Lenovo IdeaPad 530S - Review 2022

Lenovo's IdeaPad 530S is a modest-merely-dependable xv-inch laptop that has a few perks for a mainstream machine. The $699 model in hand here features an Intel Core i5-8250U CPU clocked at 1.6GHz, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). None of that hardware is bowl-y'all-over impressive, only it will get the chore done for near users who aren't PC gamers or video editors, and the IdeaPad 530S handles mean solar day-to-day tasks with aplomb. Of class, it doesn't hurt that Lenovo opts for a simple, sleek chassis blueprint that doesn't attract too much attention, while pulling positive ergonomic elements from other Lenovo machines. On the whole, this is a solid-enough mainstream machine that gets nigh of the essentials right, though we'd also look at models such equally the latest Acer Aspire Due east 15 and the Asus VivoBook F510UA equally examples of slightly less plush 15-inchers that deliver fine value.

Big Screen, Trim Shell

You'll discover all the usual connectivity options for a 15.half-dozen-inch-course laptop along this IdeaPad's edges. You get two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 3.1 Type-C port, an HDMI port, a four-format flash-card reader, and a dual-mode sound jack. It also offers Bluetooth 4.1 compatibility and supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi connections.

Examine the left side of the laptop, and y'all'll spot an LED bombardment indicator. The ability adapter also plugs into this edge. It is capable of getting the IdeaPad 530S dorsum to two hours of battery life after 15 minutes of charging, assuming that the laptop is powered off and you lot're using the bundled 65-watt charger.

Those ports are housed in an aluminum instance that's only large plenty to accommodate them. The IdeaPad 530S is only 0.65 inch thick, 9.6 inches deep, and 14.1 inches wide, and the diagonal-cut edges brand it experience fifty-fifty smaller in hand.

Lenovo besides surrounds the 15.6-inch 1080p display with narrow (0.23-inch-wide) bezels on the left and correct sides, with the top bezel just slightly roomier to fit the 720p photographic camera. Combine that with a weight of just iii.7 pounds, and even I, a staunch proponent of 13-inch laptops as the mobility ideal, am impressed by how compact the IdeaPad 530S is given the screen size.

I'm less thrilled by the brandish. It's non bad—it successfully thwarted my attempts to make screen glare a problem, and information technology has broad viewing angles. Much like Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber, all the same, it'south not particularly bright. Annihilation less than maximum effulgence was hard to encounter in dimly lit rooms, and fifty-fifty on the highest setting, the brandish was still much darker than whatever other screen in my abode. This indirectly made all of the colors seem muted, too, which is a bit of a bummer if you want to use that big-ol' brandish to catch up on some videos.

Lenovo puts the utilise of Harman speakers at the centre of its IdeaPad 530S marketing, with the claim existence that information technology can get louder than competitors without sacrificing clarity. Sounds don't become tinny when the book's cranked upwards—and the IdeaPad 530S does get plenty loud—but anything beyond that could just be the placebo effect. It does endure the same problem as other laptops that have their speakers venting out the bottom of the case, which is that sound is deadened on soft surfaces. Even Harman's speakers tin't seem to defeat the denim factor.

Another serviceable but not extraordinary aspect of the IdeaPad 530S is its touchpad. I don't have the same class of beef with it that I did with the Avita Clarus' giant, promising-looking 1, but I practice occasionally brand accidental right-clicks, and selecting text is a consistent lesson in frustration. Either way, I'm able to go through the day with minimal bug, and that's good plenty for me. Just don't await using the touchpad to be competely glitch-complimentary, and information technology should serve you well.

I'chiliad more enamored with the keyboard on the IdeaPad 530S. The keys are easy to observe when touch-typing and don't experience as abrasive as the flat-topped keys used by other laptops. But comfort doesn't translate to speed: I scored 102 words per infinitesimal (wpm) with three errors in Typing Test'due south "Aesop's Fable" test for an effective 99wpm. That's 2wpm fewer than I score with my Logitech Thousand Pro, and 3wpm fewer than I achieved on the Clarus' keyboard, which I liked less. I call back function of the issue lies with the distance between the keyboard and the instance's border; it's a lot of infinite to have to reach over.

The overall performance feel is, if non notable, snappy enough. The machine wakes from sleep quickly, and I don't notice whatsoever hitches when opening a lot of media-heavy browser tabs at the same time. I also found that I could work comfortably while switching through various office-typical programs that I had open up. The only real complaint is the fan—information technology seems to spin up pretty often, and while it'south not as loud the ones I've heard on some other laptops (specially gaming-oriented machines), I definitely notice the whine if I'm not playing music or motion picture sound through the speakers. The whine doesn't appear to exist related to what I'm doing. The fan simply seems to kicking in at frequent intervals.

Performance Testing: Solid i5 Citizen

These solid-citizen impressions are borne out in benchmark testing. Comparing the IdeaPad 530S to similarly outfitted laptops such every bit the Acer Spin 3, Asus VivoBook F510UA, and Lenovo's ain ThinkPad L580 shows a middle-of-the-route performer that stood out only on the PCMark viii Work Conventional test.

Most of these machines use the same CPU every bit the 530S (that specific Core i5 is a staple of mainstream and budget machines) and thus don't show a huge spread in functioning in our charts beneath. The IdeaPad 530S scored 3,378 on that PCMark eight test, and the next-highest performer was the ThinkPad L580, which notched in just below at three,309, within the margin of mistake. (Higher is better.) The other machines clocked in a scrap lower, with all but the Y-serial-based Clarus within shut striking altitude of 1 another and the IdeaPad 530S.

The PCMark 8 Work Conventional examination aside, the IdeaPad 530S was neither the best nor the worst performer in several other benchmark tests I ran. Its 3DMark Cloud Gate result was competitive. So it was on the CPU-crunching Cinebench R15 test: The IdeaPad 530S scored 549, which edged out the Spin iii'southward score of 529 but paled in comparison to the VivoBook F510UA'due south 703. (Though using the aforementioned CPU, the VivoBook likely features slightly better thermal management, or more bulk to its cooler inside, to sustain a higher score on this CPU-heavy trial.)

Related Story See How Nosotros Test Laptops

One potential bright spot for the IdeaPad 530S is its battery. Information technology lasted x hours and 34 minutes (10:34) in the form of the PC Labs video-playback rundown test, in which the laptop is tasked with playing a continuous video file of The Lord of the Rings trilogy with the brightness gear up to 50 percent and all wireless bands turned off. It was surpassed, by only a smidge, in this group past the ThinkPad L580's 10:48 runtime. Both are much longer than the results from the Spin 3, the VivoBook, and the Clarus.

Of course, screen brightness is a likely big factor here. Information technology'south hard not to remember the IdeaPad 530S had a fleck of an unfair advantage because of how dark its display is; all else being equal, pushing more lumens means eating more than energy. Sure, you can watch a picture show for 10-and-a-half hours with information technology, but exercise you want to?

Slim Bezels, Mainstream Entreatment

At this writing, the IdeaPad 530S was a $699 model, with the choice to pay $749 for a version with an upticked Core i7 U-series CPU. That's less than the ThinkPad L580, which is bachelor from Lenovo starting at $915, only more than the Spin 3. If you're looking for a undecayed laptop with a trim await and a trim cost, plus a long-lasting battery, this IdeaPad entry has enough of appeal. You'll just want to make sure and take a peek at the slightly dim display before yous buy, to encounter if that's a no-go for your eyes.