Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Ultrabook - reviews, specifications and price

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Ultrabook - reviews, specifications and price, Unveiled at CES 2011 and further demoed at a number of following trade shows since, the IdeaPad Yoga has generated perhaps more attention from the general media than any other Lenovo release this year. Its alluring name and full swing of the touchscreen display have gotten consumers curious about the quality, functionality and usability of the Windows 8-specific hardware. While the notebook/tablet hybrid concept is not new (see Dell XPS 12, Fujitsu Lifebook T901, ThinkPad X220T/X230T and related T models), the swivel-free hinges of the Yoga is a first for a Lenovo convertible. The notebook certainly stands out from the crowd of “typical” Ultrabooks, but is the uniqueness of this hybrid enough to warrant a purchase over its competitors?

In this review, we take a closer look at the Yoga 13, Lenovo’s 13.3-inch convertible equipped with a 1.7 GHz Core i5-3317U CPU, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD, 1600x900 resolution IPS display, and integrated HD 4000 graphics. The current configuration is available for $1099 in the U.S. (resellers may have it for $100 less) and can be pre-configured with select Core i7 CPUs and up to twice the SSD storage size as needed. A smaller, ARM-based Yoga 11 running Windows RT is set for launch before the end of this year. We subject the Yoga 13 to our usual measurements and benchmarks below to see if the actual hardware is as impressive as it is eye-catching.

The 13.3-inch LG display offers a resolution of 1600x900 pixels, higher than the standard 1366x768 or 1440x900 resolutions as found on many other ultrathins including the Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre XT 13, 2012 MacBook Air 13, and Lenovo’s own IdeaPad U310. The newest generation of Ultrabooks is beginning to include 1080p displays, such as the Asus Zenbook UX21A and Acer Aspire S7, so don’t expect the highest PPI numbers from the Yoga 13.

The edge-to-edge hard-plastic bezel makes screen content appear closer to the surface instead of being buried under protective layers. When combined with the glossy display, the resulting flat look provides very clean and sharp images that pop out, similar to the HP Envy 15 3040nr, especially at maximum brightness. The display not does disappoint from a visual perspective even if it does lack Gorilla Glass protection.

With a Gossen Mavo-Monitor, a maximum brightness of 286 nits was measured on the center quadrant of the screen. The notebook maintains this value regardless of the power plan (i.e., Battery saver, Balanced, and Performance), so users can make use of the full brightness potential if away from an outlet. The overall brightness of the Yoga 13 is above average from the perspective of a notebook, but is only average from a tablet point of view. Contrast is excellent and produces deep blacks enough for movies to be enjoyed without muddy grays.

The synthetic CPU-oriented benchmarks rank the Yoga about average with other Ultrabooks with the same CPU, if not a little lower. For example, the similarly equipped Spectre XT 13 and Samsung 530U3C Series 5 both score at least 10-20 percent higher than the Lenovo in CineBench 64 Bit CPU tests and the multi-core wPrime tests. This may be due to the poor Turbo Boost stamina of the processor in the Yoga as discussed in the stress test below. Compared to Sandy Bridge processors, the i5-3317U provides tangible benefits over the i3-2310M and is comparable to the common i5-2410M. The latter is noteworthy because the Ivy Bridge i5-3317U achieves a similar level of processing power at half the TDP of the Sandy Bridge i5.

Notebook specifications Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

• Processor : Intel Core i5-3317U 1.7 GHz
• Mainboard : Intel QS77 (Panther Point)
• Memory : 4096 MB, Single-Channel 11-11-11-28 PC3-12800 DDR3
• Graphics adapter : Intel HD Graphics 4000, Core: 350 MHz, Memory: 800 MHz, 9.17.10.2843
• Display : 13.3 inch 16:9, 1600x900 pixel, 10-finger Capacitive, Model LP133WD2-SLB1, IPS, glossy: yes
• Harddisk : Samsung MZMPC128HBFU, 128GB
• Soundcard : Intel Panther Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
• Connections : 1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo audio, Card Reader: 3-in-1 (SD, MMC), Sensors: Ambient light sensor, Motion sensor, accelerometer,
• Networking : Realtek RTL8723AE Wireless LAN 802.11n (n), 4.0 Bluetooth
• Size : height x width x depth (in mm): 16.9 x 333.4 x 224.8
• Weight : 1.55 kg Power Supply: 0.23 kg
• Battery : 54.7 Wh Lithium-Polymer
• Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 480 min
• Price : 1000 USD, ~790 Euro
• Operating System : Microsoft Windows 8 64 Bit
• Additional features : Webcam: 1.0 MP, Speakers: Stereo 1 W, Keyboard: AccuType Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, McAfee, Lenovo Support, OneKey Recovery 8.0, Energy Management 8.0, MS Office 2012 Transition, 12 Months Warranty

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