Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 11s Performance
Remember, we’re looking at the Core i3 1.4Ghz version here. There’s no Turbo Boost on the i3-3229Y but it’s a feature-packed CPU. Intel Quick-Sync, Hyperthreading and other Intel Core features are included. Raw CPU performance isn’t amazing when you consider that the new Baytrail CPUs are producing similar raw CPU performance figures but in combination with the good memory speeds, size and of course, the fast SSD, you’ve got a well-balanced device that won’t hold you back for most operations. OK, perhaps your CPU-based batch image rendering, huge spreadsheets and software development environments would require more than the 11S can offer but for most, it’s enough. We ran an hour long two-video conference chat and presentation session with zero issues. Working with 720p and 1080p clips in PowerDirector was no problem thanks to the fast SSD and Quick Sync hardware support. You can get a lot more processing power for $699, but not in this sort of mobile package and not with a fast SSD. Overall we’re impressed at the overall performance for the price, size and weight.
Here are the results of the performance test results that we ran on the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 11S (Core i3)
Cinebench 11.5 multi-core CPU: 1.38 [Comparison: Core i7 version can return 2.38 points. Source: Core i7 version owner]
Cinebench 11.5 OpenGL:9.42
[Interestingly, the CPU scores match the lowest Core i3 scores we saw when the Ultrabook was launched with Sandy Bridge (2nd-gen Core) back in 2011. One could argue that this isn’t a current Ultrabook based on CPU performance. Note the i7 version pulls in a much better score.]
PCMark7: 2714
CrystalDiskMark SSD speed test: Slightly asymmetric but good 4K read/write speeds and great sequential read speeds.
CrystalMark (mainly for comparison with netbooks of 2008 that were scoring 20,000 points): 109779 points.
Performance comparison. Yoga 11s i3 vs i7 version
Our review of the Core i7 version of the Lenovo Yoga 11S is here.
There’s a big difference between the Core i3-3229Y and Core i7-3689Y versions as can be seen in the comparisons below.
Update: The graphs show an incorrect label. These are results for the Core i3-3229Y, not the (non-existent) Core i3-3227Y.
| Cinebench 11.5 CPU multicore | i3-3229Y: 1.38 | i7-3689Y:2.21 (+65%) |
| Cinebench 11.5 OpenGL | i3-3229Y: 9.42 | i7-3689Y:13.44 (+42%) |
| Cinebench 11.5 CPU multicore | i3-3229Y: 2714 | i7-3689Y:4446 (+64%) |
More images in the Lenovo Yoga 11S gallery.
Other notes
- No NFC
- No TPM module
- No keyboard backlight
- SD card fits flush into slot
- No removable battery
- Noise levels good under load. In general use fan was on but almost inaudible. No heat issues to mention.
- No sync and charge USB3.0 port
[embedsite height=360px src=http://ultrabooknews.com/pullin/productdetails-pullin-generic.php?id=1005]
Battery Life / Power Usage
When you see battery life figures for the Haswell version of the Yoga 11S you’ll probably be underwhelmed by the figures here. They are good for the power level and the weight but Haswell removes a lot of the background battery drain meaning that if you’re idle, or just typing, battery life will go up by big percentages. For most people, however, these figures will be excellent. Upgrade from a three year old laptop and you’ll be amazed!
Minimum WiFi-on screen 50%, balanced mode, idle: Min 5.8W
Web-based social networking (Interactive with G+, Facebook, Gmail, Tweetdeck over 10 minutes), WiFi-on screen 50%, balanced mode over 10 minutes. 9.6 W average (4.5hrs approx.)
Typing this article (10 minutes, WiFi on) – 6.5W. (6.5hrs approx.)
Video playback (Windows 8 Video app.) WiFi off, 50% brightness – 6.8W (6hrs approx.)
More images in the Lenovo Yoga 11S gallery.
More images in the Lenovo Yoga 11S gallery.
Summary
“Be sure the slower Y-series processor is up to your needs” said Ben on his review of the Core i7 version of the 11s. If you’re happy with ‘Y’ then at $699 this is a great-value sub-notebbook. Is it an Ultrabook? That’s debateable but one thing is for sure, this is a good quality mobile notebook with a well-rounded specification and performance set. We would of course like to see a back-lit keyboard, NFC tap-and-send (something we’re getting very used to) , WiDi (required on the latest Ultrabooks) and, yeah, a Haswell CPU which would push up the battery,life and the cost but even as it is, the Lenovo Yoga 11S productive and stress-free. We love it! When you add the ‘Yoga’ trick into the equation it brings fun, more usage cases and makes it the perfect home office-to-armchair PC. We suspect you’ll only see this model for a few months more because Haswell versions are already available for order. Keep a really close eye out for better offers. At $599 with Core i3 or $699 with Core i5 it’s almost a must-buy for anyone looking for portable, but powerful Ultrabook-style computing, even if you don’t need the 2-in-1 capability.
This review written on the Lenovo Yoga 11S. Kindly loaned by Intel Germany.
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