Review
Roderick Scott 1

Nowadays it seems like everyone is handling all of their computing needs on the go.  Its kind of hard to blame them w/ all of the viable options there are in the market.  From the MacBook Air to the Surface Pro 3 to the latest XPS from Dell.  There is something for everybody out there.  Unless you're in the market for a powerful at home desktop.  

It seems as if the attention towards mobile has neglected the desktop choices.  Things aren't always as they seem to be.  The folks over at Lenovo is still cranking out powerful products to cover the needs of all instead of a select few.  Enter the A740 All-In-One desktop:  This is a powerhouse within itself as it doesn't take up too much room being a 27inch computer.  We've been testing this thing out for several months and we're finally ready to tell you all about our analysis.  Let's get started.  



Lenovo A740 design

Design

Lenovo made sure to keep things simple but effective in the design department.  Its more like an iMac w/ a more functional spin to it.  Its pretty lightweight for a 27inch machine.  For starters, the actual guts of the computer lies within the stand itself along w/ the ports as well.  The display can tilt beyond your average all-in-one PC as it can go from -5 degrees (flat enough to play virtual air hockey) to 90 degrees (standard viewing angle). The keyboard + mouse are wireless and super-lightweight.  The mouse has a small track strip in-between the left/right buttons.  The keyboard has a bit of a standard layout w/ volume up/down buttons where you would normally see the Caps/Scroll/Number Lock lights on a PC.  I never really have any issues w/ the looks of how Lenovo designs their machines and ain't nothing changed here.  
 
lenovo A740

lenovo A740

Display

Handling all of the A740s visuals is a high-end 27inch Quad HD LED display w/ 2560 x 1440 resolution.  This is the 1st real desktop we've tested offering a 2K resolution.   This offers up a superior visual experience.  Viewing YouTube videos in 2K + close to 4K resolution on a large display has been an absolute pleasure to watch.  Its gonna be hard to go back to my iMac after utilizing their multi-point touchscreen panel which works flawlessly.   I even used it to stream content from my Nexus Player.  So much to love in this screen. 

lenovo A740

Performance

Lenovo made sure to spare no expense in regards to the internals inside of this desktop.  It is powered by a 4th-generation 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GPU, and a 1TB HD w/ 8GB SSD.  This thing even comes equipped w/ a NFC chip for easier transfer of data between your PC + other devices (smartphones + tablets).  

 lenovo A740

This thing has enough bells and whistles on it to take on whatever you can throw at it.

All of that offered no times of lag or spinning hourglasses throughout my time w/ it.  Even utilizing the touchscreen, I've rarely come across any delayed responses.  This thing has enough bells and whistles on it to take on whatever you can throw at it.  From running multiple Chrome tabs at once to photo/video editing to even some gaming.  For the more dedicated gamers, you would probably want to max out on the RAM side of things to 16GB.  

L a740 software

Software

Our A740 is running Windows 8.1 as it is bundled w/ tons of software (not bloatware) courtesy of Lenovo) to really help put it through the wringer.  Cyberlink's Power + Photo Director, Office, Power DVD, and a host of custom Lenovo apps + games.  The hardware makes sure the PC and the display doesn't fall short when dealing w/ the Windows on a touchscreen.  So while you do have quite the amount of pre-loaded software, actually useless apps are to a minimum.  

Sound

Providing the sound for the A740 are JBL stereo speakers w/ Dolby Digital Sound profile.  At 1st, I wasn't expecting much but when playing some Coldplay via Google Music at the max, I became a believer.  This thing cranks out big sound from the speakers and sounds great doing so.  No need to worry about the audio department as Lenovo, JBL, & Dolby got you covered.  

 lenovo A740 grade

For those of you seeking a Windows powerhouse for your home, look no further than this.

TG 2 Cents

Lenovo proved that they can craft beautiful + powerful PCs - even on the desktop side of things.  Even though laptops are still the more popular choice between creatives/professionals and students on-the-go, you can still find a great desktop from someone that's not Apple.  They definitely hit it out of the park w/ this one.  They only things some might have an issue w/ are the keyboard + mouse.  Some might want a more traditional layout/style as those can easily be replaced by a 3rd party.  The A740 is a great blend of hardware, software, and design.  It's definitely on the shortlist of devices I hate to have to send back.  

To Buy Or Not To Buy

Depending on your budget and your needs, this will be your ideal all-in-one computer.  I mention budget + need as this is on the higher end of the specs and pricing ranges from $1,500 all the way up to the model we tested at $1,900.  It is definitely worth every penny but if your budget calls for something less expensive, seek out other options within Lenovo's array of PCs.  
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Categories: Lenovo Review

Author: Roderick Scott

Father. Husband. Creative. Mild foodie. Batman in my dreams.