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Monday, September 5, 2011

LG P420-N.AE21G Notebook Review

Not much is heard about the South Korean producer for a long time. LG is trying to return the notebook market. One of the first devices that will launch the LG-P420 N.AE21G.

At first glance, the laptop looks like an Apple product, as it is - like most others, too - mostly white plastic. LG creates a 14-inch screen, in this book. There would be nothing special in itself. However, the cover is about 40 percent thinner than other similar laptops.

Consequently, the P420 is "thick", is just 25.9 mm thick. In addition, the 14-inch screen is almost stretched to the limits of the close. LG has created a larger screen in a case with a width of only 33.3 cm, with this "trick". The laptop looks like a device class of 13 inches.

I5-2410M operates within the P420-N.AE21G. And 'the last generation dual-core Sandy Bridge and the system clock is 2.3 GHz. In addition, embedded with Intel HD Graphics, 3000, is dedicated to entry-level graphics card, Nvidia GeForce GT 520, the arrangement of the video. The LG P420 notebook has 4 GB of DDR3 memory module and a 2.5-inch hard drive (gross) of memory 500 GBS.

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system used in this book. LG has built-in WLAN, Bluetooth and Gigabit LAN for communication problems. UMTS/3G module is not installed. LG recommends a price of 800 euros.

Specifications LG P420-N.AE21G :
  • Processor : Intel Core i5 2410M 2.3 GHz
  • Mainboard : Intel HM65
  • Memory : 4096 MB, A-Data AD73I1C1674EV
  • Graphics adapter : NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M - 512 MB, Core: 740 MHz, Memory: 800 MHz, 48 core, 8.17.12.6639 - nVIDIA ForceWare 266.39
  • Display : 14.0 inch 16:9, 1366x768 pixel, LG LP140WH2-TLL4, LED backlight, HD-ready, glare, glossy: yes
  • Harddisk : Toshiba MK5059GSXP , 500GB 5400rpm
  • Soundcard : Intel Cougar Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
  • Connections : 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 2, Card Reader: MMC, SD, MS, MS Pro, xD
  • Networking : Atheros AR8151 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit), 802.11 b/g/n (bgn), 1 Bluetooth
  • Optical drive : HL-DT-ST DVD+-RW GU40N
  • Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 25,9-31,5 x 333 x 221
  • Weight : 2 kg Power Supply: 0.524 kg
  • Battery : 48 Wh Lithium-Ion, SQU-1007
  • Price : 800 Euro
  • Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
  • Additional features : Webcam: 1,3 Megapixel, LG Smart Software, LG Media Funtasia, CyberLink DVD Suite, Microsoft Office Starter 2010 (pre-installed), Norton AntiVirus 2011 (90 day trial version), 24 Months Warranty
Case
LG has paid much attention to appearance and stability. The producer is dependent on the colors black and white for its P420-N.AE21G where white is the main color. The matt surface is very resistant to fingerprints and dust. They leave no visible traces.

The laptop about 2000 grams of light is well built and very stable. The thin plastic cover does not even under pressure and can be folded with great vigor. The new laptop can be opened with both hands. The two small hinges (yet) have a firm grip and the base unit is also elevator without counterweight.

Connectivity
There is nothing strange about P420 connections. Three USB ports are divided into a laptop on the left and right. However, only USB 2.0 support. The device has two extra monitors and HDMI VGA socket. DVD-ROM drive is also mounted on the side.

Headphone Jack (1 input, 1 output) and the wired network RJ45 connector located on the right. LG is a hidden SD card reader and MMC memory cards in front of the back cover. P420-N.AE21G on the back does not have doors or taken at all.

The number of ports in the region of the front may be uncomfortable for left handed users when they are used. Right-handers have an easier time with the P420.

Display
The 14-inch, equivalent to a size of 35.5-inch screen has a resolution of 1366x768 pixels, so a 16:9 format. Additional monitors can be used with the laptop through the VGA and / or HDMI. The maximum resolution is 2560x1600 pixels external HDMI. Only a maximum of 2048x1536 pixels via VGA. You can use the internal display with an external monitor simultaneously.

Surface of the LED-backlit display is bright. It is a big part of the surrounding area reflected on the screen. Reflections are not seen enough so intense in shaded rooms.

We have measured a value of 1.34 cd/m2 black on the screen, resulting in low 143:1 contrast. Dark images or movies and shows have a dark gray. Images comparing the ICC color profile with the demonstration of different spectrums of color as the reference color space of the P420 are not even close to being covered. Thus, the display is not suitable for graphic design or image editing.

LED background assessment results in a maximum brightness of 206 cd/m2 of brightness in the distribution of 85 percent. The brightness is reduced slightly from left to right and can also be seen with the eye on conditions in some display.

While bright colors can still be returned to office, they quickly lose their intensity when the laptop is used outside. Sunlight does not even have to hit directly on the screen. The content displayed can hardly be recognized, even in the shade - you can only view the video player weakness in our image.

We could see the garden as the video itself, which was played during the photo shoot on the laptop screen. LG P420 laptop screen high-gloss also has other defects. Viewing angle stability is not satisfactory. The quality of the display contrast and color are very impressive when you sit in front of the laptop.

The contents of the screen does not suffer significant losses when viewed from the left or right. However, when the screen is tilted back or forward, the image deteriorates if not overwhelmingly good. The image quickly fades or reverse when the vertical viewing angle is deflected. This effect is further increased when the content is shown from the side.

Performance
Intel dual-core is installed on the LG 420 N.AE21G. I5-2410M is a key and may use 2.3 GHz to 3 MB L3 cache. Memory controller and HD graphics are also included in the CPU. Intel Core i5-2410M includes a so-called "second generation", also known as Sandy Bridge.

The processor is working on two processor cores and can handle up to four threads simultaneously, due to Hyper Threading. The basic clock of the processor can be dynamically increased up to 2.9 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost - provided that the CPU is cooled enough.

The chip is manufactured using Intel's 32 nm process and power loss of up to 35 watts. I5-2410M important field of application, which in this case, in laptops with screens of 14 inches for use in the office or multimedia sector.

We check for possible latency issues, which may change due to errors in synchronization with external hardware to interact with the program, DPC Latency Checker. All evaluations were in the green zone, as shown on the screen. Thus, restrictions especially in the audio or video can not be expected.

We examined the performance i5-2410M, making programs, and Maxon Cinebench R10 to R11.5. Score 3713 (32bit) was recorded at 4,580 points (64 bit) single-core rendering. These results are slightly above average for notebooks we've tested on the same processor. For example, Toshiba Tecra R850-11P (32-bit: 3673, 64-bit: 4521) or MSI CX640 (32-bit: 3570, 64-bit: 4502).

LG did not create new records with 2.31 points in Cinebench R11.5, but the score was at the expected level. LG P420 gained 6296 points in PCMark Vantage benchmark is 64 and in midfield.

PCMark 1745 results recorded seven points, which is slightly below average. ASUS U30SD reaches 1772 points. A small 13.3-inch laptop, the Lenovo IdeaPad M5657GE-Z370 also managed to score, or 2189 in this benchmark.