Computer

Lenovo IdeaPad U400 Review

Lenovo IdeaPad U400 Review Image 1 - NJTechReviews

Our friends over at Lenovo have sent us the IdeaPad U400 for us to review. While it is not a Ultrabook, it is still an IdeaPad laptop. And it comes at a cheaper price, starting at around $800. It also has some good features and a very nice design. Now, let’s get started with the full review of the Lenovo IdeaPad U400!

 

Design

The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 has a very nice design. The U400 is not a ultrabook, it has some of the same design points. Ah but, it is still not a ultrabook. For starters it does not weigh less than 3 pounds. Now, keep in mind that it is still very nice to hold and it is not heavy. It is a 14 inch Laptop, that features some great stuff inside. For starters it weighs in at 4.37 pounds, so it is light enough to carry around with you. The thickness of the IdeaPad U400 is less than 1 inch. When they thought of how to design the U400 IdeaPad, they thought of a book. And in a way it does look like a book, it has the same design points. It is the same thickness throughout the entire design, it does not get thinner as you move down the laptop. It is one full piece of aluminum that makes up the body of the IdeaPad U400. This makes it light weight and strong. One thing that is special about how Lenovo uses the aluminum design, is that make it warmer to the tough and more tactile. There are also no vents or screws on the IdeaPad U400. It has a special Breathable keyboard, but will get into that later.On the left hand side of the U400 you have an air vent, the Lenovo OneKey Recovery button, an ethernet port, and a USB port. On the front side you have the LED indicator lights, for instance the power and battery lights. On the right hand side you have the charging port, CD/DVD drive, HDMI port, 2 USB ports, and headphone jack. On the lid of the laptop you have Lenovo’s logo. On the bottom you have the Windows/Intel Logo, Your product number, and other info. When you open up the laptop you have the 1.3 mega-pixel web cam above the screen. And to the left of the keyboard you have power button. You also have a Lenovo and IdeaPad logo inside. Overall, the design of the Lenovo IdeaPad U400 is great.

 

Keyboard, Trackpad, Display/Graphics, and Speakers

Lenovo has a very special keyboard on the U400. It has their Breathable Keyboard, this makes it easier for circulation of air. In a regular laptop there are vents all of the place that take in air and then release it. With the U400 it takes in air on the keyboard and release it through the side vent and the hinge vent. It makes the computer run better. It is exclusively licensed to Lenovo by Intel. It also makes the areas on the laptop where your rest your palms and the base less hot. One thing that Lenovo has really improved on with the U-Series is the Trackpads. The Lenovo U400 features a “glass trackpad”. It is made completely out of glass, this makes it more easier to use. It is a smoother surface so it is easier to use. You also get some new multi-touch gestures to use. For instance you can zoom in or our, this comes in very handy. It features a 14 inch HD 16:9 widescreen display. It has a resolution of 1366 X 768. It has a AMD Radeon HD 6470M + Intel HD 3000 Graphics card. The display is pretty good as far as laptops go. If you tilt the screen back a little bit, the colors become a little darker and you may have some reflection. However, for the most part i enjoyed the screen very much. In terms of viewing angles, you are not blocked from many angles. The viewing radius is great. The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 features a Intel Wireless Display. This is a great feature but, it is not completely included on the laptop. With a separate adapter you can connect it directly to your TV and you can stream your videos, movies, photos, and online shows on your TV in full HD. It HD both in sounds and the display. The IdeaPad U400 features Stereo Speakers with SRS Premium Surround Sound. The sound is good for a laptop, depending on how loud the video or music you are listening can get. You will have either a good experience or a bad experience with sound on the IdeaPad U400. For the most part it was good.

 

Software

The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 is running Windows 7 Home Premium. On the unit that I was testing we had a 2nd Generation Intel Core i5-2430M Processor with 6GB of RAM. Keep in mind that you can configure the Lenovo IdeaPad U400 to your liking. The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 features Lenovo OneKey Recovery. This is a very easy to use application that allows you to back up the data on your system. Basically it backs your system up into an image file, that will be saved on a partition of your hard-drive. You could also put on a disc, just to have another back up. In case if your system does go down for whatever reason, OneKey Recovery has your back. Just tap the OneKey Recovery Button on the left hand side of your IdeaPad U400 and you are good to go. This will help you restore your system, just remember to turn OneKey Recovery on when you get the IdeaPad U400. One other piece of software that is good to have is an Anti-Theft Protection Software. This comes pre-installed on the IdeaPad U400. It will allow you locate, lock, and delete all of the data on the computer remotely. It will come in handy if you misplace your laptop, but hopefully that won’t happen. Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad U400 has a great operating system.

 

Bottom Line

The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 is a great laptop. While, there are many different options on the market, if you are looking for a laptop with a great design, a CD/DVD Drive, and a great display then go for the U400. If you’re looking for a Ultrabook, don’t get the Lenovo U400 but instead go for the Lenovo U300S. The Lenovo IdeaPad U400 start from $800, the unit that I was testing out goes for $899.99 . You Can Get Your Lenovo IdeaPad U400, By Clicking Here. We would like to thank Lenovo for providing us with a copy of the “Lenovo IdeaPad U400”.

Computer
@Jake31Krol

Jacob Krol is the founder, CEO, and editor in chief of NJTechReviews. He created the site in 2010 and most recently gave it a big redesign in 2014. Jacob is a sophomore at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. He has a big love for all things tech, he's a huge Springsteen fan, and he is also a native New Jerseyan.

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