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Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05 Laptop Review: Too cheap to be perfect

The cheapskate. With the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05, Lenovo is testing the limits: How cheap can a laptop be? The Lenovo IdeaPad retails for 300 Euros (~$353), and we notice it at every step in our review. We cannot recommend this Lenovo laptop.

There are many competitors in the low-end space besides the no-name PC manufacturers. Well-known companies such as Lenovo also dabble in this space, which is evidenced by the existence of the IdeaPad 1 14IGL05. What this cryptic name tells us is that this is a 14-inch laptop from Lenovo’s cheapest consumer product series (IdeaPad 1), which features a Gemini Lake-based CPU from Intel. 

The price of the IdeaPad 1 is very low. Our review device can be purchased for about 300 Euros (~$353). However, for this money, you will only get 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC internal memory. Moreover, the 14-inch notebook comes with an HD TN panel.

The competing devices include: the Acer Aspire 1 A114, the HP Chromebook 14 G5 and the Chuwi Herobook 14.

Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05 (IdeaPad 1 Series)
Processor
Intel Pentium Silver N5030 4 x 1.1 - 3.1 GHz, Gemini Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR4 2400 MHz
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel 112 PPI, N140BGA-EA4, TN LED, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Gemini Lake
Storage
SanDisk DA4064, 64 GB 
, eMMC, 20 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Gemini Lake SoC - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: combination headphone/microphone jack, Card Reader: microSD
Networking
Intel Wireless AC 9462 (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 17.8 x 327.1 x 235 ( = 0.7 x 12.88 x 9.25 in)
Battery
32 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.3 MP
Additional features
Speakers: 1.5-watt, stereo, Keyboard: 6-row, chiclet-style, Keyboard Light: no, Lenovo Vantage, McAfee Personal Security,, 24 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
1.377 kg ( = 48.57 oz / 3.04 pounds), Power Supply: 171 g ( = 6.03 oz / 0.38 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
74.6 %
08/2020
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Pentium N5030, UHD Graphics 605
1.4 kg17.8 mm14.00"1366x768
71.7 %
04/2019
Chuwi HeroBook 14
E8000, HD Graphics 400 (Braswell)
1.5 kg21.3 mm14.00"1920x1080
81.5 %
06/2019
HP Chromebook 14 G5
Celeron N3350, HD Graphics 500
1.5 kg18.3 mm14.00"1920x1080
72.5 %
06/2019
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Pentium N5000, UHD Graphics 605
1.7 kg17.95 mm14.00"1920x1080

Case & Connectivity - The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 is clad in plastic

The case of the low-priced IdeaPad 1 is made entirely of plastic. Our review device comes in the Silver Grey colour scheme with black bezels. The housing is about as good as the price would suggest: The wrist rest area is relatively rigid while the chassis and the display lid can be bent or twisted with little effort. While the plastic in the wrist rest area and on the display lid feels smooth to the touch, the plastic on the underside and around the bezels feels rough. This makes the device feel very cheap. However, we cannot complain about the build quality, because there are no obvious defects. The hinge is not well-constructed, though. This is why the display lid cannot be opened with one hand. When it is open, it wobbles. Unlike with many other Lenovo laptops, the screen lid offers only a 140-degree opening angle.

The Lenovo laptop is relatively light, weighing in at only 1.4 kg. Other competing devices are somewhat heavier. Moreover, the IdeaPad is also a little more compact. The 14-inch Lenovo notebook cannot be upgraded. Both RAM and internal memory are soldered-in. However, users can replace the battery, should the need to do so arise.

The selection of ports is appropriate for such a device. Nevertheless, we still miss a USB-C port. USB Type-C ports should become a standard feature of low-priced laptops as well. The SD card reader of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05 is very slow.

Size Comparison

343 mm / 13.5 inch 245 mm / 9.65 inch 17.95 mm / 0.707 inch 1.7 kg3.64 lbs337 mm / 13.3 inch 226 mm / 8.9 inch 18.3 mm / 0.72 inch 1.5 kg3.4 lbs332 mm / 13.1 inch 214 mm / 8.43 inch 21.3 mm / 0.839 inch 1.5 kg3.26 lbs327.1 mm / 12.9 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17.8 mm / 0.701 inch 1.4 kg3.04 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Left side: combination headphone/microphone jack
Left side: combination headphone/microphone jack
Right side: power socket, two USB 3.1 Type-A port, HDMI 1.4 output, microSD card reader
Right side: power socket, two USB 3.1 Type-A port, HDMI 1.4 output, microSD card reader
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
65.7 MB/s +161%
Average of class Office
  (8 - 82.7, n=49, last 2 years)
53 MB/s +110%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
25.2 MB/s
Chuwi HeroBook 14
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
21.1 MB/s -16%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85.3 MB/s +211%
Average of class Office
  (25 - 90.5, n=43, last 2 years)
64.7 MB/s +136%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.4 MB/s
Chuwi HeroBook 14
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
26.1 MB/s -5%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Wireless AC 9462
332 (285min - 362max) MBit/s
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
306 (207min - 387max) MBit/s -8%
Average Intel Wireless AC 9462
  (95 - 365, n=13)
287 MBit/s -14%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
Realtek RTL8723B USB 2.0
34.5 MBit/s -90%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Wireless AC 9462
351 (335min - 360max) MBit/s
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
335 (328min - 340max) MBit/s -5%
Average Intel Wireless AC 9462
  (119 - 360, n=13)
308 MBit/s -12%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
Realtek RTL8723B USB 2.0
29.8 MBit/s -92%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340360Tooltip
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø350 (335-360)
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø332 (285-362)
ColorChecker
26.6 ∆E
28.9 ∆E
28.3 ∆E
22.9 ∆E
30.5 ∆E
24.5 ∆E
29.4 ∆E
36.6 ∆E
21.9 ∆E
21.7 ∆E
18.3 ∆E
26.3 ∆E
31.8 ∆E
21.2 ∆E
23.9 ∆E
13.2 ∆E
27.4 ∆E
27.5 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
23 ∆E
24.3 ∆E
22.2 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
ColorChecker Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05: 22.99 ∆E min: 2.33 - max: 36.59 ∆E

Input Devices: IdeaPad 1 with a surprisingly good keyboard

The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 has a surprisingly good keyboard for a cheap device. It exhibits very little deck flex, offers a longer travel distance than some high-end laptops and it has a very clear actuation point. The keyboard is suited for long typing sessions. The layout is quite normal, and most keys are well-sized (the up and down arrow keys are the only exception). However, there is something to complain about, namely the lack of a keyboard backlight. This is par for the course in this price segment, though. 

The ClickPad is not particularly well-built, but it offers a large, smooth surface made of plastic. Together with Microsoft’s Precision Touchpad Drivers, it functions very well, even though mechanical components are quite subpar. 

Keyboard of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05
Keyboard of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05

Lenovo laptop with an HD TN display: It does not get any worse than this

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement
No backlight bleeding
No backlight bleeding

When it comes to the display, the low price of the 14-inch laptop makes itself obvious in a major way: The IdeaPad 1 comes with an HD (1366x768) screen. Moreover, it is based on outdated TN technology. The IdeaPad 1 also comes with a Full HD (1920x1080) display. It uses outdated TN technology as well. 

The display of our review device has an average brightness of 239 cd/m², which is higher than the brightness claimed in the specifications sheet provided by Lenovo (220 cd/m²). However, in this day and age, this display can only be described as very dim.

The display exhibits PWM flickering at 60% brightness or lower with a comparatively high frequency of 1000 Hz.

232
cd/m²
241
cd/m²
235
cd/m²
237
cd/m²
262
cd/m²
246
cd/m²
223
cd/m²
249
cd/m²
230
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
N140BGA-EA4 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 262 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 239.4 cd/m² Minimum: 3.2 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 262 cd/m²
Contrast: 1456:1 (Black: 0.18 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.18
ΔE Greyscale 12.09 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
63% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
43.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
42.07% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.12
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
N140BGA-EA4, TN LED, 1366x768, 14.00
Chuwi HeroBook 14
InfoVision IVO057D, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP Chromebook 14 G5
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Chi Mei N140HGE-EAA, TN LED, 1920x1080, 14.00
Display
-9%
-4%
Display P3 Coverage
42.07
38.43
-9%
40.35
-4%
sRGB Coverage
62.9
57.8
-8%
60.3
-4%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
43.5
39.72
-9%
41.71
-4%
Response Times
-51%
-46%
-18%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
50 ?(28, 22)
35.6 ?(18, 17.6)
29%
44 ?(23, 21)
12%
43 ?(23, 20)
14%
Response Time Black / White *
14 ?(10, 4)
32.8 ?(13.2, 19.6)
-134%
35 ?(20, 15)
-150%
13 ?(9, 4)
7%
PWM Frequency
1000 ?(60)
521 ?(100)
-48%
1000 ?(90)
0%
250 ?(20)
-75%
Screen
6%
17%
-21%
Brightness middle
262
213.6
-18%
253
-3%
208
-21%
Brightness
239
197
-18%
232
-3%
192
-20%
Brightness Distribution
85
82
-4%
87
2%
85
0%
Black Level *
0.18
0.18
-0%
0.15
17%
0.41
-128%
Contrast
1456
1187
-18%
1687
16%
507
-65%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
10.8
5.78
46%
10.1
6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
29.65
19.89
33%
28.85
3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.18
4.2
-0%
4.38
-5%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
12.09
4.6
62%
3.04
75%
10.96
9%
Gamma
2.12 104%
2 110%
2.21 100%
2.24 98%
CCT
13276 49%
7481 87%
7015 93%
11669 56%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
40
36.5
-9%
38
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
63
57.5
-9%
59
-6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-18% / -7%
-15% / -4%
-14% / -18%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
14 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 4 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 29 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
50 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 28 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 84 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 1000 Hz ≤ 60 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 1000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 60 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 1000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17924 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Colours
Colours
Saturation
Saturation
Grayscale
Grayscale
Colours (after calibration)
Colours (after calibration)
Saturation (after calibration)
Saturation (after calibration)
Grayscale (after calibration)
Grayscale (after calibration)

TN panels usually offer very poor image quality. The contrast ratio is low, the blacks appear greyish, and there is a noticeable bluish cast. The screen is not fit for image-editing by any means. Not least because it can only cover 63% of the sRGB colour space, which is a very poor result. Moreover, colours become distorted if you move your head. Like all TN displays, the panel in the IdeaPad 1 offers very poor viewing angles.

sRGB: 63%
sRGB: 63%
AdobeRGB: 40%
AdobeRGB: 40%
Outdoor use on a cloudy day
Outdoor use on a cloudy day

Performance - The Lenovo laptop is slow in all respects

There are three CPU options: two Celeron processors and one Pentium Silver processor. All chips are based on the Gemini Lake architecture. All models come with soldered-in Gigabyte DDR4 2400 MHz RAM. There are two storage options: Either 64 GB of nonexpandable eMMC memory or an M.2-2242 PCIe NVMe SSD.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z Memory
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
HWiNFO
 
 

Processor

The Intel Pentium Silver N5030 is a Gemini Lake Refresh based quad-core chip, which offers clock speeds of 1.1 to 3.1 GHz. You can find out how the Pentium Silver N5030 stacks up against other processors on our CPU Benchmarks page.

The CPU is extremely slow by today’s standards. Because the processor in the IdeaPad 1 is passively cooled, it throttles down under continuous load. The Pentium Silver N5030 is the fastest CPU option for the IdeaPad 1, which means that it represents the maximum level of performance our review device can achieve.

The laptop does not throttle down when running on battery power.

0153045607590105120135150165180195210225240Tooltip
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05 Intel Pentium Silver N5030, Intel Pentium Silver N5030: Ø195.1 (155.55-248.94)
Chuwi HeroBook 14 Intel Atom x5-E8000, Intel Atom x5-E8000: Ø93.3 (92.16-97.02)
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1 Intel Pentium Silver N5000, Intel Pentium Silver N5000: Ø208 (203.3-210.2)
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (160.8 - 2642, n=120, last 2 years)
1405 Points +464%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
248.9 (155.55min - 248.94max) Points
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (203 - 249, n=2)
226 Points -9%
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Intel Pentium Silver N5000
210 Points -16%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
Intel Atom x5-E8000
94 Points -62%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (82.6 - 284, n=118, last 2 years)
218 Points +188%
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (75.8 - 86, n=2)
80.9 Points +7%
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Intel Pentium Silver N5000
78 Points +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
75.8 Points
Chuwi HeroBook 14
Intel Atom x5-E8000
27 Points -64%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Office
  (356 - 5904, n=120, last 2 years)
3121 Points +536%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
491 Points
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (360 - 491, n=2)
426 Points -13%
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Intel Pentium Silver N5000
424 Points -14%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Office
  (181.3 - 764, n=120, last 2 years)
562 Points +190%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
194 Points
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (171 - 194, n=2)
182.5 Points -6%
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Intel Pentium Silver N5000
167 Points -14%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Chuwi HeroBook 14
Intel Atom x5-E8000
7714 Seconds * -132%
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (3319 - 3580, n=2)
3450 Seconds * -4%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
3319 Seconds *
Average of class Office
  (214 - 2844, n=121, last 2 years)
534 Seconds * +84%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Office
  (2233 - 6687, n=121, last 2 years)
5026 MIPS +97%
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (2555 - 2735, n=2)
2645 MIPS +4%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
2555 MIPS
Chuwi HeroBook 14
Intel Atom x5-E8000
1286 MIPS -50%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Office
  (4226 - 62349, n=121, last 2 years)
34839 MIPS +342%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
7878 MIPS
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (6598 - 7878, n=2)
7238 MIPS -8%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
Intel Atom x5-E8000
4432 MIPS -44%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Office
  (510 - 1974, n=122, last 2 years)
1480 Points +243%
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (431 - 532, n=3)
492 Points +14%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
431 Points
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Office
  (1018 - 11980, n=122, last 2 years)
6683 Points +543%
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (1039 - 1529, n=3)
1263 Points +22%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
1039 Points
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (130 - 137, n=2)
133.5 s * -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
130 s *
Average of class Office
  (31.3 - 117.5, n=120, last 2 years)
56.4 s * +57%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel Pentium Silver N5030
1.473 sec *
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030
  (1.402 - 1.473, n=2)
1.438 sec * +2%
Average of class Office
  (0.4244 - 1.397, n=119, last 2 years)
0.586 sec * +60%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
7724
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
2498
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
3.09 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.02 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
75.8 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
248.9 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
13.37 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help

System Performance

The poor results in the PCMark benchmarks should not be surprising to anyone, given the kind of hardware we are dealing with here. Users will have to be patient when working on the 14-inch device. 

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Office
  (2325 - 7157, n=105, last 2 years)
5348 Points +181%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5030, SanDisk DA4064
1900 Points
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5000, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1879 Points -1%
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030, Intel UHD Graphics 605
  (1838 - 1900, n=2)
1869 Points -2%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), E8000, SanDisk DF4064
899 Points -53%
Essentials
Average of class Office
  (5095 - 20841, n=105, last 2 years)
9832 Points +120%
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5000, 64 GB eMMC Flash
4769 Points +7%
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030, Intel UHD Graphics 605
  (4469 - 4614, n=2)
4542 Points +2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5030, SanDisk DA4064
4469 Points
Chuwi HeroBook 14
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), E8000, SanDisk DF4064
2720 Points -39%
Productivity
Average of class Office
  (3041 - 10198, n=105, last 2 years)
7449 Points +149%
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030, Intel UHD Graphics 605
  (2994 - 3036, n=2)
3015 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5030, SanDisk DA4064
2994 Points
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5000, 64 GB eMMC Flash
2944 Points -2%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), E8000, SanDisk DF4064
1266 Points -58%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Office
  (1912 - 9056, n=105, last 2 years)
5810 Points +318%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5030, SanDisk DA4064
1391 Points
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030, Intel UHD Graphics 605
  (1204 - 1391, n=2)
1298 Points -7%
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5000, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1283 Points -8%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), E8000, SanDisk DF4064
573 Points -59%
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Office
  (2304 - 4830, n=12, last 2 years)
4261 Points +99%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5030, SanDisk DA4064
2142 Points
Average Intel Pentium Silver N5030, Intel UHD Graphics 605
  ()
2142 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5000, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1933 Points -10%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), E8000, SanDisk DF4064
1453 Points -32%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2142 points
PCMark 10 Score
1900 points
Help

DPC Latencies

LatencyMon
LatencyMon
LatencyMon Drivers
LatencyMon Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5030, SanDisk DA4064
1873 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

The soldered-in eMMC memory represents the third chokepoint for the 14-inch laptop, the first two being the RAM and the CPU. It is significantly slower than all SSDs. Moreover, there is only 64 GB of internal storage, which is barely enough to store any data or applications.

Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
SanDisk DA4064
Chuwi HeroBook 14
SanDisk DF4064
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
64 GB eMMC Flash
Average SanDisk DA4064
 
Average of class Office
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-52%
-31%
-6%
933%
Write 4K
37.8
15.35
-59%
24.08
-36%
Read 4K
23.2
10.86
-53%
11.48
-51%
18.1 ?(12.1 - 23.8, n=4)
-22%
Write Seq
228.8
92.1
-60%
149.7
-35%
222 ?(214 - 229, n=4)
-3%
Read Seq
303
146.2
-52%
271.2
-10%
277 ?(262 - 303, n=4)
-9%
Write 4K Q32T1
45.56
15.19
-67%
23.87
-48%
Read 4K Q32T1
58.2
33.62
-42%
30.76
-47%
Write Seq Q32T1
162.7
87.9
-46%
137.2
-16%
Read Seq Q32T1
212.8
142.8
-33%
205.1
-4%
SanDisk DA4064
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 212.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 162.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 58.2 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 45.56 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 303 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 228.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 23.2 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 37.8 MB/s

Continuous read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics Card

The Intel UHD Graphics 605 is a very slow eGPU. It can play back Full HD video, but it is not capable of more.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1474 - 13132, n=113, last 2 years)
6062 Points +882%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 605
  (588 - 902, n=13)
701 Points +14%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel UHD Graphics 605, Intel Pentium Silver N5030
617 Points
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Intel UHD Graphics 605, Intel Pentium Silver N5000
592 Points -4%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Intel Atom x5-E8000
247 Points -60%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Office
  (712 - 9228, n=114, last 2 years)
4191 Points +833%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 605
  (411 - 576, n=10)
473 Points +5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel UHD Graphics 605, Intel Pentium Silver N5030
449 Points
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Intel UHD Graphics 605, Intel Pentium Silver N5000
425 Points -5%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Office
  (5681 - 58068, n=93, last 2 years)
24010 Points +632%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 605
  (2874 - 4485, n=10)
3518 Points +7%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Intel UHD Graphics 605, Intel Pentium Silver N5030
3280 Points
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Intel UHD Graphics 605, Intel Pentium Silver N5000
2874 Points -12%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Intel Atom x5-E8000
1594 Points -51%
3DMark 11 Performance
684 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
2961 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
415 points
Help
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 26.4
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 36.5 15.1 7.4 6.7
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 7.15 5.94 5.27

Emissions & Energy

System Noise

The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 is always silent because it lacks an active cooling system. There is no coil whine. 

Noise Level

Idle
/ / dB(A)
Load
/ dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.3 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.53434.434.52540.944.34140.93132.434.842.432.44030.129.631.430.15030.228.93030.26327.728.828.427.78026.12726.726.110026.3262626.312524.524.225.124.516024.524.52424.520023.423.42223.425022.121.822.522.131521.321.921.221.340020.620.620.120.650019.919.519.519.96301919.218.91980018.218.518.418.2100018181818125017.617.717.517.6160017.617.417.417.6200017.617.617.617.6250017.717.417.517.7315017.717.517.617.7400017.917.717.717.9500018.117.81818.1630018.11818.118.1800018.218.118.218.21000018.218.118.218.21250017.91818.117.91600018.117.918.218.1SPL30.430.330.330.4N1.41.41.41.4median 18.2median 18.1median 18.2median 18.2Delta1.41.51.41.4hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05

Temperature

Stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)
Stress test (Prime95 + FurMark)

The surface temperatures of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05 reach up to 45.5 °C (113.9 °F), which is well within reason. In the stress test with Prime95 and FurMark, the CPU clocks drop to 400 MHz after a while, because the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 cannot dissipate the heat generated by the processor. Continuous workloads should be avoided in day-to-day use, due to the issues with throttling.

Max. Load
 38.1 °C
101 F
38.4 °C
101 F
28.5 °C
83 F
 
 35.3 °C
96 F
36.1 °C
97 F
27.5 °C
82 F
 
 26.8 °C
80 F
26.5 °C
80 F
25.3 °C
78 F
 
Maximum: 38.4 °C = 101 F
Average: 31.4 °C = 89 F
26.8 °C
80 F
44.6 °C
112 F
45.5 °C
114 F
26.5 °C
80 F
34.9 °C
95 F
42.1 °C
108 F
25.6 °C
78 F
27 °C
81 F
27.7 °C
82 F
Maximum: 45.5 °C = 114 F
Average: 33.4 °C = 92 F
Power Supply (max.)  34 °C = 93 F | Room Temperature 24.4 °C = 76 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.4 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.5 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.4 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 26.8 °C / 80.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (+0.9 °C / 1.7 F).
Top (at idle)
Top (at idle)
Bottom (at idle)
Bottom (at idle)
Top (under load)
Top (under load)
Bottom (under load)
Bottom (under load)

Speakers

The speakers offer an average sound quality for laptops, which means that they are too quiet and produce little to no bass. Buyers should use headphones, which can be connected via the audio jack, for a better listening experience. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.434.431.42540.44140.43137.742.437.74029.731.429.75030.93030.96326.628.426.68027.226.727.210026.62626.612527.725.127.716030.72430.720031.22231.225045.122.545.131553.221.253.24005920.15950059.219.559.26305718.95780063.518.463.5100070.11870.1125067.917.567.9160061.317.461.3200064.717.664.7250057.417.557.4315057.617.657.6400057.217.757.2500057.21857.2630055.818.155.8800057.518.257.51000061.518.261.51250061.118.161.11600045.518.245.5SPL74.930.374.9N32.81.432.8median 57.4median 18.2median 57.4Delta8.11.48.135.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 0.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 68% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 24% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 69% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 24% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Consumption

The Lenovo IdeaPad 1’s low power draw can be explained by the fact that it features anaemic components. The maximum power consumption amounts to 13.2 watts; some laptops draw more power than that when idle.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.25 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2 / 4.3 / 4.9 Watt
Load midlight 12 / 13.2 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

Charging time: 151 minutes
Charging time: 151 minutes

Despite a very low battery capacity of 32 watt-hours, the IdeaPad 1 achieves a very respectable battery runtime. Nine hours is enough to last an entire day at school.

Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
HP Chromebook 14 G5
Celeron N3350, HD Graphics 500, 47.36 Wh
661 min +22%
Average of class Office
  (300 - 1137, n=107, last 2 years)
594 min +9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05
Pentium N5030, UHD Graphics 605, 32 Wh
543 min
Acer Aspire 1 A114-32-P0K1
Pentium N5000, UHD Graphics 605, 37 Wh
383 min -29%
Chuwi HeroBook 14
E8000, HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), 38 Wh
368 min -32%
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge Chromium)
9h 03min

Pros

+ usable keyboard
+ good battery life
+ silent operation
+ cheap

Cons

- extremely slow
- very poor HD TN panel
- too little eMMC storage space
- no USB-C ports
- nonupgradable
- slow microSD card reader

Verdict

In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05. Test device provided by
In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05. Test device provided by

If you search for the lowest-end device in Lenovo’s laptop line-up, you will find the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05. It uses the slowest and cheapest components currently available on the market: An extremely slow Gemini Lake processor, only 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of painfully slow eMMC memory and an awful HD TN display that takes all the fun out of using the device. 

However, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05 is not an utter failure, thanks to its usable input devices. Its keyboard is rather good. Moreover, because there is no fan, the device is completely silent during operation. The battery life is also quite good, despite a low battery capacity. 

It does not get any cheaper than this. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05 offers a very poor level of performance, because of its very low price tag.

However, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 is simply too slow to recommend as a secondary device for kids or as a school laptop. It is not completely unusable. However, you will have to invest more money than this if you want to get a new device that is pleasurable to use. Otherwise, you are going to be much better off getting a used laptop.

Lenovo IdeaPad 1-14IGL05 - 08/07/2020 v7
Benjamin Herzig

Chassis
70 / 98 → 71%
Keyboard
78%
Pointing Device
77%
Connectivity
31 / 80 → 39%
Weight
71 / 20-75 → 92%
Battery
86%
Display
74%
Games Performance
20 / 78 → 26%
Application Performance
52 / 95 → 55%
Temperature
92%
Noise
100%
Audio
55%
Camera
15 / 85 → 17%
Average
63%
75%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14IGL05 Laptop Review: Too cheap to be perfect
Benjamin Herzig, 2020-08-10 (Update: 2020-08-19)