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 some tougher tasks like photo editing and mid-range gaming near top speed. Compared to other tested laptops, its speed was adequate for common tasks such as web browsing, video conferencing, and application startup. It was fast when composing documents with images, calculating large data spreadsheets, and running other productivity tasks, and it was among the fastest for manipulating filters on multiple images, converting and editing videos, and rendering 3D models and calculating simulations. With hybrid graphics, the laptop can dynamically switch to the dedicated graphics card when a performance boost is needed for demanding games or applications. Everyday tasks, like web browsing or playing videos, will default to the integrated graphics chip, which is more power efficient and can reduce noise and extend battery life.
Portability: This laptop is a fair choice for traveling. At 4.25 hours, battery life was unacceptably short, so you'll be recharging more often than similar laptops. At 4.5 pounds, weight was typical for a laptop this size.
Ergonomics: Some features of the keyboard, touchpad, and labeling, were well-designed, and were comfortable or convenient to use. The keyboard has large keys and was comfortably sized. Its high contrast letters were easy to read. There's a dedicated number pad. The power button was conveniently located, but its labeling was hard to read when the laptop is off.
Display: The display quality was very good overall. Colors were in the ballpark, though not completely accurate. 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: The spacious 1TB hard drive offers plenty of room for storing your music, photos, and movies. You can connect common external devices such as hard drives and Blu-ray burners to the USB 3.1 ports for maximum performance. Gigabit Ethernet provides fast transfer of data over a local network. This laptop is compatible with both HDMI and DisplayPort 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.
