14 DAY TRIAL // The Intel Core family of central processing units, based on the 45nm manufacturing process technology, has struck once again. This time, the 2.26GHz Core i3-350M CPU has somehow found its way into one of Lenovo's most promising, and uniquely-designed, all-in-one personal computers. The AiO in question goes by the name of IdeaCentre A310 and is meant to become a major player on the market as early as this month.
Normally, one wouldn't expect this chip to land inside this type of machine, because, technically, it is a mobile dual-core and, thus, intended for laptops. Still, its 32nm-based computing cores and the 45nm-based integrated graphics should provide all the necessary processing and video/multimedia support that the AiO could possibly need. The rest of the specs are, more or less, common, at least for this type of computer.
The chip is backed up by 3GB to 8GB of DDR3 memory, while storage space, up to 500GB, is provided by a hard disk drive. The screen size is of 21.5 inches and the LED-backlit panel itself has a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Thus, it will definitely make the most out of the Intel GMA HD integrated graphics. The feature set also includes a 7-in-1 card reader, four USB 2.0 ports, a built-in webcam, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth.
All of the above parts and chips are somehow crammed inside an enclosure measuring 524 × 207 × 396 mm (width × depth × height). All in all, the Lenovo IdeaCentre A100, bundled with an external DVD writer, should meet the needs of any consumers when it finally starts shipping on July 17, or, at least, the needs of Japanese users with at least $1,243 to spare. As for the operating system, the AiO PC will be pre-loaded with Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.