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Because of their heat and power limitations, all-in-ones generally don't make the best platform for gaming systems. That hasn't stopped Lenovo from trying. The $1,399 IdeaCentre B500 08873AU actually boasts more than just a stylized exterior. It has the fastest 3D chip among Windows-based all-in-ones, and posted reasonably capable gaming performance. Lenovo missed a big opportunity by leaving out an HDMI input. This IdeaCentre also still lags far behind traditional gaming desktops. Only gamers with less-demanding performance needs should consider this PC. Other shoppers tempted by its large screen or its Blu-ray drive can find those same features elsewhere for less.
Designing a chassis' looks to appeal to gamers can lead to disastrous or comical results, but in this case Lenovo came up with a relatively noncontroversial appearance. The stylized face of the system features angular chrome and brushed-aluminum-looking plastic, as well as a downfacing white LED that illuminates the keyboard and highlights the B500's design. You can turn the light off via touch capacitive controls, and overall the look is subtle enough that all but the most design-sensitive should find it inoffensive.
Along with the system itself, this $1,399 configuration also includes a wireless mouse and keyboard, as well as a motion-tracking remote control. All of the devices rely on Bluetooth, which means you need to go through Windows' still-clunky Bluetooth pairing process. The mouse and keyboard worked fine, but we were never able to get the remote control to work reliably. That's too bad, too, because its promised motion tracking would be useful.
| Lenovo IdeaCentre B500 08873AU | Sony Vaio L117FX | |
| Price | $1,399 | $1,999 |
| Display size/resolution | 23-inches, 1,920x1,080 | 24-inches, 1,920x1,080 |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400S | Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400S |
| Memory | 6GB 1,066MHz DDR2 SDRAM | 6GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM |
| Graphics | 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 250M | 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 240M |
| Hard drives | 1TB, 7,200 rpm | 1TB, 7,200 rpm |
| Optical drive | Blu-ray/DVD-burner combo drive | Blu-ray burner |
| Networking | Gigabit Ethernet. 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth | Gigabit Ethernet. 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth |
| TV Tuner | Yes | Yes |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
The Lenovo and Sony systems have some important differences, but you won't find them among their core components. First, note the $600 price differential in Lenovo's favor. Sony has an edge in its screen size, but only by an inch, and with no resolution improvement. The Lenovo boasts a slightly faster graphics chip. Sony's other advantages include a touch screen, complete with a marginally useful touch-based software suite, and, more importantly, an HDMI input.
We've praised the idea of equipping all-in-one desktops with HDMI inputs ever since Sony first unveiled the concept a few years ago. The idea has spread to other all-in-one vendors, but sadly Lenovo did not incorporate that feature into the B500. With that capability, you can plug any game console or modern cable box into the Sony and use it as your primary entertainment device. Such a system would be perfect for a dorm room or other small space. We're hesitant to argue that an HDMI-in is enough to justify the Sony's higher price tag, but when you can find the same feature on a $700 Asus all-in-one, its absence in the Lenovo feels like a significant missed opportunity. If it doesn't achieve its potential as a home media hub, we can at least say that as an all-in-one computer, the Lenovo IdeaCentre B500 has a strong configuration for its price.
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Our application charts make a strong case for the Lenovo's performance as well. As expected, it falls behind Apple's $1,699 27-inch iMac as well as Gateway's traditional $1,299 FX6831-01 gaming desktop. Among its Windows-based all-in-one competition, the B500 has little trouble. In fairness to HP, we haven't seen its more recent Core i5 or Core i3-based TouchSmart 600 at the time of this writing, so we can't make an unequivocal statement about the Lenovo's performance. What we can say is that it will get through most consumer-level productivity tasks with little to no trouble.
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The IdeaCentre B500's gaming performance is similarly impressive among all-in-ones, although that's kind of like posting the fastest time in the 100-yard stroll. At least judging from its Unreal Tournament 3 performance, we can say that the IdeaCentre should be able to handle older titles at lower resolutions. We found at its native 1,920x1,080-pixel setting, though, it could only hit 55 frames per second on Unreal, short of our 60fps threshold for worry-free gaming at a given resolution. Its Far Cry 2 scores are even more troubling, coming shy of 30fps at 1,440x900 pixels.
