Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 review

With its ultra-slim 27in MVA display panel featuring frameless edge-to-edge glass and a 10-point touchscreen, the Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 is the only all-in-one system we've seen in store recently that approaches the requirements for true appreciation of Windows 8, when it arrives.

The Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 is a delightful construction in metal and glass which exudes, dare we say it, a rather Mac-like aesthetic which is sure to appeal to home users who want a computer that looks inviting.

Based on mobile technologies, the whole of the Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 PC fits into what is essentially the base of the monitor which is mounted on a hinged stand, enabling it to move from the vertical all the way to the horizontal where you can use it like a tablet or play multiplayer touchscreen games.
The wide viewing angles of the MVA display panel certainly help here, although when it came to calibrating the display we found it needed plenty of correction to fix the image.
The Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 is fitted with a quad-core Intel Core i7-3610QM mobile processor which runs at a nominal 2.3GHz, boosting to 3.3GHz when necessary. Also included is an nVidia GeForce GT 630M mobile graphics processor which makes light work of casual games.
Our review model also came with Freeview TV, remote control, 720p webcam and Blu-ray player, making it a versatile family multimedia centre. It's backed by Lenovo's extensive software suite which provides an exciting out-of-the-box experience rather annoying and obstructive bloatware.
Our WorldBench 6 tests revealed rather lower performance than we'd have preferred to see. But used for family and multimedia applications, the IdeaCentre A720 never felt slow.