Lenovo B50 All-in-One 23-Inch Multi-Touch Desktop Review
Introduction and Specifications
All in one systems are all about balance. Attempting to cram an entire PC’s worth of components into the back of what amounts to a slightly wider-than-normal display can be an iffy proposition. Pare down the specifications too much and you wind up with a limp machine that’s obsolete by the time you get it. Jam in too many high-performance components and the price skyrockets to a point that you wonder if a different form factor might have been a better option, not to mention the additional thermal and acoustic concerns.
Lenovo’s B Series all in one systems are decidedly mid-range in both name and performance. You can opt for the low end in the C Series, which come with either a Celeron or Core i5 CPU. Or you can jump to the front of the pack with the A Series, which leads the way with more powerful components, including a 2.8GHz Core i7 CPU and a 27-inch screen.
The B Series is situated right in the middle. The company strikes a deal of sorts by offering two significantly different options of its B50 Touch featuring different CPU and RAM configurations. The specifications for the model we took a look at is listed below.
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| CPU: | 4th Gen Intel Core i7-4785T (2.20GHz 1600MHz 8MB) |
| GPU: | NVIDIA GeForce GT 840A 2GB |
| Memory: | 8GB PC3-12800 DDR3L 1600 MHz |
| Storage: | 2TB 7200 RPM HDD / 8GB SSD |
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Display: |
23.8" FHD (1920x1080) 10-point multitouch display with IPS technology |
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Optical: |
Slot loading Blu-ray burner |
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Networking: |
Gigabit |
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Interface: |
3 x USB 2.0 |
| Media Card Reader: | 6-in-1 memory card reader |
| Webcam: | 720p HD |
| Audio: | JBL stereo speakers with Dolby Home Theater |
| Operating System: | Windows 8 64 bit |
| Peripherals: | USB Keyboard and Mouse |
| Dimensions: | 22.9" x 8.1" x 178.5" |
| Weight: | 19.8lbs |
| Price: | $999 as tested - Find It At Amazon.Com |
The screen is responsive and easy to use, but unless you truly enjoy spending your days reaching all the way across the expanse of this large monitor (or just like the workout), you’ll likely be using your mouse for most of the work. At first glance, the size of the screen is a bit misleading because of the wide black bezel. On the top and sides the bezel measures an inch. On the bottom it spans nearly three inches. Visually, it makes an otherwise fairly slimmed down system look a whole lot larger.
The B50 comes standard with a Seagate 7200RPM 2TB hard drive. This is typical hard drive that includes a companion 8GB SSD for cache purposes. You can hardwire into the Ethernet jack for Internet access if you like. If you prefer wireless, you can leverage the Realtek 8821AE 802.11ac adapter--the system's got both.
We’ll dig further into the components a little later. For now, let’s get a better feel for the layout of the B50.
