IdeaPad Y series

The IdeaPad Y Series is a consumer range of laptops produced by Lenovo, first announced in 2008. They are marketed as premium high performance laptops for multimedia and gaming, as part of the IdeaPad line. The most significant differences from Lenovo's traditional ThinkPad business laptops were a more consumer-oriented appearance and performance-oriented components. IdeaPads feature a chiclet keyboard with rounded keys, similar to the latest ThinkPads. The first of the Y Series were the IdeaPad Y710 and the IdeaPad Y510 notebooks, with screen sizes of 17 inches and 15 inches respectively. Not all features were entirely new, however. Notebook Review reported that the Y710 and Y510 notebooks had a keyboard that felt similar to the ThinkPad when used, despite the absence of the TrackPoint. The Y50 and Y40, released in 2014, featured a gaming-oriented design shift and slimming down. The latest release was the Y700 in late-2015.

2014

There were two flagship laptops released in 2014 Lenovo Ideapad Y50, Y40 and Y70 Touch.

Y50

Lenovo IdeaPad Y50 was released in the second quarter of 2014.

• CPU/Chipset: 4th Generation Intel Core i7-4710HQ Processor (2.5 GHz 1600 MHz 6MB)
• Memory: up to 16 GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600 MHz
• Hard Drive: 256 or 512 GB SSD or Hybrid 500 GB or 1TB 5400 RPM + 8 GB SSHD
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 2GB or 4GB
• Display: 15.6" UHD LED Glossy (3840x2160)or FHD (1920x1080) or FHD (1920x1080) multitouch
• Operating System: Windows 8.1
• Weight: 2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)
• ODD: External BD/DVD
• Keyboard: Backlit AccuType® keyboard
• Camera: 720P
• Storage: Up to 1TB HHD or up to 1TB Hybrid SSHD with integrated 8 GB NAND flash or up to 512 SSD
• Audio: JBL® 2.1 speakers with Dolby® Advanced Audio V2
• Battery: Up to 5 hours WiFi browsing depending on configuration
• Bluetooth®: Bluetooth® 4.02, 802.11 a/b/g/n or 802.11 a/c WiFi
• Connectors: 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, Audio Combo Jack (headphone and mic), HDMI-out, 4-in-1 (SD / MMC / SDXC / SDHC) card reader, RJ45, SPDIF

In 2015, some components were upgraded with more recent or parts of higher quality:

• IPS Screen instead of TN-panel
• Intel Core i7 4720HQ instead of 4710HQ
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M instead of GTX 860M

Y40

Lenovo Ideapad Y40 was announced in US in January 5, 2014.There are currently 3 Y40 models available with variant in HDD and SSD sizes.

• CPU/Chipset: Up to 5th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processor
• Windows 8.1
• Graphics: Up to AMD AR M275 graphics
• Memory: Up to 16GB DDR3L memory
• Hard Drive: Up to 1TB HDD and 8GB hybrid SSD
• Battery Life:Up to 5 hours’ battery life
• Screen Size:14” FHD widescreen display
• Weight:Starting at 2.2 kg (4.9 lbs)
• Bluetooth®:Bluetooth® 4.02, 802.11 a/b/g/n or 802.11 a/c WiFi
• Connectors:2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, Audio Combo Jack (headphone and mic), HDMI-out, 4-in-1 (SD / MMC / SDXC / SDHC) card reader, RJ45, SPDIF

2013

Y500

The IdeaPad Y500 was released in the first week of January 2013, after Lenovo announced it in late 2012. The Y500 is a Modular laptop, where the BD/DVD drive could be switched out for adding another Graphics card, another Hard Drive, or another exhaust fan with new feature called Always-On USB,a port which will ensure that even when your system is switched off and unplugged from the mains, you will be able to charge your mobile phone or any other compatible USB device. Y500 Specifications:

• CPU/Chipset: 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ 2.4 GHz Core i7-3630QM
• Memory: up to 16 GB (DDR3 1600 MHz)
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT650M 2GB(GDDR5) built-in graphics
• Operating System: Windows 8
• Screen Size: 15.6" HD(1366x768) widescreen display
• Audio: Premium JBL speakers with Dolby Home Theater v4 sound enhancement.

A new version of the Y500 with upgraded features was released in June along with the Lenovo Y410p. The upgraded version has following features compare to older version

• HD(1366 x 768) Screen(FHD(1920*1080) was present in older version)
• NVIDIA® GeForce® GT750M (NVIDIA® GeForce® GT650M was in older version)
• Memory:Up to 8 GB DDR3(16 GB in older version)

Y510p

The IdeaPad Y510p was released around June 2013. This laptop features a fourth generation Haswell Intel Core i7 processor. The Y510p also comes with an ultrabay, which can house a second dedicated graphics card, a hard drive or an exhaust fan; and uses the secure boot UEFI protocol.

Specifications:

• CPU/Chipset: 4th Generation Intel® Core™ 2.4 GHz Quad Core i7-4700MQ
• Memory: up to 16 GB (DDR3 1600 MHz)
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT755M 2GB GDDR5 built-in graphics, with option of secondary NVIDIA® GeForce® GT750M(Update NVIDIA® GeForce® GT755M) plus an option for an external UltraBay Graphics Card.
• Operating System: Windows 8.0 (Can be upgraded to 8.1)
• Screen size: 1920x1080 (Full HD)
• Sound: JBL® designed speakers supporting Dolby Home Theatre v4
• Connectors: 1x USB 2.0 (one always on),2x USB 3.0, 6-in-1 card reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC, MS, MS-Pro), Headphone, Microphone, HDMI-out, VGA port (15-pin)

Y410p

The IdeaPad Y410p was released around June 2013. This laptop also features a fourth generation Haswell Intel Core i7 processor. The Y410p is comparable to higher end laptops such as the Alienware M14x, but this series starts at a comparatively lower price of $799. The Y410p also comes with an ultrabay, which can house a second dedicated graphics card, a hard drive or an exhaust fan; and uses the secure boot UEFI protocol.

Specifications:

• CPU/Chipset: up to 4th Generation Intel® Core™ 2.4 GHz Quad Core i7-4700MQ
• Memory: up to 8 GB (DDR3 1600 MHz)
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT755M 2GB GDDR5 built-in graphics and ultrabay gpu
• Operating System: Windows 8.1
• Screen size: 1366x768 or 1600x900
• Speaker: JBL
• Keyboard: Light Up

2012

The IdeaPad Y Series laptops released by Lenovo in mid-2012 were the Y480 and Y580. Lenovo followed them up towards the end of the year with the Y400 and the Y500 which had almost similar specifications. The main difference is that the Y400 and Y500 have an ultrabay slot which can be swapped for another hard drive, another fan or another GPU which will work in SLI with the already integrated one to increase performance drastically.

Y480

The Y480 was released in 2012 with the following specifications:

• CPU/Chipset: 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM (2.30 GHz, 6MB Cache)
• Operating System: Windows® 7 Home Premium
• Memory: 8GB (DDR3)
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT640M LE with DirectX® 11
• Dimensions: 345mm x 239mm x 20-32.8mm (13.6" x 9.4" x 0.8-1.3")
• Display: 14.0" backlit HD display (16:9 widescreen)
• Weight: 2.2 kg (4.85 lbs)
• Storage: HDD: 500GB, 750GB, 1TB (5,400 rpm)
  • SSD: 32GB
• Wireless Connectivity: Ethernet NIC: 1G LAN
  • Kilmer & Kelsey Peak WiMAX/WiFi combos
  • Jackson 1 & W Canyon Peak WiFi + BT combos
  • Puma/Taylor/Marble/Canyon Peak WiFi
  • Wireless 2 x 2 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth®
• Battery Life: Up to 4 hours

Y580

The Y580 was released in late 2012 with the following specifications:

• CPU/Chipset: 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3610QM (2.30 GHz 6MB Cache)(other higher end processors from the 3XXX family were used as well); 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3630QM
• Operating System: Windows® 7 Home Premium (later Windows® 8)
• Memory: 8GB (DDR3 1600 MHz)(up to 16GB)
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660M with DirectX® 11 (gaming class video card with GPU Boost technology enabled) / Intel HD 4000 series)
• Dimensions: 385mm x 255mm x 35.7mm (15.2" x 10.0" x 1.4")
• Display: 15.6" LED backlit HD glossy display; 15.6" LED backlit FHD glossy display (available with a 1920 x 1080 screen)
• Weight: 2.8 kg (6.15 lb)
• HDD: 500GB, 750GB, 1TB (5,400 rpm)
  • HDD: 500GB (7,200rpm)
  • M-SATA SSD: 32GB, 64GB
• Wireless Connectivity: MINI PCI INTEL 2200 802.11 bg/bgn WiFi
  • 10/100/1000M BROADCOM Ethernet LAN
  • Bluetooth® 4.0 (optional on wifi card)
  • Keyboard: Backlit clear-white AccuType keyboard
• Battery Life: Up to 4 hours (6-cell battery

2011

The IdeaPad Y Series laptops released by Lenovo in 2011 were the Y470 and Y570.

Y470

The Y470 was released in 2011 with the following specifications:

• Processor: Up to Intel Core i7-2720QM (2.20 GHz, 6MB Cache)
• Operating System:
  • Windows 7 Professional
  • Windows 7 Home Premium
• Display: 14-inch (high-definition, 1366x768, 16:9)
• Graphics:
  • Up to NVIDIA GeForce 550M 1GB graphics
  • Intel HD Graphics 3000
• RAM: Up to 8GB DDR3 (1066/1333 MHz)
• Storage:
  • Up to 1TB (5400pm/7200rpm) hard disk drive
  • Up to 64GB solid state drive
• Weight: 4.85 lb
• Dimensions (inches): 13.58 x 0.78~1.29 x 9.4

Y570

The Y570 was released in 2011 with the following specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core i7-2920XM (2.00 x 2  GHz, 8MB Cache)
• Operating System:
  • Windows 7 Professional
  • Windows 7 Home Premium
  • Windows 7 Home Basic
• Display: 15.6-inch LED nVidia 3D Vision Ready 128 Hz (High definition, 1366x768, 16:9)
• Graphics:
  • NVIDIA GeForce 555M 2GB CUDA graphics
  • Intel HD Graphics 3000 768 MB
  • nVidia 3D Vision.
• Onekey Recovery.
• RAM: Up to 8GB DDR3 (1066/1333 MHz)
• Storage:
  • Up to 1TB (5400pm or 7200rpm) hard disk drive
  • Up to 64GB solid state drive
• Weight: 5.95 lb
• Dimensions (inches): 15.15 x 0.86~1.4 x 10.03

2010

The IdeaPad Y Series laptops released in 2010 by Lenovo were the Y460, Y460p, Y730, Y560p, and Y560d.

Y460

Released in 2010, the IdeaPad Y460 offered the following specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core i5 520M
• Display: 14.0" HD Wide LED
• Graphics:
  • Intel GMA HD Switchable Graphics
  • ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 (1GB VRAM)
• RAM: 4GB DDR3-1066 RAM
• Storage: 500GB 5400RPM
• Weight: 4.98 lbs
• Dimensions: 13.4 x 0.79–1.3 x 9.25 inches

Notebook Review noted that the Y460 offered "great gaming performance", although the system heated up considerably while gaming. The battery life and design were also praised, with the reviewer stating that there was a "huge improvement in the looks department". LAPTOP Magazine offered a similar opinion, stating that, "Lenovo delivers multimedia and gaming power in a portable design, complete with a one-of-a-kind navigation control".

Y460p

The Y460p laptop was released in 2010 with the following specifications:

• Processor: Up to Intel Core i7-2630QM
• RAM: Up to 8GB PC3-10600 1333 MHz DDR3
• Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6550M
• Dimensions (inches): 13.38 x 9.25 x 0.78 to 1.33
• Weight: 4.85 lbs

Y730

The Y730 laptop was released as an update to the Y710 laptop, with the most significant differences being a chipset update to Intel PM45 and the ability to use DDR3 memory. The laptop offered: Processor: Intel Core 2 X9100 processors, (3.06 GHZ) Display: 17 inch TFT Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 3650 XT RAM: 3GB DDR3 Storage: up to 500GB hard disk drives

Reviewers disagreed on its capacity for gaming. About.com indicated that it was not very fast for high resolution PC gaming, suggesting that it was better suited for casual gamers and viewing HD videos. The screen was also indicated as being a lower resolution than industry standard. On the other hand, the reviewer at GADGETBASE was extremely enthusiastic about the laptop, calling it "the ultimate notebook" with "stellar performance" for "a die-hard gamer".

Y560

The Y560 laptop was also released in 2010 with the following specifications:

• Processor: Up to Intel Core i7-740QM
• RAM: Up to 8GB PC3-10600 1333 MHz DDR3
• Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730
• Weight: 5.95 lbs
• Dimensions (inches): 15.15 x 10.03 x 0.78 to 1.29

Y560p

The Y560p laptop was released in 2010 with the following specifications:

• Processor: Up to Intel Core i7-2630QM
• RAM: Up to 8GB PC3-10600 1333 MHz
• Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6570M
• Weight: 5.95 lbs
• Dimensions (inches): 15.15 x 10.03 x 0.78 to 1.29

Y560d

The Y560d laptop was released in 2010 with the following specifications:

• Processor: Up to Intel Core i7-720QM
• RAM: Up to 8GB PC3-10600 1333 MHz DDR3
• Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730
• Weight: 5.95 lbs
• Dimensions (inches): 15.15 x 10.03 x 0.78 to 1.29

2009

The Y Series laptops launched in 2009 by Lenovo were the Y450 and Y550.

Y450

The successor to the Y430, the Y450 laptop offered the following specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T6400
• Display: 14.0" widescreen (LED backlit)
• RAM: up to 3GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1066 MHz
• Graphics: Intel GMA 4500MHD (integrated)
• Storage: up to 250GB 5400RPM SATA
• Wi-Fi: Intel Wireless Wi-Fi Link 5100
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth Version 2.0 + EDR
• Weight: 4.6 lbs
• Dimensions (inches): 13.4 x 9.1 x 1.4
• Operting Sysyte * = Windows7 64/32 bit

PC World gave the laptop a rating of 2.5 of 5 stars, praising the keyboard, design, and overall value. The negative points were indicated as being an uneven vertical viewing angle.

Y550

Released in 2009, the IdeaPad Y550 laptop offered the following specifications:

• Processor: 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6400
• RAM: up to 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
• Storage: up to 320GB SATA
• Display: 15.6-inch (LED backlit, glossy, maximum resolution of 1366x768)
• Graphics: Intel X4500MHD (integrated)
• Weight: 5 lbs
• Dimensions (inches): 15.2 x 10.0 x 1.02 to 1.5

• Cons: It is not supported Intel Virtualization Technology(Intel-VT), and that's why you can't install win-2008server R2 64bit or Redhat 64-bit operating system in your live laptop or in virtual pc, vmWare, Vbox etc.

Notebook Review called the IdeaPad Y550 laptop well-built, with a wide array of options. The design was also appreciated and as with previous IdeaPad Y Series laptops, both the keyboard and touchpad were positively received.

2008

The Y Series laptops launched in 2008 by Lenovo were the Y710, Y510, Y530, and Y430.

Y710

The first type of Y Series laptops was the Y7xx models, including the Y710 and Y730. The Y710 laptop offered the following specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T5450, T8100 or T9300
• RAM: up to 4GB RAM
• Storage: up to 500GB
• Display: 17" widescreen (maximum resolution of 1440x900)
• Graphics: ATI HD2600 (256MB video RAM)
• Weight: 7.9 lbs
• Dimensions (inches): 15.5 x 11.2 x 1.02 to 1.5
• Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
• Optical Drive: DVD-Burner or Blu-ray
• Battery: 6-cell battery
• Battery life: up to 4 hours

Y510

The Y510 notebook offered the following specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T2330, T5450, or T5550
• Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
• Display: 15" widescreen (maximum resolution of 1280x800)
• Graphics: Intel X3100 (integrated, up to 256MB shared video RAM)
• Storage: up to 250GB
• RAM: up to 4GB RAM
• Optical Drive: DVD-Burner
• Battery: 6-cell battery
• Battery life: up to 4 hours of battery life
• Weight: 6.4 lbs
• Dimensions (inches): 14.1 x 10.3 x 1.14-1.42

Y530

The Y530 notebook was the successor to the Y510, with the same chassis but with an upgrade to the Intel Centrino 2 processor. While the notebook was slightly thicker than other, similar laptops, it was still portable and easy to carry around. The notebook weighed 6.6 lbs and had a form factor of 14.2 x 10.3 x 1.4 inches.

Notebook Review stated that the positive points of the Y530 notebook were the build quality, the speaker system, and the comfortable keyboard and touchpad. The negative points were the NVIDIA 9300M graphics card, and the highly reflective display.

Y430

The IdeaPad Y430 featured a 14.1 inch screen, an Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 processor, Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics, and weighed 5.3 lbs. PC World was enthusiastic in its review of the Y430 notebook, calling it "among the best midsized laptops available" and "a joy to use". Summing up the notebook’s capabilities, PC World said, "This is a solidly built unit that's a joy to use and has plenty of grunt for most applications. It also has versatile networking options, including the ability to connect to 5GHz 802.11n routers."

External links

• IdeaPad Y Series on Lenovo.com
• Ideapad Y50 on Lenovo.com
• Ideapad Y40 on Lenovo.com
• Ideapad Y500 on Lenovo.com