Lenovo Yoga 920 Review | Ubergizmo
The Lenovo Yoga 920 succeeds the Yoga 910, a quite spectacular laptop computer that we rated at 9/10 after we reviewed it in April of this 12 months. This new laptop computer comes with Intel’s newest eighth Technology processor in fact, as Lenovo made the sequence evolve to the most recent applied sciences, however the firm additionally solved almost all of the friction factors we identified within the 910. Let’s take a better take a look at the brand new Yoga 920 to see how good it’s in the true world.
Specs as examined
- Intel Core i7 8550U (4-core), 16GB RAM
- Home windows 10 Dwelling 64, Digitizer Pen included
- 512GB SSD PCI-e (450GB C: + 25GB Lenovo partition for drivers and restore)
- 12.7 x 8.8 x 0.55 inches, 3.05 kilos
- Notice: I can’t discover the worth of the precise configuration we’re trying on Lenovo.com, however the closest mannequin is the 80Y70062US which has 1TB of SSD storage for an MSRP of $1999.99 and an precise worth of $1799.99 “after discount”. Notice that more often than not there may be some form of low cost on the official web site. Extra info under within the “Configuration” part.
What’s new?
The Yoga 920 upgrades the 910 mannequin in a variety of methods, lots of that are very vital.
- Thunderbolt 3 help: this implies which you can join a number of 4K displays, and use a one-connector dock for energy and knowledge. That is vastly handy for anybody who wantss to have the liberty to show this laptop computer right into a extra snug workstation.
- The Webcam is again on the prime of the display screen: it’s plain that webcams situated simply above the highest bezel present a extra pure viewpoint, and though we perceive how arduous it’s to have a digital camera built-in into a skinny bezel, the Yoga 910 backside digital camera didn’t present one of the best expertise. Fastened.
- Higher battery life: probably the most seen a part of which is the brand new Intel Gen8 processor potential to get multithreaded work achieved shortly and return to sleep (one of many main battery life pillars).
- Digitizer Pen (Wacom): it was noticeably lacking from the earlier mannequin, however now current as an choice with the Yoga 920. Extra on that under.
Industrial Design
The Lenovo Yoga 920 industrial design appears nice and pushes the minimalist strategy of the 910 a bit bit additional. The laptop computer feels smaller and heavier, however the appears may be deceiving as a result of it’s only a tiny bit smaller, and truly 0.01 lbs heavier.
The final construct high quality has been barely improved and polished, with the metallic on the aspect receiving a greater polish. The appears at numerous locations are tighter and the laptop computer typically feels higher constructed than the already very good predecessor.
Keyboard, Trackpad
Lenovo improves on what was an already excellent keyboard. As standard, the Yoga 920 options backlit U-shaped keys, which are likely to redirect the drive in direction of, the middle, thus serving to keep away from typos by by chance tripping close by keys. The plastic used for the keys induces sufficient friction to not make the keys slippery.
They really feel dry and clear, even after prolonged typing. The three-level backlight of the keyboard makes it extra agreeable to work in complete darkness with out having the keyboard blinding you. That is nice as a result of you possibly can dim display screen and keyboard to very low ranges of brightness, that helps extend the battery life.
The actuation feels a bit sharper than the Yoga 910’s. That is refined, however it has a tiny little bit of mechanical really feel, though in all probability being a membrane-based keyboard. The important thing journey (1.3mm) is deeper than the Macbook (0.5mm). Most individuals discover a longer key journey to be extra snug, however you possibly can think about how such skinny laptops make lengthy key journey design difficult. The motion drive of this keyboard is alleged to be 68g (actuation drive).
The Lenovo 910 had already began a pattern at Lenovo to come back again to a extra basic Keyboard design (from the Yoga Professional sequence), however some folks did ask for a bigger “Right-Shift” button. That is now achieved, and Lenovo has listened to that suggestions. I agree that it’s for the higher, a minimum of for me. That stated, I need greater arrow keys too, lol (please).
The trackpad is 4.1 x 2.7-inch (11.07 sq. inch) which could be very snug, though in all probability not absolutely the greatest you could find. The (glass?) floor could be very easy, and utilizing it’s agreeable. It’s appropriate with the Home windows Precision Touchpad customary, and though it doesn’t imply that it’s higher or worse than the earlier mannequin, this units a sure degree of high quality which is actively verified and enforced by Microsoft.
Ports
Three USB ports might appear to be lots nowadays, with small laptops that includes a single USB-C port. The Yoga 920 has two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left aspect. They’re significantly highly effective due to their excessive pace. Thunderbolt 3 is quick sufficient to permit connecting to a number of 4K shows with no efficiency penalty. Exterior storage can run sooner than inside desktop SATA drives.
In idea, it is perhaps attainable to attach an exterior GPU, however I maintain this as a “maybe” as a result of there are nonetheless loads of compatibility points. I’d advocate ready for unbiased assessments or Lenovo’s affirmation earlier than embarking on this.
USB-C can be the charging port of the laptop computer. We actually love utilizing USB-C chargers as a result of they’re extra interoperable. You may not be capable of cost at most pace with a non-Lenovo USB charger, however a minimum of it ought to work. In case you lose your unique charger, it’s attainable to make use of one other one from a pal, or a minimum of discover another simply. However beware, this isn’t a sure-shot as USB-C chargers and gadgets aren’t all interoperable, and there’s no option to know which can work.
Parts entry
It’s attainable to open the rear again cowl and have entry to the battery and different parts. Nonetheless, the SSD just isn’t readily accessible with out eradicating a bunch of stuff (which might in all probability void your guarantee), and the RAM is almost certainly soldered to the motherboard. The conclusion is: you possibly can open it, however that is designed for restore technicians, not shoppers.
Audio system
The suitable aspect of the laptop computer additionally options a typical 3.5mm audio port. Speaking about audio, there are two audio system situated on the backside of the laptop computer. They’re designed to bounce the pontificate a desk, so that is when the sound is finest – with you sitting proper in entrance of the laptop computer. In case you wander round within the room, it’s okay too, however the sound high quality decreases a bit.
The audio system are comparatively small (like most laptops this dimension), however there was no distortion even with the utmost quantity. I believed that the sound had a pleasant physique and it was even a bit stunning for a pc this skinny to output this type of sound. I can think about {that a} extra outstanding USB or BT speaker can do higher, however that is one other story.
Show
The Yoga 920 has a 13.9” show (generally described as 14”), which provides a beneficiant show real-estate for a dimension that’s historically a 13.3” chassis. The additional show space is especially welcome when utilizing the pen. On the whole, folks write bigger letters when utilizing a digitizer, so any additional area will assist write extra comfortably.
The bezels measure ~5mm on the left+proper sides, and ~8mm on the prime. The underside bezel dimension doesn’t actually matter as a result of it must be large enough to accommodate the chassis’s peak, which is itself outlined largely by the keyboard, trackpad and general “human” ergonomics.
Our unit had a 2160p (3840×2160 or “4K”) decision, which is the one model which is appropriate with the pen. There’s additionally a 1080p display screen out there in case you don’t want the additional sharpness or the pen. The good thing about 1080 is that it consumes a lot much less energy (perhaps as a lot as 30% much less).
“THE COLORS AND BLACK LEVELS LOOK GREAT”
In any case, the colours and black ranges look nice. The show ought to hit 100% sRGB and 81% Adobe sRGB. In each circumstances, it is vitally good, and greater than adequate for productiveness work, and fairly first rate for informal graphic design work. That stated, on this class, skinny and light-weight computer systems at an analogous worth vary from Dell or HP will in all probability land inside ~5% (give or take) of this shade efficiency. Briefly, the business has gotten excellent.
Some folks have requested me if the show has some flex. In case you seize every nook with one hand, you possibly can bend it a bit by making use of some drive. Nonetheless, with one-hand use, it stays very inflexible and doesn’t really feel flimsy in any respect. With solely a few millimeters in thickness, it might be arduous to think about one thing completely inflexible.
We measured the show brightness at 466 NITs utilizing a typical gentle meter. Curiously sufficient, we needed to disable the “Change brightness automatically when lighting changes” choice in Home windows to “really” management brightness. With that setting ON, the brightness wouldn’t transcend 260 NIT as a result of we had been working in a dim lit room on the time. 466 NIT could be very vivid for a laptop computer, and means that you can work comfortably on a sunny day.
I took this photograph of the display screen at full brightness, outside, on a vivid Californian day. I oriented the display screen in direction of the sky, which is a nasty scenario already. The encircling brightness was measured at round ~1300 LUX on the display screen. This will provide you with an concept of what to anticipate.
The display screen is shiny, and sometimes, which means that the picture will look a bit higher indoors. Colours are likely to “pop” extra, and the shiny therapy permits the sharpness to point out its full glory. Mate shows colours are a bit duller and it’s arduous to make ultra-sharp mate screens. Nonetheless, the glossier and the extra reflections you get.
With the laptop computer closed on a desk, it’s attainable to open the show with one hand. It is a frequent query we get usually, so there you go.
Webcam
The 720p webcam is first rate for this type of laptop computer. Computer systems use higher entrance cameras generally – actually, many telephones have higher selfie cameras than even high-end laptop computer. Nonetheless, it looks like the market isn’t “demanding” one thing a lot better. One thing with 1080p decision could be good to begin with.
The 2 far-field microphones on both aspect of the webcam are fairly attention-grabbing. With two microphones, it’s not solely attainable to do issues equivalent to noise cancelling, however Lenovo is utilizing it for far-field audio, which implies that the microphone is ready to hear you properly, even from a distance. Regular PC microphones are optimized for video chats. With this, it is possible for you to to ask inquiries to Microsoft Cortana’s from wherever within the room.
I attempted utilizing it from distant, and didn’t the Cortana far-field “hearing” efficiency to be almost nearly as good as the unique Amazon Echo. I’m undecided if the far-field audio isn’t performing as properly, or if Cortana isn’t excellent at listening to, however in the long run, I don’t assume that I will probably be utilizing this function very a lot.
Lenovo Lively Pen 2
Within the field, there was a stylus organizer which attaches to the full-size USB slot on the appropriate. It’s good, however it may not be pragmatic for individuals who use that port usually. Ethernet to USB or only a USB key is perhaps one thing that’s generally used. In fact, the pen dimension made it out of the query to retailer it contained in the laptop computer. Perhaps a clip and even an adhesive to the aspect would have labored. Samsung does that with its Galaxy Tab S3 Android pill.
The Lively Pen makes use of Wacom (Lively ES) expertise with 4096 ranges of stress, and and is simply out there with the 4K model of this laptop computer.
I’m no designer, and I don’t use the Pen fairly often. Nonetheless, I can say the the Lively Pen 2 high quality is excellent. If you’re significantly choosy about how the pen feels, I’ll invite you to strive the Floor Professional pen for a comparability. I don’t assume that the 2 computer systems would even evaluate, however a minimum of, you’ll know if the Lenovo pen works for you. I believe it’s good, and that the lag is low on easy functions like Sketchbook or Sticky Notes.
Configurations
On the official Lenovo web site, you could find three most important configurations, and from what I can inform, you can not choose totally different {hardware} choice, however different configurations might exist relying on the place and if you purchase one. In any case, right here they’re:
- $1196.99 | i5-8250U Processor (1.60GHz 6MB), 8GB RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD, 1080p Contact. No Pen
- $1394.99 | i7-8550U Processor (1.80GHz 8MB), 8GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, 1080p Contact. No Pen
- $1799.99 | i7-8550U Processor (1.80GHz 8MB), 16GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, UHD Contact + Pen (Bronze or Silver)
All of them include Home windows Dwelling 64, a 1-year guarantee, Intel HD 620 built-in graphics, 70 Whr battery capability, a backlit keyboard and the Lenovo 2×2 AC WiFi.
For max battery life, you go for the 1080p show (on the expense of most RAM and storage). In case you want the pen, you must go for a UHD show because the 1080p model doesn’t work with the pen.
Efficiency
Intel’s eighth Technology of processors has generated some controversy as a result of the single-core efficiency was not that a lot better when in comparison with the seventh Technology. Nonetheless, many cell CPUs have seen their depend of bodily core double, and that’s the case for the Core i7 8550U that’s on our check laptop computer.
“THE DIFFERENCE IN SPEED CAN BE FELT”
The comparable seventh Technology mannequin had two cores, and the eighth has 4 cores. That makes a noticeable distinction: I check loads of totally different laptops, and the distinction in pace may be felt. The laptop computer is extra responsive than laptops with a Gen 7 processor, and actions that profit from multi-cores (net searching is the commonest one) are speedier. With corporations like Mozilla constructing massively multi-threaded browsers equivalent to Firefox Quantum, having 4 cores is extra essential than ever for almost everybody.
You might have heard that extra cores are usually not at all times higher, however on this case, is it. There are at all times ~150 system processes working within the Home windows background. Secondly, it’s not troublesome in a PC atmosphere to make use of 4 to eight cores. On condition that this laptop computer has the identical 15W envelope than final 12 months’s yoga 910, you might be getting a lot better performance-per-Watt. (observe 15W refers back to the TDP or thermal design level, however warmth dissipation and energy consumption sometimes correlate)
There are extra functions that can profit. Any form of heavy graphics workload (gentle CAD, video modifying/rendering, video games…) will profit straight from this enhance in core counts. Even a considerably difficult excel spreadsheet operation will profit from the additional cores.
The one-core efficiency is a bit higher, however not by a lot
The additional core add an enormous enhance of multi-thread SYNTHETIC efficiency
However in actual functions, the rise just isn’t almost double – that is regular
The Lenovo Yoga 920’s SSD drive (512 GB SAMSUNG MZVLW512HMJP-000L2) provides good efficiency on this class, with a rating that reaches past 5000 factors within the PCMark 8 Storage Check 2.0 (5032 factors). Nonetheless, this isn’t a lot totally different from final 12 months’s techniques. Storage merely doesn’t evolve as quick, particularly in additional sensible assessments.
Regardless of a strong CPU, this laptop computer makes use of the Intel Built-in graphics unit embedded within the processor. The efficiency could be very first rate for productiveness functions, however you shouldn’t anticipate the most recent video games to run quick on it. Video games from just a few years in the past needs to be playable in case you don’t need to use the utmost graphics choices.
Cooling, fan noise, and thermal administration
The Yoga 920 has a greater cooling system because the 910, and the fan design has apparently modified. I ran 3DMark and checked the temperature of the laptop computer’s backside, and the most well liked spot was at ~43C (ambient at 21.5C). Whereas sizzling, this isn’t burning sizzling both.
The fan kicks in naturally to maintain the temperature round that degree, however the noise degree was quieter than what I noticed on the Yoga 910.
Battery
With a 70 Wh (watt-hours) battery capability, the Lenovo Yoga 920 has an exceptionally massive battery on this class. Of all of the laptops that we deemed inside vary (dimension, high quality, and Core i7 Gen8), none matches the sheer capability of the Yoga 920’s battery.
The HP Spectre 13 (mannequin af051nr) has a 43.7 Whr battery. The Dell XPS 13 (mannequin 9360) will get 60 WHr of capability, and the Razer BladeStealth tops 53.6 Whr. In fact, these laptops run on an analogous Core i7 Gen8 platform and share loads of the identical energy traits. Additionally, they’ve their very own professional and cons based mostly on their particular designs. Nonetheless, in terms of battery life – dimension does issues.
The Yoga 920 is a bit heavier than others, however who has probably the most battery capability per lbs?
Conclusion
The Lenovo Yoga 920 is a formidable skinny and light-weight laptop computer that refines all of the work achieved with the Yoga 900 sequence previously {couples} of years. Lenovo has iterated quick and to the purpose based mostly on real-world consumer suggestions. This laptop computer brings the Yoga 900 sequence to near-perfection and addresses all of the friction factors of the 910 mannequin.
The result’s a 14-inch 3.05 lbs laptop computer that may be a incredible productiveness performer with a 15W envelope and a very good battery life (particularly the 1080p model). The extra intensive show differentiates the Yoga 920 from in any other case in a position rivals, and the Wacom-based digitizer pen could possibly be a sway issue for inventive customers.
The Yoga 920 navigates the technical problem masterfully, and whereas you may want one thing a bit extra compact with a 13-13,3” display screen, or one thing a bit lighter (by ~160g, or 5.65 oz – the load of cellphone), these are private preferences that don’t have an effect on the technical qualities of this product. We now have no downside recommending the Lenovo Yoga 920 to individuals who need a high-performing, well-built, skinny and light-weight with a big show
General product score: 10/10
Filed in . Learn extra about Editorspick, Laptop computer Critiques, Laptops, Lenovo and Lenovo critiques.
