Performance: Overall this laptop's performance was very good. Tasks like email, word processing and web browsing will be accomplished quickly and you can even accomplish tougher tasks like video editing and mid-range gaming near top speed. Speed was adequate with writing, creating spreadsheets, video chat and other productivity tasks. Its speed was adequate for mainstream gaming, viewing and editing photos and editing music, and fast for productivity and Web-based tasks such as word processing, Web browsing, casual gaming and video chat. In addition, demanding video games will show smooth graphics and have a quick response. It is among the top tested models for games, and in our tests it could maintain an average of 83 frames per second using medium gaming settings, and 26 frames per second using maxed out gaming settings. Sound from the built-in speakers was inadequate for all but the simplest use.
Portability: At 7 hours, battery life was long enough to get you through a typical workday. At 5.3 pounds, weight was typical for a laptop this size.
Ergonomics: The keyboard, touchpad, labeling, and LED indicators were all well-designed, making it comfortable and convenient to use. The keyboard has large keys and was comfortably sized. The keyboard was lighted. There's a dedicated number pad. The touchpad supports use of multiple-finger gestures to zoom and scroll.
Display: The display quality was good overall. Colors were in the ballpark, though not completely accurate. The display was highly prone to glare making it difficult to see in a brightly lit room or outdoors. The display has a wide viewing angle, especially important if more than one person needs to see the screen at a time, say, for a video or presentation. The touchscreen will make swiping, tapping and pinching the screen easy to use.
Useful features and attributes on this model include: Laptop has a touchscreen. The spacious 1TB hard drive offers plenty of room for storing your music, photos, and movies. The fast 7200RPM hard drive means the laptop accesses your data more quickly. You can connect common external devices such as hard drives and Blu-ray burners to the USB 3.0 port for maximum performance. Gigabit Ethernet provides fast transfer of data over a local network. This laptop is compatible with HDMI for connecting to an HDTV.
Downsides: There's no optical drive like a CD or DVD reader, so you'll have to buy an external drive if you need one. The battery is not easily removable.
