How-to: Build a multi-talented HTPC for (roughly) $1,000

This is an auspicious year for building an HTPC or indeed any type of sub-$1,000 rig. Intel's new Ivy Bridge processors are about to exert a nice downward pressure on last year's finest, despite the fact that Sandy Bridge still holds up well for many people's needs -- and much the same can be said of AMD's Llano APUs following the arrival of Trinity. In fact, thanks to the market's regular churn, the HTPC parts we look at after the break could easily fall below their $1,019 total bill before you even pick up your screwdriver. (Okay, so we went slightly over $1,000. It's a free country.)

On the other hand, you'd have to be mildly loopy to drop serious cash on a PC that's solely for media consumption. Times have changed since our last build in 2009, and they're unrecognizable compared to the time before that. These days, even ARM-powered smartphones can handle 1080p in and out, nettops with Blu-ray drives can be had for $500and even totally silent fanless HTPCs are available for around $1,000 (albeit with very modest specs). From that perspective, this might actually be a terrible time to persuade people that spending a grand on a plain old home-built HTPC makes sense -- and that's why, after the break, we're not even going to try.

Components

So, our $1,019 HTPC suddenly seems obscenely expensive in the year 2012, which means it'll have to work twice as hard to prove its mettle. Just how will it do that? By returning to the fundamental idea of a what a do-it-yourself rig is all about: spending money only on the stuff you want, ignoring the bits you can live without and -- most importantly -- future-proofing the whole thing so that it can keep pace with your most unexpected whims.

What if we later decide to add an ever-cheaper SSD to speed things up? Or shove 5TB of storage into the chassis and use it as a NAS? Or buy a graphics card and a Logitech wheel for some racing action in the living room? By rights, a DIY rig ought to cut off none of these options. So, with that mind, let's pick some components. (Big thanks to QuietPC.com for loaning us the products.)

Chassis -- This PC will need to be powered all day long to record TV shows, let us remote in from the beach, backup files, stream music and take care of a billion other chores. Fractal's Define R3 has been around for a while, but it has a solid reputation and comes with dampening foam and a fan controller. If you can't get hold of the R3, then H2 from NZXT takes a very similar approach.

Power supply -- Our budget won't stretch to a totally fanless build that delivers everything we want, but we can still minimize noise with a fanless PSU. Seasonic's SS-400FL is expensive compared to regular power supplies, but it'll deliver stable wattage while contributing precisely zero extra decibels to your living room.

Processor -- Fair enough, AMD's Llano A8 chips are a great choice for an HTPC that will only ever be used as an HTPC, and indeed we list them as a good budget option further down this page. But for now we're aiming high: we want an Intel Core i5-2500K that delivers superior CPU power, overclockability and its own HD 3000 integrated graphics. We'll be bound to its stock cooler for now, but we're familiar with it and we know it's not too whiny. In future, a $40 third-party cooler could allow us to push those overclocks further.

Motherboard -- Overclock an HTPC? Hell, yeah. Why pay the full price for a processor and then not push it to the max? The Z68 chipset allows for this, but unlike the P67 it also lets us use the Core i5's integrated graphics, which is essential since we're not yet investing in a graphics card. The Gigabyte GA-Z68-UD3H-BA is nice and tough (albeit not "military-grade"), which means it stands a greater chance of surviving drops, elbows, and elbow-drops during installation.

HDD -- We actually have a Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drive that we'd love to use in this rig, but the $180 price tag is just too toppy. Instead we put in a regular Samsung 1TB HDD for $110. And we still feel ripped off, but we'll get to that later.

RAM -- Back in 2009, we spent $26 on 4GB of DDR2. This time we're getting 8GB of Crucial's XMS DDR3 for $49, but if you check back at Newegg occasionally you may well spot a $20 rebate offer.

Tuner -- This depends on your geography. We built our rig in the UK where the tuner market is less healthy and uses different broadcast standards, but Engadget's US-based HD team will happily recommend the Hauppauge CableCARD USB tuner pay TV, or the slightly pricier HDHomeRun for ATSC/ClearQAM. If you absolutely insist on keeping the price down, then a regular PCI Express tuner can be had for around $65.

Controllers -- We snatched the keyboard and mouse from an older PC to save costs. Once the PC was set up, we switched to mainly using Windows Live Mesh (free) for controlling the desktop from our main laptop, plus the Remote Kitten app (also free) for controlling Media Center using an iPhone. SplashtopHD is also very useful, but that costs.

Product	Shopping	Lowest Price
Fractal Define R3	Shop!	$109.99
Intel Core i5-2500K	Shop!	$219.99
Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3	Shop!	$129.99 (after rebate)
Corsair XMS3 8GB	Shop!	$48.99
Samsung F3 1TB	Shop!	$109.99
Samsung SH-B123L Combo	Shop!	$71.41
Hauppauge CableCARD tuner	Shop!	$98.99
Seasonic SS-400FL PSU	Shop!	$129.99
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium	Shop!	$99.99

Installation

If you've built a PC before, then there's nothing unusual here -- these are all regular parts that fit together in the normal way. If not, then it's probably best to get a friend to help out, but in the meantime here's a quick summary of the build:

1. The PSU went into the case with a couple of screws.
2. We put the motherboard on a desk and loaded it up with the CPU, a good dollop of thermal paste and the stock cooler. We also put in the RAM.
3. The Fractal case comes with everything you need. We put in the motherboard holders, then then the mo'bo itself and then the secondary screws to hold it in place.
4. We connected up the intake and exhaust fans to the fan controller, which sits in one of the PCI slots. Fractal's bundled controller lets you dial the fan speed right down if CPU temperature is low, and lower RPM means less noise.
5. The optical drive and HDD all went in next, with the latter two getting their power connections from the PSU and their SATA connections (3Gb/s for the Blu-ray, 6Gb/s for the HDD) from the motherboard.
6. The fiddliest connections are always the case controls -- connecting the power button, reset button etc., to the motherboard. We deliberately left out the LED case light connection, because we want it to be as discreet as possible.
7. No point putting the case sides on until you know everything's working okay. We plugged Ethernet, HDMI, optical audio, tuner, mouse and keyboard into the back of the case and then switched on to make sure we saw the boot-up screen on the TV. We also checked that the fans were running properly. Then the sides went on, significantly reducing the noise. If you're going to get electrocuted, make sure it happens now rather than after you've wasted time installing software, etc.
8. The Windows 7 boot CD went in and once that was installed we moved onto the motherboard and tuner card drivers. We then ran Windows Media Center and scanned for TV channels.

Daily operation

The HTPC ran nice and quiet, which was a relief seeing as how the case and fanless PSU forced us to make major sacrifices in other areas. Idle noise was 35.1dBa, which was only a couple of dBs above background noise in the living room. This noise consisted mainly of the high-pitched whirr of the CPU fan, but it was barely noticeable -- to the point where if you got distracted, you'd have to re-focus your concentration just to make out the sound.

A battered MiniDisc player functioned as our DAC

For comparison, an old Dell business desktop gave us 41dBa at idle, a PlayStation 3 gave us 42dBa and an original Xbox 360 (not Elite) gave us 47.8dbA. It's said that a 10dB gain is perceived by human ears as a doubling of volume, which seems about right -- the Xbox sounded far louder than our HTPC. When listening to music, the sound of the PC was obliterated by a battered old Sony amp and speakers plugged into the motherboard's optical port via an equally battered MiniDiscplayer with optical-in that functioned as our DAC.

So far so good, but what about when the drives are utilized? Heavy HDD use gave us 40dB, while accessing HDD and spinning up a Blu-ray took this to a deafening 50dBA. Luckily, once a disc was loaded and running, sounds from the drive ceased almost completely and overall system noise remained close to the idle level while actually playing a movie -- the Samsung SH-123L was impressive in that respect. Nevertheless, the Samsung HDD was a disappointment considering how much it cost us: it was too clacky and louder than a 5400RPM drive ought to be.

A couple more stats before we move on: idle system power hovered around 44 watts, rose to 55 watts for live TV and 80 watts for Supreme Commander. CPU temperature stayed around 30 degrees and only rose to 40 degrees after an hour-long bout of Medieval II: Total War(played with a mouse on a cushion -- not ideal but still fun.) That leaves plenty of headroom for overclocking later via the BIOS, or using Gigabyte's EasyTune6 utility if you can get it to load up (we couldn't). The Windows Experience Index came out at 5.9 -- hampered by the HDD.

In terms of real-world tasks, we weren't left wanting

In terms of real-world tasks, we weren't left wanting. Windows Media Center handled recording and watching 1080i TV channels (using the terrestrial Freeview HD service in the UK) with no issues. Dropbox, Windows Live Mesh, Splashtop HD, Spotify, Logitech Media Server and other apps ran simultaneously behind Media Center and other apps without stressing the system. We didn't really test PC gaming (beyond Medieval II and a bit of Supreme Commander 2) because this set-up has no couch-friendly controller to make that a sensible option. Nevertheless, we did run a few Wii and N64 games quite happily using the Dolphin emulatorrunning with a WiiMote, a third-party IR bar and a Bluetooth adapter for the PC.

Remote Kitten was a mixed blessing as a Windows Media Center controller. The app worked 90 percent of the time but had to be restarted occasionally when it failed to connect -- no fun when you're missing your favorite show. We tried a couple of Android alternatives but found that they were deeply unfriendly in comparison and not worth the hassle -- ready money awaits anyone who can improve the current dearth of easy-to-use WMC controllers in Google Play. In contrast, Windows Mesh and SplashTop HD ran like a dream and made it easy to access and control the computer from a Windows laptop, Macbook Pro, HTC Flyer and various Android smartphones. The only downside was the fact that SplashTop still isn't compatible with full-screen apps, which made it useless for controlling Media Center. Surely they can fix that?

Budget options

We can't skimp on the case, PSU, tuner, storage or optical drive without dooming the project, but other areas are open to cost-cutting.

The biggest savings can be made by switching to AMD and its successful Llano APU -- seeing as Trinity components won't be available for a while yet. An A8-3870K costs just $130, and an Asus F1A75-V Pro FM1-socket motherboard adds another $110. That's a $170 saving compared to our Intel options, with significant CPU sacrifice but little graphical sacrifice, and still plenty of guts to handle many simple HTPC tasks.

The biggest savings can be made by switching to AMD

Likewise, if PVR functionality is your main concern, you may as well save another $99 by giving up on Windows and switching to Linux and XBMC -- there's a full how-toright here, and also check out the More Coverage link below.

Bling

The smart choice is to add a 120GB SanDisk Extreme SSD to complement your HDD, reduce platter clatter and speed up overall performance. Alternatively, skip the main HDD and go for a 750GB Momentus XT hybrid as your primary drive -- although you will run out of space and need to buy more at some stage.

Next, we'd pawn the kid's stroller to pick up a decent low-power graphics card -- at least a Radeon HD 7770 at $170 in order to play F1 2011 with a wheel off eBay (if anyone is actually selling a Fanatec).

We'd also be in the market for a better HTPC controller, but other than the ancient Logitech DiNovo Edge or Veho's interesting take on the subject, this segment of the market looks pretty sparse.

Wrap-up

After a couple of months using this setup as a primary PC, PVR, Blu-ray player, music hub and network storage, it's been hard not to become totally enamored with it. By virtue of its flexibility and central position in the house, it had emergent benefits that we never expected but quickly became reliant on: like the ability to store TV programs as regular video files that can be immediately copied across to a mobile deivce, or load up the odd game of Legend of Zelda: Windwaker when no one is looking, or editing a document on the big screen so that others in the room could agree or disagree with each change.

No doubt there's room for improvement. The HDD choice wasn't great, the case may be too large for some, and there will definitely be folks out there who'd prefer to sacrifice power and expandability for the sake of a fanless system. If you'd like to recommend different choices, or ask us to try out a different component (a fanless cooler perhaps?), or even if you think our whole philosophy on this build is out of whack, feel free to let us know.

via Engadget

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Sony NEX-F3 review

Just shy of a year ago, we reviewed the Sony NEX-C3, a mirrorless camera that quickly became our benchmark when it came to entry-level interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs). We praised its excellent image quality, generally consistent performance, overall solid design and, best of all, its $600 price tag -- including an 18-55mm kit lens. Since then, the landscape has shifted drastically for this particular type of compact shooter, with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 raising the bar for focusing performance, Nikon's cute J1 winning the hearts of many (likely due to a heavy marketing budget and adorable design) and the Fujifilm X-Pro1 pushing the envelope when it comes to price and body size. For its part, Sony also attracted plenty of attention with its flagship NEX-7, which appears to have been the inspiration for the company's brand new NEX-F3.


Based on its price tag and release schedule, you might have assumed that the NEX-F3 is here to dethrone Sony's NEX-C3. That may or may not be the case (we're hoping for the latter) -- the F3 is much more a scaled-down version of the NEX-7 than an update to the C3. Sure, designs can change drastically from one year to the next, but we were quite fond of last year's model, and many of you were, too. From a specification perspective, the F3 has a new APS-C sensor (though resolution remains unchanged), with a higher top ISO setting of 16,000, a 3-inch LCD that can flip 180-degrees to face completely forward, a new NEX-7-esque pop-up flash and a bulkier design. But does bigger mean better in this case? Click past the break for our take.

Hardware

Sony received a bit of heat for the size of its NEX-C3. That concept may be a bit hard to grasp, given that the camera is on the small side, even for mirrorless ILCs. However, the device looked quite petite when paired with the company's standard 18-55mm kit optic, and may have been difficult to grip for some giant-handed users. The F3 looks much more proportionate with the lens attached, but that also means a less svelte appearance -- you might even consider it to be a step back, from a design perspective, at least.

That larger housing does come with extra benefits in tow. There's a new pop-up strobe, located on the top panel, just to the right of the lens mount. The flash works just fine -- it's elevated enough to project beyond the standard kit lens with hood removed -- and considering the camera's top sensitivity of ISO 16,000, it'll probably come in handy more as a fill flash than it will as a dedicated light source. Beyond the added flash release button, control placement has remained unchanged for the most part, with the exception of the shutter release (now on the extended front grip), the playback button (located to the left of record) and a new dedicated power toggle -- the same control that you'll find on the NEX-5N, which should help to eliminate issues we experienced with the C3, where it would power on accidentally while in a bag.

Also up top is Sony's proprietary connector, which supports older accessories like the external shotgun mic, along with recent additions, like the $350 OLED viewfinder attachment that we first saw as an option for the NEX-5N. On the left side of the camera, there are micro-USB and HDMI ports, followed by a tripod socket, SD/MS slot and battery compartment on the bottom. Unlike the NEX-5N, there are separate doors for storage and power here, but the memory card slot is just to the side of the tripod socket, making it impossible to swap cards when the camera is mounted on a tripod.

As you may have guessed from the price tag and optional attachment, there's no built-in EVF here. There is a fairly sharp 3-inch LCD on the rear, however, with the same 921k-dot resolution found on the NEX-C3. Like its predecessor, the F3's display is mounted on a tilting hinge, but this year's model has been completely redesigned, with a brand new fixture. The new mechanism enables you to flip the LCD completely forward (180 degrees) -- for taking self portraits, we presume. Unfortunately, such functionality came at significant cost, with Sony eliminating the 45-degree down-facing mode, which we used quite often on the NEX-C3 for capturing overhead shots. You can still tilt the new display down, but only by about five degrees, which won't help much. Viewing angles are decent at best -- you can forget about seeing the display clearly at a 45-degree angle in bright sunlight.

Performance and battery life

Like its price tag, the NEX-F3 finishes in the middle of the road when it comes to performance. It won't be your first choice for the NFL sidelines, with a top continuous shooting speed of 5.5 frames-per-second and a focusing system that can't hold a candle to the Olympus E-M5 (or any full-size DSLR, for that matter), but if you're an amateur photographer on a budget looking to capture family fun, the F3 will do just fine.

One issue we continue to experience with the C3 is focus hunting during video capture, which seems to be less of a concern with this year's model. The F3 may take a second or two to make your subject sharp, but once it does, you should be able to move the camera slightly without prompting the lens to shift focus as you record a clip. We did experience some inconsistencies during still shooting, however, with the camera confirming focus and snapping a frame even though the image was completely blurred. You can work around this issue by simply forcing the F3 to refocus before pressing the shutter release the rest of the way, but it's an annoyance nonetheless.

Sony has upped the video capabilities with the F3, adding 1080/24p and 1080/60i AVCHD options, as well as a 1440 x 1080 mode in MP4.

Sony has upped the video capabilities with the F3, adding 1080/24p and 1080/60i AVCHD options, as well as a 1440 x 1080 mode in MP4. There's also a VGA capture option, though the company removed the 720p modes that we've grown to love on the NEX-C3, leaving only the aforementioned selections for HD shooting. As we've already covered, the focus hunting we experienced with the C3 appears to have been corrected here, so that should bring some relief to video shooters. Overall, video looks just fine and audio is clear, especially with the optional shotgun mic attached.

All of the NEX cameras we've used have offered excellent battery life, and that's still the case here. The F3 ships with the NP-FW50 battery pack, which offers a capacity of 1,080mAh and dates back to the very first NEX models that launched in June 2010. That means you can swap batteries and chargers with other cameras in the series, beginning with the NEX-3 and NEX-5. In fact, based on the condition of the battery that shipped with our review sample, it appears that Sony has done just that, sending on an older power pack. Despite the battery's appearance, performance didn't take a hit -- we were able to snap nearly 1,000 frames, including several multiple-exposure HDR shots with a single charge, along with more than 10 minutes of HD video.

Image quality

As with the NEX-C3, image quality is in line with what you'd expect from a $600 mirrorless camera -- it's not the best we've seen, but it's far from the worst. The F3 boosts the top sensitivity from ISO 12,800 to 16,000, which should provide a negligible bump in versatility for low-light shooting. While high-sensitivity images appear with significant noise on the LCD -- perhaps as an artificial warning to rookie shooters -- the entire ISO range is perfectly usable for web placement, though you'll want to stay at ISO 3,200 or below for all your billboard-printing needs. We also didn't notice an improvement compared to the C3, so if you're looking for a reason to upgrade, that wouldn't be it.

We spent the majority of our shooting time with the F3 set to the new Superior Auto mode (more on that below), which resulted in some slightly over-saturated and contrasty images. You'll notice these throughout our samples gallery -- none of the images were modified (or even opened) in Photoshop, so any effects came directly from the camera. Generally, the ILC did an excellent job of exposing, focusing and selecting the appropriate white balance (almost all images were shot with AWB). Video also appeared natural, with acceptable exposure, color balance and sharpness.

User interface

For better of worse, the user interface has seen almost no change since last year's NEX release. The most significant settings menu addition is probably a new camera icon that more closely represents the size and shape of the F3, compared to the C3's menu, which displays a mock-up of that model instead. The lack of major UI changes means initial setup and settings adjustments will still require a bit of digging, but once you configure your three custom buttons (to control frequent settings like white balance and ISO), you'll seldom need to jump into the main menu.

There's a traditional auto mode, and then there's a super auto mode that gives the camera a bit more creative control.

Another UI addition is a second auto mode. There's the Intelligent Auto mode, which we've seen on previous NEX models, along with an additional mode called Superior Auto. According to the Sony menu description, this new option "enables a wider range of shooting settings than Intelligent Auto including automatic scene detection, auto HDR and image saving," compared to Intelligent Auto, which simply "automatically identifies the scene's characteristics and shoots a photo." So, there's a traditional auto mode, and then there's a super auto mode that gives the camera a bit more creative control.

These are in addition to the Scene Selection mode, which lets you dictate some settings, rather than leaving it up to the camera to determine that your landscape scene needs to be shot in Landscape mode. Overall, both modes worked just fine, though we'd prefer to make the call to snap a multi-frame, HDR image on our own, especially considering there's little warning from the camera beyond the clearly audible triple-fire.

The competition

There's an excellent Sony ILC priced at $600. But it's not the NEX-F3. The NEX-C3 packs nearly identical performance, but with a more compact, sleeker design and an LCD that tilts downward for overhead shooting. It doesn't include 1080p video capture or an option to shoot at ISO 16,000, but if you can get by with 720p and ISO 12,800 -- and no built-in flash -- we find little reason to skip over last year's model. If you can't get your hands on a C3, the NEX-5N would also be a solid choice, with a smaller build and comparable feature set.

If you're dying to best the C3's performance, this may be the time to exit the Sony ecosystem.

If you're dying to best the C3's performance, this may be the time to exit the Sony ecosystem. The NEX-7 is a fine shooter, but it's pricey and doesn't come without faults of its own. The Olympus E-M5 is worth considering, if incredibly speedy performance is more of a priority for you than video shooting (focus hunting is the issue there, from our experience). The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 is also a solid shooter, and we're quite fond of the matching (though pricey) 14-42mm X-series optic, thanks to its performance and compact size. That camera also includes a pop-up flash. Both the E-M5 and GX1 feature Micro Four Thirds mounts, making them compatible with dozens of lenses from a handful of manufacturers.

Wrap-up

The NEX-F3 is an excellent mirrorless ILC, but it's not the best entry-level camera -- not even from Sony. There's little here to push us to make the jump from the company's NEX-C3, which we find to be the better option, even at the same price (we're told to expect C3 price reductions beginning next month). If you're considering picking up an F3, you'll likely be best served by the camera's predecessor, which you may even be able to pick up at a discount. Even at $600, however, we find the C3 to be the better buy, and continue to stand behind it as one of the category's top values.

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Gigabyte makes 975g X11 official, claims 'world's lightest' 11.6-inch notebook (update: hands-on video)

Well hello there again, Gigabyte X11. Hot on the heels of yesterday's leak, Gigabyte's just made its 11.6-inch X11 laptop (or is that an Ultrabook?) official. At 975g (2.15 pounds) it claims the title of "lightest notebook on earth" -- and weighs even less on Mars. Design-wise, you're looking at a 16.5mm (0.65 inches) to 3mm (0.19 inches) thin Macbook Air-like body made of real carbon fiber (!) with an aluminum hinge. Under the hood you'll find unspecified third generation Intel Core processors (read Ivy Bridge), 4GB of DDR3 RAM, Mobile Intel HM77 Express chipset with Intel HD Graphics 4000, a 128GB SSD, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0.

Ports include power, USB 2.0 and mini DisplayPort on the left side plus microSD, combo audio and USB 3.0 on the right. While the specs also mention gigabit Ethernet, there's no sign of it anywhere in the press shots. The display is a 1366x768-pixel LED-backlit affair dotted with a 1.3 megapixel webcam. A chiclet keyboard, buttonless trackpad and 4730mAh 7.4V Li-ion polymer battery (likely sealed) complete the package. There's no information on availability, but prices will range from $999 to $1299 with Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional in tow. Expect more information when we get our hands on this sexy beast at Computex next week.

Update: Our colleagues over at Engadget Chinese just got to spend some time with this svelte black slab. Take a look at the gallery below and hit the break for the hands-on video.



In addition, Gigabyte's announcing two 14-inch laptops -- the U2442 and U2440 -- which feature third generation Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce graphics. Unfortunately, we're still busy drooling all over the X11 gallery, so we'll direct you to the full PR after the break for more information.

Andy Yang contributed to this report.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X230 review

Today is May 31, 2012, the day Intel finally revealed specifics on its dual-core Ivy Bridge processors. That means the month of June is going to be teeming with new laptops, many of them packing Intel's latest chips. Lenovo's 12-inch ThinkPad X230 will be one of them when it goes on sale June 5th, and it happens to be the first machine we've tested with one of Intel's dual-core-flavored CPUs. But make no mistake: the X230 brings more than just a speed bump. With this generation, Lenovo overhauled its signature keyboard, opting instead for an island-style layout with wider-spaced keys. Rounding out the list is a 300-nit IPS display, a battery rated for nine hours of runtime and, of course, that brand-new Core i5-3320M CPU. So how much better is the performance? Is it a good deal for $1,249? And what to make of that revamped keyboard? Find the answers to all those questions after the break.

Look and feel

If you think the ThinkPad design is dated, stale or uninteresting, you're reading the wrong laptop review.

If you think the ThinkPad design is dated, stale or uninteresting, you're reading the wrong laptop review. The X230 is intended just as much for IBM loyalists as first-time buyers, and to its credit, Lenovo knows well what its customers like. With the lid shut, the X230 looks a lot like last year's X220, which in turn resembles years' worth of ThinkPads that came before it. That is to say, it has a boxy shape with sharp corners and a black, soft-touch lid. Where other PC makers are pushing a spartan sort of look, Lenovo is still studding its laptops with physical mute, volume and mic controls, as well as a hotkey for launching the bundled ThinkVantage suite. And, like the X220 that came before it, the X230 has a latch-less lid, with a little overbite that fits securely over the front lip. All told, these touches add up to a design that's not sexy, per se, but timeless.

While the X230 follows the same design principles as its predecessor, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that it's both thinner and lighter: 2.96 pounds and 0.75 to 1.05 inches thick. In comparison, the X220 weighs 3.6 pounds and measures 1.25 inches thick.

As we continue our tour around the laptop, you'll see that although the chassis is thinner, Lenovo still managed to squeeze in a few new ports. The left edge is home to two USB 3.0 sockets (they were all 2.0 last year), along with a mini-DisplayPort (also new), VGA, a 54mm Express Card slot and a wireless radio switch. Meanwhile, the right side houses a Kensington lock slot, 4-in-1 memory card reader, a powered USB 2.0 port, headphone jack and Ethernet connection. There's also a Smart Card reader. Inside, Lenovo's "Airbag Protection" technology guards the drive in the event of drops. Where's the AC port, you ask? It's tucked onto the back edge, potentially allowing for some more discrete cable management. Lastly, there's still a fingerprint reader sitting to the right of the touchpad.

Keyboard and trackpad

We can't promise that ThinkPad fans set in their ways will take kindly to this new keyboard.

Although the X230 looks like the X220 at first blush, you only need to lift the lid to realize this upgrade is more than just a processor refresh. With this generation, Lenovo's added some subtle backlighting, and moved from a classic, seven-row keyboard layout to a six-row, island-style arrangement. Interestingly, this is just the second ThinkPad after last year's X1 to get the chiclet treatment. Of course, the company's been experimenting with similar keyboards on its Edge lineup for years, though we're told the keys here are slightly different from even those models.

Specifically, the keys each have 30 percent more surface area on top than the old-school keys on the X220, and the spacing is five times greater. In any case, the keys have a so-called Smile shape, with a curved lower edge and slightly indented surface for cradling the fingertips. Additionally, the page up / down buttons are slightly bigger, and are now clustered with the arrow keys, instead of the area above the Backspace button, where they used to sit stacked on top of one another. To turn the backlighting on and off, there's now a control built into the left end of the space bar, which only works if you also hold down the Fn button. Last but not least, Lenovo claims to have improved both the tactile and sound feedback.

Truth be told, we never had a problem with the sound or forcefulness of previous ThinkPad keyboards, but this one is certainly as sturdy as promised. The entire panel stays infallibly rigid, even under the weight of furious typing. And if you're the kind of person who equates keyboard noise with productivity (or who simply gets nostalgic for tactile things), we think you'll find the low-pitched clack quite reassuring. Even so, we can't promise that ThinkPad fans set in their ways will take kindly to this new keyboard. If you review laptops for a living, like yours truly, you might appreciate the tactility of these keys, especially compared to the flat, flimsy keyboards you'll find on most other ultraportables on the market. But when we handed the X230 to Tim Stevens (a ThinkPad fanboy in his own right), he deemed the keys stiff and too widely spaced compared to his trusty T400s. This is the rare case where a "new and improved" keyboard could be a pro or a con, depending on your tastes.

As you'd expect -- this being a ThinkPad and all -- you've got a variety of different navigation options at your fingertips, including a touchpad with buttons, as well as that signature red pointing stick. So far as we can tell, Lenovo hasn't strayed from its tried-and-true pointer, which is to say it has a flat top, wide enough to accommodate most digits. As ever, the rubbery material and series of raised dots make it unlikely that your finger will unexpectedly slide off. To be sure, there's a bit of a learning curve for ThinkPad converts, but once you find your bearings you'll enjoy some exceptionally controlled cursor navigation -- arguably even more precise than what you'll experience if you use the touchpad.

In case you're more of a touchpad person, the main obstacle you'll encounter here are the small dimensions. There's not nearly enough room to comfortably pinch to zoom, though the pad is certainly capable of this. Two-finger scrolls aren't flawless, but they're still smoother than what most other Windows PCs have to offer. Otherwise, the pad works as promised, and without fuss: it responds well to simple one-finger taps, and cursor movement is generally fluid.

Display and sound

The IPS panel bodes well for "Up in the Air" types who plan on working through long flights, and need to stay productive even when the guy in front of them leans back in his seat.

Here's something Lenovo had no reason to change. The 12.5-inch, 300-nit display that we loved so much on the X220 is back -- albeit, with the same ho-hum 1366 x 768 resolution. And it's not just that it's a matte panel, though that'll certainly help fight glare from harsh overhead lights in the office; the IPS panel also ensures that colors don't wash out as you adjust the screen angle. Even when we dipped the screen forward or pushed it back, we were able to continue reading websites and other pages densely packed with text. It even lies flat, though we're not sure why you'd want to work that way (this isn't the touch-enabled X230T, after all). In any case, this all bodes well for "Up in the Air" types who plan on working through long flights, and need to stay productive even when the guy in front of them leans back in his seat. If we have one complaint it's that the LCD matrix is very prominent, and is difficult to un-see once you notice it.

The X230 also includes Intel's Wireless Display technology (WiDi), which allows you to mirror your desktop on a TV or external monitor, no cables required. Normally, when we explain this feature in laptop reviews, we tend to talk up the potential for streaming 1080p video from your PC to the big screen. In the case of the X230, though, it's worth reminding road warriors you can just as easily use the technology to send your PowerPoint presentation to a display where it's easier for everyone to have a look. Whatever your preferred use case, you'll need to buy a separate set-top box like this, which connects to your TV / monitor via HDMI. We'll refer you to this review for a deeper dive on WiDi 2.0, but, suffice to say, we've been consistently impressed by both the ease of setup and the unbroken streaming quality.

With this generation, Lenovo switched to Dolby Advanced Audio and added some new face-tracking technology for video chats. Though the speakers deliver some typically constrained, tinny sound, the audio is surprisingly loud, at least, which should come in handy for your conference calls.

Performance

	PCMark Vantage	3DMark06
Lenovo ThinkPad X230 (2.6GHz Core i5-3320M, Intel HD Graphics 4000)	8,234	4,891
Lenovo ThinkPad X220 (2.5GHz Core i5-2520M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	7,635	3,517
ASUS Zenbook UX21A (Unspecified Ivy Bridge processor with integrated graphics; some specs embargoed until ASUS formally launches its Zenbook Prime series in the US and other markets.)	10,333	4,550
Dell XPS 13 (1.6GHz Core i5-2467M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	N/A	4,130
HP Folio 13 (1.6GHz Core i5-2467M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	6,701	3,387
Toshiba Portege Z835 (1.4GHz Core i3-2367M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	5,894	3,601
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s (1.8GHz Core i7-2677M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	9,939	3,651
ASUS Zenbook UX31 (1.7GHz Core i5-2557M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	10,508	4,209
Acer Aspire S3 (1.6GHz Core i5-2467M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	5,367	3,221
13-inch, 2011 MacBook Air (1.7GHz Core i5-2557M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	9,484	4,223
2011 Samsung Series 9 (1.7GHz Core i5-2537M, Intel HD Graphics 3000)	7,582	2,240
Note: the higher the score the better.

For the purposes of this review, we tested a $1,249 configuration with a 2.6GHz Core i5-3320M processor, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB 5,400RPM hard drive. As you can see in the comparison table above, the X230 offers a nice boost over the X220 in both graphics and all-around performance. Of course, without an SSD it doesn't quite match the performance you'll get from some top-of-the-line Ultrabooks, but it easily bests machines with last-generation Core i5 processors and either traditional or hybrid hard drives. In the disk benchmark ATTO, it performed respectably with peak read and write speeds of 96MB/s. We also timed a 37-second start-up, which is a bit faster than most Windows 7 laptops (those that aren't Ultrabooks, anyway). It does rival Ultras in this regard, at least: it resumes from sleep in less than two seconds. We also noticed the machine stayed relatively cool and quiet throughout -- two things Lenovo says it tried to improve when designing the X230.

Battery life

Laptop	Battery Life
Lenovo ThinkPad X230	6:15
15-inch Samsung Series 9 (2012)	7:29
Lenovo ThinkPad X220	7:19
HP Folio 13	6:08
Toshiba Portege Z835	5:49
ASUS Zenbook UX31	5:41
13-inch, 2011 MacBook Air	5:32 (Mac OS X) / 4:12 (Windows)
HP Envy 14 Spectre	5:30
Lenovo IdeaPad U300s	5:08
14-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook	5:06
Dell XPS 13	4:58
Samsung Series 9 (2011)	4:20
ASUS Zenbook UX21A	4:19
Acer Aspire S3	4:11

Lenovo rates the X230's six-cell battery for up to nine hours of battery life using the benchmark MobileMark, which is more productivity-focused than the test we use. In our test, we managed six hours and 15 minutes, and that's under rather taxing conditions: WiFi on, brightness fixed at 65 percent and a movie looping continuously off the hard drive. That's certainly a better showing than what we've seen from most other ultraportables we've tested recently -- namely, Ultrabooks. And it's an especially impressive performance for a machine with such a small screen; the new 11-inch ASUS Zenbook UX21A, for instance, lasted little more than four hours in the same test.

Interestingly, Lenovo says that under the same testing conditions we use, its internal testing team got similar battery life scores for both the X230 and the X220, with the X230 lasting roughly six and a half hours. That dovetails nicely with our own test results for the X230, though when a different Engadget staffer tested the X220 last year, it held out an hour longer. What's curious is that even Lenovo's own engineers couldn't replicate that result -- at least not with a test that involved looping video. So while our performance table tells one story, Lenovo's own product managers claim the battery capacity is actually comparable. We're inclined to believe that claim, since early Ivy Bridge benchmarks already suggested there's not a material difference in battery savings between the current- and last-generation chips.

Like its predecessor, the X230 will be offered with an optional slice battery -- in this case, a six-cell (57 Wh) number for $149. That promises up to 24.9 hours of runtime, but that's assuming your main battery is the beefier nine-cell option.

Software

The last-gen X220 came loaded with a pristine desktop, and we're happy to say Lenovo is continuing its goodwill this year: you'll find barely any shortcuts littering the screen when you boot up the X230 for the first time. Dig into the menus, though, and you'll find a handful of innocuous third-party apps installed. These include Google Chrome, SugarSync Manager and Evernote. Even the 30-day trial of Norton Internet Security mostly stayed out of our way.

If anything, most of the pre-installed apps are part of Lenovo's own suite of ThinkVantage utilities, designed to make the upkeep easy even for businesses that don't have a dedicated IT department. Among them, you'll find a backup and restore app, a setup wizard for the fingerprint reader, password vault, power controls, diagnostic software and a system update hub. Though most of these come pre-loaded and ready to go, you'll have to manually install the following three: Rescue and Recover, Password Vault and Access Connections. Lastly, Lenovo also pinned a shortcut for its App Store to the Taskbar, though we didn't spend much time there, as the store runs slowly, and at full-screen.

Like other ThinkPads, the X230 comes with Lenovo Simple Tap software, a launcher that gives you quick access to microphone controls and other settings in the form of large icons. Once you've launched Simple Tap, it runs at full-screen, almost like a dumbed-down mini-OS-within-an-OS. Though it's at its best on touch-enabled machines where you can actually tap the shortcuts, it's perfectly easy to click on them instead, and use the cursor to rearrange the tiles.

Configuration options

The X230 starts at $1,249, the same estimated price of the configuration we tested. Depending on your region, you'll be able to find the X230 offered with up to five processors in addition to the 2.6GHz Core i5 CPU we tested. These include one Core i3 option (a 2.4GHz 2370M), two i5s (2.5GHz 3210M and 2.8GHz 3360M) and two i7s (a 2GHz 3667U and a 2.9GHz 3520M). As any silicon buff would tell you, this means everything but the Core i3 CPU are part of the Ivy Bridge family. (We know the i3 option is Sandy Bridge because its model number begins with a "2" instead of a "3.")

Once you've got the processor squared away, you can load your machine with up to 16GB of RAM and choose between a 200-nit screen and the 300-nit one we tested. As for storage, you have a few traditional spinning hard drives at your disposal, running the gamut from a 5,400RPM HDD with 320GB or 500GB of storage, to a faster 7,200RPM drive with anywhere from 250GB to 500GB of space. You can also buy a solid-state drive with 32GB, 128GB, 180GB or 256GB of space.

As we mentioned, we tested a six-cell, 63 Wh battery, rated for 9.9 hours, but you can also opt for a 29 Wh four-cell (up to 8.9 hours) or a 94 Wh nine-cell, which promises to last up to 14.8 hours on a charge. Finally, if you're interested in built-in 3G / 4G, you can upgrade to a Gobi Verizon Wireless LTE / HSPA radio, a Gobi HSPA option capable of 14.4 Mbps or an Ericsson-made HSPA+ minicard.

The competition

If you're a ThinkPad loyalist set in your ways, we suggest getting hands-on in person first, if possible.

Thanks to Ultrabooks, the ultraportable market is a lot more crowded than it was a year ago, but, luckily for all of you who freeze under the pressure of having too many choices, most of these models are consumer-grade. If a more business-friendly feature set is a must, there's the HP Folio 13 (an Engadget favorite) and the Dell XPS 13. Both of these offer TPM and a generous selection of ports, but lack the kind of self-service troubleshooting software you'll find on ThinkPad machines. The HP EliteBook Folio also looks promising, but it won't ship until October, and we're guessing you can't wait that long for a new laptop.

Even more than these Ultrabooks -- which walk a blurred line between consumer- and business-grade -- the X230's most direct competitor might be something like the EliteBook 2570p, which goes on sale June 22nd starting at $1,099. Since it's not available yet, we don't have a full picture of what specs will be offered, but we do know it'll weigh a slightly heavier 3.6 pounds. Like the X230, you'll be able to fit it with a built-in LTE radio, but it differentiates itself with an optical drive, which the X230 is missing.

If you can hold off on pulling the trigger for a few more weeks, we'd also wait and see if Dell has anything fresh up its sleeve: 'tis the season for laptop refreshes, after all, and we wouldn't be surprised if the company unveiled some new products in the near future.

If you're on a budget, there's always the 3.2-pound Toshiba Portege R830, which starts at $650. The catch? It's getting long in the tooth, which is to say it's running all Sandy Bridge processors. At the entry level you get a Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB 5,400RPM drive and goes up to a Core i7 CPU, 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD -- a combination that'll cost you $1,649. As always, Toshiba is offering configurable models for a higher price: $949 and up.

Wrap-up

Depending on who you ask -- a ThinkPad diehard or a notebook agnostic -- the X230 either has little wrong with it, or it has one inexcusable flaw. Starting with the good, it's fast, thanks to its spanking-new Ivy Bridge processor. It's thinner than its predecessor, but still lasts six-plus hours on a charge. And that bright IPS display translates to impressively versatile viewing angles. The problem? Lenovo, a company known for its ergonomic know-how, decided to overhaul its signature keyboard, and replace it with a new-fangled island-style arrangement. Coming from us, a site that's had the chance to review most every ultraportable that's hit the market, we can assure you these are some of the sturdiest, most tactile keys you'll find on a laptop this size.

Still, something tells us this could be a dealbreaker (or at least a sour grape) for grumpy ThinkPad fans who liked the old keyboard the way it was. If you're thinking of switching to Lenovo from some other brand, we have a feeling you'll enjoy the X230, and won't have as much of a learning curve when it comes to typing. But if you're a ThinkPad loyalist set in your ways, we suggest getting hands-on in person first, if at all possible. Some of you might walk away, others might begrudgingly give it a whirl. And some of you, perhaps, might even come around.

via Engadget

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