| Rating | Where to buy |
 | Amazon.com *Same or similar item |
Lenovo G580 with model number 59359680 is an affordable Windows 8 laptop built for basic everyday computing. It comes with a basic hardware configuration to keep its price below $350. However, despite its low price, it sports fairly good hardware configuration and features a 720p webcam and 2 USB 3.0 ports.
Design and features
Lenovo G580 looks exotic with its matte black finish and nicely curved edges. It looks and feels good in the hand. It does not catch fingerprints unless your fingers are sweaty. G580 is durable but only negligibly heavier (5.7 pounds) than other 15.6 inch laptops.
Lenovo G580 sports Intel Pentium B960 2.2 GHz processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, and 320GB Hard Drive. This is a reasonable hardware configuration for a Windows 8 laptop priced at $350. This configuration makes Lenovo G580 an entry-level laptop capable of running commonly used software and applications.
The overall design of the Lenovo G580 is kept very simple. But the placement of ports is a slightly odd; for example, the Charger-In port is located on the right panel where a Kensington lock is usually found. The right panel also has a USB 2.0 port, the DVD R/W, and a 3.5mm audio-in port. On its left panel, there is the Kensington lock, vent, VGA and LAN ports, and two USB 3.0 ports. The memory card reader slot is located on its front; it comes with a cover. What disappointed us is that Lenovo G580 does not have an HDMI port. Lenovo G580 features a full-size ACCUTYPE keyboard, which is finger friendly. It features a 720p webcam for better video chatting experience.
Performance
Lenovo G580 59359680 boot up reasonably fast. The screen was bright and crisp; it looked more attractive with vibrant colors of Windows. Programs opened and ran fast. We played some music videos; the sound and video quality were flawless. The Wi-Fi reception was good. In fact, we had a great video chatting experience with nice video resolution and clear voice.
The two USB 3.0 ports came handy when we transferred five Blu-Ray movies from our external Hard Drive to the laptop. It took only 58 seconds to transfer the files.
On the negative side, Lenovo G580 froze 78 minutes after its first boot up. We had to take the battery out from its slot and reinsert it for it to start again. Yet, Lenovo G580 would not restart normally; so we tried Lenovo’s OneKey Recovery, which resolved the problem. We ran it for the next 165 minutes continuously to test if it freezes again. It did not freeze. But its battery ran out of its juices (after running for 4 hours).
| Pros | Cons |
| Windows 8, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 720p webcam. Affordable new laptop for $350. The battery lasts for more than 4 hours. | No HDMI port. Froze on its first run after 78 minutes. Lenovo OneKey recovery resolved the problem, after which it ran flawlessly until its battery ran out of juices. |
Conclusion
Lenovo G580 can be a decent choice for anyone looking for a basic Windows 8 laptop under $400. G580 works reasonably fast. It has two USB 3.0 ports so to let you enjoy speedier transfer and 720p webcam for better video chatting experience. However, it did freeze once during our test run; we were able to fix the problem using Lenovo’s OneKey Recovery. It worked nicely after that. We give Lenovo G580 a 3.5-star rating. You might also like our post on Best laptops under $500.
Specifications
Display: 15.6 inches
Resolution: 1366 x 768 pixels
Processor: 2.2 GHz Pentium B960
RAM: 4 GB DDR3
Hard Drive: 320 GB SATA
Optical Drive: DVDRW
Graphics Coprocessor: Integrated Intel HD Graphics
Wireless: 802.11bgn
USB 2.0 Ports: 1
USB 3.0 Ports: 2
Average Battery Life: 5 hours
Operating System: Windows 8
Weight: 5.7 pounds
Dimensions: 14.80 x 9.65 x 1.35 inches