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Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE Notebook Review

Office worker. Lenovo's E51-80 is situated below the ThinkPad E series. Accordingly, the prices are low - but the E51-80 cannot really be called cheap. The fast SSD and Core i7 processor boost the price. However, this does not compensate for the at most mediocre keyboard and not very convincing battery life.

For the original German review, see here.

With its E51-80, Lenovo offers an office laptop for both private and professional users. The laptop is familiar to us. We tested the largely identical predecessor model a few months ago – the Lenovo E50-80. Rivals of the E51-80 are laptops such as HP's 250 G4HP's 350 G2HP's ProBook 450 G3,Dell's Latitude 3550Lenovo's ThinkPad E560Acer's TravelMate P257-M.

Since the E50-80 and E51-80 feature an identical build, we will not go into details about casing, connectivity, input devices or speakers. The relevant information can be found in the review of the Lenovo E50-80.

Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Processor
Intel Core i7-6500U 2 x 2.5 - 3.1 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon R5 M330 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 955 MHz, Memory: 1024 MHz, DDR3, 32 bit interface, 16.200.1013.0, Enduro
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3-1600, single-channel, two memory banks (both filled)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 100 PPI, AU Optronics B156XW04 V6, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Skylake-U Premium PCH
Storage
Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP, 256 GB 
, 180 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek High Definition Audio
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: combo audio, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GUC0N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 24.7 x 380 x 262 ( = 0.97 x 14.96 x 10.31 in)
Battery
31 Wh Lithium-Ion, removeable
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Cyberlink Power2Go 8, Lenovo PowerDVD 10, McAfee LiveSafe-Internet Security (trial), MS Office (trial), 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.3 kg ( = 81.13 oz / 5.07 pounds), Power Supply: 356 g ( = 12.56 oz / 0.78 pounds)
Price
749 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

The E51-80 has a maintenance hatch that conceals two working memory banks, the hard drive slot, Wi-Fi module and BIOS battery. Only one of the working memory banks is filled. Replacing the hard drive is not a problem. 2.5-inch models with a height of 9.5 and 7 mm (~0.38 and 0.28 in) can be installed. The fan cannot be accessed without opening the casing.

The number and positioning of interfaces on E51-80 are the same as those of its predecessor. One difference is found: The E51-80 comes with a docking port, making it possible to connect Lenovo's OneLink docking solution to the E51-80.

Left: Power-in, docking port, VGA-out, Gigabit-Ethernet, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0
Left: Power-in, docking port, VGA-out, Gigabit-Ethernet, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0
Right: Combo audio, USB 2.0, OneKey recovery button (lowered), DVD burner, cable lock slot
Right: Combo audio, USB 2.0, OneKey recovery button (lowered), DVD burner, cable lock slot
Memory card reader on the front
Memory card reader on the front

Display

Pixel grid
Pixel grid

Lenovo's E51-80 is equipped with a matte, 15.6-inch screen that has a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. Both the brightness (207.6 cd/m²) and contrast (478:1) are too low for a laptop in this price range. Positive: The screen does not display PWM flickering.

218
cd/m²
208
cd/m²
214
cd/m²
208
cd/m²
215
cd/m²
208
cd/m²
199
cd/m²
197
cd/m²
201
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B156XW04 V6 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 218 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 207.6 cd/m² Minimum: 3.5 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 215 cd/m²
Contrast: 478:1 (Black: 0.45 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 12.03 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 13.06 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
56% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
35% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38.03% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
55.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
36.81% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.71

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The screen shows a DeltaE 2000 color deviation of 12.03 in the state of delivery - not a good rate. A rate of less than 3 would be desirable. Furthermore, the screen suffers under a visible bluish tint.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
25 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8 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. » 53 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
47 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise
↘ 24 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 78 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Lenovo has installed a viewing angle dependent TN panel in the laptop. Thus, the screen is not legible from every position. The E51-80 cannot really be used in the outdoors due to the screen's far too low brightness. This is at most possible in cloudy conditions or in shaded environments.

The E51-80 outdoors (direct sunlight)
The E51-80 outdoors (direct sunlight)
The E51-80 outdoors (sun behind the laptop)
The E51-80 outdoors (sun behind the laptop)

Performance

Lenovo's E51-80 is a 15.6-inch office laptop, aimed at private and professional users. Skylake processors are installed in this series. Thus, it has enough computing power for all common application fields. Our review sample costs roughly 700 Euros (~$773). Other configurations also exist. Currently the cheapest model costs around 490 Euros (~$541).

Processor

Our test device is the most powerful model of the E51-80 series. A frugal ULV processor (TDP: 15 watts) in the shape of Intel's Core i7-6500U (Skylake) model is inside. The processor clocks at a base speed of 2.5 GHz, which can be boosted to 3 GHz (both cores) or 3.1 GHz (one core) via Turbo. Turbo is almost always completely utilized. The processor clocks at "only" 2.8 to 2.9 GHz when calculating Multithread applications in battery mode.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4841
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
10908
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
7375
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
131 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
312 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
28.04 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
319 Points +2%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
312 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
299 Points -4%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
288 Points -8%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
260 Points -17%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
250 Points -20%
Lenovo E50-80
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
246 Points -21%
Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G
Radeon R8 M365DX, FX-8800P, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
207 Points -34%
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
131 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
124 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
124 Points -5%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
116 Points -11%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
108 Points -18%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
97 Points -26%
Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G
Radeon R8 M365DX, FX-8800P, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
78 Points -40%
Lenovo E50-80
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
43 Points -67%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
11004 Points +1%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
10908 Points
Lenovo E50-80
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
10442 Points -4%
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
10119 Points -7%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
9907 Points -9%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
8723 Points -20%
Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G
Radeon R8 M365DX, FX-8800P, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
6820 Points -37%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
4871 Points +1%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
4841 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
4573 Points -6%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
4414 Points -9%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
4158 Points -14%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
3248 Points -33%
Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G
Radeon R8 M365DX, FX-8800P, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2417 Points -50%
Lenovo E50-80
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1645 Points -66%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2914 Points +3%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
2823 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
2816 Points 0%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
2549 Points -10%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2465 Points -13%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
6179 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
6092 Points -1%
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
6029 Points -2%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
5557 Points -10%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
4948 Points -20%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
113 ms * -13%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
110.8 ms * -11%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
99.9 ms *
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
96.4 ms * +4%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
89.6 ms * +10%
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
85.9 ms * +14%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
190.4 Points +49%
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
189.6 Points +48%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
127.8 Points
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2635 ms * -24%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2556 ms * -20%
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2269 ms * -7%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
2124 ms *
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
1281 ms * +40%
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
1104 ms * +48%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
29745 Points +82%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
27580 Points +69%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
16331 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
14741 Points -10%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
13228 Points -19%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
12021 Points -26%
Peacekeeper - ---
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
3055 Points +6%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
2869 Points
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2655 Points -7%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
2546 Points -11%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
2400 Points -16%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

A fast solid-state drive and a strong processor ensure a fast system. We did not encounter any problems. The PCMark benchmark scores are very good. A look at our comparison chart shows that a Lenovo ThinkPad E560 based on a stronger AMD graphics core sometimes scores worse than the E51-80. This is due to the different desktop resolutions. The ThinkPad is equipped with a Full HD screen while the E51-80 has an HD panel. The ThinkPad would score better than the E51 when its desktop resolution is reduced to HD. It is possible to increase the E51-80's system performance by, for example, installing a second working memory module.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3509 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3854 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5194 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
5194 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
4650 Points -10%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
4453 Points -14%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
3901 Points -25%
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
3873 Points -25%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
3675 Points -29%
Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G
Radeon R8 M365DX, FX-8800P, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
3540 Points -32%

Storage Device

A 2.5-inch solid-state drive serves as the system drive. It has a total capacity of 256 GB. Replacing the SSD is easy since the E51-80 has a maintenance hatch.

Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
Sequential Read: 520 MB/s
Sequential Write: 302.2 MB/s
512K Read: 466 MB/s
512K Write: 299.7 MB/s
4K Read: 37.3 MB/s
4K Write: 120.4 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 395.7 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 300.1 MB/s

Graphics Card

The E51-80 is equipped with AMD's Radeon R5 M330 graphics unit. It belongs to the lower mid-range sector. The GPU supports DirectX 12, and clocks at speeds of up to 955 MHz. The graphics unit clocks at AMD's specified speed of 1030 MHz in laptops from other manufacturers. Lenovo cuts the maximum speed of the chip installed here. The 3DMark benchmark scores are roughly on par with those of Nvidia's GeForce 920M graphics unit.

3DMark 11 Performance
1884 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
45537 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
4784 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
858 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance
Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G
Radeon R8 M365DX, FX-8800P, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2880 Points +53%
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
2689 Points +43%
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2097 Points +11%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
1927 Points +2%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
1884 Points
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1723 Points -9%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
1698 Points -10%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
1260 Points -33%
Lenovo E50-80
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
758 Points -60%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
51260 Points +13%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
45537 Points
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
44842 Points -2%
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
43118 Points -5%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
40691 Points -11%
Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G
Radeon R8 M365DX, FX-8800P, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
35711 Points -22%
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
34736 Points -24%
Lenovo E50-80
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
32636 Points -28%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
28314 Points -38%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
7083 Points +48%
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
6238 Points +30%
Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G
Radeon R8 M365DX, FX-8800P, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
5575 Points +17%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
4847 Points +1%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
4784 Points
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
4645 Points -3%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
4643 Points -3%
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
4010 Points -16%
Lenovo E50-80
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
3351 Points -30%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
4779 Points +36%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
3686 Points +5%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
3638 Points +4%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
3514 Points
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
2883 Points -18%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
1654 Points +93%
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1209 Points +41%
HP 250 G4 T6P08ES
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680
915 Points +7%
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
900 Points +5%
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
858 Points
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
791 Points -8%
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
574 Points -33%
Lenovo E50-80
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
516 Points -40%

Gaming Performance

The combination of Radeon's graphics unit and the Core i7 processor allows rendering many games smoothly. However, the user will have to be satisfied with low resolutions and low to sometimes medium quality settings in most cases. This applies to games that do not have very high hardware requirements. Performance-driven sensations such as "Hitman" will never achieve sufficiently high frame rates.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 46.3 26.6 22.1

Emissions & Energy Management

System Noise

Since the E51-80 is an office device, excessive noise development should not distract its owner at work - and it does not. The fan is usually inactive in idle mode and silence prevails. The noise level climbs to only 33.8 DB(A) during the stress test - a very good rate.

Noise Level

Idle
31 / 31.6 / 31.6 dB(A)
HDD
31.6 dB(A)
Load
33.4 / 33.8 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 31 dB(A)

Temperature

Lenovo E51-80 in the stress test
Lenovo E51-80 in the stress test

The E51-80 performed our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) differently in AC and battery mode. The processor clocked at 2.7 to 2.8 GHz in battery mode, while the graphics unit clocked consistently at 400 MHz. The GPU achieved its full speed (955 MHz) when the stress test was performed in AC mode. The CPU's clock speed constantly fluctuated from 800 MHz to 1.7 GHz. The laptop heated up moderately. Forty degrees Celsius (~104 degrees Fahrenheit) was exceeded on some measuring points.

Max. Load
 42.2 °C
108 F
36 °C
97 F
24.6 °C
76 F
 
 44.1 °C
111 F
39.1 °C
102 F
24.7 °C
76 F
 
 33.9 °C
93 F
34.7 °C
94 F
26 °C
79 F
 
Maximum: 44.1 °C = 111 F
Average: 33.9 °C = 93 F
24 °C
75 F
31.8 °C
89 F
42 °C
108 F
23.7 °C
75 F
32.2 °C
90 F
40.1 °C
104 F
24.6 °C
76 F
30.7 °C
87 F
33.1 °C
92 F
Maximum: 42 °C = 108 F
Average: 31.4 °C = 89 F
Power Supply (max.)  38 °C = 100 F | Room Temperature 22.5 °C = 73 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.9 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.1 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34.7 °C / 94.5 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-7 °C / -12.6 F).

Power Consumption

We measured a maximum idle power consumption of 8 watts - a good rate. The rate increased to 44.6 watts reducing only briefly in the stress test. The power consumption fluctuates since the CPU performs the stress test at varying speeds. The requirement will range around 33 watts (+/- 5 watts) in gaming routine. The power supply has a nominal output of 65 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.27 / 0.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.1 / 7.4 / 8 Watt
Load midlight 33 / 44.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

Our practical Wi-Fi test simulates the load required for opening websites. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The E51-80 achieves a runtime of 4:39 hours - not an outstanding rate. We expect at least 5.5 to 6 hours from a modern ULV laptop.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (IE 11)
4h 39min
Battery Runtime - WiFi v1.3
Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE
Radeon R5 M330, 6500U, Samsung PM871 MZYLN256HCHP
279 min
Lenovo E50-80
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
243 min
Lenovo B50-80
Radeon R5 M330, 5200U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
213 min
HP 350 G2 L8B05ES
Radeon R5 M240, 5200U, Seagate Momentus ST750LM022 HN-M750MB
291 min
Acer Aspire E5-552G-F62G
Radeon R8 M365DX, FX-8800P, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
168 min
HP ProBook 450 G3
HD Graphics 520, 6200U, Seagate ST500LM021-1KJ15
309 min
Lenovo ThinkPad E560-20EWS00000
Radeon R7 M370, 6500U, Samsung CM871 MZ7LF192HCGS
342 min
Dell Latitude 15 3550-0123
GeForce 830M, 5500U, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
379 min

Pros

+ matte screen
+ runs quietly
+ fast SSD
+ maintenance hatch

Cons

- dark screen
- at most average battery life
- 12 month warranty only

Verdict

In review: Lenovo E51-80 (80QB0008GE). Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de
In review: Lenovo E51-80 (80QB0008GE). Test model courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de

Lenovo's E51-80 is a 15.6-inch office laptop. Its price is slightly lower than that of the ThinkPad E series, and is aimed at professional and private users. It does not lack computing power thanks to the Core i7 processor. Games can at least be played conditionally. The laptop runs quietly over the entire load range and only heats up moderately. Replacing the SSD is not a problem since the E51-80 has a maintenance hatch. The installed keyboard will satisfy the needs for home use. Prolific writers should, however, opt for a ThinkPad model. The battery life can also be called average at most. We expect more in this regard nowadays. The screen will not excite anyone, either: It is dark with low-contrast and viewing angle unstable.

The main problem of the E51-80: Price and performance are not in line. The price would have to be reduced by 150 Euros (~$165).

The question Lenovo should ask itself is why should anyone spend 700 Euros (~$773) on the E51-80 when a ThinkPad E560 (model: 20EV002UGE) is available for 720 Euros (~$795). Although the latter is equipped with a somewhat weaker processor and a conventional hard drive, it can score with a stronger graphics unit (Radeon R7 M370), Full HD panel and much better keyboard. The price difference of the cheaper models of both series is also quite narrow. E51-80 models start at 490 Euros (~$541), while ThinkPad E560 models start at 520 Euros (~$574). In any case, the ThinkPad always offers the better keyboard - an important aspect in an office device.

Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE - 06/02/2016 v5.1(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
76 / 98 → 78%
Keyboard
65%
Pointing Device
72%
Connectivity
49 / 80 → 62%
Weight
61 / 20-67 → 87%
Battery
79%
Display
75%
Games Performance
56 / 68 → 83%
Application Performance
84 / 92 → 92%
Temperature
91%
Noise
95%
Audio
64%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
70%
77%
Office - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Sascha Mölck, 2016-07-16 (Update: 2018-05-15)