It's rare to see a lower-priced laptop sporting such a high-definition display. The 15.6-inch LED-backlit screen is pretty and not overly glossy, but it does throw a mean reflection at certain angles.

Lenovo pulled out all the stops with this machine, and the company made great strides turning it into a decent hybrid of gaming laptop and media machine. While so many laptops are foregoing optical drives to save space, weight, and money, Lenovo threw in a Blu-ray drive to render the Y580 capable of showing high-definition movies. The Y580's design is sleek but simple: It looks like a true power machine, but one that's free of flashy lights and garish decals. The wide, backlit keyboard is comfortable to type on, and the touchpad is smooth and easy to use. I rarely have nice things to say about touchpads, since any plug-in mouse will be vastly superior, but this one's size and smooth, glass-like texture obviate any hassle in use.

The Y580 also has plenty of speedy ports and features. On the left side are ports for VGA, HDMI, and gigabit ethernet, plus a pair of USB 3.0 ports. On the right  is a third USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0,  the usual headphone and microphone ports, and the aforementioned Blu-ray drive. Wireless connectivity comes in the form of 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Intel's WiDi technology (for wireless audio and video streaming to a compatible monitor or HDTV).