Lenovo IdeaPad 330 is an affordable notebook which of many features. its big screen and its dazzling display attract every user towards it. but is it worth spending money on? Well, thankfully we have an answer to that question. we have tested The Notebook ourselves and this is what we think.
Before going deeper into the notebook’s functionality and compatibility, it is important to describe it briefly.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 330 is a flagship series of the company and Lenovo made this series budget-friendly. So, everyone can have a taste of premium products with less money.
It comes to a 15.6 inches display and has a smooth keyboard. The great thing is that it comes in three different sizes (14, 15.6, and 17.3 inches), fulfilling the needs of every user. It doesn’t matter which size you choose, because all sizes have the same functionality and all are cost-efficient.
Our model had a 15.6-inch display with an 8th generation Intel Core I3 processor. It had a 1 TB hard drive with Intel UHD graphics. what makes this laptop stand out from other notebooks is its sleek design. The flexible 180-degree angle makes it stand out from other notebooks.
If you are looking for a cheaper option Lenovo IdeaPad 330 is also available in Intel Celeron with 4GB ram and 500gb hard drive. Similarly, by adding a bit more money, you can buy Intel Core i5 with 8GB RAM and 1TB solid-state drive.
Before beginning our review, here are few things you should consider when buying an affordable laptop.
What to look for in an affordable laptop?
Every person should look for these factors when choosing an affordable laptop.
Screen Size
You will need a bigger screen for checking emails and performing other essential tasks, because let`s be fair with less than14” screen size you will see less details. So, we recommend buying a laptop with at least 14” screen.
Hard disk
Hard Disk is considered the most important part of a laptop or PC because all of your storage lies in it. It is also considered the most vulnerable part. So, you should look for a laptop with an SSD hard drive rather than a typical HDD. SSD doesn`t have mechanical parts and chances of disk crashing is minimum. As a conscious person, you don`t want to lose your data because of hard disk crashing.
Battery life
Strong battery life is required for everyday operations so you can do anything on the go. When buying a laptop, you should buy a laptop with a minimum of 5 hours of battery life. So, you don`t have to charge every time.
CPU and GPU
A good laptop is that which can do multi-tasking easily. Students or office workers need a great multi-tasking laptop so, they can open their apps frequently and simultaneously. And that`s when CPU and GPU plays a part. A laptop with Core i3 can do that easily but we recommend picking a laptop with at least Intel Core i5. Although you don`t need a great graphics card some traders like to enjoy as well. So, you can go for a great GPU.
RAM
RAM or internal memory determines how fast the application opens. You will be needing a memory of at least 4GB. Above 4GB is great but if you are looking for a budget-friendly laptop, then you can consider a laptop with 4GB RAM.
Design
The whole structure of a laptop is vital as well because a sleek and stylish laptop will make your usage experience more enjoyable.
Price
This is another important factor but it also depends on the choice of a person. If you are investing heavily you can buy a high-end laptop but if you are just starting out, then you can consider an affordable laptop.
So, let’s dig deeper and tell you what we have found by using Lenovo IdeaPad 330.
1. Design
Lenovo’s IdeaPad previous models were just like an ordinary laptop with thick bezels and low-resolution display. But our model had a beautiful thin bezel and a sleek figure. The brushed metal on its surface has a metallic finish and its dark keyboard contrast nicely with its design. Some notebooks have an aluminum design which makes them not hardy but metallic construction is built for sturdiness.
When considering its HDW (height, width, display) ratio, it measures at 0.9 by 10.2 by 14.9 inches. Its weight is just 4.85 pounds which makes it easy to carry anywhere.
Lenovo IdeaPad 330 isn’t a touch screen laptop but its ability to rotate 180 degrees gives it a wider angle for the display. You can easily adjust the angle of the laptop when it is on your lap, giving you a comfortable feeling.
Overall, we liked the design considering its price.
2. Display
There has been a lot of o criticism about its display and we feel that it’s a bit harsh. The 15.6-inch 720p is brighter and smoother for its price.
Lenovo made this laptop for a 1366×768 resolution display which is why its price is a bit on the lower side when compared to its competitors.
When you first look at its display, you don’t find anything wrong with the resolution. It looks fine and when compared with other laptops having a 1366×768 resolution display, it justifies its price. Lenovo added an anti-glare coating on the screen. This eliminates reflections on the screen and gives you a great display for watching T.V shows or movies.
One thing we noted that in brighter conditions, the color on the display does look a bit dull. That’s because its RGB group covers only 66% of the color gamut.
Overall, it didn’t bother us in our day-to-day work.
3. Connectivity
Lenovo provided a variety of ports for better connectivity options. The notebook has a combination of I/O ports. It also includes a Type-C port. Type-C port is usually not available in notebooks of this price range.
It has 2 3.0 USB ports and one Type-C 3.0 port, an HDMI port an SD card slot. The SD card slot is a great storage option for media files. It also comes with the headphone jack, a port for an Ethernet cable and a DVD drive. Lenovo went old school by adding a DVD drive.
The wireless connectivity options are also available with 802 11AC Wi-Fi and 4.1 Bluetooth.
With multiple connectivity options, we were satisfied with the model.
4. Keyboard and Touchpad
Lenovo’s keypad and touchpad are some of the best in the business and Lenovo 330 didn’t disappoint us as well.
First of all, we liked the black display of the keys. It goes very well with the metallic design. Next, we enjoyed typing on it. The smooth and subtle chiclet keys are easy to press. The keys are nicely spaced and you get a good grip when using them. The numeric keys are also a great addition.
The touchpad is positioned on the center-left and has the same color as the notebook. The touchpad has a smooth feeling to it and is suitable for all types of users.
It also comes with gestures that can be configured through its setup menu. It responds quickly to windows gestures and lack problems executing them.
We would have liked backlighting on the keyboard but again these features are hard to find on a budget notebook.
5. Performance
The Ideapad 330 e used (Intel core i3 with Intel UHD graphics) is suitable for daily tasks like browsing the internet and watching media.
Where we have observed is that loading website can take time (nearly a minute) But once it finishes loading, you can scroll different pages and go other tabs immediately. If you have fast internet, playing online videos won’t be a problem. We watched a 1080p movie file on it and luckily it didn’t baffle us.
Its core i3 has a duo core chip. Generally, this core isn’t meant for heavier workloads. But it is suitable for office work and low multi-tasking.
It comes with a 2.2 GHz processor which can boost up to 3.4 GHz, shows speedy performance than its competitors.
We think that performance could have been better with this model. According to user reviews, the core i5 model shows better performance than its predecessor.
6. Graphics
If you are looking to play high-end games, we are afraid you have to choose another laptop. It has an integrated 620 UHD graphic card. We checked its graphics card performance by playing several games, Although, we were limited by the system, still, we manage to play several games on low settings. Some high -end games played at 14 frames per second and low-end games played at 30 frames per second.
Although the graphics are a bit low, we found that the system is fully customizable. These means buy installing a good graphic card, you can get a better performance from it.
7. Storage
Our model had 1 TB storage which is enormous considering the price. You can store a ton of data on 1 TB HDD. Plus, if you need higher storage, you can change the HDD or opt for the SSD. Besides this, there is a card slot for storage purposes.
We think Lenovo’s addition of 1TB HDD in this model is a win-win situation for the company.
8. Battery life
Every laptop needs to have good battery life. This model can last for 5 hours on a 100% charge. We found that a 5-hour battery life is achieved only when you are not working heavily on it. We tested its battery for multimedia playing and found that it can last for 3 and a half hours. This battery life on multimedia is less compared with similar models.
Not only this model but all other Ideapad 330 models have lower battery life than their competitors.
Again if you are using it for your normal routine work, its battery life is satisfactory.
9. Heat
One of the major concerns of any user is the laptop’s heat. Because excessive heat can slow down the periodicity of any laptop and is prone to internal damage.
One of the positive aspects of Lenovo Ideapad 330 it stays relatively cool. According to Lenovo’s website, it’s keyboard and touchpad warms only to 81 and 83 degrees. The Lenovo CPU fans allow it to release heat, causing less noise than most of the budget-friendly laptops.
We ran it for 2 straight hours on multimedia file and it didn’t heat.
So, the heat won’t be a problem for you.
10. Webcam
The integrated webcam on Lenovo Ideapad 330 didn’t convince us. The 640×480 lens can be blurry sometimes causing problems for the person you are chatting with.
We noticed that its camera doesn’t work properly in low light or dim settings. It washes out everything in the picture making colors dull and fuzzy.
So, you’ll need a dedicated webcam id you have a plan for video chat.
11. Sound
The predecessor of this model didn’t have a great sound. There wasn’t any consistency in the sound. But the model we used has dedicated Dolby sound technology. Its sound levels are consistent and fluent. You can hear any music with excellent sound.
With our review completed, we can finally come to its pros and cons.
Pros
Pros
- It has a beautiful metallic design.
- The keyboard and touchpad are smooth to use.
- It is an affordable model.
- It has many connectivity options.
- It doesn’t get heated quickly.
- It produces great sound.
- It has a massive storage space of 1TB.
Cons
Cons
- Its battery life should be a bit longer.
- The web cam is fuzzy.
- A dedicated graphics card is not powerful enough.
Conclusion
Concluding our review, we think that this Lenovo Ideapad 330 model justifies its price, Yes, the battery should have been longer, and yes dedicated graphic card needs improvement but overall we think this is a great model. For daily tasks in the office or at home. Plus, its 180-degree angle is very easy to use in every setting.
We give this model 4 out of 5 stars.
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