Budget laptops usually carry outmoded chassis and hardware, borrowed from older models. That is why it is exciting to evaluate the performance of a budget-oriented laptop. It is always interesting to see how a brand blends different specs to manufacture a budget laptop. There are only a few models that have a perfect balance between hardware and price.
Lenovo has manufactured the V130 with a thick bezel and Intel components. We have reviewed the V130 - 81HN00S6UK model to find out whether it is a worthy contender or not.
Specs sheet
Processor: Intel Core i7-7500U (7th Gen.) / 2.7GHz Max. Turbo Speed 3.5GHz
RAM: 8GB Storage: 256GB SSD
Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Resolution
Graphics: Intel HD 620 Integrated
Battery: 30Wh Weight: around 3.96 pounds (1.8 kg)
Operating System: Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
Lenovo V130 has the right specs for its price as a budget laptop, but can it live up to the expectations? Let’s dig into details to find out what the V130 has to offer.
Design
We reviewed the V130 - 81HN00S6UK model which has an all-plastic body. However, this is to keep its price low and we were not surprised to see this chassis. Although the plastic is of high-quality, the material is not up to the mark. The body lacks resistance to flex, while it has a rough textured finish.
It is slightly heavy and weighs about 3.96 pounds (1.8 kg). The laptop has a thick profile of 22.3mm, while its bezels around the display look huge. Another drawback is that you cannot open its lid with a single hand. However, on the bright side, its webcam comes with a physical shutter that provides extra security.
Display
Lenovo V130 features a 15.6-inch wide FHD diagonal display that comes with a 1080p screen. Its screen ratio is 16:9 while the screen becomes Retina at a distance of 34 inches. Lenovo has equipped it with Intel HD 620 Integrated graphics which is pretty good for a business laptop.
Overall, this is a decent display quality and you get to experience rich visuals. We streamed Netflix series ‘Rise of Empires: Ottoman’ and were happy with its colour distribution. The colours were bright and vivid while the screen looked lively.
Keyboard
The V130 15.6" features a familiar keyboard, the one we have previously seen on the IdeaPad series. It is a good keyboard deck and you’ll know why Lenovo has used it on so many models and why it has worked so well. It features big keycaps with decent key travel and offers clicky feedback.
However, we found the touchpad somewhat disappointing as compared to the keyboard. It is responsive and offers a good gliding experience when you move your fingers across the touchpad. However, we found its tracking to be poor and felt like skipping around the screen.
Connectivity
The port selection is good considering its competitor models. The right side houses an SD card reader, a USB Type-A 2.0 port, an optical drive and an Audio Jack. While on the left side, you’ll find a USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen. 1) port, an RJ-45 connector, a proprietary power plug and an HDMI connector.
Performance
The model we reviewed for performance was Lenovo V130 - 81HN00S6UK, which came with a 7th generation Core i7 CPU. This is a powerful processor that can deliver 2.7GHz clock speed and has the ability to offer a maximum turbo speed of 3.5GHz. It runs on the Windows 10 Home OS and comes with the 256GB SSD and 8GB storage.
This is a good combination of specs for a budget business laptop. We tested its performance by running office programs, such as spreadsheet, excel and other data software. We ran a dozen Chrome tabs while streaming music and video but didn’t experience any lags. Its 30Wh battery delivered varying battery life under different settings.
Verdict
Overall, we found Lenovo V130 - 81HN00S6UK to be a promising business laptop. You could expect it to handle all your business computing needs and it won’t disappoint you. It is good for work and entertainment purposes as well as casual gaming. However, you should not expect good graphics results from it while playing 3G games.