TechRadar Verdict
Pros
- +
Core i5 power made cheap
- +
Great screen
- +
Impressive keyboard
- +
The price is good
- +
802.11n Wi-Fi
Cons
- -
Build quality is shoddy
- -
Battery life is poor
- -
Dodgy touchpad
- -
Multimedia power could be better
- -
Warm chassis after use
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Advent is PC World's in-house brand, producing a broad range of budget desktop PCs and laptops. Here, we take a look at one of its latest notebooks: the Sienna 510.
The main selling point of the Sienna 510 is that it provides powerful Intel Core i5 performance for a reasonable sum, and there's no doubt that it succeeds on this level.
We'd normally expect machines at this price point, such as the Samsung Q330 and Packard Bell EasyNote NM86, to feature Intel's entry-level Core i3 processor. It's powerful, but can't compete with the speed of the Core i5 range.
On the flip side, Core i5 laptops tend also offer a more rounded experience overall to go along with their higher price tag. Check out the Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG and Samsung R590 as good examples of this principle.
So the Sienna 510 is both powerful and affordable. However, to implement the expensive Core i5 processor but keep the final price down, Advent has had to cut corners somewhere.
As a result, the Sienna 510 can't compete with the build quality of the Lenovo ThinkPad L412 or portability of the excellent Dell Inspiron M101z.
We have mixed feelings about the Sienna 510 and urge you to consider your needs before taking the plunge.
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