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 speed was adequate for productivity and Web-based tasks such as word processing, Web browsing, casual gaming and video chat. You'll be able to play demanding video games on this system, with smooth graphics and quick response. It is among the top tested models for games, and in our tests it could maintain an average of 66 frames per second using medium gaming settings, and 18 frames per second using maxed out gaming settings. The sound on movies, music, and games was acceptable with the built-in speakers, but if you're looking for the best sound you might want to add speakers or use headphones.
Portability: At 7 hours, battery life was long enough to get you through a typical workday. At 4.9 pounds, this is lightweight 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 full-sized keyboard was pleasant to type on. 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 very good overall. Colors were accurately reproduced, realistic, and natural looking. The display was anti-reflective, so there was little or no glare when viewing 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.
Useful features and attributes on this model include: 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. An HDMI port is provided for connecting this laptop to an HDTV.
Downsides: The battery is not easily removable.
