Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d Pro Reviews

One of only a handful of 3D laptops, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d skips active shutter glasses for an inferior technology, but keeps the A-list price.

The Lenovo Y560D performed well in all our benchmark tests. We were particularly pleased with its game performance—one of the only benefits of a low-resolution panel is the way they can potentially boost framerates by constraining the number of pixels on screen at any time. Since low-end GPUs tend to be memory bandwidth and compute constrained, lower resolutions translate directly into better graphics performance. In this case, we had sufficient headroom to enable AA and AF with completely playable framerates, an impressive feat for a laptop that's not aimed at gamers.

The Y560d is a typical consumer-grade multimedia notebook with a high-performance core. Highlights of the machine include excellent overall performance (especially for gaming), a good keyboard and touchpad, a thin-and-light design, and fantastic speakers. The downsides of this notebook are significant. At the top of the list is the so-so build quality; the Y560d's flexible plastic construction does not inspire confidence. Furthermore, glossy plastic covers all visible surfaces and is impossible to keep clean. Another design issue is the gaudy-looking tattoo on the back of the lid – what is that all about? The sub-three hour battery life may be a turnoff for some. Last but not least, the low resolution (1366x768) screen hurts usability and productivity.

Solid productivity and graphics performance are enough to recommend the IdeaPad Y560D as a very capable mainstream notebook. The 3D features will attract gamers on a budget, as well as anyone curious about the technology but who doesn’t want to plunk down a big premium to try it out. (Do note that while we were generally impressed with the 3D quality, we wish the viewing angle wasn’t so restrictive.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y560D is a competitively priced 3D laptop, but the polarized technology behind the 3D effects aren't as convincing as the active shutter 3D technology seen in other systems.

On its own, the IdeaPad Y560d is a very capable entertainment system. While its screen could be better, it has the chops to play the latest games and belt out tunes through its excellent speakers. As a 3D notebook, the Y560d is considerably less expensive than 15-inch laptops that use Nvidia's superior 3D Vision technology. For example, the ASUS G51J 3D costs approximately $1,600, though it offers a more immersive 3D experience and better gaming cred. Given that the Y560d can be had for as low as $1,100, the IdeaPad is really a good entertainment machine with 3D as a bonus.

The chassis is a respectable 20mm thick and weighs in at 2.7kg with the standard 6-cell battery providing up to five hours on integrated graphics and up to four hours with the discrete card. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d will be available at the end of June starting at $1200. That may be too expensive for most, once you upgrade to a Core i5/i7 processor and cast aside the 3D glasses for your regular daily laptop activities.