I ordered this laptop after much review. Here's what I think:Ordered on a Tuesday morning (2/5), and as a prime member, paid the $3.99 for overnight shipping. Had it at my door by 2pm on Wednesday afternoon. Came well packaged and with all items available.
Laptop itself is incredible. The casing is a brushed aluminum that was quite darker than I was expecting it to be. Fingerprints aren't too much of a problem, but you will see the oils from your skin streak on the darker metal. The keyboard is excellent and the red backlit keyboard really sets it off. The display is crisp at 1080p and very bright, albeit a bit glossy, but I've had no noticeable problems with glare. My only real issue is with the trackpad and the webcam. As you've probably read on forums the trackpad is a bit inconsistent, which could be a real issue for some wanting to use the multitouch features in windows 8. As a gamer, I rarely use it as I always keep a wireless mouse with me. The webcam is also a bit on the disappointing side. While it is completely functional, it's rather grainy and doesn't work well in low light without ghosting.
Now on to the meat and potatoes. Dual nvidia gt650m's. The visuals pumped out by these are absolutely boner-inducing. Getting a solid 60fps in CoD:Black Ops 2 at high/ultra settings. Skyrim runs flawlessly in ultra settings as well. With the hi-def display, I had to remind buddies who tested it out to put their tongues back in their mouths. League of Legends runs at a consistent 80-100fps, It's absolutely a mind blowingly incredible machine for gaming, and for hundreds of dollars less than comparable Alienware's.
I am absolutely thrilled with this purchase. If you're looking for an extreme gaming laptop for a moderate budget, I really don't think you can beat this laptop. i7, Dual SLI video cards, 1080p display, 8gbs of ram (got my 16gb to max out the board on its way now), backlit keyboard, and an amazing fit and finish. You really can't go wrong with this one!
I was looking for a few months, and finally narrowed my options down to the Lenovo IdeaPad Y580 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500. I wanted a somewhat future-proof laptop, but without the out of this world price. I figured around $1,000 would be the most I would spend, and I stayed very close to my budget.
Most of the other laptops that I liked were starting around $1,200, and they had fewer features that the two IdeaPad models above. Both models have above mid-range graphics cards, Full HD displays, usb 3.0, HDMI out, back lit keyboards, and the quad core Intel core i7. The main differences between the two IdeaPad models were the optical drive, and the SLI dual graphics card setup.
Also, if $1,000 is a little steep, there are versions of both the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 and the Y580 that are closer to $800 or $900. There are constantly discounts available out there.
I decided to go with the Y500 for a few reasons.
1. The SLI dual graphics card setup. After a lot of research, I found that the GT 650 and the GTX 660 were very similar. The GT 650 SLI does have a tendency to slightly outperform the single GTX 660, depending on the drivers and the application you are running.
2. The price was slightly lower than the comparable Y580 at the time I made my purchase.
3. The black and red back lit keyboard looked great in the photos, and it looks even better in person.
Pros:
*The Full HD 1080p display is amazing. My last laptop had a resolution of 1366x768, so I'm a happy camper.
*The JBL speakers pack a pretty nice punch for a laptop. They won't be better than a dedicated sound system, or even a high end set of headphones, but they pretty loud without any distortion.
*SLI graphics. Most games can be run on Ultra. I've tried running Battlefield 3, and you can pull off Ultra if you aren't playing on full screen resolution.
*Battery life. For me, I can get about 4 hours of battery life, and would probably get even more if I use the power saver mode. For those that don't stay close to a power outlet, 4 hours won't be enough, but it's plenty for me. My old Acer can go for at most 2 hours, and that is the second battery for the old workhorse.
*The keyboard is very usuable. There's plenty of space between the keys, and there's just enough depth to each key stroke. I also love the red back light for the keyboard.
*HD camera. This is great for video chat, and it performs surprisingly well in low light conditions. It's not the best camera ever, but it is far better than what was built-in on my Acer from '09.
Cons:
*The trackpad isn't the best I've ever used, but it's not as bad as the other reviews claim. I have a synaptics trackpad, so maybe I got lucky. However, if you are gaming on this laptop, odds are that you'll have a mouse, so to each their own.
*No optical drive. With the Ultrabay, there might be an optical drive that can be added in place of the second graphics card, but I have yet to find one. Granted, I almost never use any optical drives on computers these days, but I'd still like to have one built-in for convenience. If I absolutely needed an optical drive (DVD or BluRay), then I would have chosen the Y580 hands down.
*Pre-installed software, as with any PC, is alive and well when you first boot up the Lenovo Y500. Thankfully, there's not too much bloatware, but why is there a DVD program on here when I don't have an optical drive to speak of? At least make sure all of the bloatware is somewhat relevant.
*Fingerprints. I read in one review that fingerprints were all over the laptop after a short amount of use, but I didn't think much of it at the time. Well, that person was right! I would like to think that I take great care of my things, but this laptop attracts smudges and fingerprints like nothing I've ever used before.
*(edit) This version does not have a solid state drive. Boot times are very fast as it is, but the more expensive version does have the faster drive included.
Other:
*Be sure to update the Nvidia drivers as soon as possible if you do decide to purchase this laptop. The drivers that shipped are from October 2012, and there have been many fixes since then. This will improve performance, so definitely try it out.
*Windows 8 is pre-installed on this laptop. Not everyone likes the latest OS from Microsoft, but don't knock it before you try it.
Yes, the start menu is a little wierd. Yes, the gestures are different. And yes, this OS was designed primarily for touch based devices (hint: this laptop does not have a touchscreen). If the Metro UI is that cumbersome, there are ways to avoid using it all together, but I have grown to appreciate it.
If you are able to find an Ultrabay DVD or BluRay drive that will fit this laptop, please let me know!
Buy Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Dusk Black) Now
Everything is top-notch on this SLI model. Only bottleneck is the sluggish hard drive, but that'll get replaced soon.Couple of issues:
* WiDi does not work because the Intel HD4000 is not functional (In all models)
* Nvidia Optimus cannot function without the Intel HD400 so battery life suffers.
* Ships with mediocre WiFi card (No Dual Band, Caps at 30 Mbps)
* Lenovo has a whitelist embedded into the BIOSIn other words, you can't replace certain components with just anything, but you have to get Lenovo approved hardware (Which they charge a premium for.) Very bad marketing, but it can solved by unlocking the BIOS.
* I have the Synaptics touchpad which solves the jittery sensitivity on older production models. However, the touchpad is still awful in quality. Feels very cheap because when clicking, the surface depresses very far into the chassis.
* Finger Print Magnet
Pros:
* After updating the drivers, SLI runs just about anything I can throw at it.
* Sturdy materials, feels solid.
* Illuminated red keyboard is a head-turner.
* JBL Speakers are the best I've ever heard in a laptop, it's ridiculously good.
* Dolby V4, once tweaked, provides clear surround soundClarity is outstanding on my Bose
Overall, for the price tag, this machine can't be beat. It has its flaws but not anything I'd return it over for; Not everything is perfect.
Read Best Reviews of Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Dusk Black) Here
I received this laptop today at around noon and I have already fallen in love with itCasing: The inside of the laptop is a black/dark brown brushed aluminum which is cool to the touch and looks fantastic. There is also the keyboard in the middle which is backlit. The red backlit keybaord on this laptop makes it looks absoultely beautiful. The lid is also made of the same brushed aluminum that is found on the inside. On the underside and sides of the laptop however, there is plastic. Lenovo did manage somehow to make this plastic look really nice. They textured it to look like brushed aluminum.
Preformance: This laptop is blisteringly fast. The only thing that is slowing it down is the 5400 RPM Hard drive but I removed that and installed a hybrid ssd drive from seagate. The dual grapgics makes this computer even than ever. You can play most games on high setting without any sign of a problem.
A few notes:
1. Although it does weigh 6.4 pounds, it certainly does not feel like it. You can carry it around under your arm or even in a backpack without a problem
2. THIS DOES NOT COME WITH A CD/DVD DRIVE. Although it does say "integrated Cd/Dvd drive" in the description, it isn't on here. You will find the nvidia gt650M graphics card in there.
3. I personally like the trackpad despite all the negative things. Agreed, it does have a few flaws but after using it for a couple of hours, I have gotten used to it.
4. The power brick is huge! I would suggest that you buy an ASUS slim adapter for the ASUS N56 beucase it is much smaller and works just as well
5. The speakers on this laptop are amazing! They get pretty loud.
6. Lastly, the bezel around the screen at the top is a little big. It is a minor annoyance for me, but it may not be for you.
If you have any more questions about this laptop, please comment on my reivew. I will definitely reply within the day.
Want Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 15.6-Inch Laptop (Metal - Dusk Black) Discount?
I purchased 1 of these and my sons liked it so much that I purchased 2 more for my other sons. It was a gtreat deal and now they are set for college and will not fill up their computers and run out of space. I really like the lighted keyboard in red.Save 1% Off
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