Lenovo ThinkPad X230 review

Stereo speakers, a high-quality Webcam, and better microphones than you'll find on the average laptop give the X230 an edge for anyone considering heavy Web conferencing.

(Credit: Sarah Tew)

As with most ThinkPads, the X230 is highly configurable. New to this year's update are more USB 3.0 ports, and a Mini DisplayPort to go alongside VGA. WiMax 4G and Gobi antennas for 4G LTE or HSPA are also available. CPU options run from a 2.4GHz Core i3-2370M up to a 2.9GHz Core i7-3520M. Storage options include either a 250 or 320GB hard drive, or an SSD up to 256GB. Lenovo hasn't provided prices on all these configurations yet, but stay tuned for an update once the systems formally go on sale.

Our configuration as sent by Lenovo rings up at a lofty $1,249, which includes a 2.6 GHz Intel Core i5-3320M processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB 7,200rpm hard drive, and Windows 7 Professional. That's a lot to pay for a laptop with no dedicated graphics and no SSD storage.

Intel's latest third-gen "Ivy Bridge" Core i-series processors have never been touted as offering a major performance leap over last year's Sandy Bridge predecessors, and that's proven here. In our benchmark tests, the ThinkPad X230 had modest multitasking improvements over last year's X220 (which had a second-gen 2.5 GHz Core i5-2520M CPU). In single-task tests, the improvement margin grew even slimmer. It's worth upgrading to newer CPUs assuming prices are equivalent, of course, but you shouldn't go buying this year's version if you already have last year's processor.

Much has been made of Intel's next-generation HD 4000 graphics, including by myself. On this system, the improvement is harder to appreciate. Street Fighter IV played in native 1,366x768-pixel resolution at 19.7 frames per second -- hardly eye-popping. Other games play relatively well with graphics settings toned down. Then again, you're probably not meant to be playing games on your ThinkPad, assuming it was office-issued. Those wanting more oomph will still want to seek out dedicated graphics, which aren't an option on the X230.

Last year's ThinkPad X220 had a truly excellent 6 hours and 41 minutes of battery life. You get a little less this time: the X230 lasted for a still very good but not as excellent 6 hours and 4 minutes, with an included removable six-cell battery. Lenovo offers a nine-cell battery upgrade as an option, but the battery life on the X230 is still better than many ultrabooks. With proper management, it'll last a full work day.

Lenovo ThinkPads generally include a standard one-year mail-in warranty, which may not be adequate for a mission-critical computer. Several other service tiers and terms are available, including at-home service and accidental damage protection. In addition to the onboard ThinkVantage troubleshooting and driver update apps, the Lenovo Web site offers the same information, but an actual tech-support contact number can be hard to find (although chances are your company IT team would handle any problems with the system). If you do need to call Lenovo, try this 24-7 support line: 1-800-426-7378.