Lenovo IdeaPad 330 review: A solid 17-inch laptop, if you install an SSD

When I'1000 looking to be productive, more screen real estate is a necessity. Bigger screens lets me have multiple windows in view at one time, or pin different applications to the screen corners. While I can go past on a 12-inch screen, I adore 15- and 17-inchers.

While strolling through Best Purchase a week ago, I saw a compelling 17-inch laptop from Lenovo: the Ideapad 330. After playing on the display model laptop a scrap, I decided to take the plunge and purchase the laptop myself.

Nigh this review

This model has an 8th Gen Intel Cadre i5-8250U processor (CPU); 8GB of DDR4 RAM; a 1TB, 5400 RPM Hd (HDD); and a 17-inch, 720p display. After using the stock configuration, I swapped in a 512gb SATA 3 Solid Country Bulldoze (SSD) and installed a clean version of Windows from a USB drive.

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Lenovo IdeaPad 330 17-inch hardware and specifications

Category	20
Processor	8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U Quad-core
Brandish	17-inch 1600 ten 900 (Hard disk drive)
RAM	8GB DDR4-2400MHz
Storage	1TB 5400RPM SATA HDD
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 620
Ports	Proprietary power Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet HDMI ane.4B Two USB-A iii.0 3.5mm audio in/out USB-C 3.0 (information only) SD bill of fare reader DVD reader
Speakers	Dual 1.5W stereo with Dolby Audio
Wireless	Intel Dual Band Wireless Air conditioning-3165 802.11ac (2 x ii) Bluetooth 4.1
Camera	Front end-facing 720p
Security	dTPM 2.0
Keyboard	Non backlit
Touchpad	Not Precision
Biometrics	N/A
Bombardment	30Wh, 4000mAh internal
Weight	6.17 lbs (ii.8 kg)
Dimensions	16.46 in x 11.52 in 10 0.98 in (418.ane mm 10 292.6 mm 10 24.89 mm)

Lenovo Ideapad 330 17-inch design and features

This laptop is built entirely out of plastic, to keep both the weight and the cost down. But information technology isn't cheap-feeling, and it won't scratch hands. Information technology's also well balanced: it's not a huge strain to briefly utilize it one-handed, with the bottom of the laptop resting on my forearm. It'south likewise non awful to deport in a backpack.

In that location are 15 screws keeping the back panel attached. Unscrew those and run a flathead screwdriver or spudger along the panel seam, and information technology will be off in no time. Inside, you can come across the 2.5-inch hard drive, bombardment and unmarried SODIMM slot for RAM. This model also includes 4GB of RAM soldered onto the lath, allowing for a maximum of 20GB if yous really want to expand it. The DVD drive comes off with the back console, and can be replaced with a Blu-ray drive. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth card is located in the middle and tin can be replaced with any m.2 network card.

Finally, yous can come across in that location's a chip of extra room around the battery. At this time Lenovo does not sell larger batteries that y'all tin install for this laptop.

There are full-sized HDMI, USB-A and Ethernet ports, so you won't need a dongle. Unfortunately, the USB-C port merely works for information transfers, non display-out or charging. I love having the full-sized ports to exist able present materials in meetings, simply it'south frustrating that Lenovo crippled the USB-C port.

The built-in microphones are serviceable for video calls, but the webcam is bad. There aren't whatsoever biometrics available for Windows Hello, which isn't also much of a surprise given the price bespeak.

Lenovo Ideapad 330 17-inch keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard and touchpad are generously-sized, fitting with the large chassis. The keys themselves offer plenty of travel, and crave a satisfying amount of force to register input. They aren't strong or loose. Unfortunately, at that place isn't backlighting, but at that place are lights to indicate if Caps Lock and the Number Pad are on.

The trackpad is a different story. It's a good size, just information technology doesn't apply Precision drivers. Trying to install Precision drivers just left the trackpad inoperable, so I resigned to using a wireless mouse with the laptop.

Lenovo Ideapad 330 17-inch performance

Besides the size, performance is the main appeal of this laptop. For merely $530, you're getting the same processor that's in the $i,200 ThinkPad T470. You're also getting 8GB of RAM, more than plenty to keep up with most utilise cases.

What doesn't keep up with most use cases is the 5400 RPM hard drive. I'k not sure why Lenovo decided to pair this great CPU and RAM with such slow storage, but the product is worse for it.

Thankfully, you lot can easily put any SSD in this laptop and it'll scream. Whether you already accept an SSD or you just want to spend an extra $eighty or so, y'all'll be so happy y'all did. With the SSD in place, the laptop starts upwards virtually 10 times faster, powers down much faster, applications open in an instant, and multitasking is a breeze.

More than: How to speed up an sometime PC with an affordable SSD

The display is just OK. It's a 720p panel with decent colors and viewing angles.

Some other bad marking is the battery. Even with a full charge and upwards to date BIOS and power management drivers, I could only squeeze almost three and a one-half hours of work from the laptop. That's just writing upward Google Docs documents inside Microsoft Edge, with a couple other Edge tabs open for inquiry. I had the screen effulgence at 75 percent,, which is the minimum you'll want to utilise it at. This is also a 720p console, so the GPU isn't working nigh as hard as it could be. Simply put, the default battery is as well minor. If you're going to use this laptop, exist prepared to bring the charger with you wherever y'all become.

Lenovo Ideapad 330 17-inch review conclusion

Out of the box, this laptop is pretty terrible to use considering of the boring HDD and low bombardment life. However, information technology'southward an cheap style to get great functioning, if you don't mind installing an SSD and maybe a larger battery if they become available.

Working on such a big screen is a joy, and it performs better than anything else at this toll indicate once you swap the hard drive out. At that place are enough of ports, simply not beingness able to use the USB-C port for charging or display-out is what's going to cause me to return this laptop.

Pros:

Like shooting fish in a barrel to upgrade internals.
Big brandish.
Great keyboard.
Total sized Ethernet, USB-A and HDMI ports.

Cons:

Poor webcam.
No Precision trackpad.
USB-C port is express.
Stock HDD is slow.
Stock bombardment is as well minor.

Best Buy has these on auction regularly. It costs $530 right now, but I picked it up for $439 a week ago. Even calculation $100 for an SSD, either of those prices is a bargain for a laptop with the i5-8250U and 8GB of RAM. If yous don't mind the effort information technology takes to install the SSD, and you tin can find a way to manage the battery life, information technology'southward hard not to similar this laptop despite its faults.

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