Lenovo IdeaPad Y570: Battery Life, Heat and Noise

Battery Life
The IdeaPad Y570 has a 6-cell, 62Whr Li-ion battery. The notebook remained on and active for 4 hours and 25 minutes during our battery life test, which is about average for a multimedia notebook in this price range with similar specs. To find out how long a notebook can last away from a power source, we set Windows 7 on the "balanced" power profile, turn the screen brightness down to 70 percent, turn wireless on and refresh a text-heavy web page every 60 seconds. We were expecting for it to last an hour or so longer, but if you turn the screen brightness down even more, we're confident that the Y570 will surpass the five hour mark.  

Battery life test results (higher scores mean better battery life):

Heat and Noise
In the past, sub-$1000 entertainment notebooks have been notorious for pulling all kinds of high temperature readings. In this case, the Y570 didn't pull any temperatures that were alarming. Normally, if a notebook goes above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in any spot after we exert it by running benchmarking software, there might be reason for alarm; but this notebook only reached a maximum of 97 degrees. The fan intake on the bottom reached the highest temperature. Noise won't be a problem for the notebook either. Even though we heard the whirl of the fan while running the benchmarking software, it was soft enough to be ignored.

@@--pagetitle:Lenovo IdeaPad Y570: Conclusion

The 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Y570 is a great multimedia/entertainment laptop, and receives our recommendation. If you're in the market for a notebook that can play HD movies, run most of the latest games, and won't break the bank, consider the Y570. The designers somehow found a way to combine decent build quality, hardware that lends to good performance, stunning audio, a great port selection, and an appealing design into a package that is modestly priced. 

The Y570 also has a number of design features that will make it a dependable choice. It's built in a sturdy brushed aluminum shell that will prevent against the scratches and bumps, as well as a well-designed system for taking care of any heat it produces. 

However, it isn't perfect. The display is "lackluster" - meaning it has a lower resolution and contrast ratio - making the screen appear washed out. Moreover, if you decide to go with the less expensive dual-core processor instead of a higher-end CPU, playing some games that require more processing power (and a slightly better graphics card) will make running that game less than perfect.

Still yet, it's safe to say that this system and setup will allow users to multi-task, start programs up quickly, and serve your entertainment needs ... without breaking your wallet.

Pros:

• Great balance of system performance and price
• Decent build quality
• Attractive design
• Very good audio

Cons:

• Subpar display with too much gloss
• Stiff touchpad button
• Battery life could be better

Individual Ratings: *

Software & Support 
Upgrade Capabilities 
Usability 
Design 
Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score