Review Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 13 (K685) Subnotebook

The ThinkPad Edge series consists of the cheapest ThinkPad models. Our 13.3 inch test model is available for as little as 399 Euros (without an operating system). The hardware may not be high-end but users who are looking for a matt display and first-class input devices will not be disappointed. HP Pavilion dv8000 battery

Last March (2010), we wrote an in-depth review on the first Edge 13. At that time, the test model had a glossy display and lacked an eSata port. Since then, the manufacturer has also replaced the AMD Turion X2 Neo K625 or L625 (1.5/1.6 GHz) CPU with a Neo K685 (1.80 GHz). The hard disk capacity has increased from 320 to 500 GB. In short: the latest Edge 13 comes with a few new features. So what should buyers expect? HP Probook 4730s Battery

The test model we picked was the cheapest available as it did not include an OS. As the input devices and the connectivity of the device have remained more or less the same, with the exception of the eSata interface, we will not discuss them at length in this review. In the following review we will concentrate on the new features the Edge 13 (NUE2UGE) has to offer. Dell Latitude D610 battery

The ThinkPad Edge series consists of the cheapest ThinkPad models. Our 13.3 inch test model is available for as little as 399 Euros (without an operating system). The hardware may not be high-end but users who are looking for a matt display and first-class input devices will not be disappointed.

Last March (2010), we wrote an in-depth review on the first Edge 13. At that time, the test model had a glossy display and lacked an eSata port. Since then, the manufacturer has also replaced the AMD Turion X2 Neo K625 or L625 (1.5/1.6 GHz) CPU with a Neo K685 (1.80 GHz). The hard disk capacity has increased from 320 to 500 GB. In short: the latest Edge 13 comes with a few new features. So what should buyers expect? FUJITSU SIEMENS ESPRIMO Mobile V6535 battery

The test model we picked was the cheapest available as it did not include an OS. As the input devices and the connectivity of the device have remained more or less the same, with the exception of the eSata interface, we will not discuss them at length in this review. In the following review we will concentrate on the new features the Edge 13 (NUE2UGE) has to offer. ASUS X71SL Battery

Performance

The new ThinkPad Edge 13 still uses an AMD Turion Neo X2. However, this time, instead of the L625 (1.6 GHz, TDP 18 W), the laptop is equipped with the K685 (1.8 GHz, TDP 15 W). The difference is in the specifications of the processor, as the latest processor is a Turion II, which means that it has a form factor of 45 nm (Geneva) instead of the old 65 nm (Congo). That is the reason why despite the higher clock frequency, the power consumption of the new CPU is lower. HP Pavilion ZT3000 battery

The Level 1 cache has doubled (K685: 256 KB), and the Level 2 cache has stayed the same (1024 KB). The Geneva platform supports the faster DDR3 RAM (Congo could only support DDR2) via an integrated controller in the CPU.

The ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphic unit (IGP) is responsible for displaying the graphics on the laptop (Congo platform: HD 3200). The unit runs at a core frequency of 382 MHz, and memory is stored on the main RAM modules (up to 256 MB). The playback and decoding of HD videos is supported by the UVD 2 video decoder. The GPU is DirectX 10.1 ready but is too weak to run latest games. More details on the GPU can be found here. Sony VGP-BPS23/G

Was the upgrade from the AMD Congo platform to the Geneva platform worth it? As the L625 (1.6 GHz) processor from the first Edge 13 is no longer available on the market, we used the K625 (1.5 GHz) and the E-350 (1.6 GHz) for our benchmarks. These AMD CPUs lie in the same price range of 330 to 420 Euros. Another alternative, the L325 (1.5 GHz), has not yet been tested by us. HP Compaq 6710b battery

The CPU Multi-Core test Cinebench R11.5 showed an end score of 1.0 points. The K625 (0.9) and the E-350 (0.6) are beaten by the result. The Intel alternative (i3 380UM - 2.1 GHz) also scores 1.0 (Sony Vaio VPC-YA1V9E/B) or 1.1 points (Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 11 NVY3PPB), but costs 100 Euros more. Other CPU benchmarks such as wPrime 2.0 (small results are better!) and Cinebench R10 Multi 64 Bit confirm the previous result: K625 (1.657/3.327), E-350 (2.200/2.250), 380UM (1.329/4.266). Our K685 reached 1.410/3.839 seconds/points. So among the AMD CPUs, the K685 (our test model) is number one. However, the Intel CPU processes slightly faster. ASUS Eee PC T91 battery

Can the Intel CPU stay on top in other system benchmarks which also include the HDD, RAM, GPU support? PCMark Vantage calculated a score of 3,753 points for our test model. This is the same score as the Edge 11 which has an i3 380UM and Intel HD Graphics (3,623 points). The AMD alternatives: K625 (3,017; Dell Inspiron M301z) and E-350 (2,293; HP Pavilion dm1-3180eg) are left far behind. SAMSUNG N150 Plus battery

The new PCMark 7 provided a result of 1,235 points. The Edge 11 based on the E-350 (APU) manages to score 1,101 points. The reason for the small difference: PCMark 7 gives a higher score for better hardware support, which in this case is due to the HD 6310 (80 pipelines instead of 40, DirectX 11 instead of 10.1). That is why the HD 4225 got a lower score in this benchmark. Unfortunately, we do not have the results for the 380UM. Asus f5rl-ap035c Battery

The fact that an i3 380UM Edge 13 is faster does not surprise us. Buyers would be picking the slowest Edge 13 laptop if they picked the brand-new E-350 APU. The better 3D performance of the HD 6310 in the APU will not be enough for most users who will have to deal with longer waiting times and weaker system performance. We recommend the buyer pick the K685 CPU, even if it costs a few more Euros. Lenovo IdeaPad U260 adapter

In the 3DMark2006 our test model managed to score 1,220 points. The Radeon HD 4225 lies clearly under the HD 6310 (3,588, Acer Aspire 5253) or the GeForce 9400M GeForceBoost (Ion2, 4.075). 3DMark 11 and Unigine Heaven could not be run due to lack of DX 11 support.

Our Edge 13 test model could not even hold its own against HD netbooks. The AMD-based Aspire One 521 (1,046), Asus Eee PC 1015PN (1,155), Asus Eee PC 1015B (C-50, 1,411) and Aspire One 722 (C-50, 1,460) rarely score better than notebooks. LENOVO IdeaPad U300s adapter

The HD 4225 scored a mere 2.1 points in the OpenGL test of the Cinebench R11.5. To date, most E-350 systems tested by us scored much higher: around 7.5 points. So buyers who want to profit from the 80 shaders in the HD 6310 should pick the Edge 13 E325 model.

Gaming with the Radeon HD 4225

The HD 4225 is not meant for gaming. Our test run with Left4Dead confirmed this suspicion. The hunt for zombies is only fun at the lowest resolution of 640x480 pixels (low details). The game is relatively fluid and runs at 34 fps. The native resolution of (1.366x768 pixels) can not even be picked, and for good reason too. The laptop is already at its limits with a resolution of 1.024x768 pixels and high details. The frames break down and this adversely affects the aiming (13 fps). LENOVO IdeaPad U310 adapter

We have not yet tested Left4Dead 2 with the E-350, but according to many accounts in different magazines the game should run well with medium details and a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The better 3DMark results from this system further support those accounts. Any user who wants to use the Edge 13 for serious gaming, should pick the Fusion E-350 device (Edge E325). That model has enough performance to run older games such as Call of Duty 4 with low details. However, due to the fact that the CPU is weaker, the gaming performance may not always be the best possible. Lenovo u410 adapter

Battery Life

The idle power consumption is higher than that of most Intel Core 13 inch laptops which offer much more performance. First the numbers: in idle mode, the laptop consumes between 13 W (energy saving, low brightness, CPU at 800MHz) and 20 W (maximum performance, highest brightness and CPU at 1800MHz). An Aspire 3750 (i3 2310M, HD 3000) is satisfied with 8 to 11 watts and a Toshiba Portege R830 (identical) requires between 8 to 12 watts. LENOVO IdeaPad Z480AX adapter

In the stress test, the power consumption rises further. The 3DMark2006 required 27 W. With the K685 processor, the laptop consumed 40 W. The compact 65 watt power adapter (237 grams) is well-dimensioned. In comparison to other Intel devices, the test model has relatively high idle power consumption, and very slight difference between idle and load power consumption. Intel devices score with a better performance thanks to the Turbo Boost feature. LENOVO IdeaPad Z380 adapter

The battery life of 5 hours and 30 minutes is good for a subnotebook. In our WLAN test (surfing on the web) the laptop lasted 5 hours and 31 minutes, while in a stress test the battery ran for 2 hours and 15 minutes. In comparison: the Core i3 13.3 inch Aspire 3750 lasted just as long in the WLAN test and its battery capacity is identical to that of our test model (63 Wh, 5800mAh). A Toshiba Portege R830-110 can last up to 6 hours due to its larger battery capacity of 66 Wh (WLAN-Test). In short: the test model can last as long as an Intel Core i3 subnotebook as long as the load remains low (i.e. Office use). The brightness of the TFT was set to 100 cd/m² for the WLAN test. To recharge the battery completely the user will need to wait around 2 hours and 30 minutes. LENOVO IdeaPad Z480 adapter

The battery life of 5 hours and 30 minutes is good for a subnotebook. In our WLAN test (surfing on the web) the laptop lasted 5 hours and 31 minutes, while in a stress test the battery ran for 2 hours and 15 minutes. In comparison: the Core i3 13.3 inch Aspire 3750 lasted just as long in the WLAN test and its battery capacity is identical to that of our test model (63 Wh, 5800mAh). A Toshiba Portege R830-110 can last up to 6 hours due to its larger battery capacity of 66 Wh (WLAN-Test). In short: the test model can last as long as an Intel Core i3 subnotebook as long as the load remains low (i.e. Office use). The brightness of the TFT was set to 100 cd/m² for the WLAN test. To recharge the battery completely the user will need to wait around 2 hours and 30 minutes. LENOVO IdeaPad Z580 adapter

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