Amateur Review of Y410p (Using Win8, Previous Purchases, Gaming, Software)

What I bought: URL Link: ( Enhance your IdeaPad Y410p Laptop - 59369914 - Dusk Black: Weekly Deal | Lenovo | (CA))

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- IdeaPad Y410p Laptop - 59369914 - Dusk Black
- Processor: 4th Generation Intel Core i7-4700MQ Processor( 2.40GHz 1600MHz 6MB)
- Operating system: Windows 8 64
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT750M GDDR5 2GB
- Memory: 8.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600 MHz
- Display: 14.0" HD+ Anti-Glare LED Backlit with integrated camera 1600x900
- Hard Drive: 1TB 5400 RPM+24GB SSD
- Optical Drive: DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)
- Battery: 6 Cell Lithium-Ion
- Network Card: Intel Centrino Wireless N-2230
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth Version 4.0
- Warranty: One year
- Form Factor: Notebook

Introduction

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I also wanted to add my initial thoughts on this laptop. After reading Jobine's great review I thought I would do one from a more noob/casual consumer standpoint. I do not provide specifics on temperature or gaming graphic settings, etc.. If you want that, please visit Jobine's full review. I have been using this laptop for a couple of days now and getting used to having Windows 8 rather than Windows 7. I believe I am a pretty tech-savvy guy, I've been using a computer ever since I was 5 years old. The change from Windows 7 to Windows 8 came as a surprise for me, since I've always been so used to having a start "button" and being able to navigate my PC from Control Panel/My Computer.

Using Windows 8 for the first time

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After this weekend, I have gotten more used to the Metro UI and navigating the new "Apps" feature. I learned that if I can't find something that was on Windows 7, I will scroll to the top right of the screen and use the search function. 90% of the time I find what I need, albeit it took a little longer. I seriously considered downgrading to Windows 7 on my first night.. The interface was just not something I was used to. However, I forced myself to try it and it's been getting easier each day.

One thing that helped me adjust to Windows 8 was adding a toolbar to the desktop. I didn't have to download anything, I just right clicked on the taskbar and went to Add>Toolbars>Desktop. The toolbar is literally called "Desktop". Now instead of the Start button, I have a toolbar that contains most of the original items that I usually went to the start menu for. Things like Control Panel, My Computer, Network, Etc.

Previous Purchases and User History

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My previous laptop was a Dell Studio XPS 1645, and I absolutely loved this thing. This was before they came out with the XPS L-XXX series, changing the look, colour, and design of the entire laptop. In terms of aesthetics I much prefer my old one over the current design. This laptop lasted all through my 5 years of University; it was HEAVY, a beast to carry everywhere, but boy did it work and perform. I gave it to my parents after graduation, not knowing that I would make a side business out of Web Design.

I bought the Lenovo Y410p for four main reasons:
1. To work on my side job as a Web Designer
2. To play video games that are demanding but not high-end
3. To have a smaller, but not too small laptop, that also doesn't weigh a ton (In contrast to my Dell)
4. I don't like OSX or Apple UI, I prefer PC

With these four things in mind, I went shopping between ASUS, Lenovo, Samsung, Dell, and HP. Here are a few notes:
1. I read reviews online for each major product line and look at brand reputation for the years 2011, 2012, and so far of 2013.
2. Narrow results down to Samsung, Lenovo, and ASUS.
- My previous laptop is a Dell, but after reading and reviewing their recent laptops, I've lost faith in their design and build quality. Their higher-end laptops are not worth the amount they advertise.
- HP has fallen off the market except for the Envy series, which I seriously considered. I did not end up choosing them because I've had bad experiences owning a HP laptop (problems with build quality and trackpad).
- ASUS was my third choice, I would have probably bought an ASUS if it weren't for Lenovo's Haswell i7 and price point.
- Samsung was my second choice. I actually bought a Samsung NP540U3C-A01CA w/ Core i5-3317UM, 8GB, 128GB SSD, 13.3in LED HD Touch Screen, Win 8 64-bit at Memory Express laptop prior to the Y410p. Price: $799.99 + 12% tax = $895.99 CAD
- The Samsung ultrabook was super light and portable which I liked, but the touchscreen was unnecessary and not something I needed. The keyboard layout bothered me and did not have good tactile feedback. My hands almost did not fit on the keyboard, and i'm just an average 5'11 guy. I ended up returning it because it was actually TOO small.

And so the Lenovo matched most of my needs:
- The Y410p is 14 inches, not as big as my Dell XPS 15.6in. The weight of my Dell vs. the Y410p is drastically different. Some people have been saying 5lbs is still a little heavy, but for me, 5lbs is a god-send.
- 1600x900p resolution, makes a world of difference to me as a gamer and graphic designer. The 768p resolution on smaller laptops is just too much of a deal-breaker for me.
- HDD+SSD cache, not as ideal as having just an SSD, but the boot-up time of 5-7 seconds is amazing nonetheless. Plus, 1TB of space is justified for someone who stores a lot of large photoshop files and videos.
- i7 Haswell Processing. My dell also has an i7-2XXX series, and after experiencing that cpu speed, it's tough not to match that level. An i5 would have been okay, but the i7-Haswell for this price point is great.

Gaming

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I haven't gamed extensively, but I have run League of Legends smoothly at high settings getting 60 FPS stable. The laptop is quiet while idling or doing simple word-processing and internet browsing. It's almost as if it hasn't been turned on. During gaming, the left side of the laptop (not the laptop itself) has the fan that blows out hot air, so if you have a cold drink or something that needs to stay cool, do not leave it there.

If you have game music/sound on, you will not hear your laptop's fans.

When you're resting your left hand on the laptop while typing, under normal use and gaming it does get a little warmer on your wrist. Nothing major, but should be noted. I would imagine this is where the HDD is or the video card is located.

Software

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I ran into some issues trying to install software that would run fine on Windows 7. I was trying to install Adobe Photoshop CS2 (yes, I'm too broke to buy a new version), but many times it would fail due to permission issues. After 5-6 hours of troubleshooting, I just discovered that "Running As Administrator" would solve most of my problems. Weird though, since I never ran into this issue with my Windows 7 laptop, and I know I was the only user and subsequently the only Administrator of my Windows 8 lenovo.

There are still a few kinks to work out regarding compatibility and finding the right versions that would run on Windows 8, but overall my programs are generally installing without too many hiccups.

The bloatware that comes with my machine is obviously not ideal, specifically things such as McAfee Internet Security and some of the "Lenovo Support" software. McAfee actually crashed the first time the laptop turned on and booted to Win8. I uninstalled most of it and will be using CCleaner and Decrapify later this week.

I am not sure if Uninstalling Apps from the Windows Metro menu will actually uninstall the program. I get the feeling it doesn't, depending on how the software works and how it is installed. I'd imagine that if I installed something from the Microsoft Store, it would be different than installing from an external harddrive or DVD. Will have to look into this further.

Conclusion

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Overall, the build quality and design of the Y410p matches my needs and does what I want it to do. The laptop is cool to look at, the keyboard and trackpad aren't an issue, the performance is higher-end, and the product is durable and light(er) weight. Someone on this forum asked the question, "If I drop this thing would it break?", and though I don't have the experience to back that up (thankfully), I would say it's 50/50. I mean, all laptops are designed NOT to be dropped, so it's unfair to really judge the quality of a product based on this factor. It's not the most durable of laptops, but it's pretty solid as is.

Obviously it's a bit early to say this after 2-3 days of use, but I would recommend the Y410p to anyone with similar needs as mine.

I purchased this laptop for $849.99 before tax with 4.25% redflagdeals.com cashback. After taxes and the cashback it comes to about ~$900 dollars.

Thanks for reading and if you have any "noob-friendly" questions, feel free to ask.

 

For the record, you can play league of legends on the integrated GPU (Intel 4600HD) and it will generate maybe 30% less heat.

Also, if you miss Windows 7, Lenovo has the complete collection of windows 7 and 8 uploaded on their site, just open up the bios, disable EFI/secure boot and do a clean install.

 

You two are both Canadian and have received the y410p relatively early. Can you tell me your shipping and receiving story ultimaniumx?

 

Copied my post from the Y410p owner's thread:

Code:

Hi guys, I picked up my Lenovo this weekend and thought I would share the time frame for when it will arrive. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on where you live and what the circumstances are of your order.

Ordered Laptop on June 26th, 2013. Shipped via UPS. READ FROM BOTTOM TO TOP. (That's how it was on the tracking website)

Location				Date		 Local Time		Activity
Winnipeg, MB, Canada			07/13/2013	 3:02 P.M.	Delivered - picked up at retail location
Winnipeg, MB, Canada			07/12/2013	 5:42 P.M.	Delivered to UPS Retail Location 
					07/12/2013	 5:42 P.M.	Your shipment is ready for pickup at a retail location
					07/12/2013	 7:35 A.M.	Import Scan
					07/12/2013	 7:15 A.M.	Arrival Scan
Minneapolis, MN, United States		07/12/2013	 5:56 A.M.	Departure Scan
					07/12/2013	 5:56 A.M.	Departure Scan
					07/12/2013	 5:21 A.M.	Arrival Scan
					07/12/2013	 5:18 A.M.	Arrival Scan
Louisville, KY, United States		07/12/2013	 4:36 A.M.	Departure Scan
Louisville, KY, United States		07/11/2013	 1:55 A.M.	Arrival Scan
Anchorage, AK, United States		07/10/2013	 3:57 P.M.	Departure Scan
					07/10/2013	 2:00 P.M.	Arrival Scan
Shanghai, China	 			07/10/2013	 9:11 P.M.	Departure Scan
Shanghai, China	 			07/09/2013	 8:57 P.M.	Export Scan
					07/09/2013	 8:57 P.M.	Origin Scan
China	 				07/08/2013	 11:07 P.M.	Order Processed: Ready for UPS

Notes:

1. On the website before confirming my order, the preliminary shipping date they had was July 7th, 2013.
2. July 1st, 2013 was Canada Day.
3.This laptop shipped from China, even though I thought they shipped from the US or Ontario.
4. Sorry for formatting, I suck with forum threads.

 

I do miss Windows 7 only because I am used to it. I find that Windows 8 does require some getting used to, and that's why I've been sticking with it.

I didn't realize installing Windows 7 was that easy. I thought they locked the BIOS so that there would be a lot of problems with trying to downgrade. It also appears that you have to find all the software and drivers yourself, for things like the WiFi card, the graphics card, trackpad, keyboard, etc.

 

To enter the Bios, press the Novo button, the one on the side. From there you can disable secure boot/UEFI, which will allow you to do hardware mods and install windows 7.

 

Oh so that's what this button is for.. Maybe I should read the instruction manual..

 

Hehe. Next time someone tells you the laptop has a locked BIOS/Boot menu, tell them to simply press the button on the side. Heck, i made the same mistake until i actually read the manual (c'mon, who reads laptop manuals these days )

 

I hit 'F2' immediately a few times to enter BIOs when computer is turned on.

 

I thought every laptop owner knows this... F2 is for bios, F8 for safe mode, F12 for boot options.

 

How's your battery life?

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

Not all laptops have the same way to enter into the BIOs or Boot options..

I have not gone a full use with the battery yet, I will test today and get back to you within 24 hours.

 

I got 2:30 on 60% charge @ mid brightness doing light stuff.

 

In case your haven't learned about this yet there are lightweight programs for Windows 8 that restores the Start button feature of Windows 7. I personally use Start8, but there are others choices and many of them are free. I would recommend sticking with Windows 8, simply due to the increase in responsiveness and start up time over Windows 7 in addition to any other benefits it has.

 

I found that the start button is no longer a necessity for me as when I first started to use Windows 8. It's difficult to get used to for sure, but I find just pressing the Windows Key and typing whatever I need in the Metro menu gets me what I want most of the time.

I'm still having issues with my Wi-Fi. Many times it would show that it's connected to my network, but there's internet connectivity. I know this is a known issue and I've tried several remedies to no avail.

I don't have the option to rollback my driver to 15.6; it's either 14.8 or 15.8, nothing in between. I even downloaded specific 15.6 drivers from Intel and during the install process it would bring the latest updates to 15.8.

I disabled bluetooth, even so far as to uninstall the drivers for it. Didn't do anything.

Uninstalling Intel PROSET/Wireless from Control Panel removes the Wireless drivers as well.

I ran out of time yesterday before heading to bed, so I haven't fully investigated other options. I will probably do that today to see what I can do.

 

Sorry for the late reply. My battery life has been good, been going close to 4 hours now on my fully charged battery, with about 30% remaining.

I was running Chrome with heavy internet browsing on low brightness, as well as uninstalling/reinstalling wireless drivers.

 

Strange, I have the older y400 model and I've never had any connection issues with my Wi-Fi. Also another helpful tip for Windows 8, press the Windows key + "X" in combination.

 

Does your older y400 have a Intel Centrino Wireless N-2230?

If not, that's why.

 

My newer Y410P has a 2230 and has no issues.

 

Mine starting having difficulty right out of the box. It started getting worse the more I try to configure it.

I thought you had some issues with it when you did your review?

 

I did. After rolling back the driver to 15.6, setting the wireless-n mode to 20mhz and uninstalling PROset all my problems magically went away

 

..I thought you had some issues with it when you did your review?

See! I'm not just imagining things. The community forums for Intel's "Wireless" section are littered with threads about connectivity issues with N-2230.

 

Actually my y400 has the Intel Centrino Wireless N-2230 adapter as well. Absolutely zero issues. I didn't even have to configure any settings.

 

Do you have to pay to download Windows 7 from the Lenovo site if you want to downgrade from Windows 8 for your y410p?

I have been reading other posts from you - again, thanks for taking the time to share all of your great insights.

 

No. The drivers are free downloads.

 

Nice review. I too had a Dell Inspiron and had only bought HPs before then. The Dell is now converted to Linux Mint and the HP is too slow so I will hand it over to my son for playing with. I too have been disappointed with HP's build quality. For some reason, I have never trusted SAMSUNG!!


I was far more careful buying this new laptop and decided on Dell XPS 14 or Lenovo Y410p based on availability and so far I am happy with my choice. What I also did was disable automatic Windows updates. I will be doing updates on a case by case review. I also uninstalled quite a fair bit of bloatware - McAfee, SugarSync. Nitro Pro 8 (all those crap that offer 30 day trials)