My review of dual-core X100e

I got a X100e with a dual-core AMD Neo X2 L335. Reviews by engadget etc all used single-core. Dual-core version's performance is pretty good and way better than a netbook. I have also posted this review on gdgt.

1. Build quality is fantastic. Machine feels solid with no flex in body. Its plastic but does not feel cheap. Matte finish is a plus.

2. Matte screen is a big plus. Screen is good with decent viewing angles. Screen also folds all the way back too.

3. Keyboard is fantastic and best-in-class for this size of laptops. Design is not classic thinkpad but feels fantastic with no flex at all. It feels like a lovechild of a Vaio and a Thinkpad, but trust me, its a good keyboard. A larger thinkpad keyboard will still be better but for this size you cant beat this keyboard currently.

4. Battery life is about 3+ hours on both Win7 and Ubuntu under a combination of web browsing over wifi, writing a report and some CPU-intensive compilation activity. One peculiar thing is that estimates of battery life left vary wildly with the CPU load. The CPU appears to guzzle a LOT of power (comparitively) if running at peak frequency so you want to always limit CPU frequency if battery life is important. So battery life figures from different sources will also vary quite a bit depending on the CPU load they put in the test.

6. Performance under Win7 is a little slow under power saver mode but feels way faster than a netbook (comparing to Eee 1000H). Runs very hot when under stress to the point where I will recommend using a notebook cooler when running CPU intensive activity. Keyboard and palm-rest do not get hot but the underside will cook your lap if you attempt something like gaming. I had a small single-fan Targus "netbook-cooler" laying around and it proved to be really effective.

7. Performance under Ubuntu 10.04 is really good even in power save mode. However, Ubuntu installation is a bit of a pain. You must absolutely install fglrx or the machine may have random lockups. Wifi out-of-the-box does not work, networks are detected and connect but no internet. After installing drivers from realtek site, I still had trouble with WPA2 enterprise while WPA2 personal works fine. Wifi works fine under Windows. I had also blacklisted thinkpad_acpi as it seems to not have support for X100e (I believe a patch is required). One peculiar thing is that powertop freezes the machine.

8. Undervolting using RMClock has not been successful till now and I havent been able to find any stable voltages till now.
I am giving up further undervolting testing for now.

9. Webcam and mic works well. Webcam is 0.3MP but works fine even in somewhat low light. An older 1.3MP webcam displayed very dark images under same conditions but this one was pretty clear.

10. If you are concerned about size, note that it easily slipped into a Eee 1000H sleeve that came free with the eee. Eee 1000H was one of the bulkier netbooks but still the X100e is only slightly larger than a netbook. Its slightly wider but not by much and will fit easily into almost any bag that can fit a netbook unless its a very specific 10'' sleeve.

CONCLUCSIONS:

Overall, its good for people who want an easy-to-carry machine that will still be used mostly plugged in at various locations throughout the day. Ergonomics and build quality are fantastic for size and weight and performance is way better than a netbook so in day-to-day use it will feel adequate. If you want a machine that can browse the web and run youtube only, look at cheaper, cooler running longer lasting Intel CULV machines like the Acer timelines perhaps.

But if you want a machine that will be used for writing reports etc you will find X100e to a better machine due to better ergonomics. Specification-wise the X100e pales due to the power hungry processor. But once you use the machine it grows on you quite a bit and I am very happy with my purchase even given the issues above.

 

Also here are is one shot comparing X100e to a Eee 1000H.


Here is one shot comparing the keyboard of X100e to a USB thinkpad keyboard. The USB keyboard is about 1.5cm or so wider.

 

Nice Review. Thanks.

 

Nice review. Battery life is disappointing as always with this model. Can you report back with the peak life you get at light/normal usage? I'm always surprised by how small the x100e really is. With half an inch smaller screen than my x200s it's actually a lot smaller overall.

 

They should have put an atom or an intel culv in it. It will cure two of x100e's problem. The battery life and the heat.

 

I will try to test this next week. And yes, its quite small and pretty slim too.

Yes. But I am a developer learning OpenGL currently though so I am happy that I didnt get stuck with Intel integrated
Hopefully they will update the model with upcoming 45nm AMD Neos at least.

 

Thank you for the review! i also ordered the X100e yesterday. The reason i chose X100e is because it is capable of playing a HD 1080 movie(when plug-in). Lots of $500 netbook cannot play 1080 movie porperly. Also the built quality and the upgradeability of this machine. And, its a thinkpad!
I wonder if you can improve the heat issue by replaceing the thermal pad by better aftermarket thermal anything! I will try it after the one year warranty.
Question about the ram. Can you install any kind of DDR2 200 pin SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) on it?
Again, thankyou for your review!

 

The heat issue will not be solve by thermal paste. The improvement you will see is pobably around 5 degree. If you notice the heat to be uncomfortably hot the 5 degree probably won't make a difference.

 

and would cause 2 more problems- CPU and GPU deficiency

 

Thank you for the reply! i replaced the factory thermal pad in my T60p for the Arctic silver 5 and lower the cpu temp. by over 10-15 degree. But then the heatsink is copper rather than alumium in X100e(not sure).

I found a video in youtube which shows the start up/shut down time in window 7 and video screening capability.

YouTube - Lenovo X100e VideoReview

Thankyou!