lenovo x230 lcd panel quotation

Lenovo ThinkPad X230 is a Windows 7 Professional laptop with a 12.50-inch display that has a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. It is powered by a Core i5 processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM. The phone packs 128GB of SSD storage.

Facilitated with massive industrial proficiency and understanding in this business sector, we are engaged in offering a massive collection of Lenovo X230 Laptop Screen.

Upgraded Professionalism. The 2012 refresh of the X220 may look the same on the outside, but the X230 is the first in the 12.5-inch lineup to introduce both the an Ivy Bridge CPU and the new "Precision" Chiclet keyboard in place of the traditional beveled design. Has Lenovo hit a home run? Or is the backlash against the new keyboard design really warranted?

When it was revealed back in 2008, the Lenovo ThinkPad X200 serieswas striving to offer the same high-quality ThinkPad feel and experience for the first time in an extremely small but portable 12-inch size. The original X200, however, lacked numerous built-in connectivity options and may have potentially turned off the same business users that it was attempting to attract.

The ThinkPad X230 updates the lineup not with brand new looks, but with the new Precision Keyboard layout and the all-importantIvy Bridgechipset under the hood. Otherwise, exterior qualities remain largely the same as last year’s model. Although seemingly trivial at first glance, these two changes directly affect the user experience and can actually make the X230 feel like a different beast compared to the X220 despite their similarities. In this review, we investigate the changes both inside and out and give our final thoughts on the rather controversial keyboard update.

Lenovo decided to take the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to the design of the X230. Indeed, the 2012 model is every bit as similar to the 2011 model at first glance, but the manufacturer has managed to shave off a third of an inch from the 34.6mm (1.36 inches) rear end of the previous model to just 26.6mm(1.05 inches) in the latest offering. The thickness of the front edge remains at 19mm, meaning that users will be getting the same resistant chassis but in a sleeker and somewhat lighter (1.34kg vs. 1.54kg) package. It’s still stocky to be sure, and users will still need both hands to open the lid, but the classic ThinkPad professionalism and appearance are unmistakably preserved.

It’s true that Ultrabooks have since risen into the scene and now competes with the X230 to some extent. The ThinkPad X220 faced no such problems during its launch, but we can say with confidence that although the Intel ultrathins are much thinner, lighter and more stylish than the conservatively built ThinkPad, the construction of the latter is in a class of its own and even maintains around the same level of portability. The magnesium alloy chassis is thick, the dual hingesare firm with little to no vibration and both the case and lid experience little to no side-to-side twisting or creaks.

For a full walkthrough of the quality of the case, see our review on the previous X220. But in short, you’d be hard pressed to find a consumer-oriented 12-inch notebook with similar construction quality and connectivity options. It’s worth noting that the new Samsung Series 4 directly challenges the ThinkPad in terms of exterior build and longevity, but users who go for the latter option will give up certain important performance advantages that the X230 offers.

For connectivity, the X230 is littered withthe same options as its older sibling as expected. In other words, the notebook offers more connections than what its small size would otherwise suggest.

Our X230 review unit only came equipped with the standard single-band (2.4GHz) 2x2 dual-stream Centrino Wireless-N 2200adapter for WiFi, WiDi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. However, users can preconfigure the system with a WWAN PCI-e Minicard to support Gobi 3k 14.4 Mbps/HSPA or even Gobi 4k LTE under Verizon’s wireless network. Those who wish to take advantage of AT&T’s network can opt for the Ericsson HSPA+ WWAN PCI-e Minicard instead, which will work on both WCDMA/HSPA+ and GSM/EDGE networks here in the States. WiMAX users aren’t left out either as the Intel WiFi card can be upgraded to support WiMAX 6250and its multi-band streams. In short, Lenovo has gotten all WWAN bases covered even before the end-user has a chance to add in an aftermarket PCI-e Minicard.

Lenovo has a history of supporting their core ThinkPad lineups with vast options and accessories in an attempt to satisfy the broadest range of business users out there. As a result, expect plenty of quality first-party extensions both by USB and docking port. Perhaps the most notable USB-powered accessory is the ThinkVision LT1421 – essentially a portable 14-inch external monitor powered solely by USB 2.0.

The X230 is backwards compatible with all docking stations supported by the X220 as both models share identical docking ports. Lenovo docking stations have one of the biggest selections of ports, including VGA, 2x DVI, 2x DisplayPort and 6x USB 2.0 from the Mini Dock Plus port alone. The Ultrabase Series 3 adds an Ultrabay for hot-swapping optical drives and secondary HDDs. Users simply looking for longer battery life can practically double runtime with a slim secondary battery similar to the secondary battery “slice” modules that certain Sony VAIO models offer. The wide selection and compatibility options make the X230 feel more easy-to-use and capable than many similarly-sized competing business notebooks.

Lenovo’s Service is standard with a warrantyof up to one year, but can be extended up to five years total for $160. The usual onsite or next business day repair and accidental damage protection services are optional coverage as well and will add $90 - $100 to the warranty, at least in the United States. A “no questions asked” battery replacement plan for up to four years is available as a separate warranty plan for $139.

After years of having the same keyboard design across their ThinkPad lineup, Lenovo will this year be introducing its new (and mandatory) Precision Keyboard to many of its latest model revisions including those of the popular L, T, X and W series. The keyboards of theThinkPad X1 or Edge E420sreleased in mid-2011 can be considered precursors to the new design and may be something that veteran ThinkPad users may not be very fond of at first glance.

The classic beveled keyboard layout typically associated with ThinkPads has been completely dropped in favor of a Chiclet-style build (29.0cm x 11.5cm) that now more closely resembles other keyboards found in other notebooks. The flat, evenly-spaced keys are quite an odd sight to see on an otherwise traditional ThinkPad. According to Lenovo, one of the reasons for the change is that the more modern island design allows for a larger target area per key, which should theoretically lead to fewer errors while typing.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the chiclet style is that it allows a keyboard backlight. Although only two levels of brightness are user-controllable on the X230, the backlight is nonetheless very bright and will surely be welcomed by ThinkPad fanatics. The trademark ThinkLightfeature remains as well, although the notebook does not allow both the backlight and ThinkLight to be active simultaneously.

Traditionalists will be pleased to hear that the tried and true ThinkPad touchpad remains more or less the same on the X230. The textured touch-sensitive surface curves downward on both the bottom and top and is overall quite small (7.5cm x 4.5cm) since some room was reserved for the dedicated left- and right-click keys immediately above. Oddly enough, both of these keys are now flatter with no curved recesses as opposed to the X220, a design decision that mimics the touchpad of the X121e in appearance. Users can even ignore the dedicated click keys altogether as the touchpad surface itself is clickable.

The 12.5-inch matte IPS display supports a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels, which we found to be just fine considering the sub 13-inch screen size. The X230 is available with a standard TN panel as well, but it’d be difficult to move back to regular TN displays after experiencing the advantages of an IPS panel. Lenovo claims up to 300 nits and 200 nits of brightness with the IPS and TN panels, respectively. Subjectively, text and images appear clear and crisp without oversaturating colors as some glossy displays might do.

Before we move on, it’s worth noting that the display panel (ID: LEN40E2, Model: LP125WH2-SLB1) in our review unit is exactly the sameas the display panel of our reviewed X220. Therefore, the measured monitor data below should be quite similar to our results from the X220 review.

We tested maximum brightness with a Gossen Mavo-Monitor and recorded a peak of 280 nits or a tad below the claimed 300 cd/m2 maximum. Lenovo makes up for this by having excellent black levels and thus a very respectable contrast ratio for better movie and gaming experiences. Maximum brightness does not take a dip when the notebook is unplugged either, which could not be more important for a notebook designed to be used on-the-move. Most users may find themselves settling for a brightness level of 11/15 or greater when using the notebook under typical indoor ambient lighting conditions.

With the XRite i1, the display of the X230 showed a gamut volume of about 66 percent of the sRGB standard. While not incredible, the color reproduction of the display is in line with its close competitors and is slightly better than most budget TN panels. Generally speaking, typical business users should find the gamut range perfectly acceptable as only professional graphic artists will find the X230 not suitable for meticulously accurate colors for heavy digital graphics work.

Even though the panel doesn’t reach the claimed 300 nits, an average brightness of above 200 nits is in our eyes the bare minimum for outdoor notebook use. Fortunately, the X230 is certainly usable outdoors, but users may have to turn the brightness up to its maximum for comfortable viewing. Glare is hardly a problem as well due to the matte display and the IPS screen means multiple users can easily view onscreen material simultaneously, even when outdoors. However, brightness could have been better as other ultraportables like theAsus UX31 or Samsung 900X3B can be much brighter for potentially better outdoor usability than the X230.

The IPS displayprovides very wide viewing angles similar to the X220 and continues the tradition of having one of the best displays in the subnotebook category in terms of viewing stability. Viewing even from extreme angles is possible, although slight drops in apparent brightness can occur. Regardless, one of the draws of an IPS display is its ability to allow multiple viewers from wider angles without experiencing apparent shifts in display color. Although users can equip the X230 with a TN panel, the IPS option is a worthwhile investment.

As part of Lenovo’s 2012 lineup, the X230 uses Intel’s third generation Core ix CPU as expected. Our specific model on hand uses the new 2.6GHzCore i5-3360M or a 2.9GHz i7-3520M or even downgrade to a 2.4GHz Sandy Bridge i3-2370M if need be. Either way, all options are standard-voltage dual-core CPUs, meaning there will be no corners cut in terms of performance in favor of potentially lowering system temperatures.

Being an Ivy Bridge CPU, the dual-core i5-3320M has the built-in integrated Intel HD 4000 GPU. This successor to the Sandy Bridge Intel HD 3000 has been extensively tested here on Notebookcheck, although we will continue to update our gaming benchmarks with more data as the GPU is relatively new to the scene. In the X230, the integrated Intel will normally idle at 350MHz, but Turbo Boost will bump the GPU all the way to 1200MHzif the application demands while the memory bus is a constant 800MHzin comparison. For more information on the HD 4000, see its dedicated benchmark page here.

In the synthetic CPU-oriented benchmarks, the i5-3320M istoe-to-toe with many mid-range Sandy Bridge CPUs and even some high-end ones depending on the benchmark. For example, the 3DMark 06 CPU score (3807) in the X230 is extremely close to the dual-core 2.7GHz i7-2620M in both the Lenovo G770 and Fujitsu Lifebook S761 notebooks and we found similar results in both the 32-bit and 64-bit single/multi CineBench rendering tests. The single-threaded Super Pi test showed results comparable to the i7-2640M in the ThinkPad X1 while the multi-threaded wPrimetest had results closer to the i5-2430M in the MSI GE620DX-443XPL. We also tested encoding speeds with theX264 HD 4.0 Benchmark and went away with final scores similar to an i7-2640M yet again. Even without further benchmarks, the new i5-3320M has proven itself as more than sufficient for everyday browsing applications and even capable of more CPU-intensive tasks.

We use PCMark 7 andPCMark Vantage to assess general system performance. Final scores are impressively high for a 12.5-inch subnotebook at 2880 and 8503 points in PCMark 7 and Vantage, respectively. In fact, these scores put the X230 extremely close to the high-end Asus G74SX (8553 in Vantage) and MSI GT70 (2875 in PCMark 7), both of which sport quad-core Sandy Bridge CPUs and discrete GeForce GPUs. However, these two benchmarks are notorious for skewing final results in favor of SSD-based systems, so certain lower-spec notebooks like the Samsung 900X3B (3609 and 10111 in PCMark 7 and Vantage, respectively) can still outscore even more powerful systems that are bogged down by traditional HDDs. SSD options for the X230 are available, but our review unit is equipped only with a single HDD.

Speaking of traditional HDDs, our X230 under review came equipped with a 320GB 7200RPM HitachiTravelStar and nothing more. Lenovo does offer multiple SSD options before purchasing, including a 32GB mSATAdrive and even SATA IIISSDs from 128GB up to 256GB. Although expensive, an SSD upgrade is perhaps the most palpable upgrade one can have for the X230, second only to the IPS display.

We also found no problems when installing our own mSATA SSD into the X230. In this case, we installed a 60GB Renice X5 SSD with no issues as Windows was able to recognize the secondary drive. In theory, users should be able to install and boot Windows 7 on the mSATA drive for even faster speeds than with a standard HDD. Note, however, that there is only one PCI-e slot for either an mSATA drive or a WWAN card - both cannot be installed simultaneously in the X230.

The Intel HD 4000 provides a noticeable increase in gaming frame rates over the previous HD 3000 of the Sandy Bridge generation. While no one is expecting amazing performance in 3D graphics, the integrated Ivy Bridge GPU allows the X230 to play most recent 3D games on the move, albeit in low detail settings. In fact, Skyrimis now playable at just under 30 FPS, whereas the older HD 3000 had much more trouble running the popular Bethesda RPG even on low settings. The low native resolution of the system also mean that certain games can be playable up to medium settings if need be.

At its default settings, the X230 is subjectively very quiet (~31.5dB) and almost inaudible when in the office and around typical ambient noises. Fan speed does not appear to unexpectedly increase or decrease while browsing the web, watching videos or word processing, and is always a steady but virtually unnoticeable hum during typical daily workloads. The spinning hard drive is also hardly noticeable at all.

When undermaximum stress, noise levels can increase to be a bit louder than the originalX220 at up to 39dB. While such a level won’t typically be reached during normal activity, using the X230 for intensive games or programs that stress both the CPU and GPU simultaneously can force the fan to spin at maximum speeds. Fortunately, fan speed will drop down to its lowest level quite quickly once the intensive application ceases.

Unlike our X220 review unit, our X230 did not experience odd fan speed issues that were plaguing models with BIOS version 1.15 or below. Our review unit came installed with the Lenovo G2ET28WW BIOS version 1.08. In general, we don’t see system noise becoming an issue for its intended audience.

To put bluntly, surface temperatures of the X230 are on average noticeably warmer than the X220 under both idle and stressed conditions. For example, the keyboard surface and palm rests stay well above 30 degrees C, especially towards the edge closest to the vent. The bottom surface is even more extreme as we recorded a high of about 38 degrees towards the rear, simply from idling! Ambient temperature during our measurements was a warm 24 degrees C.

The high temperatures had us worried about possible throttling issues with the X230. Fortunately, performance from the Ivy Bridge CPU was buttery smooth during our stress tests.

Next, we stressed the system with both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneouslyfor a full two hours. Surprisingly, both the CPU and GPU were able to maintain their maximum Turbo Boost speedsof 3100MHz and 1200MHz, respectively. In other words, stressing one component did not appear to inversely affect the performance of the other. This is in stark contrast to many Sandy Bridge notebooks as stressing both the CPU and GPU can notably decrease maximum benefits from Turbo Boost. However, we did notice that core temperatures were reaching quite close to 90 degrees C in our X230 and may even reach higher temperatures in more humid conditions.

To confirm any presence of throttling, we ran 3DMark 06 a second time immediately after stress testing with very similar final results. The X230 experienced not a single hint of throttlingunder our test conditions.

The surprisingly impressive speakers of the recently reviewed Samsung Series 9 900X3B had since raised our expectations on speaker performance from ultrathin or portable subnotebooks. Unfortunately, sound quality from the X230 are nothing to write home about.

Similar to the ThinkPad X121e, X130eand X220 before it, thedual speakers of the X230 lie underneath the front edge and are angled towards the desk instead of facing directly at the user. Music quality from the system is subpar– tones feel uneven, bass is minimal, range is limited and distortion becomes noticeable at greater volumes. Maximum volume is not incredibly loud, but is certainly loud enough to fill a quiet conference room. The speakers do their job adequately for its target audience, but headphones or external speaker solutions will be a must for extended movie sessions or music buffs.

Our review model is equipped with a6-cell 63Whr Li-ion battery module that promises up to 9.9 hours of use. As usual, Lenovo offers smaller and larger battery size options from 4-cells (29Whr) all the way to 9-cells (94Whr) for up to 14.8 hours of battery life. A secondary 6-cell (57Whr) Slice Battery is available as well and can provide up to 24.9 hours of battery life if used simultaneously with the 9-cell primary battery.

We put Lenovo’s claim of a 9.9 hour runtime to the test with the Reader’s Testin BatteryEater. We set the brightness of the X230 to the minimum and disabled sleep and WiFi prior to initiating the test. Under these conditions and on the “Energy Saver” profile, the notebook lasted for an impressive 10 hours and 4 minutes before shutting down. In other words, the promise of a 9.9 hour battery life is pretty much spot on, but you’d have to be doing literally nothing on the notebook for the entire duration.

For minimum battery life, we set the X230 to the “Maximum Performance” profile with maximum brightness and enabled WiFi. With the BatteryEater Classic Test, the system was able to last for 1 hour and 41 minutes before automatic shutdown.

Compared to its predecessor, the X230 lasts about 30 minutes to an hour longer across the board with its 6-cell module. The difference may be largely attributed to the more power efficient 22nm CPU -- Just don’t expect multiple hours of increased runtime due to the Sandy Bridge die shrink. Nevertheless, the X230 improves upon the already impressive battery life of the X220 without increasing cell count and weight. Similarly-sized competitors like the 2011 MacBook Air, Samsung Series 4 and Dell Latitude E6220 all fare a bit worse when comparing battery life.

We praised the X220 for its sturdy case, fast performance, premium IPS display, extensive connectivity options and long battery life, but we also noted some unfortunate drawbacks like CPU throttling issues, subpar VGA quality and a warping case. Has the X230 fixed these issues or has it introduced more unanticipated problems along the way?

Fortunately, the 2012 refresh shows none of the hardware problems that plagued the original X220. The VGA port works as intended and we ran into no warping issues under broad daylight. The 3rd generation Core i5 CPU inside provideseven faster performance than its predecessor while having longer battery life and resolving the throttling issuesfound on the former model. If anything, the X230 is a testament to the tangible improvements that the new Ivy Bridge generation will bring to subnotebooks yet to be released.

Still, there is room for improvement. Surface temperatures appear to be quite warm even at idle, the touchpad click keys could have been more firm and we believe that the display could have been brighter overall. Luckily, theIPS paneleasily overshadows any of the small drawbacks of the screen. We highly recommend going for the IPS display option for this reason as a 200-nit TN panel would be only barely acceptable for bright outdoor use.

But at the end of the day, it’s the changes to the input devices that will have potential buyers raising red flags. ThinkPad veterans will undoubtedly approach the new keyboard with caution while other users fresh to the Thinkpad series will simply become accustomed to the new Chiclet design. After spending some time with the X230, we can say that the typing experience can be a little different for longtime ThinkPad users, but it is ultimately something that users must try first-hand before judging. After becoming habituated with the keyboard, you’ll find the very familiar but upgraded ThinkPad underneath that made the original X220 so popular in the first place.

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.%Gallery-156456%

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 3.3 pounds and measures 1.25 inches deep.

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 (you could add one as an option 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 option. 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.

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 clackquite 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.

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.

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 andwrite 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.

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.

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.

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.")

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.

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.

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