Laptops in the price range of $800 and $900 are the top choice now. Leaders in this field have introduced several models that fit in the price range but lag behind one or the other feature. But Lenovo’s latest venture – the IdeaPad Z570 – promises to deliver what every user desires for.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 is appealing not only in terms of its design but also satiates the hardware thirst of the users.

Design

The top lid and the palmrest of the laptop appeal with their metal finish. Besides the full-fledged Accutype chiclet keyboard, the IdeaPad Z570 sports a number pad. Slightly curved keys are made in chiclet style and are well spaced so that typing can be done with minimum effort. However, the depression on the scalloped keys might give an awkward feeling when you first start using it but with time, the nice feeling will be felt. There are a number of LED indicators and a power button to the top of the keyboard. Volume can be increased and decreased via touch-sensitive keys designed for the purpose.

The IdeaPad Z570 sports a LED-backlit display measuring 15.6 inches and with resolution of 1366×768 pixels. Such a wide screen not only supports complete view of the documents but also offers a great movie/video-watching experience.

Dimensionally, the IdeaPad Z570 is 1.4×14.72×9.84 and weighs 5.7lbs. The not-so-lightweight nature of the laptop is due to the build. The top portion of the laptop is metal that results in the sturdy nature.

Mode Selection

The IdeaPad Z570 offers easy selection of modes to fit the type of usage. Some such key features are thermal management and one-touch display mode selection. The users can easily set different modes to regulate the fan speed such as efficient cooling, de-dusting and super silent.

Hardware

The IdeaPad Z570 runs on 2nd generation Core i3 2310M processor from Intel with a clock speed of 2.1GHz. The notebook is based on 64-bit Windows 7 (Home Basic) operating system. Graphics is handled by integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics. Some other worth noticing hardware specifications are 640GB HDD and 4GB DDR3 RAM.

The laptop astonishes with the hardware switch that enables toggling between integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics and 1GB nVIDIA GeForce GT520M graphics as and when required.  The IdeaPad Z570 also sports a 2MP web camera. One can well decipher by now that IdeaPad Z570 is way ahead its peers in providing all these at a price of $699.

Connectivity

In terms of connectivity too, the Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 offers bountiful. It sports three USB2.0 ports and one USB/eSATA combo port along with Gigabit Ethernet, D-sub out, VGA, LAN and HDMI connectivity. Th essential presence of 802.11b/g/n wireless as well as Bluetooth 2.1+EDR has not done away with. Atheros AR9285 adapter supports 802.11n WiFi. Not to talk about the DVD writer and the card reader. Indicators for network connectivity together with that for power add to the overall spark. Similar to the hardware switch to toggle between graphics cards, the IdeaPad Z570 sports a hardware switch that enables network connectivity and disables it.

Multimedia

Promoted as perfect companion for entertainment seekers, the Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 together with other Lenovo IdeaPad Z series laptops sports OneKeyTM TheaterII, which is a one-touch audio and visual optimization feature that renders brighter and clear images. Users can enjoy their movies and videos in a more cinematic manner with SRS® Premium SoundTM that renders rich and clear sound. Owing to HDMI connectivity, users can enjoy movies on an HDTV.

Despite certain loopholes in viewing angles and contrast ratio, the display of the laptop impresses with natural color rendition. At least when the user is sitting right in front of the laptop, the visual experience is amazing.

Software

The Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 features a bunch of proprietary software. Like in most other Lenovo laptops, this piece also sports the biometric Face Recognition software i.e. VeriFace. VeriFace is a secure way to log in to your system. The efficacy of VeriFace is that it recognizes only the authorized user – the picture of the user that was first used to login. Even a passport size photograph of the original user will do when VeriFace is at work. VeriFace adds to the security level of your system that has been protected with a password already. Besides VeriFace, the IdeaPad Z570 sports Kensington lock for extra security.

Performance

The IdeaPad Z570 scored a good enough 5.0 in Windows Experience Index. The lowest score was awarded to its graphics performance with respect to Windows Aero i.e. 5. Hence, the IdeaPad Z570 can well handle graphics-intensive operations such as gaming equally efficiently as it does the day-to-day operations.
The sound quality cannot be called outstanding if compared to the Dell Studio XPS laptops but on its own the sound output is loud enough especially for mid-size rooms. At 50% brightness and the WiFi put on, the notebook offers pretty decent 4-hour battery backup. The laptop is powered by six-cell Lithium-ion battery.
The unique RapidBoot technology proprietary to Lenovo, the IdeaPad Z570 takes 20 seconds lesser than a normal Windows 7 PC to start.

The laptop takes it easy even while playing a HD (1080p) movie and uses merely 2 to 3 percent CPU utilization.

Two Versions

The IdeaPad Z570 is currently available in two versions. The 4GB version is priced at $699 while the 6GB version is priced at $999. The 4GB version runs on Core i3- 2310M processor as against the Core i5-2520M processor of the 6GB version. So, the users need to make their choice depending on the intensity of their work besides their budget concerns.

Comparison with other Z series laptops

The entire new Z series is based on the latest SandyBridge processor by Intel and the IdeaPad Z570 is no exception. The IdeaPad Z570 is larger in terms of its display that measures 15.6 inches as against the 14-inch display of IdeaPad Z470 and 13.3-inch display of Z370. While the IdeaPad Z570 runs on Core i3 processor, the processor differs to Cre i5 in case of the Z470 and Core i7 in case of Z370. Both the IdeaPad Z470 and IdeaPad 370 sport fuchsia dark brown or sky blue transparent covers that are eye catching. On the other hand, the looks of the Z570 are made more sensible with a metallic finish and Accutype chiclet keyboard.

Conclusion

The IdeaPad Z570 is a perfect choice for those who want high-end performance at affordable price range. Run on the latest Intel SandyBridge processor, the IdeaPad Z570 stands ahead its peers in more than one respect. Users are sure to be satiated with typing on well-spaced keys, playing intensive programs and games, watching movies on its wide screen and amazing power back up – all costing at $699.