LG R590 - Multimedia Powerhouse!

Strength In Numbers

At times, LG can be guilty for spending too much time and effort on form over function. Judging from the kind of hardware the R590 packs under its hood, however, it appears this multimedia notebook might have what it takes to merit a full-length review and a change of heart. Dubbed as the WideBook, the R590 happens to be LG's first quad-core notebook touting Intel's Calpella platform, and they aren't shy to hide this fact. In essence, the particular R590 variant we have on hand is powered by the Core i7 820QM workhorse based on the Intel PM55 chipset. To add, the R590-T.ARR7A3 model sitting in our labs is also 3D-capable, with a non-3D variant available in the market as well.

Dressed in an all-black attire, the 15.6-inch R590 happens to be the biggest model under LG's R-series, as compared to its smaller 14-inch R490 sister. Looks wise, the WideBook generally lacks the wow-factor with its plain and glossy lid supported by two faux metallic hinges. You might want to consider 'skinning' this baby if impressions of a flamboyant gaming machine is what you intend to project to your peers. Yes, the R590 also houses the mid-range GeForce GT 335M graphics processing unit which makes it suitable for light gaming and 3D renders. Thankfully, there is no lack of AV or media slots which makes it a fairly balanced configuration. We will expand on its cosmetics a little more with the pictures below, before checking out what lies beneath its black top.  

What Lies Beneath

Two things impressed us the moment we yanked open the R590's hood. One is the expansive 1600 x 900 pixels widescreen resolution which makes it ideal for watching 16:9 HD material. Although the LED-backlit screen is restricted by a tight vertical viewing angle, it does offer a wider range on the horizontal axis. The glossy screen becomes a tad reflective under brighter working environments, despite its polarizing coat (which is what allows you to watch 3D content with polarized glasses). On the upside, the display is able to deliver crisp and vivid images which makes it perfect for gawking at the likes of Amanda Righetti. Just above the LCD sits a 1.3MP webcam and dual microphones to help eradicate ambient noise. Secondly, wordsmiths would relish the R590's keyboard. It was a pleasure to type with, given its fully-pitched keys with ample tactile feedback and travel. They are also relatively quiet if you happen to hate noisy implementations. If data-entry work beckons, fear not, for there is a number pad included with a huge "Enter" key as well. 

Further down below, we find the multi-touch Synaptics trackpad to be delightfully responsive. However, we didn't fancy the stiff and narrow trackpad buttons one bit. If it's any consolation, build quality of its wrist rest was pretty solid on the whole with only a mild flex. A smattering of touch-sensitive multimedia controls is present as well, which appears to be the rage these days with many consumer models (think Lenovo). There is also a dedicated button for the "SRS Wow HD" function developed by SRS Labs. When tested, there is a noticeable improvement in audio quality such as wider stereo imaging and more refined treble. Still, we wouldn't count on LG's meek and tinny speakers to give us the auditory time of our life. If you're finicky about audio performance, we'd recommend using external drivers or a decent pair of headphones instead.

Performance Benchmarking

For our performance tests, we will pit the LG R590 against the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 which has a similar quad-core processor under the first generation Core i-series. On the other hand, what differentiates the three notebooks are their discrete GPU of choice, since they all wield different graphics units in their midst. LG's WideBook, however, might not necessarily have the edge over the IdeadPad since the Radeon HD 5730 (650MHz) actually touts a faster clock speed than the GeForce GT 335M (450MHz). We'll leave it to our benchmarks to do the math on the notebooks' overall performance quotient eventually. Also note that the LG R590 is running on the slightly older PM55 chipset, although there is little to separate the two mobile chipsets with a similar integrated south bridge architecture.

PCMark Vantage

Close numbers were crunched on Vantage, meaning the LG R590 barely emerged as the overall winner amongst the three multimedia laptops. Honestly, there is little to tell them apart in terms of productivity and processing power, although the R590 did have a slight upper hand in the Memories and Movies suites. If gaming is what you are after, then you might want to keep an eye out for the Lenovo Y560. The IdeaPad ultimately blew the rest away with a Gaming score of 5,724 points, whilst Dell, surprisingly, didn't do so well with a final tally of 3,444 points despite its mid-range GeForce GT 435M GPU. Then again, the Core i7-820QM CPU can turbo speed up to 3.06GHz, so results might be quite different at that speed and level. For what it's worth, results on 3DMark will provide a better gauge in terms of the notebooks' graphics performance; that's coming up next.

3DMark06

Yet again, Lenovo's ATI Radeon implementation proved hard to beat according to its 8,669 3DMark score line. On the bright side, LG didn't fare that badly either with a substantial 8,425 3DMarks aggregate. This puts the WideBook in good stead when it comes to gaming and mutlimedia playback. To ensure the LG notebook is capable of smooth high-def video renders, we tried running a 1080p clip (18Mbps bitrate) to determine how the laptop would cope. For die-hard movie fans, you might be pleased to know the Final Fantasy 13 trailer ran almost stutter-free at every turn with extremely crisp and satisfying visuals to boot. Now that we know it's good enough for HD films, what about gaming visuals then? 

Far Cry 2

Intensive gaming titles require a good deal of processing power apart from a notebook's graphical prowess. As such, it is the entire computing package that matters, and not the quality of the discrete GPU alone. To obtain a rough gauge of the R590's gaming potential, we've used Far Cry 2 as a reference of choice, an FPS game based on the Dunia engine which is slightly less demanding than the original CryEngine used on the first iteration. Based on a resolution of 1024 x 768, the LG WideBook managed to reach frame rates of 59.54fps on the Medium settings. In other words, titles such as Far Cry 2 is definitely playable on the milder presets. However, as you can tell from the graph below, its frame rate took a large hit when we pushed the settings to High, dropping to 34.96fps as a result (albeit still playable). Although the R590 allows a resolution of up to 1600 x 900, it's best to stick with a smaller resolution whilst "fragging" and to avoid frills such as anti-aliasing for a smoother gaming experience. 

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.

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.

Concluding Thoughts

In hindsight, LG's WideBook professed more weaknesses than strengths. To cite a few examples, the R590's plain exterior, smudgy-glossy lid, average battery life and 2.7kg weight factor might not win itself too many converts. On the contrary, we think LG's interior design is rather promising, and more importantly, usable, with kudos to its vibrant display, generous keyboard and responsive multi-touch trackpad. If you are the kind who prefers hitting the hardware buttons more than tapping the pad, then we'd advise you to try them out for yourself before swapping S$2,399 for this 15.6-inch unit. Connectivity wise, LG has covered most bases with a HDMI output and dual memory card slots. 

Gaming is possible on the quad-core R590, and might even be enjoyable on medium or lower settings. As tested, Full-HD playback isn't an issue, plus it garnered pretty decent results on PCMark Vantage and 3DMark. While it might falter when tackling more intensive 3D renders, the R590 should breeze through tasks like Photoshop edits and less demanding Office jobs. All in all, the WideBook is undoubtedly one of the more expensive models for its size and category, although LG can cite its 3D perk as reason. Nonetheless, there are a number of cheaper (or should we say affordable) options such as the Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad Y560 for you to consider if a functional quad-core multimedia notebook is what you are pursuing. Alternatively, you can also consider the non-3D R590U version from LG going at a much more attractive price of S$1,799.

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