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MagyarReview Lenovo B575e Notebook
For the original German review, see here.
A simple and cheap 15.6-inch office laptop based on the AMD Vision platform - that is the Lenovo B575e. The price lies between 300 and 400 Euros (~$390 and $520), which places this model in a price category already filled by Lenovo and many other competitors. We have previously tested an Intel-based series - the Lenovo B570e. In this review, we will check to see if the B575e has what it takes to compete in this fierce market.
For comparison, we use the Dell Vostro 2520 (Core i3-2328M, HD Graphics 3000) and the HP 650 (Pentium B970, HD Graphics). Both laptops are available with a basic configuration for roughly 300 Euros (~$390).
Case
The case of the B575e is the same as that of the B570e. The entire case is made of matte, black synthetic material which features a very conservative design. The cases of the Vostro and HP 650 are also entirely made of synthetic material. The sturdiness is acceptable. For example, the hand-rest region does not warp under pressure. However, the base unit can be pushed inwards if one presses down on the front edge and pressing down on the left edge next to the keyboard, will raises the front right edge of the laptop from the table. The base unit should have been a bit stiffer as it is easy to warp. The same is true for the display cover. The hinges are easy but they do a good job of holding the screen in position. Opening the display with one hand is possible. Overall, Lenovo offers a good case for this price.
Connectivity
The B575e is the only model of the three laptops we have for comparison which offers a USB-3.0 interface. Owners of large-capacity external storage devices will be happy. The sister model, the B570e lacks an USB-3.0 interface and that is the only difference in connectivity between the two. Otherwise, all devices offer the standard ports found in laptops today. Most of the interfaces of the B575e are placed near the front on both sides, which can cause problems with cable clutter when using wired peripherals.
Communication
The WLAN module of the B575e has a chip from Broadcom. This module supports the 802.11 b/g/n WLAN standards and its reception is quite good. The Windows WLAN meter shows full connectivity in the vicinity of the router (around 3 meters) and two floors below it (transmission: 50%). However, the WLAN experienced disturbances now and then (there was no problem in the connection between router and notebook). This issue did not appear in other models which were connected using WLAN with the router.
Lenovo uses a familiar chip from the Realtek RTL8168/8111 family for Gigabit Ethernet. A Bluetooth 4.0 module is also included in the laptop. The display bezel houses a webcam (0.3 MP) which offers blurry video at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels.
Accessories
Except for a quick start poster, there are no accessories included.
Operating System and Recovery
The Lenovo notebook uses pre-installed Windows 8 (64 Bit). A Windows 8 DVD is not included. If the user wishes to replace Windows 8 with Windows 7, s/he can find the necessary drivers online in the Lenovo homepage. Even the drivers for Windows XP have been provided.
To repair Windows 8 or reset it to the factory settings, a recovery system has been installed. This can be accessed easily - while booting, press and hold F11. Sadly, the easy way via the OneKey recovery button does not work (the small key next to the power button).
DVD Playback
Microsoft has left out software for playback of DVDs and Windows Media Center in Windows 8. These components are purchasable as an option. Lenovo does not provide any alternatives for the B575e, which means that no DVDs can be played. If you require such software, we recommend purchasing the PowerDVD software. The simple OEM version is available for less than 10 Euros. A free alternative would be the VLC Player.
Maintenance
After removing the maintenance flap, the user can access the storage device, RAM, WLAN module and BIOS battery. The cooler fan is not accessible. The B575e only has a single RAM slot, which is occupied by a 4 GB module. This is the limit of the notebook (manufacturer's specifications). Swapping the storage device should not be a problem: simply put the frame of the old drive on the new one and put it into the slot.
Warranty
Lenovo provides a 12-month Bring-in warranty for the B575e. The same warranty period is provided for buyers of the HP 650 - except with Pick-up service. The standard warranty of the Vostro is dependent on the purchase location (directly from Dell: one year; other shops: two years). The warranty period of the B575e can be extended to two or three years for a premium: 30 to 70 Euros (~$40 to $90). A tip for those interested in better warranty options - in the Lenovo Online Shop, the user can find the available warranty extensions by entering the serial number of the model.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The B575e is equipped with the familiar Lenovo Accu-Type keyboard, which is also found in the B570e and many other Lenovo models. The concave keys offer comfortable resistance to the fingers and have a clear pressure point. the keyboard bobs slightly after typing, and all-in-all, provides a comfortable typing experience. Unfortunately, the Enter, Backspace and the right Shift keys are smaller than usual. One can easily miss these keys.
Touchpad
The touchpad of the B575e is the same as that of the B570e. The device is about 10 cm wide (good) and 5 cm high (2 more centimeters would have been better). The device supports multi-touch gestures. In the settings, individual gestures can be turned on or off. The surface of the touchpad has a textured surface which allows the finger to easily slide over it. Both mouse keys have a short stroke distance and a clear pressure point. The resistance of the keys could have been higher.
Display
As is suitable for a work laptop, the B575e uses a matte 15.6-inch display. The panel operates at a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. The competition is also equipped with a similar display. Other displays are not offered for any of the three models. The average brightness measures 216.8 cd/m². This places our laptop in the middle of the pack. The Vostro display (232.8 cd/m²) offers as lightly brighter picture, whereas the HP 650 (167.7 cd/m²) lags behind.
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Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 159 cd/m²
Contrast: 277:1 (Black: 0.84 cd/m²)51.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
69.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
52.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Contrast (277:1) and black value (0.84 cd/m²) are average. The Vostro display has similar performance (304:1, 0.84 cd/m²). The HP 650 (127:1, 1.32 cd/m²) cannot achieve the values of the competition. The sRGB and AdobeRGB color spectrum are not covered by the B575e.
We tested the display with the factory settings and noted strong DeltaE-2000 deviations in cyan, white and grey levels.
The brightness of the panel suffices for outdoors use, as the matte surface prevents reflections. However, the user should avoid bright surroundings as does not have the best contrast.
The viewing angles of the display are typical: vertically, the picture quickly dissolves when the angle changes. Horizontally, the picture remains stable over a larger angle.
Performance
The user does not have to fear that an AMD APU will not offer enough performance for everyday tasks like Internet communication, text editing, browsing or playback of videos. The B575e handles these tasks without problems. Even the playback of Full HD videos is easily accomplished. The AMD GPU contains a video decoder (AMD UVD3 decoder), which takes care of the playing of videos. We checked the playback of HD material (1920 x 1080 pixels, H.264 coding) with the DXVA Checker tool and measured an average CPU load of 9%..
We were able to test a different B575e model as well. This version came with a 320 GB HDD and FreeDos OS. The price ranges between 320 - 350 Euros (~$420 to $450).
Processor
Lenovo uses a weak AMD APU for the B575e: the Vision E2-1800. The CPU part of the APU is a dual-core processor which operates at 1.7 GHz. There is no Turbo. The APU has a TDP of 18 W. This places it at the level of ULV CPUs from Intel. Sadly, the AMD APU cannot perform at the level of those processors.
The APU ran the Cinebench tests at full speed (1.7 GHz). In the CPU tests, the B575e lags behind the Vostro (Core i3-2328M, HD Graphics 3000) and the HP models (Pentium B970, HD Graphics). The AMD APU cannot keep its own against Intel processors. In the GL tests, the APU performs better: the results of the three competitors are not very far apart.
| Cinebench R11.5 - OpenGL 64Bit (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo B575e | |
| Lenovo B570e-N2F23GE | |
| HP 650-B0Y92EA | |
| Acer Aspire E1-531-B9606G50Mnks | |
| HP 655 B6M65EA | |
| Dell Vostro 2520 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad N586-MA663GE | |
| Cinebench R11.5 - CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo B575e | |
| HP 655 B6M65EA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad N586-MA663GE | |
| Acer Aspire E1-531-B9606G50Mnks | |
| Lenovo B570e-N2F23GE | |
| HP 650-B0Y92EA | |
| Dell Vostro 2520 | |
System Performance
The system works fluidly - as long as it is not overloaded. If multiple browser windows are open, the system runs more slowly. The E2-1800 APU cannot hide the fact that it is meant for netbook use. The PC Mark 7 result is at the expected level. The Vostro 2520 (Core i3-2328M, HD Graphics 3000) and the HP 650 (Pentium B970, HD Graphics) are well ahead of the B575e. The HP 655 which also uses an E2-1800 APU gets a lower PC Mark 7 score than the B575e. This is due to the faster storage device of the B575e, which has clearly better performance in the CrystalDiskMark benchmark.
A Solid State Disk raises the system performance: the time for opening applications is reduced. We tested this with an old, used SSD (32 GB Corsair Nova V32; AS SSD seq. write: 176 MB/s, seq. read: 57 MB/s) which we installed in a PC. We installed Windows 7 on it and ran the PC Mark 7 benchmark. The score was slightly higher than 1600 points. This is a rise of 30% and does not affect the CPU performance of the APU. Despite the rise in performance, the system is still sluggish while multiple browser windows are open. In this specific case, the SSD does not make a difference.
| PCMark 7 Score | 1237 points | |
Help | ||
| PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo B575e | |
| HP 655 B6M65EA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad N586-MA663GE | |
| HP 650-B0Y92EA | |
| Acer Aspire E1-531-B9606G50Mnks | |
| Dell Vostro 2520 | |
Storage Devices
Lenovo uses a Western Digital Scorpio Blue series HDD in the B575e. The storage device has a capacity of 500 GB and runs at 5400 rpm. The device does not run very fast. CrystalDiskMark records a read speed of 92.53 MB/s. HD Tune records an average transfer speed of 59.2 MB/s. These are the poor values for a 5400 rpm HDD.
Graphics Card
The Radeon HD 7340 GPU of the E2-1800 APU takes care of the graphics processing. This graphics core is entry-class level and supports DirectX 11. The GPU runs at 523 MHz. The speed can be boosted up to 680 MHz (AMD Turbo Core).
The 3D Mark benchmark results are at the expected level. The GPU of the Dell laptop (Core i3-2328M, HD Graphics 3000) is stronger than the Radeon GPU. However, it does keep its own against the GPU of the HP notebook (Pentium B970, HD Graphics).
| 3DMark 05 Standard | 4258 points | |
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 2270 points | |
| 3DMark Vantage P Result | 1084 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 365 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
As shown by the results of the gaming benchmarks, the AMD APU is not suitable for running the latest 3D games. Even at low resolution and the lowest details, most games stutter on our test model. Anno 2070 runs barely fluidly. Surprisingly, a less-demanding game like FIFA 13 cannot run without stutters on the device.
Emissions
Noise Emissions
The use of the AMD APU means the laptop requires relatively less cooling, which translates to lower noise emissions. Whether at idle or at full load, the B575e is quiet. While idle, the noise emissions range between 30.8 to 33 dB. The Vostro (30.3 - 34.3 dB) and the HP 650 (32.6 dB) cannot offer such low values. At full load (stress test - Prime95 and Furmark simultaneously) or medium load (3D Mark 06 runs), the Lenovo laptop is not at all loud - 32.2 dB to 36.9 dB. The Vostro (41.3 dB - 45.9 dB) and the HP Notebook (32.6 dB - 41.9 dB) make more noise.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 30.8 / 30.8 / 33 dB(A) |
| HDD |
| 30.1 dB(A) |
| DVD |
| 36.8 / dB(A) |
| Load |
| 32.2 / 36.9 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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min:  , med:  , max:  Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance) | ||
Temperatures
The B575e does not have temperature issues. Regardless of load, the case temperatures are often below 30 degrees Celsius. Only now and then, does the model exceed this mark (max temperature: 33.1 degrees Celsius). The device can always be used on the lap. Both competitors heat up more than the B575e, but their emissions are still in the green.
In the stress test (Prime 95 and Furmark run simultaneously for an hour), the CPU works at maximum speed (1.7 GHz). The GPU works constantly at its base frequency of 523 MHz. The Turbo (680 MHz) is only used for the GPU when we run Furmark alone. On battery, the CPU finishes the stress test with its normal speed of 1.7 GHz. The GPU runs at 283 MHz. The CPU temperature (while connected to the power socket) is about 65 degrees Celsius.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.1 °C / 92 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 33.1 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.1 °C / 81 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 °C / 87.8 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.8 °C / 82 F (-3.2 °C / -5.8 F).
Speakers
The stereo speakers of the Lenovo B575e are placed above the keyboard. They produce a comfortable sound, which lacks bass. The audio output is clear. Better sound output is possible only with external speakers or headphones.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
As expected, the B575e consumes little power. While idle, the power consumption ranges between 5.9 - 10.5 W. The Vostro (6.8 - 13.8 watts) and the HP 650 (9.3 - 11.6 watts) cannot offer such low power consumption. While at medium load (3D Mark 2006 runs) or full load (Prime95 and Furmark run simultaneously), the power consumption rises to 23.7 - 29.2 W. The Vostro (40 - 52 W) and HP 650 (31.6 - 47.5 W) consume much more.
| Off / Standby | 0.3 / 0.5 Watt |
| Idle | 5.9 / 9.5 / 10.5 Watt |
| Load |
23.7 / 29.2 Watt |
   
| |
Battery Life
The B575e reaches a run time of 10:49 hours while idle. The Vostro (8:27 h) and the HP 650 (6:32 h) lag far behind. The idle run time is tested by Battery Eater Readers test. The screen runs at minimum brightness, with the "Power Saver" profile and all wireless modules off. At load, the battery lasts 2:08 h. Once again, neither the Vostro (1:33 h) nor the HP 650 (1:17 h) can keep up. For the load test, we use the Battery Eater Classic test. The brightness is set to max, the power profile is "High performance" and all wireless modules are turned on.
In the WLAN test, the laptop lasts 4:28 h. The B575e has to admit defeat as its competition offers better run time (Vostro: 5:24 h, HP: 4:44 h). In this test, random websites are loaded every 40 seconds. The "Power Saver" profile is turned on and the brightness is set to 150 cd/m². The DVD playback ends after 3:47 h. Once again, the Vostro (5:10 h) and the HP laptops (4:01 h) last longer. The DVD test runs with active "Power Saver" profile or higher (if the video does not run fluidly), full brightness and wireless modules turned off.
The run times of the B575e are disappointing in the WLAN and DVD tests. We expected longer run times. Both competitors managed to last longer - without power-efficient CPUs. The batteries of these three models have practically the same capacity (Dell, Lenovo: 48 Wh; HP: 47 Wh).
Verdict
The Lenovo B575e is a quiet, low-power laptop for video playback, surfing and typing. The laptop has good qualities and works well as long as it is not overtaxed. The disadvantages of this laptop would be the slow HDD and the display which has weak contrast. The battery life could be longer.
The Vostro 2520 is a good choice if you requires the highest CPU performance available at this price point. The HP 650 is interesting for buyers who want extensive warranty options.
