Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 and Y580 Specs Announced

The popular Lenovo IdeaPad Y470 and Y570 laptops have replacements coming in the form of the Y480 and Y580.  The Y480 update will have a 14-inch screen with up to Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge family processor, Nvidia GeForce 650M dedicated graphics.  Here are the full specs for the Lenovo Y480:

• Processor: Up to Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge
• Screen: 14-inch HD (1366 x 768)
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 650M
• Memory: up to 8GB DDR3 SDRAM
• Storage: up to 1TB HD, mSATA SSD options
• Weight: 4.85 pounds
• Webcam: 1 Megapixel
• Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n, WiDi, Bluetooth
• Dimensions: 13.58 inches  x 9.41 inches x 1.29 inches
• Ports: 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, Ethernet, HDMI, headphone, microphone
• Battery Life: up to 5 hours
• Speakers: JBL branded
• Keyboard: Chiclet style
• Price: $899
• Availability: April 2012

There is no specific word on whether there will be a higher resolution screen available such as a 1600 x 900 screen, many owners of the Y470 wanted a higher resolution screen but alas, it was never offered.    The Lenovo Y480 will offer this same mSATA SSD option in which you can easily put in a mini SSD that can hold the OS for fast bootup while placing the rest of your larger files such as music and video onto the larger capacity hard drive.

The Y480 will look similar in design to the earlier Y470, the major difference will of course be in terms of performance.  The Y480 will have the latest Intel Ivy Bridge processor platform, up to the Core i7.  The Nvidia 650M is an unbenchmarked card at the moment, but we can only assume it’s an update to the Nvidia 550M that’s in the current Y470.  This will mean the Y480 will be a gaming capable 14-inch laptop and can be had at a reasonable starting price of $899 (before coupons), so the popularity will likely carry over.

The Y580 specs are very similar to the Y480, the main difference being the larger screen and more powerful graphics:

• Processor: Up to Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge
• Screen: 15-inch HD (1920 x 1080)
• Graphics:  Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M
• Memory: up to 8GB DDR3 SDRAM
• Storage: up to 1TB HD, mSATA SSD options
• Weight: 5.95 pounds
• Webcam: 1 Megapixel
• Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n, WiDi, Bluetooth
• Dimensions: 15.16 inches x 10.04 inches x 1.41 inches
• Ports: 2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0, Ethernet, HDMI, headphone, microphone
• Battery Life: up to 5 hours
• Speakers: JBL branded
• Keyboard: Chiclet style
• Price: $899
• Availability: April 2012

The Y580 will have a more powerful graphics card and thankfully (finally) a higher resolution 1080p screen.  With the Nvidia GTX 660m, Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge and 8GB of RAM the Y580 should be a formidable gaming machine.  The release is slated for April 2012 and pricing will start at around $899.