Lenovo SL400

Lenovo SL400 Review

Overview Welcome, to our latest review. This time, we were able to get our hands on the 14.1" Lenovo ThinkPad SL400. This portable laptop comes packed with a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor to go along with 2GB of RAM and a 160GB HD. Although Lenovo labels it a 'computing solution for small-to-medium business users,' that doesn't mean they ignored the graphics side, and they've included an nVidia GeForce 9300M for the moderate gamer inside. Throw in an integrated fingerprint reader, 1.3 megapixel camera and 802.11n wireless capabilities, and you've got a laptop that's ready to go and perform.

Design

Case Look and Feel

Finally, a few style points for Lenovo. It's still just black, but the top cover now has an attractive glossy finish. It's smooth to the touch, but we don't recommend touching the top too much or you'll leave messy fingerprints. Thankfully, one quick wipe down should return it to its former glossy glory though.

Size and Weight
The SL400 isn't the smallest laptop out there, but its 14.1" screen and dimensions of 13.2x9.7x1.3'1.5" (336x247x34'39mm) will still travel pretty easily. We wish they'd made it slightly lighter though, because at 5.5lbs (2.5kg) it's slightly heavier (not to mention slightly thicker) than the 14.1"" Toshiba Satellite M305, which was heavy (and thick) enough. Since it's already a little on the big side we didn't mind the protrusion of the 9 cell battery instead of the 6.

Keyboard
The SL400 packs a full sized ergonomic keyboard with palm rest, and we found the thickness of the base comfortable for typing. Lenovo gives us both the bright red TrackPoint 'nub' as well as a touchpad so we can navigate with whichever we please. The left side of the keyboard features volume control and the ThinkVantage button, a handy feature which we'll discuss a little later. One thing that did bother me a little was the internet scroll bars on the right and bottom edges of the track pad. I know they're never perfect, but I simply could not use it for anything but scrolling to the very top or very bottom of a page.

Display QualityThe LCD has a max resolution of 1440x900 which is perfectly crisp and clear with the brightness turned on high. While testing on Unreal Tournament 3, even in the darkest of maps, on a lower brightness setting, the screen was still visible. While graphics do look nice on this laptop I recommend Movie playback or high Visuals on a higher brightness setting. It is not an extra bright or glossy screen so glare really isn't much of an issue and viewing the screen from different angles has barely any interference.

Connectivity
The SL400 is no slouch when it comes to connectivity, featuring a number of connectivity ports.

The right side of the unit features 2 USB ports, an HDMI port, the exhaust, an SD Memory slot and mini-firewire.

The left side features 2 more USB ports next to the headphone and microphone jacks. This is followed by an optical drive, a modem port and an Ethernet port. The optical drive extends nicely from beneath the tapered edges.

The front is pretty basic. The base tapers inward and houses the speakers and the latch for the LCD. There is a series of lights in the center which provides the user with some basic information about the computer's status. If you're looking for the power jack, it's about the only thing on the back besides the battery.

If you're looking to upgrade, Lenovo lists 5400RPM HDDs of 80GB, 160GB, 250GB and 320GB. Our model had 160GB. Our model was using 2GB of RAM, but it's also possible to upgrade that as high as 4GB. Keep in mind there is the 32bit Operating system max RAM usability with Windows Vista.

FeaturesSome of the nicer features on the SL400 include the high quality HDMI port and Bluetooth for connectivity, the integrated fingerprint scanner for security, and the 1.3MP integrated webcam for interactivity. These features are nice, and the fingerprint scanner is downright cool in addition to all its practical uses. Perhaps the most unique feature this line possesses, however, is the ThinkVantage button.

The ThinkVantage button glows an attractive blue color when your computer is on. With one click you can activate the ThinkVantage menu and with another single click you can put it away. The menu houses a lot of convenient features, such as wireless radio, access to backup software, and network and multimedia management. If you want to change your network connections or screen resolution, one click will bring you there, which means less digging around the control panel.

Performance and Conclusion Performance

There -in all its glory, the nVidia GeForce 9300M. Paired with a core duo chip and 2GB of RAM, we expected some decent performance out of this unit to make up for its size.

You can read all about our testing methdology HERE, and since this model includes a dedicated GPU, we get to run a FRAPS score. We're currently updating our testing methdology, but you'll get the idea.

Windows Vista Experience

In contrast, the X200 only generated a score of 3.7.

PCMark Vantage
Not bad at all here. The SL400 is comparable to the it's smaller brother (sister?) x200,As you can see, this new chipset,packed with it's dedicated GPU, even the x200 can't meet the matchup, this is a nicely powered system as well!

3DMark 06

WorldBench 6

That's a pretty impressive score, and one of the best results in the ultraportable or any other class. Thanks again nVidia.

Battery Life

We can't all be the X200, but the SL400 stacks up reasonably well to its competitors with four hours and twenty-one minutes of battery life. It should be noted this was with use of a 9 cell battery, but so was that X200 test. Recharging the battery took exactly two hours and forty-five minutes to complete.

DVD Battery Life

The SL400 stacks up really well to its competitors with three hours and ten minutes of battery life. It should be noted this was with use of a 9 cell battery.

We ran the UT3 Benchmark tool on Unreal Tournament 3 at 1024 by 768 with and had an average frame rate of 30.88, which looked at least decent if not great. The video card is decent and I would recommend this as a medium graphics laptop.

ConclusionIt's a little bulky and a little heavy, but it packs some decent processing punch. The SL400 is a pretty able multipurpose machine which suits its purpose being a workhorse for small to medium business owners admirably. We could complain some more about the size and weight, but we won't, and neither will you when you consider the price point of only around $800.

Bottom LineThe SL400 is a pretty powerful machine for its size, and carries a decent number of features too. While you might be able to find similar features in a smaller package, it's likely to cost you a lot more than the SL400 will. While not quite as fast as you'd expect from a 15.4' and not quite as light as you'd hope from a 12.1', this 14.1' model offers a great compromise for those seeking an all around machine at a great value.