Lenovo IdeaPad U400-09932DU
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Average of 12 scores (from 20 reviews)
Reviews for the Lenovo IdeaPad U400-09932DU
Eye candy. The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 features one of the better-looking exteriors we've seen on a mid-range notebook, but can its internal components match up?
Source: CNet Archive.org version
While ultrabooks are seemingly all anyone at Microsoft or Intel can talk about, what about the humble laptop? Adopting the looks of an ultrabook and an Apple MacBook, the IdeaPad U400 wins on design and overall value, but it's not that far above other equally good laptops that are out there right now.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/10/2012
Rating: Total score: 70% performance: 70% mobility: 70%
Source: Computer Shopper Archive.org version
As 2011—the year that saw the genesis of the slim-yet-powerful ultrabook—ended, we found ourselves once again awed by today's mobile-computing technology. This sharp-looking, metal-finish laptop has many valuable features and runs well, but a finicky touch pad and a lack of impact from its graphics hardware suggest it isn't quite as refined as it looks.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/07/2012
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Notebooks.com Archive.org version
At $884 the Lenovo IdeaPad U400 is a good value for a well-built mainstream notebook that offers excellent overall performance. If the middling graphics performance were the only drawback, it would be easy to recommend this notebook. The issues with the keyboard and touchpad are a big distraction, especially for such important components.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/30/2012
Source: PC World Archive.org version
If you're not a thin-is-in type, then the U400 will provide you with much the same experience as its U-series brethren in terms of aesthetics, typing, and pointing. It's fast enough for most purposes, and you get a larger 14-inch screen. It's a tad pricey for an all-purpose, but you always pay extra for style, and this unit has it in spades.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/23/2012
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Techreview Source Archive.org version
The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 brings luxury to the mainstream laptop, combining a design that looks good and feels even better with solid performance and features like USB 3.0 and WiDi 2.0. In terms of performance, it's an excellent alternative to our Editors' Choice Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5), but it can't compete on price. You'll be hard pressed, however, to find a more touchable competitor.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/11/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Gadgetmix Archive.org version
Video-looping battery tests gave 4 hrs 18 minutes of service, which is decent enough. The Lenovo U400 starts at $798 with a 2.2GHz i3 CPU, 4GB RAM and 500GB HDD. The top model features a 2.7GHz i7-2620M but the one option worth checking out is the 64GB SSD version.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 01/09/2012
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 brings luxury to the mainstream laptop, combining a design that looks good and feels even better with solid performance and features like USB 3.0 and WiDi 2.0. In terms of performance, it's an excellent alternative to our Editors' Choice Dell Inspiron 14z (Core i5), but it can't compete on price. You'll be hard pressed, however, to find a more touchable competitor.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 01/06/2012
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Notebookreview.com Archive.org version
Lenovo is aiming the U400 at potential MacBook customers; it has a similar-looking metal design, gets six hours of battery and comes in nearly $250 cheaper with better specifications. On top of that it is one of the thinner and lighter 14-inch notebooks available today. Notable downsides of this notebook include the lifeless, low-resolution display, lack of a backlit keyboard and media card reader and inability for users to upgrade components. The lack of a media card reader is unforgivable. The U400 certainly offers some good looks and performance for the money but aside from the design it offers little over budget notebooks priced at several hundred less.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/21/2011
Rating: Total score: 60% price: 50% performance: 70% features: 50% mobility: 60% ergonomy: 70%
Source: Hot Hardware Archive.org version
In total, Lenovo's U400 is an interesting option to be sure. However, it's not drastically cheaper than the competition, the screen isn't drastically better than any rival machines, and the performance-to-price ratio isn't mind-blowing. That said, if you have a "thing" for the design, or you stumble upon a great coupon, mid-range users won't be let down by what this system offers.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/20/2011
Source: Digital Trends Archive.org version
Lenovo’s U400 is a fantastic combination of performance and design. Though the Radeon HD 6470M is a bit of a letdown, the laptop is otherwise a strong performer. There’s more than enough power here for most consumers, or even most enthusiasts. You can buy a lot more bang for $899, however, so it’s clear that hardware value is not the goal.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/14/2011
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Engadget Archive.org version
We know what a lot of you are thinking: the U300s looks nice, but you really had your heart set on discrete graphics (you can take or leave the optical drive, we reckon). So you figured the U400 would include everything you loved about the U300s, along with a few beefier specs thrown in to make geek hearts sing. Wrong.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/12/2011
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
For better and worse--mostly worse--the Lenovo IdeaPad U400 is simply a larger version of its U300s Ultrabook. While we like its styling and larger hard drive, we still had trouble with its touchpad, and can't get over the fact that there's no SD card slot. For the same $899, we'd much rather have the ASUS U46SV, which offers both greater endurance and better graphics performance, or the Toshiba Portege Z835, which weighs almost half as much, has a backlit keyboard, and gets nearly 7 hours of battery life. The IdeaPad U400 is nice to look at, but makes too many compromises elsewhere.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/09/2011
Rating: Total score: 60%
Source: Slashgear Archive.org version
For those of you with a specific use-case in mind, be sure to comment below and I’ll let you know if I think this computer is the one for you or not. For me, it’s simply not the perfect combination of thin, light, and powerful. While it does have the awesome power of the Intel Core i5 chipset, it’s not going to beat an Alienware notebook at home for gaming for a rather comparable price. For heading out of the house to publish some stories or work with video, I can’t imagine replacing me MacBook Pro with this – even though the 15-inch Pro I’m working with weighs more and has more bulk in it in the end.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/06/2011
Foreign Reviews
Source: Notebookcheck DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 03/20/2012
Rating: Total score: 82% performance: 79% display: 65% mobility: 86% workmanship: 90% ergonomy: 78% emissions: 89%
Source: ZDNet DE→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/20/2012
Rating: Total score: 75% performance: 70% features: 80% mobility: 70%
Source: Hi-Tech Mail RU→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/12/2012
Source: F1CD RU→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Excellent design; Good ergonomics; Powerful components; High-quality assembly. Negative: Significant was found.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/18/2012
Source: Prohardver.hu HU→EN Archive.org version
Positive: workmanship, keyboard, touchpad, USB 3.0, HDMI; negative: glossy display, no keyboard backlight, battery runtime
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/10/2012
Source: Notebook.cz CZ→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/27/2012
Comment
AMD Radeon HD 6470M: Entry to middle class graphics card based on the Seymore XT codename featuring the UVD3 video processor.
Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
2430M: Dual-core processor based on the Sandy Bridge architecture with an integrated graphics card and dual-channel DDR3 memory controller. The CPU is clocked at 2.4 GHz (Turbo Boost 2.7-3 GHz) and the GPU at 650 (1200 MHz Turbo).» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
14.00":
There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Lenovo: Lenovo ("Le" from English legend, novo (Latin) for new) was founded in 1984 as a Chinese computer trading company. As of 2004, the company was the largest laptop manufacturer in China and, after acquiring IBM's PC division in 2005, the fourth largest in the world. In addition to desktops and notebooks, the company manufactures monitors, projectors, servers, etc, and specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer electronics, personal computers, software, enterprise solutions and related services.
In 2016, the company ranked first in the world in computer sales. It still held it in 2023 with about 23% global market share. Important product lines are Thinkpad, Legion and Ideapad.
In 2011, it acquired a majority stake in Medion AG, a European computer hardware manufacturer. In 2014, Motorola Mobility was purchased, which gave Lenovo a boost in the smartphone market.
73.75%: This rating is poor. More than three quarters of the models are rated better. That is rather not a purchase recommendation. Even if verbal ratings in this area do not sound that bad ("sufficient" or "satisfactory"), they are usually euphemisms that disguise a classification as a below-average laptop.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.