source – thinkpads.com by John Hobbes
Complementing their consumer notebook launch today, Lenovo is also announcing several refreshed desktop models. On the IdeaCentre side of things, we have updated all-in-ones with the A700 and B305, as well as the Q150 nettop. For those who are on more of a budget, the H320 desktop gets a mild refresh as well.
All-in-ones for everyone
Out of Lenovo’s four IdeaCentre product lines, two are all-in-ones and a third is the ultra-small nettop form factor. Clearly all-in-ones are important and these new models not only bring in the new Intel processors, but also some other changes.
A700
- Full range of Core i3, i5, i7 mobile processors
- 23-inch Full HD 1080p LCD (up from A600 21.5-inch); multitouch optional
- Intel HD integrated, ATI Radeon HD 5450 512MB or 5650 1GB graphics
- Slot-loading Blu-ray drive (appears standard!)
- Up to 8GB DDR3 RAM, 2TB hard drive
- 6 USB 2.0, eSATA, 6-in-1 card reader, Firewire, HDMI in & out; optional TV tuner
- Bluetooth keyboard & mouse, b/g/n WiFi standard
- Available late June starting at $999
B305
- AMD Athlon II X2 processors, from 235e (2.7GHz, 2MB cache) to 250e (3.0GHz, 2MB cache); triple & quad core processors coming later
- 20-inch HD+ (1600×900) or 21.5-inch Full HD (1920×1080) with optional multitouch
- ATI Radeon HD 3000 integrated graphics or HD 5450 512MB
- Up to 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD
- Tray-loading DVD burner, b/g/n WiFi
- 6 USB 2.0, 6-in-1 card reader, 0.3MP webcam; available TV tuner
- PS/2 (???) keyboard & USB mouse standard; Bluetooth optional
- Available in June starting at $699
While Lenovo’s literature touts the B305 as a more “performance” machine, if you crunch the numbers the A700 is definitely where it’s at. The A700 has Intel’s newest quad-core processors, a larger Full HD screen, more powerful graphics, Blu-ray drive, greater RAM support, more multimedia features – you get the point. Of course all of that comes at a price, with the A700 starting $300 more than the B305.
It looks like the A700 will be an outright replacement for the A600, what with the newer processors and larger screen while keeping the same overall design and features. The B305, however, will likely complement the existing B500, which is targeted as a high performance all-in-one with faster processors and graphics.
Q150: new chips, simplified name, nothing more
Lenovo’s first nettop, the Q100/Q110, was first introduced last August and looked like an interesting box, especially with NVIDIA Ion graphics. Lenovo has simplified the naming structure, announcing a single Q150 model that can be configured with Intel GMA 3150 integrated or NVIDIA Ion graphics. The processors get upgraded to the new Intel Atom chips, available in single-core or dual-core form at 1.6GHz.
RAM is limited to 2GB DDR2 via a single SO-DIMM slot, but as a net-only PC or HTPC, you likely wouldn’t be doing as much multitasking that you need more anyway. 802.11b/g/n WiFi is standard, but a keyboard and mouse are not!
I would expect to see two Q150 configurations: a lower-end single-core, 1GB RAM, Intel graphics model with a smaller hard drive at the $249 starting price point. $349 is where you would likely find the dual-core, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA Ion model with a larger hard drive. The Q150 will be available in late June.
H320 – not as sexy, but the clear value
Not constrained by the sexy, curvaceous cases of the all-in-ones and nettops, the relatively bland “essentials” H320 desktop has similar options and even more performance than its siblings. Full-power, desktop-version Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors are offered. The top-tier chip is the i7-860 quad-core that runs at a blistering 2.8GHz, with Turbo Boost up to 3.46GHz and 8MB cache. Take that A700!
Surprisingly, the graphics card wasn’t forgotten about with choices between two DX11-compatible ATI chips (5450 512MB or 5570 1GB), a DX10-compatible NVIDIA GeForce 310 512MB and of course the Intel HD graphics. Four DIMM slots are available to support up to 8GB RAM and you have your choice of hard drive sizes, as well as optical drives.
HDMI output is included with discrete graphics models and a TV tuner is available. While the keyboard and mouse are standard, a monitor is of course not.
The Lenovo H320 will be available in late June starting at $549.
