Lenovo Think Pad SL510

When most people think of the Lenovo ThinkPad brand, they think of the T-series notebook with the alloy unibody chassis, rubberized black paint, and boxy looks. What most people don't realize is Lenovo offers a small business line, called the SL-series, which offers most of the same features at a much lower price. In this review we take a look at the 15.6" Lenovo ThinkPad SL510, and find out if it is a worthy alternative for users who don't want to shell out for the higher-end ThinkPad models.

Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 Specifications:

Windows 7 Professional
15.6" HD 1366 x 768 WXGA Anti-glare
Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 (2.53GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 3MB Cache)
3GB DDR3 RAM (2GB x 1GB)
320GB Hitachi 7200RPM Hard Drive
Intel 5100AGN, Bluetooth 2.0
Intel X4500M Integrated
Built-in 2.0M web camera
6-cell 10.8v 52Wh
Dimensions: (LxWxH) 14.9 x 9.75 x 1.45"
Weight: 5lbs 11.5oz
MSRP: $1,224 ($989 Street)

Build and Design
The SL-series ThinkPad is the toned-down version of the more rugged T-series. The exterior shell is entirely plastic, but with a softer finish with rounded edges and a smooth texture, instead of the rubberized paint on the more expensive models. The shape is also different, with sloped sides, instead of the flat sides seen on the higher models. Overall it has a more consumer appearance that might be more inviting to some users. Compared to the SL500, the SL510 has a few aesthetic changes, including a redesigned screen hinge assembly, and a few minor body tweaks. Side by side though, they still look almost identical.

Build quality is nice compared to consumer-targeted notebooks, but a step under the T400 and T500, which offer alloy unibody frames and stronger body panels. The notebook still has a very solid feel to it, with very little chassis flex.

The screen cover provides adequate protection for the screen, preventing visible distortion under moderate finger pressure. The keyboard and palmrest have good support, only flexing under strong pressure. The plastics feel durable enough to resist cracking under mild abuse, and the matte-black plastic finish shouldn't make scratches stand out as much as they would on a glossy notebook. For a small-business user, the SL-series is a nice step up from the average multimedia-oriented consumer notebook without the cost of a high-end business notebook.

Upgrades and expansion are easily handled through panels on the bottom of the chassis. The primary panel gives you access to the processor, system memory, and hard drive. No "warranty void if removed" stickers were found anywhere. The two smaller access panels uncover an open mini-PCIe slot for a WWAN card and a sim-card slot when the system is equipped with 3G.

Screen and Speakers
Lenovo offers both matte and glossy screen options on the SL-series, both WXGA resolution. Our review model included the standard matte-panel, but if you enjoy the vibrant colors and increased contrast of a glossy screen, that option is available. The matte WXGA panel was average compared to consumer notebooks, and could have really benefited from a higher resolution. Color and contrast were weaker than normal, but this is common for basic non-glossy displays. Viewing angles were fine for an office setting where the notebook wouldn't be moved around a lot, but on your lap it was easy to see colors starting to shift. In testing we saw colors starting to shift when tilted 10 degrees forward or back. Horizontal viewing angles were better, staying true past 70 degrees from each side. Viewing brightness was perfect for bright office conditions, and with the matte finish partially visible outdoors.

Speaker performance was average for a basic mid-size desktop replacement notebook. Bass and midrange were lacking but for listening to streaming radio or YouTube videos it was fine. The SL510's peak volume level was fine for a small room, but felt lacking compared to other consumer notebooks. For a better experience, using the analog audio out to a pair of external speakers would be a better option. The best alternative would be using the HDMI out to pass a digital audio stream to an outside stereo system.

Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard was very comfortable to type on and felt very similar to the keyboards on the T-series ThinkPads. The layout is different, missing the extra row of function keys at the top, but the main area has been left intact. Key action was great, with a soft spring movement, giving off a mild click when pressed. Key spacing is nearly identical to regular ThinkPads, with barely any difference noted switching between my T60 and the SL510. The biggest difference is the newer keyboards are slightly quieter. On the left side of the keyboard are some quick-access buttons, used for muting system volume or the microphone, as well as adjusting volume levels.

The touchpad is an ALPS model that looks and feels identical to the newer textured ones seen on the latest ThinkPad models. It is flush mount to the palmrest, and given a soft texture that is supposed to help with traction under varying conditions. I am personally a fan of the old matte plastic style, but given enough time the newer one might grow on me. In general I found the touchpad to be as responsive as the Synaptics model found on higher-end ThinkPad models. The only weakness I saw was tap to select, where the cursor would sometimes not let go of a selected object without a very deliberate click. This is common with many ALPS touchpads, but can be avoided most of the time.

Ports and Features
Port selection was surprisingly good, including three USB ports, an eSATA/USB combo port, HDMI, VGA, and audio jacks. Lenovo also included an SDHC-card slot and ExpressCard/34 slot for expansion. The HDMI-out and eSATA were greatly appreciated, and I almost wish they offered those on more ThinkPad models.

Performance and Benchmarks
System performance was great, with a quick 2.53GHz processor, 3GB of system memory, and a 7200RPM hard drive helping to keep load times to a minimum. For standard office productivity applications the system had no problems, barely breaking a sweat. Since the SL-series is slightly more multimedia oriented, Lenovo includes an HDMI port on the side to connect the notebook to an HDTV. In our multimedia tests the system had no problem playing 720P or 1080P video in the background while handling more productive tasks up front. Gaming with the Intel X4500 integrated graphics was out of the question for modern games, but previous generation games were possible with heavy tweaking. The 3DMark06 synthetic benchmark below shows how the SL510 provides better gaming performance than other notebooks designed for small business, but doesn't come close to the gaming performance of a consumer multimedia laptop like the Dell Studio 15. For its intended market of small businesses, the SL510 mixes the perfect blend of performance and price.

Wprime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance):

PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance):

3DMark06 measures overall graphics performance for gaming (higher scores mean better performance):

HDTune storage drive performance test:

Heat and Noise
The system managed heat fairly well in most area, but did leave a few spots warm to the touch. The panel covering the hard drive was stood out on the bottom as the warmest spot, which is most likely caused by the 7200RPM drive that consumes more power and throws off more heat. Under mild stress the plastic panels stayed within very reasonable temperature ranges, without any uncomfortable areas. Fan noise minimal, with the fan staying off the majority of the time while running on battery power, occasionally turning on to bring fresh air through the system. Under heavy stress levels fan speeds would pick up, but still not get overly loud.

Battery Life
Our review unit of the SL510 included the midrange 6-cell battery with a capacity of 52Wh. With its older CCFL-backlit screen, power consumption was higher than the more efficient T-series, using roughly double the amount of power at idle. Under a light load where the T400 or T500 might be using 6-8 watts of power, the SL510 was at or above 12 watts. In our main test with the screen brightness set to 70%, Windows 7 on a balanced profile, and wireless active the system stayed on for 3 hours and 53 minutes. A larger battery would have helped, and is highly recommended if you plan on using this notebook to travel.

Conclusion
The Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 proved to be a reasonable compromise between price and quality. While it doesn't offer the nicer touchpad or rugged build quality of the T-series, it retails for almost half the starting price. The SL-series is a good option for users looking for only basic qualities in a notebook like a standard WXGA screen or integrated graphics. It still offers a great keyboard and extended batteries if you plan on typing documents all day without breaking the wallet. Overall if you are looking for a notebook that will be sitting on a desk most of the day and staying out of harm's way, the SL510 is worth taking a look at.

Pros: