Lenovo IdeaCentre B310

The IdeaCentre B310 from Lenovo is an all-in-one computer with a 21.5-inch Full HD screen as well as what aims to be a balanced, multimedia oriented configuration. For a good deal less than what you'd pay for an iMac 21.5-inch, it also has a built-in digital tuner.

Features: no video out but with built-in digital tuner

The chassis of this all-in-one looks more like the Packard Bell OneTwo S A3001 than the Apple machine, so don't look for any metal or aluminium here. All you'll find is plastic, though it is of good quality. The finish is good and a photo frame type base is used for the screen.

The Bluetooth keyboard supplied with the B310 is a decent size and has a number pad. The keys are well proportioned and well positioned. Our main reproach is that the palm rest tends to give when you press on it, but this doesn't affect its functionality.

The mouse - also Bluetooth - does the job well. Its pads don't stick to the desk and its precision is sufficient to use it both for gaming and office work. It wouldn't have hurt to give it a few extra buttons - it only has the standard left, right and scroll.

The webcam is rather mediocre. The whites are burned, the greys too light and the blacks blocked. The image pixelises and flickering is apparent. In other words, you'll only want to use it as a fallback.

Hot air is evacuated from behind. While heat is well managed, the fan can be heard. Thankfully however the noise levels don't rise too high and are easily masked by any background noise.

 

The connectivity comprises six USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet (RJ45) socket, a mini-jack for sending audio to an external kit, headphones and mic sockets, an SD card reader and a memory stick and is shared along the back and left hand side of the machine. The DVD rewriter is on the right. While the lack of rapid USB 3.0 or eSATA port is deplorable, the fact that there's no video out is even more of an issue. As things stand, the only way to run the B310 in a dual screen system is to link up a USB monitor. Thankfully, the B310's processor can handle the additional processing load that adding such a screen implies.

This all-in-one however has a not insignificant advantage if you're counting on using it in a bedroom or small flat: a digital tuner! This means you can use it to watch TV or record programmes.
 

Processing: an all-rounder

In contrast to the OneTwo S A3001 (AMD E-350 APU designed for netbooks), the B310 has a real desktop processor: the Intel Core i3-550. Although slower than a quad core processor with heavy applications, performance levels should be sufficient to allow you to use them from time to time. It will be fine for users who don't do too much photo retouching or video editing (it'll handle your summer holiday home video!). It's perfectly at ease with general purpose taks (office documents, Internet browsing, video playback).

1080p video enthusiasts won't be disappointed either as the AMD Radeon HD 5450 graphics card will decode HD video no problem.

It takes more than forty seconds to launch Windows and another twenty five for all the various pieces of software and the wi-fi connection to become operational. It takes around 10 seconds to turn off.

Think retro-gaming!

The AMD Radeon HD 5450 has zero 3D capacity when it comes to gaming. You have to go for older titles such as Counter Strike Source if you want to be able to play under decent conditions.

Audio: lack of power

The B310's audio is nothing to write home about. Both the speakers and the headphones socket lack power. The mic in does a bit better. There's a slight hiss but no interference.

We had hoped for better here, especially as there's plenty of space available for the built-in speakers.

How much energy does the IdeaCentre B310 consume?

Looking at energy consumption, the IdeaCentre B310 is pretty much on a par with the iMac 21.5, which however has more powerful components. On standby, it only consumes 0.6 Watts and, once up and running hovers around the 60 Watt mark, going up to 90 Watts when playing 1080p videos.