Lenovo Ideapad Y500 Review

Hi, since I could not seem to post in the review form, I will post my review here. A week ago, I received my Ideapad Y500. Since I saw no reviews of it on here, I figured I shall post a review.

Specs:

Processor: 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3630QM Processor( 2.40GHz 6MB)
RAM: 8.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM 1600 MHz
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT650M 2GB DDR5
HDD: 1TB 5400 rpm
Display: 15.6" HD Glare with integrated camera 1366x768

There was other options including a Blu-Ray drive, 16GB memory, and for the priciest model, SLI at the cost of no optical drive.

The lid


It is completely metal on the outside, which makes it cool to the touch (advertised by Lenovo) but makes finger prints highly visible.

Opened


Now you see the red keyboard and the screen. The entire space surrounding the keyboard is metal, :thumbsup: on that Lenovo. Under the keys is a plastic finish. The keyboard lights can be turned down or off by holding FN and then pressing the spacebar. The speaker mesh is red but it's quite hard to see in even normal lighting.



Looking onto the left side, we see the utrabay, USB port, and headset/microphone ports. The ultrabay can be fitted with an optical drive, another fan, another graphics card for SLI, or a SSD. The extra fan would be ultimately useless for me, as the laptop never seems to warm up enough to warrant an extra fan.



Near the front of the computer, we see the SD card slot and indicator lights. The slot has a dummy card to protect it while there is no card in there.



On the left sllide, we have two USB ports, an HDMI port, Ethernet and VGA ports. The button to the left of the charging port is for Onekey Recovery. On a note, the fan is surprisingly quiet for a gaming laptop, even under heavy gaming loads.



Windows 8 is included as standard on the system.



Bottom of the laptop. It has a textured plastic bottom, with oversize heating vent.



Red backlit keyboard. Many people have asked me if this is an Alienware just by looking at this.



Here's how the ultrabay works. First, you remove the battery and flip a switch. Then you hold down the switch on the vent and the whole attachment slides out. It's very easy, which is great.



And here is the red speaker mesh. It's barely noticeable, and notice the JBL Sound For Lenovo text. These are the best speakers I've heard on any mobile device.



My two rigs- Lenovo IdeaCentre K330 and Lenovo IdeaPad Y500.



And my whole setup.



Perfomance

As of now, I have tested the following games on it:

-Need For Speed: Carbon
-Microsoft Flight Simulator X
-Bioshock 2
-Various N64 Games on 1964
-Gears of War 1
-Test Drive Unlimited 1
-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
-Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Of those, strangely Bioshock 2 performed the worst, averaging out at 45FPS. The rest ran at about 60 FPS each. The system's temperature never reached over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is excellent. Multitasking worked reasonably well, but trying to run two games at once resulted in a drop of FPS. Overall, the Lenovo Ideapad Y500 is an excellent option for on-the-go gaming.

Thanks in advance for all responses.

 

thank you very much for posting this. I would like to ask you a few questions...

how is the build quality? does it feel solid? (such as ... lid stiffness and keyboard flexing, squeaky sounds when moved around etc...)

is the screen good? viewing angles, contrast etc... I also can't tell from the pictures if it's an edge-to-edge screen

thank you again!

 

What i am wondering most is build quality especially hinges,what do you think about them?

 

hi guys ,this is my review about y500 sli
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ideapad-essential/698731-lenovo-y500-sli-review.html#post8971251

 

The hinges are made of the same metal as the cover, so I suspect that they are not going to break anytime soon. The keyboard does not flex, and the four legs that the laptop rests on make little to no sound. Nope, the screen has about an inch border at the top where the camera/mic are, the sides are thinner.

The whole thing is very solid, and the hinges are very resilient considering they're made of metal

Thanks for that! I would have gotten the SLI, but forgoing an optical drive didn't work for me.

 

does it has intel hd graphics 4000?
Plz rly..

 

Hey guys, I've been looking for a new laptop as of late. The best value in gaming laptops right now seems to be either the lenovo y500 or the lenovo y580. For those with experience- is there any difference between the y500 and the y580 in terms of the construction of the laptop? The only difference I can see is the slight upgrade in graphics card.

TLDR: Go with the y500 or the y580?

 

Thanks LPDAL, few questions whenever you have time,

1. Can you check the geforce gt 650m if it is ddr3 or ddr5 via gpu-z or hwinfo software
2. Does it have Optimus?
3. When you open and close the lid, does it have a creaking or crackling sound?
4. How is the quality of the screen? Does it have good color when viewing photos and videos?

Thanks

 

If you are concerned mostly with playing games at a higher frame rate, then definitely go with the Y580. You can get one brand new for $999.99 shipped - no tax.

Lenovo 59353260 IdeaPad Y580 15.6-inch Notebook PC in PC Notebook Computers | JR.com

 

Yes, it is hidden by the system by default.

I can't say because I do not have a Y580, but the Y500 do have a solid build.

1. According to Nvidia, the memory is GDDR5.

2. Yes

3. No.

4. It isn't the best you can get, but it is still pretty good. The colors are bright and vibrant on both photos and video.

I was going to get the Y580 but got the Y500 because of the ultrabay.

EDIT: The system does have Intel HD 4000 Graphics, but they are hidden on default.

 

I heard that we cannot switch to intel hd graphics 4000(I mean we cannot use it)
Is that true?
Hav u ever tried to switch graphics to intel HD.If not so can u pls check it?

Google Translate

Thnx

 

Hi all, I have a bunch of questions as the 650M has piqued my interest.

1) Can someone explain the ultrabay for me?
Is that a hotswappable bay or something you need to take a screwdriver to, or something that is permanent when you configure the system?

2) Can you order the ultrabay 650M SLI separately? How much is it? I can't find it on the site.

3) Does the Y400 also have the 650M SLI capability?

4) What are the cons of this laptop for anyone who owns it? What do you dislike most about it?

Thanks!

 

Hi,

I was just talking with Lenovo Support, asking about the ODD for hard drive that would go inside the ultrabay.
They said it was coming to site. I suppose the same is true for the SLI, Extra Fan options for the Ultrabay as well.

 

All hinges are made of metal, even on the cheapest laptops.

what you see on the outside is just a decorative cover.

The biggest issue is that these hinges are screwed into a plastic base, and that's what fails on cheap laptops.

Since the Y500 base is also made of plastic, there's a greater chance of hinge failure.

If you want the most secure hinges, you'll want to get notebooks with metal bases or ones with a rollcage inside

 

1. It's a tooless design. You have to take the battery off and flip a switch, and then flip a switch on the vent. Then it just pops out.

2. According to Lenovo support, they will be on sale eventually, but nobody knows when.

3. The features video that is preloaded onto the laptop as the default screensaver uses a Y400 model, that appears to have the ultrabay.

4. One con I can think of after transferring from a Thinkpad is that the keys are somewhat sensitive, making me type letters twice sometimes.

That's what I heard from them as well.

 

This is really bad that inel hd graphics 4000 cant be used in this model.
Using nvidia graphics for normal usage will drain the battery very soon.

 

The 660M GTX is only 15-20% better than the 650M.
Down the road you can drop in the 2nd 650M for a 50% SLI improvement.

If you could get the 670/680M chip, that would be a 50-100% improvement.

Glad to read that heat isn't an issue on the Y500. That large underside mesh vent must help considerably.
My MBP turns into a space heater and the keyboard becomes very hot to the touch.

 

I take back my comment about the extra fan being useless. It would be excellent for overclocking and would probably atleast keep the laptop at a comfortable temperature.

 

how is the intel hd 4000 hidden and how can i access it if not hen how do you know that it is even there(no offense) i cannot find them

 

Bah. Why does Lenovo have this 1, good looking laptop.
I was pretty sure about getting the Gigabyte U2442, but the Y400 and Y500 are also really attractive. If the Y400 came with a FHD panel, I would've probably dropped the Gigabyte.
The Y500 is probably on the large side for me, since I was looking for a lightweight and portable laptop, but the SLI, FHD and design just looks tempting. Further more it's still cheaper than the Gigabyte u2442f model.
And compared to the GDDR3 Gigabyte the Lenovo have a GDDR5. - I hate getting new tech stuff. There are always too many choices.

 

Can any Y500 owner try to right click desktop, go to nvidia setting, and in one of the tab (forgot what is the tab), and there is a drop down list with 3 options (If not mistaken, should "nvidia 650 single", "sli", "cpu"), try to choose the cpu, and use it on battery, see how long can it last.
I went to pc fair malaysia and try it out, I guess the option "CPU" should be the Intel HD 4000.
Thanks you very much.

 

Hey there, how is the sound on the y500? Especially compared to others in the same range?

 

Does anyoen know if the y500 has a 6gb/s or 3gb/s msata port? I just ordered a 256GB msata drive to put in there, and I really hope it's sata iii.

 

I went to the Nvidia Control Panel and could not find what you were speaking of.

Lenovo was certainly right about the included Jubil speakers, piping in the utmost smooth sound. The included Dolby Home Theater adjusts the speakers by equalizing the audio to handle different types of sound.

I wouldn't know, as I have not opened the laptop.

 

As far as I can tell, my Y500 does not have Optimus and the Intel HD Graphics 4000 is disabled. I'll be interested if someone think otherwise.

 

@LPDAL my brother bought same laptop for me as you have.I cant wait to have it but I saw some thread that is about touchpad issue it says touchpad is unusable sometimes.Do you have the same problem?it makes me worried.Thank you in advance

 

I'm sorry but is it possible to detach keys and put them somewhere else on the keyboard?

 

I had the issue once and this is what I did to fix it:

The keys are removable, however they are harder to remove versus e.g. a Thinkpad as the chiclet keys on the Y500 are slightly recessed into the keyboard.

 

For anyone who is interested, I added a few more pictures and info.

 

Good grace! The set-up in the last picture!

The Y500's good looks are getting killed by all the finger prints and dirt it catches .

 

Considering a few things (Size, battery life, performance, build quality, etc.): this or the HP DV6 Quad?

 

Enjoyed the new pictures! That is a serious flight simulator setup you have there!

 

Thanks! ok, this makes my choice between this and another laptop even harder :thumbsup:

 

Hating win8 and still lack of drivers to catch up. Wished they had an option to downgrade to win7 instead of pushing this supposedly new and the best microsoft software that is more geared towards touchpads.

 

guys please help me out, i have placed an order for Y500 on 12th dec ,and since then lenovo has changed it's shipping and delivery date twice.
now according to the order status i will get it on 28th dec...but main problem is i am going abroad on 2nd jan 13 ... is there is any way out of this problem or any suggestion through which lenovo won't extend it further..? i am from san deigo,ca

 

Sorry to hear man..

I have this same issue, surprisingly. I ordered the SLI version on the 10th and was promised it would be here by the 22nd.

My estimated ship and delivery is now posted as the 21st and 31st respectively...

I talked to a representative this morning (as I am also traveling and need something to replace my stolen Y560 ASAP) and asked if there was any laptop they could get to me by the 21st and they said no. So, I think I'm SOL as well.

Sorry for going off-topic--thank you for the review!

 

I had a similar problem and I think that in my case the problem was that my credit card company didnt allowed them to take the money. I discovered this by seeing that my credit card refused the transaction for buying coffee.

At the moment I'm waiting for ups to deliver my package which is still another horror story. I'd like so much to have a pickup location but ups mychoice isn't available in Canada

 

Here is my review of 3 Y500's:
First one was delivered with a cracked screen and wouldn't turn on.. It took 5 days after reporting before they would issue an RMA or replacement order number.
2nd one worked for a few hrs then trackpad became unusable. Received the 3rd one. Trackpad unusable PLUS no backlit keyboard. Still waiting, after calling 2 days ago, for the last RMA - probably going to have to hold for another 4 hrs or so to get it resolved.
My very last purchase from a company that has no quality control and who releases products before they are ready with poor shipping standards (single boxed - all 3), and the poorest customer service I have ever run across.

 

so HP or Dell for you then?

 

Could Y500 owners please give some feedback on how Win8 installation is partitioned? 16GB SSD is quite small, since plain Win8 installation requires ~10gb Win-folder + ~1gb Program Files. I'm bit concerned whether 16gb partition is enough to contain upcoming service packs. Is factory installation partitioned to 1TB drive? If it is, it might be possible to replace 16GB drive with ~64gb?

 

@ sn0wie .. thanks buddy for giving your words

i have called them today and they said its only because of christmas time ,but you will get it before 28th but lets see on 21st ,will they change my shipping date again or not !!

 

i have ordered it by credit card only !! but how can i get to know whether my credit card is creating problem or lenovo ?

 

i have ordered it by credit card only !! but how can i get to know whether my credit card is creating problem or lenovo ?

 

The 16gb MSATA SSD is for cache only and is not accessible by the user from the desktop. Initially, I was going to replace the 16gb with a 256gb msata and move all my system / program files to that ssd but this Intel Rapid Storage technology works so well I'm going to hold off on doing it. The laptop starts up very quickly, I want to say around 10 seconds at the most, have not timed it yet.

 

I basically read the same thing for almost every laptop manufacturer. From Asus to Lenovo.

 

Just finished with a lenovo rep- no go for CPU upgrade on the y500, no go for win7. This made my choice clear to shop for something else.

 

I'm desperately looking for an ideapad y500 with SLI that can be delivered in belgium or germany. www.lenovoshop.com/de keeps delaying it and I need it as soon as possible, do any of you know some alternatives?

 

So I just checked and I'm excited to see that Lenovo has finally added the extra 650m to there accessories section.

 

Really?!?!? Can you give me the link pls!

 

I am so, so angry..

I also need my Y500 ASAP--I am traveling and my order was placed on the 10th of December. This is some customer service they have--each day they delay it I talk to multiple chat representatives and they assure me that my order has been placed in the expedited queue and will be shipped out for certain on 12/XX/12.

This has happened four separate times, and this was today's info when I checked:

2012/12/29 Estimated Ship Date
2013/01/07 Estimated Delivery Date


Worst foreign customer service I have ever, ever experienced. I was told that the demand was just so great that they are very behind in orders. Get your logistics in order. Complete bull.

lyfisgamble, did you eventually get yours? I will be canceling if it is not here the 30th.