First details about Lenovo Thinkpad laptops. Lenovo ThinkPad E470: Review of one of the most affordable ThinkPads
The announcement of Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y processors has prompted many mobile PC manufacturers to switch their devices to appropriate energy-efficient platforms. In particular, Lenovo, whose products will be discussed below, announced an elegant convertible laptop Yoga 910, and then leaked the characteristics of the upcoming IdeaPad Miix 710 tablet.
Following the “advanced” devices, the economical Kaby Lake SoC will appear in simpler laptops - those designed for business people, students and buyers on a limited budget. Lenovo's representative office in France published short videos on its YouTube channel featuring the new ThinkPad E470 and E570 laptops.
At the time of writing this note, there was no other evidence on the Internet of the upcoming appearance of the E470 and E570 models on the market, so their full specifications have yet to be clarified. Foreign colleagues of Notebookcheck believe that the 14-inch ThinkPad E470 and 15.6-inch ThinkPad E570 will become the choice of the undemanding public, and a few months later, with the release of Kaby Lake chips with a set of Intel vPro functions (at the end of this year - the beginning of next year), series of solutions in the upper price segment.
The 15.6-inch ThinkPad E570 model is a classic laptop of medium thickness, equipped with a not very productive dual-core processor (within the aforementioned family of 15-watt SoCs), a small amount of RAM (most likely from 4 GB), a mechanical drive (HDD) and DVD drive. The touchpad on the ThinkPad E570 is shifted to the left, and the keyboard contains a block of numeric keys. On the side edges of the laptop there are three USB type A ports, single HDMI, D-Sub (VGA) and RJ-45 connectors, an SD card reader, a Kensington lock, a power socket and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Judging by the selection of components, there will be no alternative to a TN matrix with a resolution of 1366 × 768 pixels in the Lenovo E570 laptop.
The ThinkPad E470 is interesting because its body is thinner than the E570 and it lacks an optical drive. There is only one video output (HDMI), in addition, a different method is used to attach the screen to the system compartment. The touchpad is located almost in the center, the keyboard is relatively small due to the exclusion of the number keys block from its composition. The key components in the ThinkPad E470 (processor, RAM, storage) are probably the same as in the 15.6-inch device.
We will inform you additionally about the start of sales of new products and details of their structure.
Encouraged many mobile PC manufacturers to switch their devices to appropriate energy-efficient platforms. In particular, Lenovo, whose products will be discussed below, announced an elegant convertible laptop Yoga 910, and then leaked the characteristics of the upcoming IdeaPad Miix 710 tablet.
Following the “advanced” devices, the economical Kaby Lake SoC will appear in simpler laptops - those designed for business people, students and buyers on a limited budget. Lenovo's representative office in France published short videos on its YouTube channel featuring the new ThinkPad E470 and E570 laptops.
At the time of writing this note, there was no other evidence on the Internet of the upcoming appearance of the E470 and E570 models on the market, so their full specifications have yet to be clarified. Foreign colleagues of Notebookcheck believe that the 14-inch ThinkPad E470 and 15.6-inch ThinkPad E570 will become the choice of the undemanding public, and a few months later, with the release of Kaby Lake chips with a set of Intel vPro functions (at the end of this year - the beginning of next year), series of solutions in the upper price segment.
The 15.6-inch ThinkPad E570 model is a classic laptop of medium thickness, equipped with a not very productive dual-core processor (within the aforementioned family of 15-watt SoCs), a small amount of RAM (most likely from 4 GB), a mechanical drive (HDD) and DVD drive. The touchpad on the ThinkPad E570 is shifted to the left, and the keyboard contains a block of numeric keys. On the side edges of the laptop there are three USB type A ports, single HDMI, D-Sub (VGA) and RJ-45 connectors, an SD card reader, a Kensington lock, a power socket and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Judging by the selection of components, there will be no alternative to a TN matrix with a resolution of 1366 × 768 pixels in the Lenovo E570 laptop.
The ThinkPad E470 is interesting because its body is thinner than the E570 and it lacks an optical drive. There is only one video output (HDMI), in addition, a different method is used to attach the screen to the system compartment. The touchpad is located almost in the center, the keyboard is relatively small due to the exclusion of the number keys block from its composition. The key components in the ThinkPad E470 (processor, RAM, storage) are probably the same as in the 15.6-inch device.
The ThinkPad line of laptops is recognizable and has long become something of a calling card for the company. From such a laptop it is immediately clear that its owner is not interested in games, but uses it for work purposes. Today we will get acquainted with the youngest representative of the series - the ThinkPad E470 laptop.
Appearance, ease of use
The design of the Lenovo ThinkPad E470 won't appeal to everyone. On the one hand, the model does not look modern, because it is very similar to those old laptops familiar to us from the days of IBM, on the other hand, the relatively small thickness and weight indicate the opposite.
The layout and placement of ports are normal. On the right side there are two USB, audio output and card reader. On the left is a socket for connecting a charger, Ethernet, HDMI and another USB, which can provide power even when the laptop is turned off. For some reason, the manufacturer decided not to add USB Type-C.
You can't open the laptop with one hand - the display hinge is rigid.
The keyboard is one of the advantages of ThinkPad laptops. It is convenient and designed to comfortably type large amounts of text. The key travel is small and clear. The touchpad supports gestures.
In the Lenovo Settings application, you can configure the display of the top row of the keyboard, namely the keys will respond to pressing special commands without holding Fn or with holding. It is possible to switch between the Fn and Crtl keys. You can set your own action for the F12 key.
The E470's body is plastic and very rigid. The laptop feels monolithic and truly tightly assembled. This is facilitated by the lack of an optical drive and a non-removable battery. In addition, the upgrade hatch does not touch the edges of the laptop, thereby not reducing the rigidity of the case.
The lid and working surface are made of soft-touch plastic, which is good at collecting not only greasy marks, but also the slightest specks of dust. Those who have already used at least some ThinkPad laptop will understand this.
The speakers are loud. Despite the pre-installed Dolby Audio application, high frequencies predominate when playing music and watching movies. The sound quality will suit not too demanding users - the main thing is that there is a margin for maximum volume.
Screen
The laptop display opens 180 degrees, which significantly increases ease of use. The test configuration has a matte TN+Film screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. There is a version with a TN+Film matrix and a resolution of 1366×768 pixels, as well as with an IPS matrix and a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. Naturally, the most interesting is the modification with an IPS screen, but I had to get acquainted with the regular TN+Film. By the way, such IPS became available for the E line only starting from the last generation of laptops (E460).
In our case, the AUO B140HTN01.E matrix was used. According to measurements, the maximum brightness is 211 cd/m², and the minimum is 2 cd/m². Contrast is 1 to 81. As you can see, the figures are modest. At the same time, subjectively, as for a TN+Film screen, the picture is not so bad. There is a severe lack of vertical viewing angles, which is why you often have to tilt the display to get a non-inverted picture.
On the street you can only work on a laptop in the shade, but that’s not bad either.
Hardware platform
The test laptop is equipped with an Intel Core i5-7200U processor with a clock frequency of 2.5-3.1 GHz and integrated Intel HD Graphics 620. The RAM capacity is 8 GB - one DDR4-2133 MHz strip. The storage capacity is 256 GB SSD 2.5″ format.
If we talk about possible configurations, there are a great many of them. The entry-level ones are equipped with an Intel Core i3-6100U processor, the top-end ones are equipped with an Intel Core i7-7500U processor. There are versions with NVidia GeForce 920MX/940MX video cards.
The maximum amount of RAM is 32 GB (two 16 GB sticks), which will appeal to many. It's a pity that there is no free space to install a second drive.
Getting to the drive and RAM slots is not difficult. To do this, you just need to unscrew three screws on the bottom of the laptop and slide the lid. At the same time, access to the ventilation system is limited. To replace thermal paste, you will have to completely disassemble the laptop.
The laptop's performance is sufficient for any task, except modern games with high graphics settings.
At the same time, do not forget that even the integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 is capable of running almost all games at low graphics settings.
The cooling system is not noisy and even in the AIDA 64 stress test it did not make much noise. At the same time, in 25 minutes the temperature did not rise above 70 degrees. There was no CPU throttling either.
In normal use, even in complete silence, the fan operates very quietly, and the processor throttles do not make any noise. The body does not heat up significantly.
Autonomy
The power of the built-in battery is 45 Wh. The supplied power supply can be 45/65/90 W, depending on the configuration. In our case, this is a 45 W power supply. It is small and relatively light. It seems that the wires weigh more than the block itself. By the way, the laptop charges in a little more than 2 hours.
Claimed battery life is up to 8.4 hours. To check, I installed the PCMark 8 test and, with a brightness close to 100 cd/m², I checked the battery life in all three tests. In the PCMark 8 Home Conventional test, the running time was 4 hours 19 minutes, in the PCMark 8 Work Conventional test it was 4:52, and in the PCMark 8 Creative Conventional test it was 4:05. These are good results, because in normal use you can count on about 6-7 hours under office load.
Site evaluation
Pros: hard case; relatively light weight; availability of configurations with IPS display; battery life; comfortable keyboard; Screen opening angle 180 degrees
Minuses: somewhat high price; small viewing angles of the version with a TN+Film screen; easily soiled body; design aimed at ThinkPad brand loyalists
Conclusion: The Lenovo ThinkPad E470 is an excellent laptop with a comfortable keyboard, a rigid body, aimed at those who value ease of use more than multimedia/gaming capabilities. If you are looking for a reliable “workhorse” that should always be at hand to work hard, then you will like the hero of this review.
Specifications
| Coverage type | matte | |
| Permission | 1920x1080 | |
| Sensory | - | |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-7200U | |
| Frequency, GHz | 2,5 | |
| Number of processor cores | 2 | |
| Chipset | no data | |
| RAM, GB | 8 | |
| Maximum amount of RAM, GB | 32 | |
| Memory type | DDR4 | |
| Hard disk, GB | - | |
| SSD, GB | 256 | |
| Optical drive | - | |
| Graphics adapter, memory capacity | Intel HD Graphics 620 | |
| External ports | 2xUSB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, headphone/mic-in (combo) | |
| Card reader | SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC | |
| WEB camera | + | |
| Keyboard backlight | - | |
| Fingerprint scanner | + | |
| Network adapter | 10/100/1000 | |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | |
| Bluetooth | 4.1 | |
| 3G/LTE | - | |
| Weight, kg | 1,87 | |
| Size, mm | 339x242x23.7 | |
| Housing material | no data | |
| Case color | Black | |
| Capacity, mAh | no data | |
| Number of cells | 3 | |
| Power, Wh | 45 | |
| Battery voltage, V | no data | |
| Battery type | Li-Pol |
American-Chinese company Lenovo occupies one of the leading positions in the list of computer equipment manufacturers. One of the priority areas of brand development is the production of productive and functional laptops.
Lenovo products have relatively low prices and are aimed primarily at the budget sector. At the same time, the quality of laptops is growing every year. A wide range of models allows every customer to buy a Lenovo laptop that best meets all expectations and requirements.
Case material and design
Lenovo laptops made from durable impact-resistant materials - usually a combination metal and plastic- and are characterized by high-quality assembly. The company gives preference to the convenience and durability of the design, so the devices are distinguished by a simple and harmonious design in the spirit of minimalism.
The color scheme is also quite conservative. The palette includes traditional shades: black and dark silver. However, some lines also have color models. In terms of size, most laptops are light in weight. These laptops are convenient to take with you on the road, to study or work.
Keyboard and touchpad
Lenovo laptops are equipped with convenient chiclet keyboard. Thanks to the soft stroke and comfortable location of the keys, using the device is easy and pleasant. Many options offer spill-resistant keyboards and backlighting to help you work on your laptop anywhere, anytime.
The quality of the touch panel is also good. The touchpad is quite large and highly sensitive to touch. On some models it supports multi-touch function and easily recognizes basic multi-finger gestures.
Performance
Every Lenovo laptop runs on a powerful dual- or quad-core processor. Depending on the series and model, these may be the following chipsets:
- Intel Core M;
Graphics are provided by powerful modern adapters or with a memory capacity of up to 8 GB.
Most laptops have an operating system installed by default. But there are other options on sale with versions , 8 and Linux, or without an OS at all.
Screen and sound system
Depending on the production model, laptops come with different display sizes. There are options on sale from compact laptops to impressive devices.
The type of matrix depends on the price segment: in budget models a TN display is often installed. More expensive laptops - multimedia, gaming and business class - equipped with high-quality IPS matrices, characterized by an excellent viewing angle and rich color rendition.
Most laptops are equipped with modern . Provides excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. Some laptops are equipped with user-friendly touch screens.
The audio system of Lenovo laptops is represented by a microphone and speakers located at the top of the case. In general, we can say that even budget models produce very decent sound quality. And if necessary, it can be further improved using technology Dolby Advanced Audio
Memory and battery
The amount of RAM in Lenovo laptops varies from 2 to , ensuring stable performance and high-quality work. Built-in is represented by both traditional hard drives and solid-state drives, or a combination of both. Its volume can reach 2 TB.
The laptops are equipped with powerful lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 4400 mAh. The use of multiple cell batteries (up to 6) ensures long battery life.
Serial models of Lenovo laptops
The Lenovo laptop lineup is represented by the following main series:
- Lenovo- productive and functional laptops for everyday use;
- IdeaPad- the most affordable series designed for study and work;
- thinkpad- a line of laptops for business, distinguished by stylish design and excellent technical content;
- Yoga- productive and compact transformers, capable of operating in 4 modes due to a unique hinge mechanism.
- Legion- Smart gaming productivity laptops for lovers of the virtual world.
Each of these series is further divided into lines that differ in functionality and price. Let's look at them in more detail.
Lenovo E series
Advantages:
- Matte screens with anti-glare surface;
- Fingerprint scanner;
- Compact and lightweight;
- Housing made of high quality matte plastic.
Lenovo has a variety of variations on the ThinkPad theme. In addition to classic form factors, there are also thin Carbon ones, for example. The model in our test is a typical representative of work laptops for business. If your old ThinkPad is completely tired, just take the new T470p and continue working as if nothing had happened. You won't have to get used to new shapes and designs.
Angular shapes, rather thick case by today's standards, black and gray plastic with a soft-touch coating - everything for fans of the discreet ThinkPad style.
To begin with, the T470p model has received MIL-SPEC certification, which means it is resistant to minor shocks and drops. In addition, the keyboard is protected from liquid ingress; there are even special holes on the bottom for its outflow. There are spacers on the frame around the screen that prevent the display from touching the keyboard buttons. The rigidity of the lid is also sufficient - with pressure from the outside, there are no color distortions on the display.
The lid cannot be opened with one hand, but the hinge design looks reliable. They allow you to rotate the laptop 180°. It cannot be said that this solves any practical problems, but it becomes possible to work with a laptop when it is much lower than the user.
All connectors are located on the sides of the case. On the right side there is a SIM card slot, two USB 3.0, Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI and a Kensington lock slot. On the left is power, another USB 3.0 and 3.5mm hybrid audio. Most of this side is occupied by the ventilation outlet. There is no USB Type-C in this model, apparently it is not yet so relevant for the corporate segment. The card reader is located in the front, and the back is completely free of interfaces.
The display has a diagonal of 14 inches with a resolution of 1920×1080. The coating is matte and this is a common plus of the line. The range of minimum brightness values is quite large, but the maximum is only enough for a well-lit room. In the sun, the matrix will almost certainly go blind.
On the bottom of the laptop you can find several ventilation grilles, a connector for connecting a docking station, four oblong legs and the above-mentioned holes for draining liquid. Our version uses a larger 72 Wh battery, which protrudes noticeably beyond the body and serves as a stand itself. It is secured with two locks. The raised back itself may be even more convenient for some when typing. The space around the keyboard will then serve even better as a wrist rest.
Note that the cooling system works efficiently. Even at maximum load, the body remains warm and does not burn your hands and knees.
The keyboard is made traditionally in a discreet, slightly retro style, but of high quality. The key travel is optimal in terms of response height; when typing quickly, there are no false presses or cases of touching adjacent keys.
The set of branded trackpoint and duplicate touchpad keys are traditionally in place. The touchpad itself has fairly good sensitivity and is not the largest size, but it is enough for comfortable work without a mouse.
The Home, End and Delete buttons are located at the end of the top row. PgUp and PgDn are located very close to the arrow block, and PrtSc is between the right Alt and Ctrl buttons. The Fn key is located in the corner on the left. For those who are accustomed to the Ctrl located there, they will be able to reassign them. The fingerprint scanner is located to the right of the keyboard.
In terms of hardware, the laptop can have a lot of configuration options, including versions with a discrete NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics card and a top-end i7 processor. Our version uses an Intel Core i5-7300HQ and 8 GB of DDR4-2400 RAM. The storage device used is Toshiba NVMe PCIe 256 GB flash memory. Communications include Wi-Fi 2×2 IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet and a 4G LTE-A module. The laptop does not have a disk drive.
In terms of autonomy, the laptop has good performance. With a load of surfing, text and photo editors, and a constant connection to the Internet, you can get 10-11 hours of continuous work.
As a result, the ThinkPad T470p model turned out to be well modernized. In familiar features and, say, not small dimensions, you can find almost all the necessary interfaces, and for work - a qualitatively updated filling. For fans of this form factor, this is an excellent update to the device fleet without having to get used to ultrabook realities with cut-off communications and short key travel, at a minimum. It also has a full range of security features, fairly good performance and high autonomy.
| Lenovo ThinkPad T470p | |
| CPU: | Intel Core i7-7300HQ, 2.5-3.5 GHz, |
| Integrated video accelerator: | Intel HD Graphics 630 |
| Discrete graphics card: | No |
| Screen: | 14”, 1920x1080, IPS, matte finish |
| RAM: | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Inner memory: | 256 GB SSD NVMe PCIe |
| Communications: | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 and 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, LTE-A, Ethernet |
| Connectors: | 3xUSB 3.0, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, RJ45, nano-SIM, 3.5 mm |
| Additionally: | HD webcam, fingerprint scanner, keyboard backlight |
| OS: | Windows 10 Pro |
| Battery: | Li-Pol 72 Wh |
| Dimensions: | 339x235x24 mm |
| Weight: | 1.8 kg |
| Provider: | Lenovo representative office in Ukraine |
| Price: | $1400 |
Grade:
Ergonomics of the case and keyboard
Availability of all necessary connectors
High autonomy
- low maximum brightness