Lenovo V510-15IKB (7200U, Full-HD) Laptop Review
With the Lenovo V510-15IKB, we have received a 15.6-inch office notebook. Lenovo rates it among business notebooks. However, it has to be classified below the classic business series (ThinkPad). The device is powered by a Kaby Lake processor. Competition is not lacking. Here are a few examples: the Fujitsu Lifebook A557, the Acer Extensa 2520, the HP 250 G5, and the Dell Vostro 15-5568.
Case & Connectivity
Lenovo used a black plastic case in the V510-15IKB. The lid is rubberized. The computer lacks a maintenance hatch. Hence, the case has to be opened in order to get to the innards. The battery is fixed. Lenovo ensured a flawless build quality. However, the stability of the case could be higher. For example, the base unit can be twisted on both sides of the keyboard and in front of the touchpad without applying much force. In addition, it should be stiffer.
The connectivity does not bring surprises. Lenovo incorporated Lenovo four Type A USB ports (2x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1). On top of that, there are two video outs. We did not like the interface layout. The ports are on a level with the wrist rest. If additional ports are required, you can connect a OneLink+ docking station from Lenovo to the computer. The compatible port sits on the left side.
The card reader of the V510-15IKB works slowly. It achieves a transfer rate of 27.6 MB/s when copying big data blocks. Moving 250 jpg files (about 5 MB each) is done at 21.4 MB/s. We test memory card readers with a reference card (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II).
The incorporated Wi-Fi module uses a chip (QCA9377) from Qualcomm. Apart from the Wi-Fi standards 802.11a/b/g/n, it also supports the fast ac standard. The transfer rates we have recorded under ideal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices close, low distance between notebook and server PC) are good.
Interfaces
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook A557 | |
| Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| Dell Vostro 15-5568 | |
| HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
| HP 15-ay116ng | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook A557 | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
| HP 15-ay116ng | |
| Dell Vostro 15-5568 | |
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook A557 | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| Dell Vostro 15-5568 | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook A557 | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| Dell Vostro 15-5568 | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
Input Devices
Lenovo equipped the V510 with an unlit Chiclet-style keyboard. The flat keys feature a short travel and a crisp pressure point. The keyboard yields slightly when typing on it - more in its right half than its left. However, this did not prove to be disturbing. The keyboard layout has the cursor up key in the position where the right shift key usually is. Hence, you might often accidentally press it instead of the shift key. In addition, the right shift key is very small. Overall, Lenovo delivers a very decent keyboard, which is suitable for frequent typing. However, it cannot keep up with those of the ThinkPad series.
The laptop's multi-touchpad has a surface area of about 10 x 5.1 cm (~3.9 x 2 in). It is big enough for gesture control. You can individually enable and disable the gestures via the configuration menu of the pad. Fingers glide easily on the pad's smooth surface. It is also responsive in the corners. The two dedicated mouse buttons have a short drop and a defined pressure point.
Display
The matte 15.6-inch display of the V510-15IKB works with a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The contrast (853:1) of the display is fine. The brightness (251.9 cd/m2) should be higher. The display shows PWM flickering at a frequency of 20,000 Hz at 90% brightness level and below. The high frequency should not cause headaches and/or eye problems in sensitive persons.
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Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 262 cd/m²
Contrast: 853:1 (Black: 0.3 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.87
ΔE Greyscale 5.37 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
58% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40.12% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
38.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.58
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Fujitsu Lifebook A557 a-Si TFT-LCD , LCM, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Dell Vostro 15-5568 TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Acer Extensa 2520-59CD TN LED, 1366x768, 15.6" | HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA TN, 1920x1080, 15.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 8% | 5% | -6% | ||
| Display P3 Coverage | 38.8 | 41.85 8% | 40.71 5% | 36.51 -6% | |
| sRGB Coverage | 58.1 | 62.9 8% | 61.1 5% | 55 -5% | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 40.12 | 43.24 8% | 42.07 5% | 37.72 -6% | |
| Response Times | -52% | -7% | -44% | 12% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 39 ? | 55 ? -41% | 47.6 ? -22% | 52 ? -33% | 40 ? -3% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 30 ? | 35 ? -17% | 27.2 ? 9% | 31 ? -3% | 22 ? 27% |
| PWM Frequency | 20000 ? | 200 ? -99% | 1000 -95% | ||
| Screen | 19% | -42% | -43% | -52% | |
| Brightness middle | 256 | 287 12% | 229 -11% | 211 -18% | 219 -14% |
| Brightness | 252 | 260 3% | 222 -12% | 200 -21% | 222 -12% |
| Brightness Distribution | 87 | 83 -5% | 82 -6% | 83 -5% | 85 -2% |
| Black Level * | 0.3 | 0.22 27% | 0.56 -87% | 0.43 -43% | 0.39 -30% |
| Contrast | 853 | 1305 53% | 409 -52% | 491 -42% | 562 -34% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.4 | 4.21 22% | 10.36 -92% | 10.53 -95% | 12.67 -135% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 9.36 | 8.81 6% | 14.95 -60% | 17.79 -90% | 20.99 -124% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.37 | 2.68 50% | 10.9 -103% | 11.85 -121% | 13.82 -157% |
| Gamma | 2.58 85% | 2.5 88% | 2.21 100% | 2.25 98% | 2.63 84% |
| CCT | 6795 96% | 6066 107% | 10084 64% | 13758 47% | 15633 42% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 37 | 40 8% | 37.69 2% | 39 5% | 35 -5% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 58 | 63 9% | 57.92 0% | 61 5% | 55 -5% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -8% /
3% | -25% /
-36% | -27% /
-34% | -15% /
-34% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 20000 Hz | ≤ 90 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 20000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 20000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8516 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The colors are decent out-of-the-box. The DeltaE-2000 shift is 5.4 (target range: DeltaE less than 3). The display does not exhibit a bluish tint.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 19 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 11 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 78 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.8 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 39 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 20 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 19 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. » 56 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.5 ms). | ||
Lenovo equipped the V510-15IKB with a viewing-angle stable IPS panel. Hence, the screen can be read from every position. You can only use the notebook outdoors when the sun is not shining too brightly.
Performance
The Lenovo V510-15IKB is a 15.6-inch office notebook, which primarily targets professional users. The computer features TPM 2.0, a fingerprint reader and a docking port. Our test model costs about 650 Euros (~$697). Other variants are available. Prices start from about 480 Euros (~$515).
Processor
The Lenovo notebook comes with a Core i5-7200U (Kaby Lake) dual-core processor. This ULV all-round model (TDP: 15 watts) performs well in all fields of application. The processor works at a base clock of 2.5 GHz. With Turbo, the clock rate can increase to up to 3.1 GHz (both cores). The Turbo is used in mains operation and on battery.
We check whether the CPU can permanently use the Turbo by running the Cinebench R15 benchmarks in a loop for about 30 minutes. The performance falls slightly from the first to the second run, but remains on this level from then on.
| Cinebench R10 | |
| Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| HP 15-ay116ng | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook A557 | |
| Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| Rendering Single 32Bit | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook A557 | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| HP 15-ay116ng | |
| Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| Geekbench 3 | |
| 32 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| HP 15-ay116ng | |
| Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
| 32 Bit Single-Core Score | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| HP 15-ay116ng | |
| Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| Geekbench 4.0 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| HP 15-ay116ng | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| HP 15-ay116ng | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| Geekbench 4.4 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| HP 15-ay116ng | |
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE | |
| Dell Vostro 15-5568 | |
| Fujitsu Lifebook A557 | |
| HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA | |
| Acer Extensa 2520-59CD | |
| HP 15-ba077ng | |
| Lenovo E51-80 80QB0008GE | |
System Performance
The system works fast and smoothly without any problems. The good result in the PC Mark 8 benchmark attests that the computer has a high system performance. It is more than sufficient for all office and Internet applications. It is not possible to improve the system performance. Lenovo has already maxed out the possibilities.
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3692 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Devices
An SSD from Samsung is used as the system drive. It is an M.2-2280 model with a total capacity of 256 GB. About 170 GB are free on the system drive (C:) in delivery state. Further 22 GB (of about 25 GB) are available on the Lenovo Partition (D:). Drivers and installation files of the pre-installed software are stored on the latter. The rest of the capacity is used by the Windows installation and the recovery partition. The transfer rates of the SSD are good.
In addition, the computer features a free SATA slot, to which a 2.5-inch hard drive can be connected. The necessary mounting frame is also included. Hence, it is possible to add an SSD or an HDD.
| Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE Samsung CM871a MZNTY256HDHP | Fujitsu Lifebook A557 Samsung MZ7TN512HDHP-00000 | Dell Vostro 15-5568 SanDisk X400 256GB, SATA (SD8SB8U-256G) | Acer Extensa 2520-59CD Toshiba MQ01ABF050 | HP 250 G5 SP X0N33EA SanDisk Z400s SD8SNAT-256G | HP 15-ay116ng Samsung CM871a MZNTY256HDHP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 3.0 | -3% | -14% | -92% | -26% | -5% | |
| Read Seq | 532 | 504 -5% | 497.8 -6% | 104.7 -80% | 509 -4% | 501 -6% |
| Write Seq | 511 | 503 -2% | 466.8 -9% | 95.7 -81% | 322.1 -37% | 483.9 -5% |
| Read 512 | 414.8 | 393.6 -5% | 363.4 -12% | 33 -92% | 321.2 -23% | 413.8 0% |
| Write 512 | 307.7 | 413.6 34% | 368.5 20% | 38.3 -88% | 289.4 -6% | 294.9 -4% |
| Read 4k | 39.51 | 36.98 -6% | 29.02 -27% | 0.375 -99% | 20.99 -47% | 34.91 -12% |
| Write 4k | 108.1 | 92.1 -15% | 56 -48% | 0.782 -99% | 88 -19% | 95.7 -11% |
| Read 4k QD32 | 361.6 | 277.6 -23% | 296 -18% | 0.675 -100% | 141.3 -61% | 370.9 3% |
| Write 4k QD32 | 253 | 250.6 -1% | 229.4 -9% | 0.769 -100% | 228.5 -10% | 243.6 -4% |
Graphics Card
Intel's HD Graphics 620 graphics core is responsible for video output. It supports DirectX 12 and works at up to 1000 MHz. The results of the 3D Mark benchmarks are normal for this GPU. The dual-channel RAM has a positive impact here; it ensures that the graphics core is used more efficiently and therefore it can deliver higher performance.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 1653 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
The CPU GPU combination of the V510-15IKB can run many games smoothly with low resolutions and low quality settings. This is primarily true for games without high hardware requirements. Performance-hungry titles such as Mass Effect Andromeda are unplayable. Users of the computer also profit from the dual-channel RAM in this regard. The frame rates are higher than comparable devices' with single-channel RAM.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 47.6 | 27.7 | 23 | 7.8 |
| Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) | 13.2 | 6.1 |
Emissions & Energy
System Noise
The V510-15IKB does not produce much noise. While idling, the fan often stands still and the computer falls silent. The fan hardly gets louder under load. The noise level only reaches 33.9 dB(A) during the stress test.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 30.2 / 30.2 / 32 dB(A) |
| DVD |
| 38.3 / dB(A) |
| Load |
| 34.7 / 33.9 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 30.2 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
The 15.6-inch device behaves the same way in our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) in mains operation and on battery. The processor works at 2.5 GHz for the first minute. Afterwards, the clock rate is reduced to 1.4 GHz and remains there. The graphics core works at 750 to 850 MHz. The computer does not get particularly hot. The temperature remains far below 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in all measurement segments during the stress test.
The low CPU speed is not a cause of concern: During normal use, the processor does not use its Turbo to capacity. Our stress test is an extreme scenario, which does not occur this way in practice.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.2 °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 33.2 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.8 °C / 80 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 31.8 °C / 89.2 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 (-4.2 °C / -7.5 F).
Speakers
The stereo speakers of the V510-15IKB are located on the underside of the case. They produce a slightly tinny sound, which you will not enjoy listening to for very long. Using headphones or external speakers is recommended for a better sound experience.
Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (71 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 9% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 16% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 80% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Frequenzdiagramm im Vergleich (Checkboxen oben an-/abwählbar!)
Power Consumption
We measured a maximum idle power consumption of 9.7 watts - an average value. The rate climbed to about 38.4 watts in the stress test for one minute. Afterwards, the value falls to 28.9 watts, since the CPU throttles. The included power adapter is rated at 45 watts.
| Off / Standby | 0.65 / 0.81 Watt |
| Idle | 4 / 9.6 / 9.7 Watt |
| Load |
27.7 / 38.4 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
Battery Life
Our practical Wi-Fi test simulates the load needed to open websites via a script. The "Balanced" profile is enabled, the laptop's energy-savings functions are disabled, and the screen's brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The V510-15IKB achieves a runtime of 3:45 h - a poor rate. We expect at least 5 to 6 hours from a 15.6-inch notebook. The poor battery life is caused by the low battery capacity of only 32 Wh.
Lenovo says on the website of the V510-15IKB that you could add a second battery to the computer instead of the optical drive. This is also mentioned in the maintenance guide. However, it is not possible in our test model. The port for the second battery is missing and cannot be retrofitted.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
With the V510-15IKB, Lenovo offers a simple 15.6-inch business notebook. The price range is below the ThinkPad E series. Its Kaby Lake Core i5 processor delivers enough performance for all usual fields of application. The computer hardly gets warm and usually works quietly or even silently.
The Solid State Disk ensures a fast system. It is possible to replace the SSD after opening the case. The computer does not have a maintenance hatch. Lenovo incorporated a Full HD IPS display with wide viewing angles, decent contrast, and matte surface. The brightness should be higher. The keyboard appeared very good and is suitable for prolific writers.
The battery runtimes are the biggest weakness of the computer.
The Wi-Fi battery runtime measured by us is poor. The low capacity of the battery (32 Wh) is apparent here. Therewith, the notebook is not suitable for mobile work. It is primarily suitable for use at the desk. Furthermore, the short warranty period of only one year can be criticized. We expect a two-year warranty.
The computer does not offer a Type-C USB port. Notebooks from 2017 should offer one such port at least. Users who require additional ports can connect Lenovo's OneLink+ docking station to the computer. A compatible port is available.
The preinstalled Windows 10 Pro operating system increases the price of the computer. The 80WQ005CGE model might be an interesting alternative for frugal users. This model is basically the same configuration as our test model, except for a 1 TB HDD instead of an SSD. In addition, it does not include a Windows operating system. It is priced at 480 Euros (~$515). If you add the price of a 256 GB SSD and a used Windows 7 Pro license, the total costs are still below 600 Euros (~$644). Furthermore, the free upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is still available.
Lenovo V510-15IKB 80WQ0002GE
- 04/19/2017 v6 (old)
Sascha Mölck
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