Lenovo B50-50 80S2000QGE Notebook Review
For the original German review, see here.
Lenovo's B50-50 is a fundamental, 15.6-inch office laptop. "B50" might sound familiar to our regular readers. We have tested many related models. However, the B50-50 does not have anything in common with these models. Lenovo relies on a new casing here, which is not a stranger to us. The casing of the B50-50 is the same as that of the IdeaPad 100-15IBD sister model. Opponents of the B50-50 are laptops like, for example, HP's 250 G4, Acer's Aspire E5-521 and Toshiba's Satellite C50D-B.
Since the B50-50 and IdeaPad 100-15IBD feature an identical build, we will not go in-depth about casing, connectivity, input devices or speakers. Corresponding information can be found in the review of the IdeaPad 100-15IBD.
Display
The B50-50 is furnished with a matte, 15.6-inch screen that has a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The contrast (425:1) and particularly the brightness (197.9 cd/m²) are too low. Good: The screen never displayed PWM flickering.
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Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 166 cd/m²
Contrast: 425:1 (Black: 0.48 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 11.62 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 12.3 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
56% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38.48% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
56% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37.24% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.22
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8426 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | ||
The screen exhibits a DeltaE 2000 color shift of 11.62 in delivery state - a normal rate in the low-cost sector. A rate less than 3 would be desirable. Beyond that, the screen suffers from a visible bluish tint.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 27 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 10 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 65 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.6 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 58 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 27 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 31 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 94 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.3 ms). | ||
Lenovo equips the B50-50 with a viewing-angle dependent TN panel. Thus, the screen cannot be read from every position. The laptop cannot be used outdoors. The already low brightness in AC mode drops even further in battery mode.
Performance
Lenovo has a very basic, 15.6-inch laptop in its lineup with the B50-50. The laptop has enough computing power for routine. Our review sample is priced at approximately 450 Euros (~$506). Other configurations are available. The cheapest model at test time was sold for around 370 Euros (~$416). The identically built IdeaPad 100-15IBD series expands this lineup.
Processor
The B50-50 is furnished with a Core i3-5005U dual-core processor. It is not a member of Intel's latest Skylake generation but rather a model from the former Broadwell generation. The processor clocks at a speed of 2 GHz. It does not have Turbo, but the processor supports Hyper-Threading (two threads per core can be processed). The CPU performed our CPU tests at full speed.
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo B50-50 80S2000QGE | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBD | |
| HP 250 G4 T6P08ES | |
| Lenovo G51-35 80M8002HGE | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 300-15IBR | |
| Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
The system runs smoothly; we did not experience problems. The PCMark benchmark scores are good. The B50-50 scores better than its identically built IdeaPad 100-15IBD sister model. The reason: The B50-50 is furnished with a hybrid hard drive. Increasing the B50-50's system performance is possible via replacing the HDD with an SSD. The system then responds faster and Windows boots quicker. It is not possible to enable dual-channel mode by installing a second working memory module. The laptop only has one memory bank.
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2980 points | |
| PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 3349 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 3923 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Device
A hybrid hard drive by Toshiba serves as the system drive. It spins at 5400 revolutions per minute and has a capacity of 500 GB. The drive incorporates an SSD cache (8 GB), which ensures faster loading of frequently used applications. The drive's transfer rates are on a normal level for a 5400 RPM model.
Graphics Card
Intel's HD Graphics 5500 GPU is responsible for video output. The GPU supports DirectX 11.2 and clocks at speeds of up to 850 MHz. The 3DMark benchmark scores are on a normal level for this graphics unit.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 1056 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 40900 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 4040 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 544 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
The B50-50 was not made for gaming. Nevertheless, the hardware renders some games smoothly in low resolutions and low quality settings. Games with relatively moderate hardware requirements, such as World of Warships, are playable. Users who want a bit more gaming power can take the identically built IdeaPad 500-15IBD sister model. One model configured with a GeForce 920M graphics card is found within the lineup.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 29.7 | 17.4 | 14 |
Emissions & Energy Management
System Noise
The B50-50 does not produce much noise over the entire load range. The fan permanently spins at low speeds in idle mode. Mainly the hard drive's noise is heard. Replacing the HDD with an SSD would lead to more silence. The fan hardly increased its speed during the stress test and reached a noise level of just 34.6 dB.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 32.5 / 32.5 / 32.7 dB(A) |
| HDD |
| 32.4 dB(A) |
| DVD |
| 37 / dB(A) |
| Load |
| 34.2 / 34.6 dB(A) |
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30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 31.2 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
The B50-50 performed our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least one hour) identically in both AC and battery modes. The graphics unit clocked stably at full speed (850 MHz), and the processor only reached its maximum speed within the first two minutes. The rate then permanently fluctuated between 1 and 2 GHz. It cannot be said that the B50-50 really heats up. 30 °C was only surpassed on some measuring points during the stress test.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.6 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 34.3 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.6 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.3 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.7 °C / 85.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.6 °C / 81.7 F (-2.1 °C / -3.8 F).
Power Consumption
The B50-50's power consumption is surprising. We measured a maximum idle consumption of 8.5 watts - a good rate. The identically built IdeaPad 100-15IBD is more guzzling with a rate of 12.6 watts. The CPU's clock speed fluctuated in the stress test, and consequently the power consumption also fluctuated. We recorded an average of 25.4 watts here. The power supply has a nominal output of 45 watts.
| Off / Standby | 0.16 / 0.26 Watt |
| Idle | 5.5 / 7.6 / 8.5 Watt |
| Load |
24.5 / 25.4 Watt |
   
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Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
Battery Runtime
Our practical Wi-Fi test simulates the load needed for opening websites. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The B50-50 achieves a runtime of 4:55 hours. The rate is satisfactory, but it is not overwhelming. The B50-50 lasts a good 40 minutes longer than the IdeaPad 100-15IBD since the latter has an overall higher energy requirement.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Lenovo delivers a fundamental, 15.6-inch office laptop called B50-50. The installed Core i3 processor is more than enough for office and Internet applications. It still has enough reserves. The laptop always runs quietly and hardly heats up. There is no lack of storage thanks to the 500 GB hybrid drive. Replacing the hard drive with an SSD would be possible. However, the casing would have to be opened for this since the laptop does not have a maintenance hatch. The laptop's keyboard fulfills the needs for home use. The battery life is acceptable. The screen is not compelling; it is dark and low-contrast. Furthermore, the maximum brightness drops even further in battery mode.
Our verdict about the IdeaPad 100-15IBD sister model was: "The price and the installed CPU make the IdeaPad attractive to some degree. A laptop with a relatively strong processor is available for little money." That is also conditionally true for the B50-50. However, the Windows 10 license boosts the price evidently here.
The price of a device like the B50-50 is decisive. Buyers who want a good price-performance ratio will have to take another configuration.
The 80S20006GE model (1 TB hard drive, no Windows operating system) is priced at approximately 370 Euros (~$416). The price increases to roughly 400 Euros (~$450) when adding the cost for a used Windows 7 license. This license involves a free update to Windows 10 until the end of July 2016. The 80QQ00ARGE model (1 TB hard drive, no Windows operating system) was sold at a price starting at 300 Euros (~$337) at test time. However, a glossy screen has to be accepted in the IdeaPad.
Lenovo B50-50 80S2000QGE
- 06/08/2016 v5.1 (old)
Sascha Mölck
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