Product Listing

LG R590 - Multimedia Powerhouse!

By Andy Sim & Aloysius Low - 13 Jan 2011
Launch SRP: S$2399

Battery Life & Portability Index

Battery Life and Portability Index

Weighing 2.7kg on average, the LG R590 might induce aching arms when carried around over longer periods. We can't fault the notebook's mobility too much since most 15.6-inchers come with similar weight factors, but you might want to consider a knapsack if you intend to lug this WideBook for the long haul. The R590 is powered by a 6-cell 11.1V battery, which actually bears similar power ratings as the Lenovo Y560. Given the two notebooks identical sizes and similar processors, we are guessing their battery mileage would clock in similar results, give or take a couple of minutes.

LG's 6-cell battery offers a power rating of 57Whr with an approximate current requirement of 5200mAh.   

To determine the battery's endurance, we've looped a DVD disc with the notebook's volume and brightness set at 50%. Wireless features such as WiFi and Bluetooth were disabled to minimize possible variables. With a middling battery life of 96 minutes, we'd say that's just about enough juice for an average movie before you'll have to pop in the AC adapter. Compared to the longer lasting Dell XPS 15 (3 hours) with its less aggressive power requirements, it looks like carrying the power adapter is almost a must when you're on the move with the WideBook. Couple that with WiFi and you have an even lesser up-time to work with. 

The WideBook's mileage didn't impress us, and we are expecting no better from its power consumption figures. Although LG's cells sports the most efficient power and current ratings amongst the three notebooks, it also did the worst. What went wrong? We believe the answer lies with LG's combined choice of the 820QM processor and the GeForce GT 335M GPU. Although it is hard to justify LG's poor power consumption results, it is obvious Dell's unification of a Core i7-740QM and GT 435M graphics unit have worked in favor for the XPS. There is also the possibility that Dell spent a good deal of time optimizing their notebook for better power efficiency. Finally, we have to keep in mind the LG R590 carries the largest native resolution (1600 x 900) compared to Lenovo and Dell (1366 x 768). Nonetheless, it probably has little to do with the laptop's overall power efficiency. 

Lastly, our Portability Index is achieved by dividing the notebook's uptime by the product of its weight and volume. The higher the ratio, the more portable a notebook is. That said, it is also important to compare laptops of a similar size and make. If you were to refer to the same three units shown below - LG, Dell and Lenovo - the final numbers did not reflect kindly on the LG R590. With an unassuming ratio of 0.16, it is apparent the Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 are more mobile and sustainable by comparison. What LG can do with their next attempt, however, is to improve the model's battery endurance and probably reduce its weight as well.

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8.0
  • Design 8
  • Features 8.5
  • Performance 8.5
  • Value 8
  • Mobility 7.5
The Good
Zippy Performance
Vibrant Screen
Comfortable Keys
3D-ready Notebook
The Bad
Steep Price
Average Battery Life
Chunky and Heavy
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