Lenovo B50-80 Notebook Review
For the original German review, see here.
An affordable Windows Laptop is the only thing found about the 15-inch B50-80 on Lenovo's official site. Devices without the IdeaPad or ThinkPad labels are part of Lenovo's core linup for basic home use. The laptop is currently offered in 18 different configurations in prices ranging from 300 Euros (~$334/Pentium, FreeDOS) to 530 Euros (~$590/Core i3, 128 GB SSD). The entry-level model has to be content with an IGP graphics from Intel, an AMD Radeon R5 M230 (2 GB) or a Radeon R5 M330 (2 GB) like the one in our review sample depending on the price. The configuration of our sample with a Core i5-5200U and Radeon R5 M330 costs 679 Euros (~$757), and clearly stands out from the B50 lower-range and mid-range.
What is the advantage of Radeon compared with the older R5 M230? Is it worth the surcharge? Can the B50-80 oppose the elaborate competition with its plain and cheap-looking plastic appearance? They offer a broad range for 350 to 700 Euros (~$390 to ~$780), and come with low-end or mid-range graphic solutions.
HP's 355 G2 (AMD A-Series A8-6410) is a low-cost entry-level model, but includes the former Radeon R5 M240 for approximately 350 Euros (~$390). The Pavilion 17-g054ng (Radeon R8 M365DX) is the latest thing with an AMD A-Series A10-8700P (Carrizo). The 17-incher also features a matte Full HD screen. The Pavilion 15-p151ng (AMD A-Series A10-5745M) is also equipped with a stronger GPU than our review sample (Radeon R7 M260). Acer's Aspire E5-571G (Core i5, GeForce 840M) is also configured with better graphics. A GeForce GTX 850M is already available for 699 Euros (~$779), for example in Acer's Aspire V Nitro VN7-571G combined with an IPS TFT in Full HD resolution.
What does Lenovo's B50-80, on the market for 679 Euros (~$757) have to offer to counter the mostly cheaper configurations from Acer and HP? Is the low-voltage Core i5 still stronger than AMD's Carrizo upper-range? Is the graphics card's performance worth mentioning or should a stronger solution be preferred for gaming ambitions? We will answer these and other questions in the test.
·HP 355 G2 (AMD A-Series A8-6410, R5 M240, 350 Euros/~$390)
·HP Pavilion 17-g054ng (AMD A-Series A10-8700P, R8 M365DX, 599 Euros/~$668)
·HP Pavilion 15-p151ng (AMD A-Series A10-5745M, R7 M260, 700 Euros/~$780)
·Acer Aspire V Nitro VN7-571G (Core i5, GeForce GTX 850M, 699 Euros/~$779)
·Acer Aspire E5-571G (Core i5, GeForce 840M, 570 Euros/~$635)
Case
The casing that the world's largest PC manufacturer uses to please its customers is disappointing. In fact, a chassis with this inferior stability, spongy input devices, and stale plastic looks and feel belongs to the lowest standard. HP's Pavilion 15-p008ng does not feature any metal elements either, but the manufacturer has put more effort in the appearance with a polished work area (looks like brushed and anodized aluminum) and a silver-painted lid. The matte lid of the B50 will soon be covered with fingerprints, grime will accumulate in the uneven gaps around the base unit, and dust will adorn the screen's frame. The B50 will not promote pride of ownership, and thus it seems that using a polishing cloth will be absurd.
Even the larger HP Pavilion 17 convinced in the test with a higher quality, more solid and better-looking build. Owners of the B50 will have to accept hinges that are relatively tight, but clearly let the lid rock. It can be opened to approximately 135 degrees. The hinge clearly pulls at the perhaps too weak chassis at its end point. The lid's back can be dented and warped when picked up by the upper edge. However, the options are limited; the build is below average for the under 700 Euros (~$780) price range. The build is adequate for the configuration starting at 350 Euros (~$390).
The bottom tray of the B50 is easy to remove after releasing only two screws. Although the fan cannot be accessed for cleaning, the hard drive, the Wi-Fi module in M.2 format, the CMOS battery and the working memory can be replaced or upgraded.
Connectivity
The B50 features the classic ports. While Lenovo has now omitted VGA d-Sub from its IdeaPads and only offers HDMI, the classic port is still on-board here. Unfortunately, OneLink, Lenovo's power and docking port combination, is not installed. It is found in some ThinkPad Edge entry-level devices, and can provide the laptop with both a docking station as well as power with just one cable.
We looked closer at the SD card reader with a Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II. It copied large data blocks at a maximum of 88 MB/s, while approximately 62 MB/s can be expected with standard .jpg image files. Copying 250 .jpg files (approximately 5 MB each) only needed 20 seconds. That is comparatively fast; slow card readers need over 30 seconds for copying to the hard drive.
Communication
Intel's Wireless-AC 3160 mini PCIe wireless adapter is inside the B50. The M.2 chip supports Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi standards 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz). Theoretically, 433 MB/s gross are possible in single-stream. We can confirm the review sample to have a long range, but not a particularly stable connectivity. The 15-incher achieved 1 to 2 bars at the 45-meter (~148 ft) measuring point in the author's personal settings. The connection sometime broke down. The speed at which websites were opened was considerably reduced (60 to 260 Kbit/s). By comparison: Up to 3 Mbit were possible at closer distances, such as the 15 meter (~49 ft) point outside the building. Websites loaded quickly.
Webcam
The 1.0 megapixel webcam in the display bezel delivered only moderate results. Poor details, faded unnatural colors and heavy noise characterize the image impression. Although the photos were shot in the outdoors and the brightest sunlight, they give the impression of being taken in a darkroom. The microphone makes a good impression, see speakers for details.
Accessories
Our model, based on Windows 8.1 operating system does not come with driver CDs or other accessories. The box contains only the 65-watt power supply, a quick start guide and a leaflet with warranty contact information. The Windows 10 installation popped up right away, and the user can register for the free upgrade. However, we did not install the upgrade.
Maintenance
The maintenance hatch enables access to the most important hardware components. Among them, the hard drive (2.5 inches, 7 millimeters/~0.27 in), Wi-Fi module (M.2) and working memory (1 of 2 slots filled). Unfortunately, this excludes the casing's fan, but not the battery that is inserted conventionally.
Warranty
As usual for Lenovo's entry-level devices, the B50 comes with only a 12-month warranty period. Comparatively affordable upgrade packages (bring-in service: 24/36 months starting at 32-58 Euros/~$36 to ~$65) make extending this period seem sensible.
Input Devices
A dark chapter dawns with the input devices. The typist will not encounter keys with good feedback and a well-defined pressure point and a firm stroke. Instead, the entire key area rocks heavily, which leads to a spongy stroke. This drawback is particularly marked on the left. The keys only have a short drop, but a clear pressure point. The AccuType keys are not concave and are not backlit, but a standard number pad is installed.
The touchpad's pleasant-to-the-touch surface is not too sleek and does not convey a greasy impression. The surface is sensitive up to the edges and supports common multitouch gestures. The plastic keys not only make a cheap impression, they also have a very short drop and disappear under their frame. Large fingers often press the edge while typing and have problems with the cramped outline. The clear pressure point is hardly noticed due to the weak drop, the stroke is subdued and rather soft. The click noise changes depending on the pressed area - a phenomenon that might prove annoying.
Display
Depending on the configuration, the 15.6-inch screen in the B50 provides either 1366x768 (HD) or 1920x1080 (FHD) pixels, which equals a pixel density of 100 and 141 ppi respectively. We would recommend Full HD, like in the review sample, just because of the additional desktop area. Matte screen is standard regardless of the selected resolution.
However, the Full HD screen's brightness (207 cd/m²) and contrast ratio (556:1) is not good compared with its rivals. Except for Acer's Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G, all comparison devices in the chart feature a TN screen. This normally means weak contrasts, but the Pavilion 17-g054ng proves us wrong with 948:1. The screen's manufacturer, Innolux, specifies 220 cd/m² and a contrast of 500:1, which were confirmed by our measurements.
A homogeneous illumination without any distracting screen bleeding is also important, which we can verify in the B50. An illumination of 88% is pretty good; most review samples achieve around 80% and slightly more.
|
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 178 cd/m²
Contrast: 556:1 (Black: 0.39 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 11.61 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.94
ΔE Greyscale 12.47 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
60% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.17% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.83% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.41
Lenovo B50-80 FHD matt TN | HP 355 G2 HD matt TN | HP Pavilion 15-p151ng FHD matt TN | HP Pavilion 17-g054ng FHD matt TN | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H FHD matt IPS | Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X FHD matt TN | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | -12% | 36% | 64% | 46% | 38% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 39.83 | 35.1 -12% | 54.8 38% | 66.1 66% | 63.2 59% | 55.9 40% |
sRGB Coverage | 59.6 | 52.9 -11% | 78.8 32% | 96.1 61% | 80.6 35% | 80.7 35% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 41.17 | 36.26 -12% | 56.5 37% | 68.1 65% | 58.9 43% | 57.8 40% |
Screen | -40% | -8% | 45% | 41% | -9% | |
Brightness middle | 217 | 211 -3% | 293 35% | 294 35% | 320 47% | 223 3% |
Brightness | 208 | 213 2% | 280 35% | 270 30% | 283 36% | 226 9% |
Brightness Distribution | 88 | 78 -11% | 83 -6% | 86 -2% | 83 -6% | 91 3% |
Black Level * | 0.39 | 1.21 -210% | 0.8 -105% | 0.31 21% | 0.32 18% | 0.77 -97% |
Contrast | 556 | 174 -69% | 366 -34% | 948 71% | 1000 80% | 290 -48% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 11.61 | 13.28 -14% | 13.19 -14% | 3.72 68% | 5.31 54% | 10.13 13% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 12.47 | 13.28 -6% | 13.41 -8% | 5.23 58% | 4.73 62% | 11.68 6% |
Gamma | 2.41 91% | 2.52 87% | 3.38 65% | 2.4 92% | 2.36 93% | 2.92 75% |
CCT | 15458 42% | 17759 37% | 13185 49% | 7270 89% | 5980 109% | 12592 52% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 38 | 34 -11% | 51 34% | 61.9 63% | 52.9 39% | 52 37% |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 60 | 95.9 60% | ||||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -26% /
-32% | 14% /
4% | 55% /
50% | 44% /
42% | 15% /
4% |
* ... smaller is better
The review sample covers 60% of the sRGB color space, and only 38% of the AdobeRGB. Professional graphic designers and image editors will definitely not be satisfied with this screen. Furthermore, the color reproduction is absolutely inaccurate; the DeltaE is roughly 12. This is typical for the low cost TFTs on the market. Some rivals do a much better job: The Pavilion 17-g054ng and Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G (IPS) are the leaders in colors. A DeltaE rate of less than three is desirable. Although 5 is better than in the review sample, the shifts from the color reference is already visible to the naked eye.
The bluish tint common in TN screens is particularly strong in the B50, and obvious even to untrained eyes (see grayscale). This is the delivery state; calibration could improve the color reproduction. We have linked the profile in the box above.
The very low maximum brightness makes using Lenovo's B50 difficult in daylight, despite its anti-glare coating. Users will have to look for a shady place because otherwise the screen is too dark. Fortunately, there are no blinding effects whatsoever. The B50 does not feature an ambient light sensor for automatic brightness adjustment.
The Full HD screen is based on TN technology, which is the mainstream version for laptop TFTs. IPS or PLS screens are replacing the TN models in the mid and high-priced range more and more. HP already uses Full HD IPS screen in some of its below 400 Euros (~$445) entry-level Pavilions. These IPS screens offer more stable viewing angles and usually a more accurate color reproduction. Our review sample clearly suffers under contrast shifts and image inverting when the viewer looks from the sides or even from a slanted position from below.
Performance
Lenovo's 15.6-incher is a basic multimedia laptop - at least in view of the optical drive, screen and interfaces. The innards in the form of a Core i5-5200U (Broadwell), AMD Radeon R5 M330 and HDD speak for an all-rounder that should cope with the most diverse applications satisfactorily.
The Radeon R5 M330 will certainly be an attractive aspect for many buyers who want to play the occasional game, but are deterred by the high price of supposed gaming laptops. This is, however, a false conclusion, as we will illustrate in the following. Some similar or even superior 15-inchers sold for up to 700 Euros (~$780) offer a considerably better gaming experience.
Currently, there are many alternative configurations on the German market. Buyers looking for Lenovo's B50-80 will find 18 different configurations stretching over a Pentium without an operating system up to a Core i7-5500U.
Processor
Intel's Core i5-5200U clocks at a base speed of 2.2 GHz, which can be boosted to 2.5 GHz (both cores) or 2.7 GHz (one core) via Turbo. The Turbo is utilized in both AC and battery mode. The Cinebench benchmark CPU tests were always performed at full speed (multi-test @ 1.5 GHz) and achieved identical scores. Both other 5200U laptops mostly achieve an identical score. Thermal throttling is not an issue since we measured a maximum of only 80 degrees Celsius (~176 degrees Fahrenheit) on the SoC even in the stress test, and just 66 degrees Celsius (~151 degrees Fahrenheit) on the GPU.
The same clock behavior is seen with the Radeon. As long as maximum performance is set in battery mode, the Radeon runs at 955 MHz and achieves the same scores in Cinebench's Shading test in battery mode. Performance is reduced by almost half at 400 MHz when battery saving is selected (13.6 vs. 21.7 fps).
The brand new A10-8700P (Carrizo) lags behind the i5-5200U by only 30 or 15%. Users who do not depend on the last ounce of performance might be satisfied with a significantly lower priced APU model.
System Performance
The application performance of the PCMark 8 scores do not benefit as much from the Radeon graphics card, but rather from the fast processor. The APU powered HP 355 G2, Pavilion 15-p151ng and Pavilion 17-g054ng all lag behind even if only just slightly. This corresponds to the disadvantage in processor speed. Laptops based on an SSD are not in the depicted comparison. The system with the strongest graphics, Acer's Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G, has an edge of four to ten percent on the review sample, which is only a marginal difference. When it comes to games, this difference is tremendous, as we will see in a moment. If these do not matter, then it makes little difference to the buyer whether they select the small Radeon R5 or the big GTX 850M .
PCMark 7 Score | 2643 points | |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2964 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 3675 points | |
Help |
Storage Device
The silent Seagate hard drive (model: SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024) with a gross capacity of 1000 GB, of which approximately 865 GB is available after deducting the recovery partition and OS, operates slowly. We noticed relatively sluggish booting and loading times that needed a long time. The chart with the test outcomes also shows this: 4K read and write are very weak compared with other spinning storage devices. The identically built SpinPoint M8 in the Pavilion 17-g054ng delivered similarly weak rates and confirmed our measurements. The solid-state hybrid drive in the Pavilion 15-p151ng achieves a few more points although the HDD benchmarks do not benefit from the cache. Nevertheless, we see, for example, an excellent 4K write throughput.
Lenovo B50-80 Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | HP 355 G2 Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050 | HP Pavilion 15-p151ng Radeon R7 M260, A10-5745M, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive | HP Pavilion 17-g054ng Radeon R8 M365DX, A10-8700P, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H GeForce GTX 850M, 5200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X GeForce 840M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CrystalDiskMark 3.0 | 32% | 89% | -9% | 24% | 8% | |
Read 4k | 0.319 | 0.483 51% | 0.395 24% | 0.306 -4% | 0.448 40% | 0.444 39% |
Write 4k | 0.824 | 1.175 43% | 4.506 447% | 0.687 -17% | 0.626 -24% | 0.895 9% |
Read Seq | 103.2 | 108.4 5% | 109.4 6% | 97 -6% | 120.7 17% | 97.6 -5% |
Write Seq | 102.6 | 104.9 2% | 108.1 5% | 95.6 -7% | 118.6 16% | 91.6 -11% |
Read 4k QD32 | 0.709 | 0.995 40% | 1.054 49% | 0.666 -6% | 0.85 20% | 0.795 12% |
Write 4k QD32 | 0.842 | 1.252 49% | 0.863 2% | 0.734 -13% | 1.477 75% | 0.887 5% |
Graphics Card
The Radeon R5 M330 operates in an Enduro array with Intel's HD 5500, which allows automatic switching to the processor's graphics. Unfortunately, very often the Radeon has to be assigned manually even in high performance mode (Catalyst driver and Windows energy settings). This was a tedious procedure in the benchmarks and games.
According to 3DMark 11 the performance of the R5 M330 is clearly below that of a GeForce 840M . The GeForce achieves 40 to 90% higher scores depending on the test. The GTX 850M manages a big lead of 120 to 150%. The R5 is an entry-level GPU that should more or less clearly surpass the integrated HD Graphics 5500 depending on the application, game or benchmark. The Medion Akoya E7416 from the comparison based on "Tomb Raider" and "BioShock Infinite" shows differences of 12 to almost 40% in favor of the Radeon R5.
3DMark | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value) | |
Lenovo B50-80 | |
HP 355 G2 | |
HP Pavilion 15-p151ng | |
HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics (sort by value) | |
Lenovo B50-80 | |
HP 355 G2 | |
HP Pavilion 15-p151ng | |
HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Physics (sort by value) | |
Lenovo B50-80 | |
HP 355 G2 | |
HP Pavilion 15-p151ng | |
HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X |
3DMark 06 Standard Score | 5662 points | |
3DMark 11 Performance | 1723 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 28314 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 4010 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 791 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
The uneven games chart below shows clearly that the B50 is not a gamer. A laptop should only be called that when it allows smooth gameplay in at least medium settings in HD resolution. That is not the case here; some hardware-driven games jerk even in low settings and stutter along. The tester had the impression that the HD 5500 was often enabled rather than the Radeon R5. The B50 owner will actually have to watch out and manually set Enduro to high performance. The fps improved in some cases, but the depicted rates were all produced using the enabled Radeon.
As the Medion Akoya E7416 in the chart shows, the Radeon in fact only outperforms the HD 5500 by 12 respectively 38% in "Tomb Raider" and "BioShock Infinite". They were on par in some games, e.g. in "Battlefield Hardline" that we tested in full in every setting on the HD 5500. On the other hand, some games ran twice as fast on the Radeon R5, such as "Metal Gear Solid V" (medium: HD 5000 13.6 fps; Radeon 26.5 fps) and "F1 2014" (not quite twice as fast).
Thus, the Radeon R5 M330 is qualified for gaming ambitions, and cannot be replaced by an HD 5500. The user will, however, have to be satisfied with older or very undemanding formats; up-to-date games will definitely not be fun.
Tomb Raider - 1024x768 Low Preset (sort by value) | |
Lenovo B50-80 | |
Medion Akoya E7416 | |
HP 355 G2 | |
HP Pavilion 15-p151ng | |
HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X |
BioShock Infinite - 1280x720 Very Low Preset (sort by value) | |
Lenovo B50-80 | |
Medion Akoya E7416 | |
HP 355 G2 | |
HP Pavilion 15-p151ng | |
HP Pavilion 17-g054ng | |
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H | |
Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X |
low | med. | high | ultra | |
Crysis 3 (2013) | 19.1 | 11.9 | 8.4 | |
Tomb Raider (2013) | 49.1 | 26.2 | 17.1 | 9 |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 46.3 | 26 | 21.5 | 8 |
Battlefield 4 (2013) | 34.3 | 24.2 | 16.1 | 5.8 |
Thief (2014) | 19.1 | 12.3 | ||
Sims 4 (2014) | 32.7 | 15.3 | ||
Fifa 15 (2014) | 33 | 15.6 | ||
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) | 21.7 | 15.25 | ||
Alien: Isolation (2014) | 26.2 | 15.1 | 9.5 | |
F1 2014 (2014) | 72 | 40 | 20 | 16 |
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014) | 37.5 | 21.6 | 14.1 | |
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) | 27.1 | 15.9 | 13.2 | |
Evolve (2015) | 20.1 | 15 | 8.3 | |
Battlefield Hardline (2015) | 37.5 | 26.4 | 9 | |
Dirt Rally (2015) | 70 | 18.4 | 12.5 | |
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) | 40.5 | 26.5 | 9.8 | |
Mad Max (2015) | 17.4 | 9.6 |
Emissions
System Noise
Unfortunately, the fan in the B50-80 is never inactive in idle mode. Low or short load does not pause the sonorous base noise. The hard drive is quieter than the fan, and that is why we provide values here. DVD playback is relatively quiet with 36 dB(A), but still audible.
The fan speeds up under permanent load. We measured a noise level of 40 dB(A). The fan spins homogeneously that increased to 43 dB(A) in the stress test. The latter is a rare case, though. Even a permanently running GPU stress test, such as FurMark, only increases the fan's noise to 40 dB(A).
Overall, we are dealing with a relatively quiet laptop. We would have expected that the active fan sometimes pauses in idle in view of the weak hardware. The rivals do a better job especially when looking at the idle rate. HP's Pavilion 17-g054ng is the leader followed by the Aspire V15 Nitro. These two laptops are also quieter during gaming.
Lenovo B50-80 Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | HP 355 G2 Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050 | HP Pavilion 15-p151ng Radeon R7 M260, A10-5745M, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive | HP Pavilion 17-g054ng Radeon R8 M365DX, A10-8700P, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H GeForce GTX 850M, 5200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X GeForce 840M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100 | |
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Noise | -2% | -5% | 6% | 4% | 7% | |
Idle Minimum * | 33.5 | 33.2 1% | 30.8 8% | 31.9 5% | 32.7 2% | |
Idle Average * | 33.5 | 33.2 1% | 32.2 4% | 30.8 8% | 31.9 5% | 32.7 2% |
Idle Maximum * | 33.6 | 33.8 -1% | 32.2 4% | 31.2 7% | 32.2 4% | 32.7 3% |
Load Average * | 40.4 | 42 -4% | 45.3 -12% | 37.8 6% | 37 8% | 34.2 15% |
Load Maximum * | 42.9 | 46.5 -8% | 49.4 -15% | 43.4 -1% | 43.3 -1% | 37.8 12% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
Idle |
| 33.5 / 33.5 / 33.6 dB(A) |
DVD |
| 36 / dB(A) |
Load |
| 40.4 / 42.9 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance) |
Temperature
The B50 stays fairly cool when idling. The average on the top/bottom is just 27 degrees Celsius (~81 degrees Fahrenheit). However, this can vary depending on the ambient temperature. We measured hot spots of up to 41 degrees Celsius (~106 degrees Fahrenheit/upper side) and 43 degrees Celsius (~109 degrees Fahrenheit/underside) primarily during consistent load over several hours. This is very low for a laptop with a dedicated graphics card. Since these are stress test rates where the maximum is retrieved from the thermals, they should not come close to being reached in daily use, not even in games.
The B50 performed the stress test (1 h of Prime95 & FurMark) stably at 2.5 GHz on the CPU in AC mode. The i5 does not throttle. A maximum core temperature of 80 degrees Celsius (~176 degrees Fahrenheit) should prevent that. The temperature was only 67 degrees Celsius (~153 degrees Fahrenheit) when running Prime95 alone. The Radeon stably clocked at 955 MHz, which also excludes throttling.
Lenovo B50-80 Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | HP 355 G2 Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050 | HP Pavilion 15-p151ng Radeon R7 M260, A10-5745M, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive | HP Pavilion 17-g054ng Radeon R8 M365DX, A10-8700P, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H GeForce GTX 850M, 5200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X GeForce 840M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | 9% | -3% | 3% | -1% | 3% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 41.2 | 37.2 10% | 38.7 6% | 38.2 7% | 48.2 -17% | 41.3 -0% |
Maximum Bottom * | 42.5 | 36 15% | 46 -8% | 34.2 20% | 39.5 7% | 44 -4% |
Idle Upper Side * | 28.4 | 26.5 7% | 29.6 -4% | 30.8 -8% | 28.3 -0% | 26.1 8% |
Idle Bottom * | 28.8 | 28 3% | 30.2 -5% | 30.5 -6% | 27 6% | 26.7 7% |
* ... smaller is better
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.2 °C / 106 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 42.5 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.9 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34.8 °C / 94.6 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-7.1 °C / -12.7 F).
Speakers
The speakers are situated below the wrist rest and direct their sound at the listener. This seems to be advantageous compared with speakers that are installed under the wrist rest. However, not much of that is heard in everyday use. There are absolutely no basses in the spectrum, and differentiated trebles are virtually non-existent. Thus, the B50 comes with the typical, mid-heavy speakers. They are sufficient for voice chat, but we would recommend connecting headphones or speakers via the headphone jack for videos or music. It is, as so often, combined with a microphone-in.
Then again, the microphone's recordings pleased us (next to webcam). The recordings exhibited little base noise, and voices were recorded loud and clear. The minor differentiation of the mono microphone is not very annoying, but the voice sounds a bit hard and slightly tinny. The speaker can stand 50 centimeters (~20 in) away from the B50 or even look out of a window at a distance of two meters (~6.5 ft) here. The recording level does not alter.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The idle power consumption of Lenovo's B50-80 is clearly below 10 watts. The rivals vary extremely here, although almost all feature 15-watt SoCs or 15-watt APUs. The A10-8700P Carrizo model (12 - 25 watts, set to 15 watts in HP) is an exception, and is also immediately noticed adversely with an excessively high idle power consumption. The same is true for the A10-5745M Kabini precursor, which has the highest TDP with 25 watts.
The test system consumes as much as 41 watts in the stress test. The 65-watt power supply is sufficiently sized for this. 41 watts is very little when compared with the stronger Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G or Pavilion 17-g054ng. The low power consumption during average load, as would be the case in for example computer games, is striking. All rivals are more guzzling here.
Lenovo B50-80 Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | HP 355 G2 Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050 | HP Pavilion 15-p151ng Radeon R7 M260, A10-5745M, Seagate ST1000LM014 Solid State Hybrid Drive | HP Pavilion 17-g054ng Radeon R8 M365DX, A10-8700P, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | Acer Aspire V15 Nitro VN7-571G-574H GeForce GTX 850M, 5200U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Acer Aspire E5-571G-520X GeForce 840M, 5200U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 9% | -78% | -30% | -43% | -5% | |
Idle Minimum * | 6.9 | 3.9 43% | 10.3 -49% | 4.1 41% | 5.4 22% | 5.4 22% |
Idle Average * | 8.1 | 6.6 19% | 15.7 -94% | 9.6 -19% | 11.5 -42% | 8.2 -1% |
Idle Maximum * | 9.2 | 7.6 17% | 16.5 -79% | 11 -20% | 12.8 -39% | 10.5 -14% |
Load Average * | 29.7 | 35.7 -20% | 56.7 -91% | 57.6 -94% | 48.6 -64% | 36 -21% |
Load Maximum * | 41.4 | 46.2 -12% | 73.3 -77% | 65.7 -59% | 79.8 -93% | 46.7 -13% |
* ... smaller is better
Off / Standby | 0.2 / 0.2 Watt |
Idle | 6.9 / 8.1 / 9.2 Watt |
Load |
29.7 / 41.4 Watt |
Battery Runtime
The B50 (32 Wh) achieves an idle runtime of only 4:48 hours. That is due to its low battery capacity; the power consumption is on average and is low. All contenders manage longer runtimes, since their batteries are stronger than the one in our review sample. Especially Acer's Aspire V15 Nitro and Aspire E5-571G go strong here with almost a 180% longer runtime. Idle mode is ascertained with Battery Eater's Reader's test using minimum screen brightness, enabled energy saving mode, and disabled radio modules.
The B50 shuts down after 83 minutes of load. The AMD models are somewhat weaker here, and once again, the devices with the stronger graphics solutions lead the way. We determined the load runtime with Battery Eater's Classic test using maximum screen brightness, high performance mode and enabled wireless modules.
The B50-80 stopped the real-world Wi-Fi test after 3:33 hours. Again, the 15-incher comes almost last in the comparison; only HP's Pavilion 15-p151ng is even less enduring. The V15 Nitro is again up front, which is not surprising in view of 52 Wh. Opening websites is simulated in this test. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m² (dimmed 2 levels).
The B50's battery life is quite poor, which is primarily due to the battery's limited capacity. Lenovo does not offer an upgrade. A larger battery would not fit since the one that is installed already juts out of the rear.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Lenovo launches a 15-inch device that fulfills its duty stoically, but cannot really stand out in any aspect. The cheap-looking casing is not particularly stable, the gaps are uneven. Pride of ownership does not evolve. The input devices are disappointing: Neither the keyboard nor the touchpad satisfy us. While we can still work fairly well with the pad's cramped keys, the keyboard provides a highly spongy feedback. Such an inferior keyboard is rarely installed in a laptop. We also count the Seagate hard drive as a negative, as in practice, it needs excessively long time to load.
Lenovo does a proper job in thermals. The components run at their normal performance limits at low temperatures (Turbo utilized and stable). The B50 always remains relatively cool, and is not unduly loud under stress. Unfortunately, the fan is not disabled even during prolonged idle periods.
The B50 with the Radeon R5 is not suitable for gaming. Current games are usually only playable in low details. The matte Full HD resolution cannot show its beauty even if the TN screen offers a feasible contrast and homogeneous illumination. However, it regrettably also displays a visible bluish tint (pre-calibration). The TFT is virtually useless outdoors due to its low brightness, which is dimmed even further in battery mode.
The B50 thus does not have many advantages, and not even its price of just below 680 Euros (~$761) is luring. The limited gaming suitability and poor build (chassis, input devices) are simply unattractive at this price.
This would look different in a 350 Euros (~$390) configuration based on the same chassis. Thus, we point to multimedia contenders with better input devices, and some with better screens and stronger graphics cards.
First to be named are Acer's Aspire V Nitro VN7-571G (Core i5, GTX 850M) and Aspire E5-571G (Core i5, 840M). The latter does not even cost 600 Euros (~$672). The same is true of HP's Pavilion 17-g054ng (AMD A-Series A10-8700P) with considerably more gaming power (R8 M365DX). HP's 355 G2 (A-Series A8-6410) does not feature Full HD, but it comes with almost equal (low) graphics performance for 350 Euros (~$390).
Lenovo B50-80
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09/19/2015 v4 (old)
Sebastian Jentsch