Lenovo IdeaCentre H500s Slim Desktop (57327931) Black

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This review is for the Lenovo H500s Slim Desktop, Model Number 57327931. I bought this computer for my teenage son's room a couple of weeks ago. So far so good...



Here are a few things you might want to know if you're considering purchasing the H500s:



1. Since there's no picture or description on Amazon (or anywhere else, for that matter...) of what the back of the tower looks like, here's a list, going from top to bottom, of the connections on the back of the unit:

a. USB 3.0 port

b. VGA monitor connection

c. Two USB 2.0 ports (you'll probably end up plugging in the included keyboard and mouse to these two ports)

d. Ethernet jack

e. Microphone, Speaker, and audio line-in jacks

f. Power cord connection that looks a lot like a USB port, except that the tongue is yellow instead of black or blue



2. List of extra software that comes pre-installed on the computer (not including Windows 8 Store apps):

a. Baidu PC App Store

b. CyberLink MediaStory

c. CyberLink PhotoDirector

d. CyberLink PowerDirector

e. Lenovo Assistant

f. Lenovo Black Silk USB Keyboard Driver

g. Lenovo Browser Guard

h. Lenovo Photos

i. Lenovo Power2Go

j. Lenovo PowerDVD 10

k. Lenovo Reach

l. Lenovo Rescue

m. Lenovo SoftAp

n. Lenovo Web Start

o. LVT (Lenovo Vantage Technology)

p. Maxthon Cloud Browser

q. McAfee LiveSafe (trial)

r. Nitro PDF Reader

Note regarding the software listed above: If you're unsure of what to uninstall and what to keep, like I was/am, here's a quick and easy alternative to uninstalling: Download and install CCleaner. Open CCleaner and go to Tools<Startup, then select the above items and click on the "Disable" button for each one. Restart the computer, and the software will be disabled until you choose to re-enable it. I disabled everything mentioned above, and have had no resulting problems so far...



3. The only way to connect this computer to a monitor or TV is with a VGA cable. There is no HDMI Out port on this model.



4. There is absolutely no built-in speaker, not even a little one.



5. It has built-in Wi-Fi, but can only detect networks operating on the 2.4GHz spectrum band. It cannot detect or use networks operating on the 5GHz spectrum band. That being said, the built-in Wi-Fi seems to work pretty well.



6. This computer doesn't have an internal power supply, like most desktops do. Instead, it comes with a 65 watt (no, that's not a typo...65 watts!) external power supply that looks pretty much like something you'd get with a typical laptop computer. Sorry to state the obvious but, as you can probably guess, aside from maybe adding more RAM, the lack of a true internal desktop ATX power supply severely limits future internal hardware upgrade options.



7. The included keyboard feels pleasantly heavy and sturdy.



8. The included mouse works fine, but feels a little too large and light, and becomes a bit uncomfortable to use after a few minutes.



BOTTOM LINE: This is a pretty good value ($209 on Amazon at this time) if you're looking for a basic desktop computer and you're not too concerned about the fact that internal hardware upgrade options are limited. I would have given it five stars, if not for the power supply concern.



HERE ARE THE FULL SPECS:



Warranty Terms-Parts: 1 year limited

Warranty Terms-Labor: 1 year limited

Height: 15.75 inches

Width: 11.5 inches

Depth: 3.9 inches

Weight: 17.4 lbs.

Processor Brand: Intel

Processor: Intel Celeron

Processor Speed: 2.41 GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 2.58GHz)

Cache Memory: 1MB

System Memory (RAM): 4GB

System Memory (RAM) Expandable To: 8GB

Type of Memory (RAM): DDR3

Graphics: Intel HD

Video Memory: Shared

Audio: 5.1-channel surround sound support

Speakers: None Built-in

Network Card: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet LAN

Wireless Networking: Built-in 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN

Recordable DVD Drive: Yes, DVD+-RW/CD-RW

Recordable DVD Drive Speeds: Drive speeds not specified

Direct-Disc Labeling: No

Digital Media Reader or Slots: Yes, digital media card reader

Available Expansion Slots: 1 PCI Express x16

USB Ports: 1 USB 3.0 (rear); 4 USB 2.0 (2 front, 2 rear)

Keyboard Description: AccuType USB

Other Control Devices (mouse, etc.): USB mouse

Operating System Platform: Windows

Operating System: Windows 8.1

Operating System Bit Version: 64-bit

HDMI Output: No

Blu-ray Player: No

Graphics Chip: Intel

Drive Capacity: 500GB

Hard Drive Size: 500GB

Hard Drive Type: SATA (7200 rpm)

UPC: 888772100339

EPEAT Qualified: No