User Reviews for Lenovo essential G505S (59-380131) (APU Quad Core A10/4 GB/1 TB/Windows 8) Laptop

I am partial towards Lenovo because I had the Lenovo G530 earlier, which lasted over five years on heavy usage. I chose AMD processor this time around because - nnAMD offered a cheaper option with Windows 8nAMD iGPU is better than Intel's nAMD Crossfire has a good reputation amongst gamers nnI've had the device for around a month now, and here are my observations - nnLooks - 1/5 - The device doesn't just has a body, no looks. It has a textured back and a polished look of the area around the keyboard, but that is it. If you're looking for a beauty, head to Apple, HP or Dell (or even Sony if you fancy it). Build quality is decent, though I haven't really sent it (or intend to send it) tumbling down the stairs. There is a little extra space at the keyboard/chassis junction, but I don't know if its a manufacturing defect or not. Why do I give it a 1 point ? The device is slim, which makes it a little more portable. nnDisplay - 4/5 - It is a glare display, which means reflections will be an issue. However the visuals are smooth and crisp at the same time, with full HD videos appearing perfect. VIsuals in games also appear good, though (as I mention below) I've only played a limited number. To be honest going for 15.6 inches was perhaps overkill, since you don't really need such a large display on a mobile device. Then again, to each his own. nnI/O - 3/5 - The keyboard feels a bit flimsy, which I guess is my own perception. Like every laptop worth its salt, the touchpad is big, overtly responsive, and interferes every time you type hard and fast. Most of my day is spent typing out documents, so I'm currently placing a piece of cloth over the touchpad and typing over it. Disingenuous, but that's a sureshot working answer to this problem. Camera is decent, and the USB?HDMI/Ethernet ports doing well. Mind you, the arrangement of USB ports is assymetrical, with two on the left and one on the right. nnProcessor - 5/5 - I didn't buy this device for looks or (for that matter) excessive comfort. Processing was my No 1 priority, and the AMD Quad Core delivers with a score of 7.1 on the Windows Experience center. Boot up takes five seconds, and loading any simply program even less time. I am not a developer/programmer so I can't speak for highly demanding stuff. Overall though, crisp and smooth. nnRAM - 5/5 - 4 gigs does fine, with nothing lagging. Try to keep the running programs to a minimum and you'll do just fine (even with heavy games).nnGaming - I love gaming, so a Radeon HD 8570 or roundabouts was needed. Specifications are actually confusing, since the 8570 + 8650G together show 4GB of graphics memory with 1378MB shared. Flipkart says 2GB, so where does the rest come from ? Anyhow, I've played Assassins' Creed Brotherhood, Revelations, III and IV Black Flag without any lag (with progressive decline of settings ofcourse). Up till AC III though, I could play on rather high settings without lag. I noticed another user complain that the device is poor for gaming. I won't disagree in absolute terms, but dude this is a laptop at 40 grand, what more do you expect ? Get an Alienware if you're a gaming pro. nnPS - Call of Duty Black Ops II and Diablo III running great as well on moderate settings. nnHeating 1/5 without update, 4/5 with update- The device doubled as a frying pan (figuratively) when I first got it. Thanks to some of the users here I updated the BIOS to 2.05 using the 3MB update file. Mind you the update took about 5 minutes, so you have to be patient. Things have now improved, though I'm still getting a cooling pad (suggestions ?) nnSound 2.5/5 - The rig boasts of Dolby v2, but I didn't really find anything breathtaking. Its okay, and perhaps good for a laptop, but I still prefer my Plantronics headset for THE audio nirvana. nnValue for Money ? - The keyboard and the looks aren't exactly the stuff of dreams. Otherwise, the device is great for average tasks and moderate gaming. I'll update this review as and when I push the G505s to new limits, but right now I'm satisfied. nnOverall rating -4/5

There is a known issue with this laptop "Overheating causes Automatic System shutdown" . But this issue can easily be resolved through a simple BIOS Update.nLenovo G505s shuts down automatically when CPU temperature rises too high (sometimes 90 centigrade) without FAN running.This happens only with Laptops running with Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit and Windows 8.1 64-bit.nnSolution: Updating the new BIOS to version 2.03 (Currently laptops will be shipped with 2.02 Version) can solve this issue.You can download and update the Latest BIOS from Lenovo Support Section

Bought this laptop in February from the Lenovo retail store- Considering this supposed to be a gaming laptop it comes with problems such as overheating.nnHowever the biggest problem I faced thus far was that this laptop lags when you plug in the AC adapter and runs fine with battery. This is a universal problem with this laptop, so it effects all users. However, a simple BIOS update will solve both issues.nnTo do this:nn1. Go to support.lenovo.comnn2. Click on download driversnn3. Mention your laptop model nn4. Mention your Operating System and current BIOS version.nn5. Download the BIOS executable file (.exe)nn6. Double click downloaded file and start install.nnAdvise you to read the "readme file" as well.nnEnsure that you A/C adapter is plugged in at all times. The download only took 2 minutes for me. You don't have to back up any files when doing this. The laptop will restart indicating the BIOS is updated. nnOnce this completes check the version- The latest version is version 2.05 nnI am satisfied with this product, but it plays the latest games such as MKK and Batman Origins without any lag only at low or medium settings.nnThe laptop is really good for the price but is not what a gamer would expect in terms of high graphics and performance. In the end its all upto the gamer and his expectations.

This laptop comes with AMD A10 processor which is equal to intel I7 nthe performance is better than I5 nthe build quality is good nall in all better laptop within budgetncan definitely go for it.

3 gb Graphics Memory.amd radeon hd 8650g vs 8750m dual graphics,battlefield 4 ,call of duty ghost ,crysis 3you can play hd games with medium settings. if yo Expand your ram to 8gb you can play any big games in high settings.at this price its a great gaming Laptop.