Lenovo G530 Notebook Review

Name: Lenovo G530 Notebook Review
Brand: Lenovo

by Shawn Oliver — Monday, June 15, 2009, 11:00 AM EDT

Introduction and Specifications

Lenovo is a company that offers a wide range of notebooks. From multimedia notebooks, to gaming notebooks, to value notebooks to netbooks, Lenovo has their bases adequately covered. We've spent some time with a few of the company's prior offerings, but we've never quite seen a product like this. The simplistic G530 is a computer that's easily overlooked. It's not flashy, the model name isn't memorable and the specification sheet has nothing on it that will immediately grab your attention. But what this machine lacks in pizzazz it makes up for in value, so it follows logic that the G530 is a critical pillar in the somewhat undercover Value '3000' notebook line at Lenovo.

With our test model priced at just $499 (the G530 starts at $429), this is easily one of the least expensive new full-size notebooks to come our way. In fact, we've seen netbooks priced higher than this with worse specifications. For sure, it's easy to be skeptical about what sort of laptop can be constructed for under $500, and while one may assume that this is nothing more than a poor man's notebook, we found the reality to be starkly opposite to that notion. Take a look at the largely middle-of-the-road specifications list below, and join us in the coming pages as we dissect the intricacies of one of Lenovo's best kept secrets.

Lenovo G530

Specifications and Features (as tested)

"Lenovo announced the Lenovo G530 that offers enhanced productivity to SMB customers at a very affordable price tag. It is a reliable product with features to enhance productivity:

Rescue and Recovery – To minimize the downtime in event of system crashes
Access connection – To reduce wait times for connection switching and to reduce and often eliminate costly support calls
6 cell battery – For productivity while on the move

The G530 is an excellent combination of features (when compared to Netbooks) at an attractive price (when compared to Thinkpad SL series)." - Lenovo

Intel Pentium T3400 Dual-Core Processor @ 2.16GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 667MHz FSB
3GB of PC2-5300 667MHz DDR2 Memory
15.4 inch VibrantView (glossy) LCD (1280 x 800 resolution); CCFL backlight, 200 nits brightness, 400:1 contrast ratio
Intel Mobile GL40 Express Chipset
Intel GMA 4500M integrated graphics
Western Digital Blue Scorpio WD2500BEVT 250 GB 5400RPM SATA2 8 MB 2.5-Inch Hard Drive
802.11b/g Wi-Fi
Dual-layer DVD burner
0.3 megapixel webcam with VeriFace face recognition software
56k V.92 modem
ExpressCard slot
VGA Output
USB 2.0 x 4
RJ-45 (Ethernet 10/100)
Headphone / Mic Input Jacks
Twin speakers
Full-size keyboard
Touch-sensitive volume control panel with one user defined button
Two-button touch pad with scroll feature (no TrackPoint)
65-watt AC adapter
Wi-Fi on/off switch
5.95 Pounds (with Battery Installed)
6 Cell Li-ion Battery (Up To 4.5 Hours of Computing)
14.1" x 10.1" x 1.22"-to-1.46"
Windows Vista Home Basic Edition (32-bit)
Color Options: Black
1-year limited warranty