the taste of many users.

  • Build Quality

    4.3/5

    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

       : 

      2.0/5

      It is not necessary to keep the laptop in constant conditions of security and steadiness. The frame is relatively stable. The built up of the laptop might have some gaps between the different parts.

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  • Display

    4.0/5

    The monitor provides good potential for professional designers and photographers. Gaming and multimedia users will be satisfied with this display. Looking at the screen both indoors and outdoors is a generally enjoyable experience. Therefore, even demanding business users will be satisfied with this great display.

    • Display Resolution

      1366 x 768

      This resolution is also called HD-ready. Viewing more than one website on the monitor is almost impossible, as one window takes up almost the whole space. Graphic designers might not be completely satisfied with this resolution, as this latter might be too small. High resolution picture and video editing is plainly impossible. This resolution is a good option for gamers as many graphic cards will be powerful enough to support the native resolution of this display. Watching most movies will be possible without any black bars at the top and bottom of the display.

    • 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

       : 

      3.5/5

      This laptop is able to produce a satisfactory contrast between the darkest color -black- and the brightest color -white-. It allows for acceptable readability as it is easy to distinguish black writing on a white background when indoors. The needs of professional designers might not be met with this contrast. Shadows are decently displayed providing for an okay gaming experience. Horror, Mystery, and Action movies will be much more enjoyed in a darkened space which accounts for the average display contrast.

    • Contrast Value

      770 :1

    • Brightness

       : 

      3.8/5

      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

      260.63 cd/m²

    • Reflections

       : 

      5.0/5

      Display reflection? What display reflection!? There is no display reflection! Even a bright light directed straight at the screen, will not bother the users both indoors and outdoors. This computer thus provides for ideal viewing in both an office/home context, and when lying at the beach while watching your favourite movie.

    • Viewing Angle

       : 

      4.3/5

      You can see the screen comfortably even when looking from the side. Colors distortions will only happen, when the display is leaned backward or forward to its maximum. You can comfortably watch a movie with friends, or show the screen to a few people.

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  • Sound

    2.7/5

    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

       : 

      3.5/5

      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

       : 

      3.5/5

      The clarity of the sound is still ok at this level. While demanding audiophiles will think of it as a disaster, the rest of us will find the sound experience provided by this laptop satisfactory when watching movies or playing games.

    • 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

    4.4/5

    This keyboard has been rated by most reviewers as quite convincing. If your daily life relies heavily on typing, then this keyboard has been manufactured for you. Whether you are an academician, a journalist, or an office worker, you will find this keyboard providing for both comfort and speed. Gamers will be as well satisfied even after long hours of use.

    • Layout

       : 

      4.0/5

      The layout of this keyboard stands firmly within the ranges of conventionality. The positioning of the keys conforms with the standard layout, thus reducing the users adaptation time to their new keyboard.

    • Keyboard Size

       : 

      4.0/5

      The size of this keyboard allows for a good typing experience, as the keys are large enough to reduce typos. The palm rest is as well a quality of this keyboard, deep enough for easy and comfortable usage. The gaps between the keys make the keyboard quite proportionate, and to the linking of most users.

    • Key Responsiveness

       : 

      4.3/5

      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.

    • Keyboard Flex

       : 

      3.3/5

      Although the plastic below the keyboard does flex at noticeable levels, it is still not bothersome enough to interrupt your typing. it is true that your typing speed might decrease and your comfort will not be ideal, but the flex of this keyboard is still not too annoying for most users.

    • Keys Clicking Sound

       : 

      3.3/5

      The sound produced when clicking on individual keys could be considered by some at the verge of being disturbing. Most users however will not be bothered by it.

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  • Touchpad

    3.6/5

    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

       : 

      4.0/5

      The feeling of the touchpad will work at your satisfaction with its relatively smooth surface allowing quick scrolling up and down your pages. If you require rougher textures, the trackpad of this computer can be pleasing, as it combines both smoothness and good surface resistance.

    • Sensitivity

       : 

      4.0/5

      The accuracy of this touchpad fulfills high standards of satisfaction. You should not face any issues, as the reaction time is quite fast, and the responsiveness is quite precise and your mouse pointer will always go where you want it to. This touchpad should answer the needs of most users no matter their demands.

    • 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

       : 

      3.0/5

      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.

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  • Webcam Quality

    2.0/5

    The picture can be a little bit noisy when the light conditions are not good but for video chatting it will be okay.

  • Battery Surfing

    7:36 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

      6:16 h

      The battery is among the best available. You can carry out energy demanding applications such as streaming online videos, preparing for long presentations, or even watching several movies in a row comfortably for extended hours (5 hours and more). Playing games requires much more energy and thus the battery will last for a shorter period of time.

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  • Weight

    2.87 lbs

    This laptop ranks amongst the lightest in the market. This weight makes the computer ideal for travelling or to use while commuting. Carrying this laptop feels just like carrying a bottle of water while hiking. It is easy to pack with your books when heading to the library, or to put back in your handbag after checking your morning emails at your favourite cafe. You might even forget you are carrying this laptop, even with the extra weight of the charger.

  • Noise

    3.5/5

    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

       : 

      5.0/5

      You will not notice any noise when the laptop is idle.

    • Noise Normal Use

       : 

      4.0/5

      While doing office work or browsing the web, the noise emitted by this computer is barely noticeable. In a quite room, you can rest assured, the low noise of the fan will not hinder with your concentration.

    • Noise Full Load

       : 

      3.3/5

      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

    4.3/5

    The laptop stays cool most of the time. Most reviewers found, the heat from the notebook usually will not be uncomfortable for your fingers or legs. You can watch movies even on hot summer days without burning your legs.

    • Heat Top: Full Use

       : 

      5.0/5

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

    • Heat Top: Normal Use

       : 

      4.5/5

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

    • Heat Bottom: Normal Use

       : 

      4.0/5

      The temperature on the bottom of the notebook is fine. It never gets to warm.

    • Heat Bottom: Full Load

       : 

      2.0/5

      There are some spots where the laptop gets a little hotter.

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Where to buy

You can get the Lenovo ThinkPad X220 42862AU for 904$
A

All external reviews  Lenovo  ThinkPad X220 42862AU

Language Source URL Review Date Author

English

www.notebookcheck.net 6/23/11 Tobias Winkler

English

www.pcworld.com 3/25/11 Jon L. Jacobi

English

reviews.cnet.com 3/14/11 Dan Ackerman

English

www.notebookreview.com 3/8/11 Jerry Jackson

English

www.pcmag.com 3/8/11 Cisco Cheng

English

www.notebookreview.com 3/8/11 Jerry Jackson

English

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

English

www.zdnet.com 3/7/11 James Kendrick
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Total number of reviews: 8