Featuring a soft matte black finish and reinforced with sturdy metal hinges, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 is 13 percent thinner than previous generations. And the powerful 2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor, with Turbo Boost Technology, will be sure to enhance your productivity on the go. In addition, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 is optimized for both work and play.
Specifications:
- Intel Core i3-2350M 2.30GHz Processor
- 3MB Smart Cache
- 4GB DDR3 Memory
- 500GB (7200RPM) SATA Hard Drive
- 15.6" Widescreen HD (1366 x 768) LED Backlight Display
- Integrated 720HD low light-sensitive webcam
- DVD±R/RW Dual Layer
- Intel HD Graphics
- Intel 1000 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
- Bluetooth
- 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
- ExpressCard /34 slot
- High Definition Audio and Stereo Speakers
- 7-in-1 Multicard Reader
- Fingerprint Reader
- Full-size Keyboard and Touchpad with multi-gesture
- Connections: 4 x USB 2.0 (one powered, 1 eSATA/USB combo), VGA, HDMI, Combo Audio/Microphone jack, RJ-45 (LAN)
- Approximate Unit Dimensions: 14.76 (W) x 9.64 (D) x 1.10 - 1.29 (H) inches
- Approximate Unit Weight: 5.2 pounds
This laptop also scored high in our graphical tests, beaten only narrowly by the Acer Aspire 5750G. We tested out some recent games and found they ran smoothly, although we occasionally had to turn down detail levels. You can also check out and play around with your photos or home movies. Of course, if you'd rather relax with a film, the Lenovo won't let you down. High-definition (HD) films play perfectly and look good on the 15.6-inch widescreen display.
The E520 has two graphic chips: the Intel GMA HD 3000 (integrated in the CPU) and the dedicated AMD Radeon HD 6630M GPU, which has a core speed of 485 MHz and 1 GB VRAM. Thanks to AMD's PowerXpress 4.0 alias "BACON" the laptop can automatically switch between graphic chips. The software still has a few kinks: some programs are not recognized which means that the user has to manually pick the desired graphic card. The hardware of the notebook is rounded off with 4 GB RAM (max. 8 GB on two slots) and a 500 GB hard disk.
It's one of the larger laptops in this month's group, but, surprisingly, it's also the lightest laptop too, weighing just 2.1kg. That, combined with its excellent Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 battery life, makes it well suited to travelling. If you're in the cheap seats when travelling, you'll be glad to know that the lid tilts back more than 180 degrees so you can always get a good view of the screen, even if you’re struggling for legroom.
You should have no trouble using peripherals or external displays – as well as an internal DVD writer, three USB2 ports, a combined USB2/eSATA port and a multi-format card reader, there’s also VGA and HDMI video outputs, a combined headphone and microphone audio jack and an ExpressCard/34 slot for future expansion. The only noticeably absent feature is a fingerprint reader, although this is available as a build-to-order option from Lenovo's online store, and system administrators will appreciate being able to disable the various ports and on-board devices in the password-protected BIOS. Finally, if there was any doubt Lenovo hadn’t designed the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 AC adapter for business, it comes with a 64-bit copy of Windows 7 Professional.
On top of the features listed above, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 has much more going for it. Not only is the 15.6-inch display crisp and colorful, but there is also a 3.0MP HD webcam integrated above it, so you can enjoy face-to-face communication wherever you are. The design is more streamlined on the latest incarnation of the Dell Inspiron I1564 battery. They’re thinner and feature iPhone-like rounded corners edged with brushed aluminum. The cases are available in Heatwave Red or Midnight Black.
Keep in touch with your employees, your clients and the rest of the world with a slew of available connections: WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, and options for WWAN, WiMAX and Bluetooth®. During Web calls and video conferences, quickly switch your microphone to "conference room mode" to enhance multiple voices from across the room, and enable keyboard noise suppression technology so that you can freely take notes. Continue to maximize your VoIP experience with our ThinkVantage® Communications Utility — a hub that allows you to control your most important business tools (like the integrated HD 720p low-light sensitive webcam) in one place. Making an important presentation? Use the HDMI out port to project your big ideas on a big screen.
The ThinkPad Edge E520 laptop catch attention with their jaw-dropping, premium design. Small details make a big difference: the stunning infinity screen, a matte finish that’s soft to the touch and real metal accents that project a cosmopolitan image. The laptops are also business performance powerhouses, featuring increased performance of Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E520 adapter and integrated graphics in the upcoming second generation Intel® Core™ processor technology, Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience 2.0 for rapid boot up and a range of wireless connectivity technologies. They also crossover for serious play with Dolby Home Theatre® audio and high definition video conferencing.
The ThinkPad's design, as ever, is functional, and it feels well built. As is usual with ThinkPads, you get a touchstick as well as a large touchpad. Both are responsive and have large buttons. Lenovo has used the full width of the case to accommodate the keyboard and, if anything, the keyboard feels too wide. The moulded keys are slightly convex, providing good tactile feedback when you strike the key, and their action is light and crisp.
Like other ThinkPads, the Edge E520 has very reserved looks. The matt black colour scheme, plastic chassis and trademark Lenovo touch stick all scream business, but that doesn’t make it any less usable in the home – we had no trouble typing on the fantastic Chiclet-style keyboard, which is full-size but still small enough to fit in an additional numerical keypad. Each key has just the right amount of tactile feedback, which meant we were typing at full speed almost instantly. The two sets of touchpad buttons weren’t as firm as we'd like, but the touchpad itself is at least a good size, with a smooth surface that creates minimal friction.
Great package, and very little inside! The supply includes a portable computer, power cord, 6-cell Lenovo Thinkpad Edge E520 battery and a few brochures. On the other hand, is an endless list of accessories such as a fee to update the list of the car, which includes a variety of products from a variety of categories. Pre-installed software is another problem. ThinkPad is the Office, Adobe Reader, and typical of a ThinkPad factory installed, but otherwise offers very little software department. The trial version of Norton Internet Security is a negative sign in the book, as the first boot, it's annoying pop-ups for different users. ThinkPad series has never been a big problem with the software.
Even under the harsh fluorescent lights of our office, we could see the 15.6in screen perfectly thanks to its matte finish. It diffused light reflections exceptionally well, although we still wouldn’t like to use it in direct sunlight. Unsurprisingly, colours aren’t as bright as they would be on a glossy display, and darker images looked slightly grey rather than deep black, but it was still well-suited for working on plain text documents. Viewing angles were only reasonable, but this shouldn’t be a huge problem as the screen has over 180 degrees of tilt.
In respect to performance the laptop leaves no stone unturned. Office and multimedia tasks can be dealt with without any problems. Additional plus points are earned thanks to the energy saving hardware which results in low power consumption while the laptop is idle, and thus good HP ProBook 5310m battery run times. There are a few major flaws, such as the loud DVD drive, the high case temperatures (while the laptop is under heavy load) and the short guarantee period of 12 months. Overall, the laptop is a good deal for 650 Euros and can be a decent alternative to some glossy plastic 15.6 inch mainstream models. However, a few aspects could have been better.
