inputWebcam: decent quality.
Lenovo offers the consumer an affordable and stylish 12-inch Yoga 720 ultraportable. With a starting price of $ 629, the Yoga 720 has a bright 1080p display and decent Core i3 performance. We wish Lenovo added a few more ports to the laptop, and the battery life could be longer. However, with an aluminum body and a lightweight folding body, the Yoga 720 is a mid-size 2-in-1 convertible that is definitely worth a look.
Design: nice
The Lenovo Yoga 720 is a compact 2-in-1 laptop you'll be proud to carry with you. It sports a brushed metal gray body made of aluminum. The Yoga 720 has a solid and solid build. An engraved Yoga logo is located on the top left corner of the lid. Throwing it back reveals a keyboard with jet black keys and white signatures. Below, you'll see a gray touchpad, fingerprint reader, and branding that tells us it's Yoga with Harman speakers.
The Yoga 720's 12.5-inch screen is framed by a glossy black bezel. The top and sides are thin, but the bottom looks too big for a laptop of this size. But this was done for the sake of functionality: since the Yoga 720 is a folding transformer, the hinges hidden there allow you to rotate the lid 360 degrees for using the device in tablet mode. In our test, the Yoga 720 was able to easily switch between different modes without any problems. The only complaint about the rubber spacers on the bottom of the Yoga 720 is that they seemed to us not at all effective and not particularly saving from sliding on a smooth surface.
With dimensions of 29 x 20 x 1.5 cm and a weight of 1.16 kg, the Yoga 720 has very typical weight and dimensions for an ultraportable laptop. The device is thinner and lighter than the 13 "Dell Inspiron 13 5000. However, the 13" Asus ZenBook UX330UA can make Yoga jittery with thinner bezels.
Ports: minimum set
When buying a laptop over $ 600, we want the full range of ports. However, this does not apply to the Yoga 720. The device has a proprietary charging port and 3.5mm audio jack on the left side, as well as a USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 3 port on the right.
This minimal set of ports may sound strange, but it is typical of many 2-in-1 laptops on the market today.
Display: bright
The Yoga 720's 12.5-inch touchscreen has a 1080p resolution and displays a bright and clear picture. According to our colorimeter, the Yoga 720 reproduced 95.4 percent of the sRGB color gamut, which is decent for the ultraportable laptop segment. By this value, it turned out to be brighter than the screen of the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 (72%), but did not catch up with the Asus ZenBook UX330UA (104%).
The Yoga 720 is a pleasure to watch videos. While watching BTS's "Mic Drop" video with Steve Aoki, we noticed that the colors are very clear. Warm hues like reds, oranges, and yellows look great, but darker hues are lacking in brightly lit scenes - compared to color reproduction on other screens we've tested.
A decent webcam in laptops is hard to come by, but Lenovo is raising the Yoga 720 to 720p with a webcam that captures reasonably sharp images.
The Yoga 720's screen performed well in our brightness test, hitting 275 nits on the meter. This score is better than the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 (187 nits), but the Asus ZenBook UX330UA again outshines it significantly in brightness (301 nits).
The Yoga 720's IPS panel handles direct sunlight well and is non-reflective. It also has wide viewing angles, which is important for a convertible device. Image quality did not suffer when we tested the Yoga in tablet, laptop, and standing positions. The picture remained accurate when we tried to look at the screen from the right or left side.
Audio: excellent
The Yoga 720 is equipped with dual Harman speakers on the bottom. They deliver confident stereo sound, loud enough to fill a mid-sized conference room. When we listened to EXO's "For Life" through this device, the vocals, piano and strings were distinctly distinct and sounded juicy.
Yoga comes preinstalled with Dolby Atmos software, so you can change the settings to your liking based on the type of media you are using (music, movies, games). But in our experience, the default settings do just fine anyway.
Dual microphones are built into the top panel of the Yoga 720. We recorded a few voice memos to test how well the microphones capture sound. The playback showed that the voice is fully preserved.
Keyboard and touchpad
The Yoga 720's keyboard offers ample key travel for its size, at 1.4mm (1.5-2mm is typical). The buttons require 72 grams of applied force (typically 65 to 70 grams) to give them a responsive feel. On a 10fastfingers test, our average typing speed of 58 words per minute dropped 12 percent to 51 words per minute. In general, Yoga allows you to type comfortably, even with long nails.
The 8.9 x 5.8 cm touchpad has a very smooth, almost slippery surface. Its texture may have been the reason for the not always confident response to standard gestures such as zoom and three-finger gestures. However, after a few tries, we got used to it and made them work. The navigation of the touchpad is accurate and does not raise questions.
Performance: decent
Our Lenovo Yoga 720 review came with a 7th Gen Intel Core i3-7100U Celeron processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB PCle storage, which offers decent performance for a laptop in this price range. When opening 10 tabs in Google Chrome, including streaming videos from YouTube and Netflix, we did not notice any lag. However, when the number of tabs exceeded 14, there was a noticeable slowdown in work.
The Yoga 720 scored 5403 on the Geekbench 4 benchmark, which measures overall performance. The result is not impressive compared to the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 (12040, Core i5-8250U) and the Asus ZenBook UX330UA (12869; Core i5-8250U CPU). Although both of these competitors have an 8th Gen i5 Core compared to a 7th Gen Core i3 from the Yoga.
The Yoga 720 copies a 4.97 GB media set in 56 seconds at 90.9 megabytes per second. The hard drive is slower than the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 (120 Mbps - 42 seconds). The Asus ZenBook UX330UA has an even more impressive speed of 182 Mbps (28 seconds).
The Yoga 720 has dual Harman speakers for high-quality stereo sound.
It took the Lenovo laptop 5 minutes and 18 seconds to match the 20,000 names and addresses in our OpenOffice Spreadsheet macro test. This is slower than the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 (3 minutes and 44 seconds) and the Asus ZenBook UX330UA (3 minutes and 39 seconds).
Powered by an integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 processor, the Yoga 720 scored 52,616 in the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited benchmark, which measures graphics performance. But this result is significantly lower than that of the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 (58042) and even more so than that of the Asus ZenBook UX330UA (73989).
The Yoga 720 performed well in the gaming racing test in Dirt 3. Fps hit 40fps, which surpasses our 30fps threshold. The Yoga was better than the Asus ZenBook UX330UA (27fps), but the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 performed better (47.2fps).
Battery life: enough
Many 2-in-1 converters force you to keep a charger close at hand, but Lenovo has packed the Yoga 720 with a battery with excellent battery life. In our battery test (continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi), the Yoga 720 lasted 7 hours and 15 minutes.
The result beats the Dell Inspiron 13 5000 (4:51), but the Asus ZenBook UX330UA lasts 1 hour and 4 minutes longer (8:19). The average for the ultraportable laptop segment is just over 8 hours (8:17).
Heat dissipation: norm
The Lenovo Yoga 720 stayed within a comfortable temperature range during our heat tests. After watching a full-screen video for 15 minutes, the temperature around the touchpad was 26 degrees, the keyboard (between the G and H keys) warmed up to 29 degrees, and the bottom to 31 degrees. These results met our 35-degree comfort threshold.
Webcam: Decent Quality
Decent laptop webcams are still hard to come by these days, but Lenovo has fitted the Yoga 720 with a 720p front-facing camera that captures reasonably sharp images. When we tried selfies under fluorescent lighting in the office, all the details in the photo were legible. All the little things, including the curls of hair on the head, were perfectly distinguished. Color reproduction was also accurate.
However, the white turtleneck got a subtle blue tint that made it look like it was glowing. Apart from this minor flaw, the Yoga 720's webcam won't make you apologize when making a Skype call.
Software and warranty
In addition to Windows 10 Home, the Yoga 720 comes with a standard set of preinstalled software from Microsoft, as well as third-party utilities and applications. Lenovo Companion will check your hardware for errors and find driver updates, while Lenovo Settings will allow you to configure power, sound, camera, display, and touchpad. The free apps you find on Yoga 720 include Facebook, Minecraft, Candy Crush Soda Saga, and Bubble Witch 3 Saga.
The Yoga 720 comes with a limited 1 year warranty.
Configuration
The Yoga 720 we tested costs $ 629 and comes with an Intel Core i3-7100U processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB PCle SSD. For $ 899, you can get a more powerful Lenovo configuration, such as a model with a Core i5-7200U processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCle SSD. Also available for the same money is a configuration with a Core i7-7500U chipset, 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of PCle SSD. Consider one of the $ 899 models in case you need more performance.
Outcome
With its bright 1080p display, comfortable keyboard and powerful sound, the $ 629 Yoga 720 is a 12-inch laptop definitely worth considering. But if processing power is important to you, the $ 899 Core i5 and Core i7 configurations will be more suitable options. A good alternative is the $ 680 Dell Inspiron 13 5000, which will have a 13-inch screen and higher power, but this model has a shorter battery life and a dimmer screen.
If you don't necessarily want a convertible, another option is the $ 749 Asus ZenBook UX330UA, a great laptop with high performance, long battery life, and a great display. However, if you are looking for a super-light 2-in-1 with reasonable performance, the Yoga 720 is a great choice for work and play.
Result: 4 out of 5
The 13-inch Lenovo Yoga 720 is a 2-in-1 convertible with superior performance at a reasonable price, offering impressive performance, an all-metal body and a bright screen - all for less than $ 1,000. Also, this lightweight laptop is able to last 8.5 hours of battery life. Its keyboard is a little harsh and the screen could be a little brighter, but the Yoga 720 is still a great choice.
Design
The Yoga 720's aluminum rectangle on top accentuates the laptop's small dimensions. You might even think that it is less than 13 inches. The silver lid with the Yoga logo is nice to look at and has a robust design without any indulgences.
Opening the roof reveals a display surrounded by a black frame. The main aluminum surface houses the backlit keyboard, touchpad and fingerprint sensor. Recently, manufacturers are increasingly placing biometric sensors at the end of 2-in-1 devices to make them available in tablet mode, but this solution has not spread to Yoga.
The laptop can be called slender: its weight is only 1.27 kg and dimensions are 30.9 x 21.3 x 1.5 cm. Most of Yoga's "classmates" are heavier and thicker. Lenovo's more expensive Yoga 920 weighs 1.38 kg and measures 32.2 x 22.3 x 1.27 cm, but this laptop has a larger 13.9-inch display.
The left side of the laptop houses a USB Type-C port for data transfer and charging, Thunderbolt 3 and a headphone jack. On the right, the set of interfaces is much poorer - only one USB 3.0 port and a power button.
Display
The Yoga 720's 13-inch, 1080p touchscreen is duller than average ultraportables, but is still slightly brighter than its direct competitors. It also has very rich colors. When watching the trailer for The Greatest Showman, the night scenes looked darker than desired, even at maximum brightness. But the varied colors of circus costumes, including purples, blues and crimson, were deep and rich.
Lenovo's display reproduces a very respectable 141 percent of the sRGB color gamut, beating the ultraportable average (103%), the bland Inspiron (72%) and Envy x360 (76%) displays. The Yoga 920 is also good, but its colors are less saturated at 105%.
The Yogi screen measured 255 nits, which lags behind the 285 nits average. Still, it's brighter than the Inspiron (187 nits) and Envy (185 nits). The Yoga 920 was brighter (284) nits, but again below average.
Keyboard and touchpad
The Yoga 720's keyboard didn't make us join its fan base. It feels quite flat at just 1.2 millimeters. It takes 68 grams of force to trigger the key. As a result, we noticed that after long typing, the fingers get tired. On 10fastfingers.com we managed to hit 112 wpm, within our average range, but with a 6 percent error.
The touchpad measures 10.4 x 6.8 cm and is luxuriously spacious and, more importantly, precise. The panel easily responds to any Windows 10 gestures we throw in, including zoom and four-finger taps to view notifications in the Security Center.
Audio
The Yoga 720's speakers are "solid middles". They are quite capable of pumping the sound of a small office, as we saw when listening to the composition "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons. The vocals, synthesizers and drums sounded clear, but the bass was not enough.
Dolby Atmos software allows you to change presets, but we think the default music setting will be the best option.
Performance
Featuring an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD, the Lenovo Yoga 720's base configuration can handle any daily multitasking experience. We opened 30 tabs in Google Chrome, including streaming 1080p video, and did not notice any freezes.
On Geekbench 4, the subject scored 10,623 points, beating the average of the ultraportable segment and the Envy (10,078, Core i7-8550U). But it is left behind the Inspiron (12040, Core i5-8250U) and Lenovo Yoga 920 (13912, Core i7-8550U).
The Yoga's 4.97GB files took 18 seconds to copy, which translates to 282MB / s. The category average is 226.2 MB / s. The Inspiron (122 MB / s) and Envy (27.8 MB / s) are far behind. Only the Yoga 920 was faster (299.8 MB / s).
The Lenovo Yoga 720 handled 20,000 records matching through an OpenOffice spreadsheet macro in 4 minutes and 57 seconds. It's faster than average (5:30), but the Inspiron (3:44), Envy (3:20), and Yoga 920 (3:16) were faster.
You probably won't want to play serious games like Wolfenstein: The New Colossus or Assassins' Creed Origins on the Yoga 720 due to the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620. However, it can run Dirt 3 at 56 fps, which is faster than average. (42 fps), as well as the Inspiron (46 fps), Envy (53 fps) and the very sad Yoga 920 at 35 fps.
Battery life
The Yoga 720's battery will give you a full day of work, even with a small margin. The laptop lasted 8 hours and 27 minutes on our Battery Test, which is constantly surfing the Internet over a wireless network. The result is better than the Inspiron (8:02) and Envy (5:48). The Yoga 920 from the same Lenovo turned out to be a little more durable, its time is 12:22. The average for the ultraportable notebook category is 8:12.
Webcam
The Yoga webcam is 720p. It's enough for chatting, but we've seen better. The image is sharp enough to make out individual strands of hair on the head. But there are some inaccuracies in color rendering, the blue eyes of the test character in the video selfie looked dull, which made him look a little lifeless.
Heat dissipation
Regardless of whether the Yoga is positioned on your lap or in your hands in tablet mode, the device will always be at an acceptable temperature for use. After 15 minutes of streaming HD YouTube videos, we recorded 32 degrees at the bottom, 30.5 degrees between the G and H keys, and 28 degrees on the touchpad. All measurements fell below our comfort threshold of 35 degrees.
Software and warranty
As usual, Lenovo has been very delicate about populating the computer with its own applications. The Yoga 720 received Lenovo Vantage to tweak settings and update your system. A dedicated application for creating a Lenovo account is also installed. The Lenovo Settings app, which was deprecated in favor of Vantage, is still in place, but it is only needed to launch the new app.
On the other hand, we see the usual set of not-so-useful programs that come with Windows 10: Bubble Witch 3, March of Empires: War of Lords, Candy Crush Soda Saga, Magic Kingdoms, Spotify, and Drawboard PDF.
Lenovo sells the Yoga 720 with a one-year warranty.
Configuration
The base Lenovo Yoga 720 model we tested costs $ 879 and includes an Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state SSD. For $ 1,049, you get a Core i7-8550U processor and 512GB SSD, but with the same 8GB of RAM.
If you pay $ 1,499, you get a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and a 4K display. This package also includes the Lenovo Active Pen.
Comparison with Yoga 920
If you can afford to spend another $ 400 on a premium, ultraportable 2-in-1 laptop, then the Lenovo Yoga 920 is definitely worth considering. The device has a 13.9-inch display, an extra 4 hours of battery life and an Active Pen 2 as standard. ... The laptop has an even more attractive design with a stylish hinge in the form of a wristwatch bracelet.
Outcome
The Lenovo Yoga 720 is an inexpensive 2-in-1 priced at $ 879. It delivers a superior user experience, impressive battery life and sleek looks. The display isn't as bright as most of the competition, but it is more saturated and has excellent clarity.
If you want to save some money, you can look at the Dell Inspiron 13 5000, which costs about $ 600 in a similar configuration. But the drive speed will be slower and the screen is slightly dimmer. The pricey alternative is the Yoga 920, with its bright 13.9-inch display, stylus and even more durable battery, but it comes at $ 1,299 or more. However, if you want a balanced combination of performance, quality and design, the Yoga 720 should be on your list of candidates.
Result: 3.5 out of 5
Any conversation about the convertible laptop market would not be complete without mentioning Lenovo's Yoga series devices. Since 2012, the company has been producing transforming devices with 4 operating modes. Today I will talk about the next update of the line, albeit not the newest one, but still, in my opinion, relevant -.
Technical specifications Lenovo Yoga 720-15
As usual, let's start with the technical specifications. The table shows the configuration parameters of the device that came to me for testing.
| A type | Notebook |
| Design | Transformer |
| Operating system | Windows 10 |
| Diagonal, inches | 15,6 |
| Matrix type | IPS |
| Cover type | Glossy |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 |
| Sensory | up to 10 simultaneous touches |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-7300HQ |
| Frequency, GHz | 2,5 – 3,5 |
| Number of processor cores | 4 cores, 4 threads |
| Chipset | Intel |
| RAM, GB | 16 |
| Maximum RAM, GB | 16 |
| Memory type | LPDDR4 |
| SSD, TB | 1 |
| Graphics adapter, memory size | NVIDIA GeForce GTX1050, 2 GB GDDR5, Intel HD Graphics 630 |
| External ports | 2 × USB 3.0, USB Type-C 3.1 with Thunderbolt, 3.5mm audio combo jack |
| Card reader | – |
| WEB-camera | 720p |
| Backlit keyboard | + |
| Fingerprint scanner | + |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac |
| Bluetooth | 4.1 |
| Weight, kg | 2 |
| Size, mm | 364 x 242 x 19 mm |
| Body material | metal |
| Body color | silver |
| Power, W * h | 72 |
I have almost a top-end configuration for testing, with the exception of the processor. The fully equipped model has an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, unlike my sample with an Intel Core i5-7300HQ, and the rest of the components, such as the amount of RAM and storage, are similar (16 GB and 1 TB, respectively).
But there are also simpler models - with an Intel Core i5-7300HQ, 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. In addition, the manufacturer offers a version with a 4K display resolution.
The cost of the device in Ukraine in the minimum configuration starts from 39,000 hryvnia (~ $ 1,470), and at the maximum - from 45,000 hryvnia (~ $1700).
Contents of delivery
The Lenovo Yoga 720-15 comes in a gray cardboard box, along with a massive power supply and a separately attached cable. I didn't find anything else in the box. It should be noted that I have an engineering sample of the device on my test.
Design, materials and assembly
I definitely liked the design of the laptop - it looks both minimalist and stylish. The device is available on the market in only two colors - silver, like mine, and also gray.
The top cover is metal, without any texture, only with a fluted YOGA logo in the upper left corner.
The screen panel is black and covered with a protective glass. I was glad that the frames around the screen, or rather the upper and side ones, are thin, but the lower one is wide enough, although we are already used to such a layout. There is a rubber protective frame around the perimeter between the glass and the lid.
The entire perimeter of the body is also chamfered. The touchpad and the fingerprint scanner are framed with the same bevel. The keyboard unit is slightly recessed into the body.
The materials from which the laptop is made are of good quality. It is almost impossible to leave fingerprints on the case. The hinges that hold the screen are tight, so you won't be able to open the laptop with one hand, moreover, there is no groove or recess for the fingers, which also affects this moment. Why such a decision was made is not clear to me. Although, this has practically no effect on the overall usability, since the top cover protrudes slightly from the rest of the case.
In general, everything is standard in size. The laptop weighs a little - 2 kilograms, the thickness is about 2 centimeters. You can take it with you, for example, on a trip or on a business trip, without any problems - the weight and dimensions do not bother you in any way.
Now about the assembly. I cannot say that the device is assembled perfectly, because when exposed to the surface where the keyboard and touchpad are located, the working area slightly bends, and in some places you can also hear a slight creak. Of course, if we take into account the cost of the Lenovo Yoga 720-15, this is an unpleasant fact, more precisely, generally unpleasant, but not critical.
Layout of elements
I have already told about the cover of the device, it does not stand out in any way, there is only a logo.
On the right side, you can find a USB 3.0 port, Type-C 3.1 with Thunderbolt 3 and a backlit power button.
On the left side are a proprietary charging port with LED status indicator, a second USB 3.0 port, a 3.5mm combo jack and a hole with a reset button.
In terms of ports and connectors, in fact, that's it. It seems to be enough, but the lack of a card reader upset me. And why he is not, I also do not understand. Didn't find a place? Well, this is unlikely, the laptop does not stand out for its particularly compact dimensions. This is not an ultrabook, where the absence of a card reader can be considered the norm, and I think there was still a place for it inside. In any case, you have to use all sorts of adapters, which is not very convenient, but nothing can be done about it, alas.
There is nothing on the front and, as I said, there is no cutout for opening the device either.
At the back you can see two hinges, and between them is a large area of \u200b\u200bthe grille for the ventilation. Obviously, the hinges allow you to rotate the laptop screen 360 degrees, this is Yoga, of course.
The hinge mechanism itself is taut, but it performs its task perfectly - the screen does not move even with active typing and can only stagger a little when you press the screen, which, in principle, is logical.
The bottom cover is plastic and secured with ten screws. There are two rubberized legs on it, near which there are grids covering the stereo speakers.
You can also see the air intake grilles and one continuous rubberized strip that runs almost the entire surface of the cover.
First of all, after opening the lid, we see nothing more than a screen.
Above the display in the center there is a webcam with a small resolution -1280 × 720. It does not shine with quality, but it is quite suitable for video calls. Slightly to the right of the camera is a small LED indicator that displays the status of the camera (on / off).
Below the display in the left corner is the Lenovo logo.
In the middle there are two microphone holes, and in theory, they should give some kind of stereo effect, but the sound is recorded in mono. The quality is average.
I will tell you about all the features, advantages and disadvantages of the keyboard, touchpad and scanner in separate paragraphs.
Lenovo Yoga 720-15 screen
From the prefix “15” in the name of the transformer, it becomes clear that the screen diagonal of this device15.6-inch. The technology used is IPS. Optimal resolution - 1920 × 1080 pixels ... There is also a 4K resolution device option.
It is already clear that Lenovo Yoga 720-15 is a transformer, and the screen, naturally for this class, is touch-sensitive. Recognizes up to 10 simultaneous touches and pen input. There is no problem with that - everything is fine.
The screen will of course glare, there can be no matte coating here. By the way, there is no oleophobic coating either, so that fingerprints and smudges remain, and it is not as easy to wipe them off as we would like.
The display quality is gorgeous. The viewing angles, contrast and saturation are all just fine. The limits within which the brightness is regulated are relatively wide. The minimum display brightness is enough for comfortable use in the dark, the maximum one seemed to me to be enough for indoor use. But here's how the display will behave on a sunny day outside - I can't say for sure, there is a suspicion that the brightness will not be enough.
Sound
This transformer is equipped with two stereo speakers, which were developed in collaboration with JBL.
They don't sound very loud, but overall, the volume margin should be enough. For home listening for sure. I was glad that even at maximum volume the quality remains unchanged, there is no sound distortion. There are not very many low frequencies, but it is felt that they are at least there. There are no problems with mid and high frequencies - everything is balanced.
Also preinstalled is Dolby Atmos software, which is designed to select the sound mode or customize the sound using the equalizer. But I did not notice a significant difference when using this utility, at least between the prepared presets.
Keyboard and touchpad
I have some complaints about the keyboard. Rather, not even the keyboard itself, but the layout / location of some keys. Most of all I did not like the fact that for some reason they placed the “/” key next to the Enter key, so it took me a while to get used to it, and press Enter instead of “/”.
The left Shift is shortened, while the right is full size.
The up and down arrows are small, while the left and right arrows are the usual full-size ones. This decision doesn't appeal to me either, but what can I do.
With all the above nuances that require getting used to, it should be said that the key stroke is clear, and the response is instant.
The keyboard has 2 levels of white backlighting. Not to say that it is completely perfect and uniform, but generally adequate.
The touchpad is not very large, medium-sized. Painted in body color. It is responsive, and the buttons have a characteristic even click. Most of the time I tested this convertible laptop, I spent using the touchpad. The mouse was connected infrequently, mainly for games. As usual, multitouch and all kinds of gestures available in Windows 10 are supported.
The fingerprint scanner
This element is located to the right of the touchpad, under the right arrow. It is good that the manufacturer made such a decision and did not take away the useful area of \u200b\u200bthe touchpad.
The scanner works great. Fingerprintreads the first time, logs in instantly and without delays using Windows Hello.
Hardware and performance Lenovo Yoga 720-15
This is where the fun begins. Usually, when it comes to such a device format as a transformer, we do not expect to see more or less serious hardware, for example, as in gaming laptops. Yes, there may be an excellent processor, but most likely low-voltage, large amount of RAM and storage, and the graphics are often integrated. But in the case of the Lenovo Yoga 720-15, the situation is slightly different.
Let me remind you briefly about equipping the model I'm testing: Intel Core i5-7300HQ Kaby Lake, NVIDIA GeForce GTX1050 discrete graphics, 2GB GDDR5, Intel HD630 integrated graphics, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. There is a modification with an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor.
The Intel Core i5-7300HQ quad-core processor is built on a 14nm process technology with a clock speed of 2.5 GHz (3.5 GHz in Turbo Boost mode). There is no support for Hyper-Threading technology in this "stone", but the top Core i7-7700HQ it is already supported.
Integrated graphics accelerator Intel HD630, with a maximum operating frequency of 1000 MHz. The video adapter supports most modern APIs: DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.4, OpenCL 2.0, and Intel Quick Sync. Discrete video card - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, with 2 GB of video memory of GDDR5 type. Architecture - Pascal, clock frequency - from 1354 MHz to 1493 MHz (in Boost mode).
The amount of RAM in my copy is 16 GB. DDR4 memory type with a frequency of 2133 MHz.
The installed Samsung MZVLW1T0 SSD has 1TB of storage (256GB and 512GB options available). The SSD test results are good - the drive is fast.
All "pieces of iron" in the aggregate will provide smooth and fast performance of any tasks that can only be set by an ordinary (and not only) user of this machine. Photo editing in Photoshop or Lightroom? Graphics in After Effects or editing and rendering video in Premiere Pro? No problem at all. There is no need to talk about browsing, watching videos and similar tasks.
How about games? It should be understood that this is not a gaming device, but rather a working tool. However, here he shows himself well. Relatively, of course. So, the maximum performance mode, resolution 1920 × 1080, graphics settings in games are set to the maximum possible values:
- DOOM - an average of 40 FPS, sometimes drops to 25 fps
- PAYDAY 2 - 60 FPS
- War Thunder - from 55 to 60 FPS
- World of Tanks - from 40 to 60 FPS
In general, I think you have a rough idea of \u200b\u200bwhat you are capable of Lenovo Yoga 720-15. Although the games I have given above are far from the most demanding, I think that the laptop will cope with more complex game projects. Perhaps not at the maximum settings of the charts, butbefore us and not a game solution.
Just in case - the results of synthetic tests.
During the performance of demanding tasks, the laptop warmed up most noticeably in the area of \u200b\u200bthe keyboard and above it. How much, unfortunately, I did not find out - for some reason AIDA64 did not display the readings of temperature sensors.
It is clear that when a resource-intensive task is performed, the cooling system is working. During the game, she made a decent noise. But when performing non-resource-intensive - the device is almost silent.
Autonomy
The Lenovo Yoga 720-15 is powered by a 72Wh Li-ion battery.For everyday tasks, such as surfing the Internet, viewing photos or videos, working with text and brightness of about 70%, the device lasts about 6-7 hours of use. In games, the device will ask for power in 2-3 hours. In general, a completely normal result.A full charge from the supplied charger takes approximately 2 hours.
findings
The Lenovo Yoga 720-15 is an excellent 2-in-1 laptop with a nice design, good display and powerful hardware. You can find a large number of different cases of using this device, and in all it will show itself on the good side. The device is reliable and, most importantly, versatile.
So, if you are in search of a laptop on which you can work comfortably, relax while watching some content, and spend an hour or two playing your favorite game, then perhaps it is exactly what you are looking for.
What should be the ideal work laptop? Thin, light, with a nice screen and powerful hardware, and ideally - to be able to run your favorite games (of course, only after working hours)) The fresh 15-inch Lenovo Yoga 720, which will soon appear in stores, is not only suitable for all these requirements, but also exceeds them.
Inside the new Yoga is hidden a powerful quad-core processor, GTX graphics from NVIDIA, and the laptop is dressed in a full metal case. At the same time, the laptop clearly cannot be called heavy, which means we have a very interesting combination of characteristics and capabilities.
Appearance
Even with the lid closed, the Lenovo Yoga 720 looks solid and attractive. This model has a minimalistic corporate ThinkPad style, successfully combined with elements from the IdeaPad line. There are no unnecessary elements or distracting lighting on the lid of the laptop, and thanks to the rounded, sloping corners, the laptop seems smaller than usual.
Lenovo Yoga 720 did not come out to be called a fat man. It is only 19 mm thick and weighs 2 kg. For a modern working "tag" with discrete graphics, these are normal dimensions, but if you want a lighter and smaller laptop, you can take a closer look at the 13-inch version of Lenovo Yoga 720. This model will be thinner (14.3 mm) and lighter (1.3 kg). But there is no room left for discrete graphics on board.
Now back to the 15-inch Lenovo Yoga 720. Its lid, work area and back side of the case are made of metal, painted in dark gray. As a result, the laptop looks neutral and will look good both on the executive's desk and in a cafe.
To connect flash drives and other peripherals, there are two USB 3.0 connectors located on the left and right panels of the laptop. Also on the left side of the Lenovo Yoga 720 is a flat power connector, a 3.5mm audio jack for a headset, and a Windows factory reset key recessed deep into the case. You can also use it to enter the BIOS or select other boot options.
On the right side of the Lenovo Yoga 720, the connectors are even smaller. Here is the second USB 3.0 and the only USB 3.1 Type C (combined with Thunderbolt) for the most advanced peripherals. The power key is located a little away from them.
Lenovo Yoga 720 is a convertible laptop. The touch screen can be opened up to 360 degrees, turning the device into a tablet. The keyboard and touchpad are automatically locked in this mode to prevent accidental presses. Also, the working surface of the laptop, as well as the lid of the screen, received pleasant bevels with a shiny cut. Firstly, thanks to them, the Yogi will not cut into the palms, and secondly, they just look beautiful.
Also, the transformer has several more operating modes: two options for watching video and a classic, laptop. As a result, the normal version can be used for work, while the rest can be used for entertainment. For example, to watch a video.
On the back of the Lenovo Yoga 720, there is traditionally nothing interesting, except for the legs and holes for ventilation.
The most common Lenovo power supply unit with a rectangular connector is designed to power the laptop. Its power is impressive for such a modest size of 135 W (20V 6.75A).
Screen
Our version of the Lenovo Yoga 720 comes with a 15.6-inch, thin-bezel display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels for a pixel density of 141.21 PPI (pixels per inch). This is an excellent indicator for a laptop, but if you want to completely get rid of the "grain" on the screen, then you can consider buying a Yoga 720 with a 4K screen (3840x2160), then the dot density will double, to 282.42 PPI. As for the webcam, it turned out to be ordinary for Yog: with HD-resolution.
The matrix of the laptop is of high quality, with good color rendering and a good margin of brightness - the brightness is declared at 300 nits and 72% of the NTSC color gamut. You can work with such a laptop even in the sunniest part of the office.
Another nice feature of the new Yoga screen is the support for Windows Ink. Thanks to it, you can take a special pen (sensitivity 4,000 degrees, supplied), put your laptop, for example, in tablet mode, and start creating. Using the stylus, you can make both handwritten notes and draw sketches. The limits of creativity are limited only by the owner's imagination.
Keyboard and touchpad
The Yoga 720's keyboard is as comfortable as other Lenovo laptops. The shape of the keys is exactly the same as on ThinkPad notebooks. But her mechanism is not mechanical, but membrane, but this practically does not affect her work. The Fn key is located in its traditional place, between the left Ctrl and the Windows key. It is useful for pressing the F1-F12 keys, which are used by default for standard actions in the operating system. As for the backlight, it uses only white color and two levels of brightness.
The touchpad is spacious - 105x70 mm - and comfortable. Despite the fact that the left and right keys are hidden under the touch surface, working with the touchpad was convenient. Accidental clicks and other troubles that were previously encountered with touch panels of this type, we did not come across.
The last element on the work area is the fingerprint scanner. This sensor is completely different from what previously could be found on Lenovo laptops. The Lenovo Yoga 720 fingerprint scanner is more similar to similar sensors that we are used to seeing on the company's smartphones, only its size may be slightly larger.
Internal structure and specifications
The inner world of Lenovo Yoga 720 is no less interesting than its appearance. The processor, chipset and video card of the laptop are cooled using a common cooling system, one of the heat pipes of which is also responsible for cooling the chipset.
Also, Lenovo engineers awarded the RAM module with additional protection against interference - a silver metal shield.
Inside, a quad-core Intel i5-7300HQ processor from the fresh Kaby Lake family is installed - these are usually used for gaming laptops. Its base clock speed is 2.5 GHz and its maximum clock speed is 3.5 GHz. Quite good for both an office worker and a gaming laptop. Also in stores you can find Lenovo Yoga 720 with an i7-7700HQ processor, it differs from the i5-7300HQ in support of Hyper Threading technology and a clock frequency increased by 300 MHz.
The volume of dual-channel DDR4-2400 RAM is 12 GB. The memory is recruited by two modules. The first, with a volume of 4 GB, is connected to the SO-DIMM slot, and the second module, with a volume of 8 GB, is soldered on the back of the motherboard and cannot be replaced. The first module can be replaced on your own if the laptop is out of warranty and you are not afraid to carefully remove the protective screen.
The discrete graphics card of the Lenovo Yoga 720 turned out to be very good. This is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with 2 GB of video memory, but there will be variants with 4 GB on sale. This solution is enough to run modern games with high settings at a resolution of 1920x1080. Or you can use it to run old games with maximum settings even at the maximum resolution of the laptop. The processor video core Intel HD Graphics 630 in Lenovo did not turn off.
The drive is an M.2 SSD, SAMSUNG MZVLW512 512 GB, connected via a PCIe NVMe bus. This is the only storage device in the laptop - there was simply not enough space for a hard drive in its case. As for the volume, it depends on the modification of the Lenovo Yoga 720, and the maximum volume is 1 TB.
To communicate with the outside world, the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 WiFi Adapter, 2x2. It works with 802.11a / b / g / n / ac wireless networks with frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz and a maximum data transfer rate of 867 Mbps. The same adapter is responsible for the operation of Bluetooth 4.2, and the laptop does not have a conventional wired connection to the local network - the Ethernet connector simply does not fit on its side. But if connecting to a wired LAN is important, you can use third-party USB adapters.
The Lenovo Yoga 720 battery consists of 6 cells, and its energy capacity is 72 Wh, which is two and a half times more than usually found in a Full HD tag. Like RAM, you can change the battery yourself, but this requires more skill and, of course, an expired laptop warranty :)
Testing
The cold start time, from pressing the power key to loading the Windows 10 desktop, was just over 8 seconds. Well, the start is good, now let's see how well the Lenovo Yoga 720 performs in the benchmarks.First, we used PCMark 8 and ran three main tests: Home, Work and Creative. The results obtained can be called good for the category of devices to which the Lenovo Yoga 720 belongs.
Let's continue the performance evaluation with other benchmarks. In the synthetic test Cinebench R15 as well as in the Fritz benchmark, we again got good results.
Moving on to the graph. To assess its performance, we ran a whole bunch of tests from the popular 3DMark suite. In order not to clutter up the article with many screenshots, we have compiled the results into a compact list:
3DMark IceStorm Extreme: 67,061;
3DMark Skydiver: 14,037;
3DMark CloudGate: 12,754;
3DMark Firestrike: 5,162;
3DMark Firestrike Extreme: 2,605;
3DMark TimeSpy: 1,785.
As for games, here Lenovo Yoga 720 will be able to give a big head start to its fellow transformers. For example, the popular game World Of Tanks was able to show 60 FPS at the highest manual graphics settings. In another game, Rise Of The Tomb Raider, we got 30 FPS at the same maximum settings. The results were obtained at the native display resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and we can say that for a thin laptop that does not aim at the segment of gaming models, these are excellent indicators.
We measured the speed of the drive using the traditional CrystalDiskMark benchmark. Since this SSD was connected via the PCIe bus, the results were expectedly high - about five times higher than that of a regular SSD connected via the SATA bus.
The battery life of the Lenovo Yoga 720 is also perfect. With continuous playback of movies in Full HD resolution, the laptop was able to work for 8 and a half hours at minimum screen brightness. If you make the brightness maximum, then the laptop will last a little less, 6 hours and 10 minutes. Also excellent performance for a tag with a bright IPS-matrix, and absolutely outstanding considering the fact that this is a gaming video card.
The laptop's cooling system does its job perfectly. In idle mode or under light load, such as playing Full HD video, the cooling system will operate almost silently, the laptop turbines will start to accelerate only when a serious load appears, such as games. At the same time, the laptop will not make a loud noise. In a stress test, with a simultaneous maximum load on the processor and discrete video card, the CO also coped with its task perfectly. In a 10-minute test in AIDA 64, the maximum processor temperature was 88 degrees, and the CPU itself never went into throttling. These are excellent results considering the same heatpipes are used for the processor and graphics card.
The last topic not covered by us is the Yoga 720 audio system. For its dimensions, the laptop plays well, in the audio path you can recognize the top, bottom and middle. The only drawback of the Yoga will be a slightly dull sound - its speakers are located on the back side and are directed to the table or to any other surface on which the laptop will be installed. However, this drawback can be compensated for by the high volume reserve of Lenovo Yoga 720.
Conclusion
The Lenovo Yoga 720 will be the perfect laptop for most users. It boasts a bright, high-quality screen with Windows Ink support and a pleasing resolution. A quad-core Intel i5-7300HQ processor and a discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card are enough for simple office work, as well as for processing photos, videos and even games. New Yoga will be able to cope with both new and old without any problems. Therefore, with the help of the Lenovo Yoga 720, you can both work and shoot enemy tanks while sipping smoothies in your coworking space. :)Praise for the new Yoga is also for the design. The full metal body will look great in any environment: in the workplace or at a table in a cafe. And thanks to its transformation capabilities, the laptop can be useful when working or relaxing in confined spaces, for example, in an airplane or train chair. And thanks to the powerful battery, you can work or play with your laptop even during long trips or flights.
Convenient and practical transformer Lenovo Yoga 720 thanks to good test results in such credit disciplines as "Mobility", "Productivity" and "Display" guaranteed itself the right to be placed in the Top 10 of our respective rating. At the same time, in terms of mobility characteristics, it does not even match its predecessor, the Yoga 710. In terms of value for money, the previous model also looks preferable. However, the performance and more current interfaces speak in favor of the Lenovo Yoga 720.
Benefits
Fast 256GB SSD
Intel Core i5-7200U processor
Thunderbolt protocol
disadvantages
Keyboard layout
Test results Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB (80X6001TGE)
- Price-quality ratio
Okay
- Value for money: 66
- Mobility (25%): 84.8
- Equipment (25%): 68.6
- Performance (15%): 75.7
- Ergonomics (15%): 66
- Display (20%): 83.2
Editorial grade
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The body and workmanship are of a very high level here, even if the display does not open as easily as it should be for a transformer that wants to be called a master of transformations. The touchpad is pleasantly large and responds to every touch quickly and accurately - even the absence of separate mouse buttons does not interfere, and their replacement is well implemented. However, the keyboard, in contrast to the previous model, left us with a mixed impression, since the cursor keys are ordered impractically, and the enter key provokes mistakes when typing.
The Yoga 720 also comes with a 15.6-inch display Versatile performance
The processor is used here Intel Core i5-7200U, which is supported by 8 GB of RAM. The integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 chip is responsible for the GPU duties, but its power is quite enough for basic image processing. You can store your photos, videos and other data on a fast 256GB SSD. Compared to its predecessor model, which had to be content with an Intel Core m3-7Y30 processor, the Yoga 720 has enough performance not only for office applications, but also for a quick lap in Hearthstone.
As options for connecting other devices, you can use two USB 3.1 Typ-C ports, one of which supports the powerful Thunderbolt protocol, as well as one USB 3.0 port. There is a combo jack for headphones and a microphone.
First of all, the enter key, cursor buttons and split left Shift contribute to errors when typing Transformer for travel?
With its 13.3-inch display, the Lenovo Yoga 720 is still quite comfortable to use as a tablet. But the high-performance Intel i5-7200 has an impact on battery life. In particular, according to our test scenario of using office programs, we measured 9 hours 10 minutes. During video playback, the battery lasted 8 hours and 50 minutes. Both figures are decent, even if the previous Yoga 710, thanks to the more energy-efficient Core m processor, performed better in this regard.
Alternative options
Great predecessor: Lenovo Yoga 710-11IKB (80V6001RGE)
The Yoga 710, as the previous model, was able not only to earn a higher position in our respective ranking, but also holds the current record in the Mobility discipline. At the same time, thanks to passive cooling, it is absolutely silent and boasts a good price-performance ratio. It only has an 11.6-inch display and a Core m3 processor, of course.
For a small budget: HP Stream x360 11-ab004ng (1TR58EA # ABD)
The HP Stream x360 also has an 11.6-inch IPS display, as well as a practical transform function. For almost € 500, you get a larger, albeit slower, classic 500GB hard drive, as well as a little more comfort thanks to a separate volume control located on the side of the case.
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB (80X6001TGE) specifications and test results
| Price-quality ratio | 66 |
| Operating system | Windows 10 Home |
| Overall dimensions | 31.0 x 21.3 x 1.6 cm |
| The weight | 1.3KG |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-7200U (2.5 GHz) |
| RAM size | 8 GB |
| Graphics card type | integrated |
| Graphics card model | |
| Video memory size | |
| Display: diagonal | 13.3 inch |
| Display: Resolution | 1.920 x 1.080 pixels |
| Display: surface | shiny |
| Display: max. brightness | 296 cd / m² |
| Display: checkerboard contrast | 223:1 |
| Display: pixel density | 166 dpi |
| Display: brightness distribution | 91,5 % |
| Storage capacity | 256 GB |
| Drive type | SSD |
| Optical drive | nein |
| Battery: capacity | 48 Wh |
| Work offline: office suite | 9:10 h: min |
| Work offline: video playback | 8:50 h: min |
| Noise at mask. load | laut |
| USB ports | 3 x USB 3.0 |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| WLAN | 802.11ac |
| LAN connector | - |
| UMTS | - |
| Dock station | - |
| HDMI | - |
| Other digital video outputs | - |
| Analog video outputs | |
| Card reader | - |
| Webcam | Yes |
| Optional equipment | fingerprint sensor |
| Test: PCMark 7 | 5.149 points |
| Test: 3DMark (Cloud Gate) | 5.920 points |