Lenovo Y40: Review

Lenovo’s tagline- ‘FOR THOSE WHO DO’ clearly projects the ideology of the company and the brand has proved the same with its latest laptop, designed especially for gaming enthusiasts. Paired up with 4th Generation Intel Core i7-4510U processor and an 8 GB of RAM, the Lenovo Y40 efficiently delivers a powerful experience while performing your daily computing tasks, playing games, and running heavy applications. Possessing a 14.0" FHD LED AntiGlare Backlight display, the gaming laptop features a screen resolution of 1920x1080 pixels that produces sharp, crisp, and clear images. Featuring an amazing blend of black chassis and red-backlit keyboard, the device creates a perfect ambience for watching movies into a dark environment. 

Made available at a starting price of $739.00 for the base model, the gadget is offered in 7 models. One among those costing $1,349.00 is offered at the highest price value. In this blog post, you will be reading about the specifications and features that are packed in the model priced at $949.99.

Design

Wrapped in the faux carbon-fiber inky-black aluminum chassis, the device features a textured lid that makes it easier for users to handle the device and as it offers an optimal grip to avoid accidental slips. On touching the device’s lid, you can easily feel the existence of a pair of distinct yet subtle lines that add to the exteriors of the device. The glossy, dark-gray plastic Lenovo logo is placed on the top-right corner of the gadget.

The entire construction of the device features a textured finish, which was first seen in the Razer Blade 14. On opening the lid of the notebook, users can easily recognize the similar layout that you might have seen in the larger Y50. Almost the entire construction of the deck is done using the black brushed aluminum. The black metal speakers adorned with a red underlay are located on either side of the device whereas, the power and Lenovo OneKey Recovery buttons sit next to the right-hand side of the speaker.

Weighing around 4.4 pounds, the Y40 is almost equal in weight to the Razer Blade 14 (2014), released earlier this year. However, the MSI GS60 Ghost (weighing 4.2 pounds and measuring 15.4 x 10.5 x 0.78 inches) is lighter and thinner than the Y40's 13.7 x 9.9 x 0.9-inch chassis.

Display

The company has provided a 14-inch, 1920 x 1080-pixel anti-glare screen for this multimedia and gaming notebook. Capable of displaying the sRGB color gamut, amazing brightness level, and color contract features, the gadget delivers an unforgettable experience while playing games, watching movies, and streaming online videos. Securing 8.8 in the color accuracy test, the Y40 is far better than the Blade 14 that came closest to that mark at 1.5, and the GS60, which scored 2.9 (source: www.laptopmag.com).

Providing you an excellent anti-glare screen, the device supports amazing viewing angles with colors inverting features, if the screen is tilted by more than 45 degrees. The devices feature a capacitive touch-screen and supports multi-touch features to complete the desired actions and Windows gestures. Recording 216 nits on the display average, the device is beaten up by the huge difference from The Blade 14 that hit 260 nits, while the GS60 Ghost scored 299 nits.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Y40's island-style keyboard is designed by using the bold and beautiful looks by combining the rick black keys with a red backlit technology. The keys have around 1.3 mm of travel and have been imparted with ideal length and space to assist a user even during long typing hours. One of the major issues that tech expert faced while reviewing the device was the reduced size of the Backspace and right Shift keys, as they make typing a bit difficult while a user tries to maintain a higher speed. 

A 3.5 x 2.4-inch Elan touchpad is provided with the Y50 to simplify all your tasks related to browsing, selecting, clicking, dragging, and moving. Placed right on the centre of the deck, the button-less touchpad supports Windows 8 gestures including pinch-to-zoom, two-finger rotate, and many others. 

Performance

This amazingly stylish gaming laptop comes packed with the capable components of a digital workhorse. The device features a 1.8-GHz Intel Core i7-4500U CPU with 8GB of RAM that effortlessly runs all the major software suits, games, HD programs, and online streaming. Equipped with an AMD Radeon R9 M275 GPU and 2GB of VRAM, the Lenovo Y40 creates decent graphics and optimal overall performance making it worth for the money you will pay.

Backed by a 1TB SSHD solid state drive (SSD), the gadget offers ample space to safely store all your important documents, files, and folder on a single platform. To fulfill the need of staying connected with family, friends, and colleagues via video chat, the device manufacturers have offered an integrated 720p HD webcam. No gaming or movie experience is complete without sound therefore JBL stereo speakers and Dolby Advanced Audio technology hips along with the device. Possessing an excellent combination of graphics, sound, and performance, the battery life of the device lasts for around 7.5 hours on a single charge. 

Technical specifications for Lenovo Y40

Feature	Description
Processor	a 1.8-GHz Intel Core i7-4500U CPU
Operating System	Windows 8.1 (64 bit)
Battery life	Up to 7.5 hours
Camera	720P HD Webcam
Memory	8 GB
Storage	1 TB
Display	A 14-inch, 1920 x 1080-pixel anti-glare screen
Bluetooth	Bluetooth Version 4.0

Lenovo has once again impressed the tech experts with its ability to offer gaming laptops at affordable prices. Offered at a price of $949, the company is delivering a sleek 14-inch gaming notebook that has been paired up with a solid overall performance and prolonged battery life. Incorporating the AMD Radeon R9 M275 GPU in this stylish yet powerful laptop, the company featured a better display and keyboard in this red-black colored device. Overall, the Lenovo Y40 offers a fair amount of performance and display for its price however, the company can still focus on improving the display quality and SSD speed.