Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E335 vs. Samsung Series 5 535U3C

More popular than ever, but some are still very noisy.

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Post Reply
Semmelweis
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 7:23 am

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E335 vs. Samsung Series 5 535U3C

Post by Semmelweis » Sat May 18, 2013 7:51 am

Hello.

I need a new laptop. Basicly I need something silent. I need it for working (which requires thinking), I find computer noises extremely disruptive and my tolerance threshold is very low.

I’ll use the computer for writing, internet browsing (no video streams), text files, Skype.

It has to be silent.

I considered some netbooks still available: some Asus Eee are fanless, but they’re 10” (not ideal for long working sessions) and I found their features overall non-satisfying.
I also considered tablets and “laptops” with similar technology, but I don’t like glossy screens because of the excessive reflections.
I am looking for something below 500 euro and around 13-14 inches.
I ended with two possible options:

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E335
Review: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Len ... 869.0.html
Specifications: http://www.pixmania.com/it/it/13005801/ ... zt68i.html

Samsung Series 5 535U3C
Review: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Sam ... 159.0.html
Specification: http://www.amazon.it/Samsung-NP535U3C-A ... s+5+535U3C

The page with the specs is Italian, I hope that’s ok, it should be clear nevertheless.

As far as noise is concerned, I seem to trust the Lenovo one more than the other: according with the review, the Lenovo never went above 33 dB, also during load. The Samsung, instead, although it’s more silent while idle, reached 43 dB during load: I’m afraid that, as it gets old (i.e. in a few months), the computer may overheat and the fan may get to those 42 dB also during non-demanding tasks.

The only thing that would make me lean towards the Samsung is its monitor: although it gets slightly lower score, the Samsung monitor has higher brightness and is depicted as more suitable for outdoor use (working outdoor ftw).

About price: I would get the Lenovo for 420 euro (545 dollars), the Samsung 470 euro (610 dollars).

As you can see, the most “technical” features do not concern me. I’m just looking for something silent in that price range. What do you suggest between those two laptops, considering the thoughts I expressed above?
How are Lenovo? Never been around one.
Any other product that I may have not considered?

Thank you.

Anatorax
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 10:43 am
Location: Germany

Re: Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E335 vs. Samsung Series 5 535U3C

Post by Anatorax » Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:05 am

In case you are still deciding between these two I can share my opinion on Samsung with you. I have it since September and am quite satisfied.

Before I started using it extensively I have done 2 modifications:

1) Installed an SSD (you'll need a 7 mm thick one);
2) Re-applied thermal paste on the CPU. It is quite easy and does not require much except a tiny screwdriver, patience and common sense. The hardest part is to take the bottom plastic shell off the main frame, because it holds onto it with tiny hooked "legs" which are on the inside. It turned out that only 40% of the CPU surface were covered in thermal paste, so adding it should have improved results a bit.

After that here is the noise profile:

1) When the charger is unplugged, the laptop is silent unless you start stressing it. Watching some videos and maybe Skype may cause fans to start spinning slowly, but that's it. Surprisingly Skype makes it make more noise than streaming some OK-quality videos.

2) When charger is plugged, the fan may start occasionally during common use, more so during video and can get annoying during Skype, for example.

3) In both cases you can turn on Samsung's silent mode. Basically it makes the fan stop spinning if it is possible. It helps in "borderline" situations, but won't help if the laptop is really hot (charging + Skype).

Given my working habits, I would say that the fan is off during 70% of the time (everything except very flash-heavy websites, video, Skype, gaming), unobtrusive 20% (charging + some web) and outright annoying 10% of the time (charging + Skype). Overall I find it to have good combination silence-performance. Screen, keyboard and touchpad are fantastic.

Anyway, I hope that helps and good luck.

Post Reply