Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW Notebook Review
The Ideapad Y700 series succeeds the previous 14-inch Y40, 15.6-inch Y50, and 17.3-inch Y70. Thus, the Y700 name consists of SKUs ranging from 14-inch all the way up to 17.3-inch with a diverse set of configuration options each.
Our Y700 today is the 15.6-inch touchscreen version with Intel Skylake and Nvidia GTX 960M graphics. AMD components are again limited to the 14-inch version, so Radeon fans will have to settle for the smaller Y700. Last year's Y50 was decent enough, but it has already become outdated in the face of recent competitors like the Alienware 15 R2, MSI GE62, and Asus GL552. Can the latest 15.6-inch Y700 bring Lenovo back up to speed into 2016?
We recommend checking out our previous reviews on the older generation Y models to see how the series has changed over time:
Case
Visually, the design of last year's Y series looks very sharp for a gaming notebook. Its combination of defined corners, brushed aluminum lid, and dark rubberized palm rests is sleek without appearing overly eccentric. This design philosophy has returned on the new Y700 with a few notable changes. While we had build quality issues on our Y50 and Y70, the Y700 is built more tightly around the edges and corners where gaps are more likely to occur. As a result, the speaker grilles have been redesigned and are now larger and more taut than before. The belly of the unit has also been redesigned with new grilles and a relocated subwoofer grille.
The rest of the model appears largely the same as its predecessor. The lid exhibits better than average resistance to twisting and the single-bar hinge is strong enough to prevent teetering when typing. The base of the unit is especially resistant to twisting and even depressions when pushing down on the center of the keyboard. Pushing down on the center of the outer lid will warp it just slightly, but not enough to be of any concern. While we prefer the unibody approach over gluing together smaller materials, Lenovo has done a better job this time around as far as quality is concerned.
As for size and weight, the Y700 is actually slightly thicker (23.9 mm vs. 25.9 mm) and longer in depth (277 mm vs. 263.4 mm) than its Y50 predecessor. When combined with the internal changes and touchscreen panel, our Y700 is roughly 500 grams heavier than our older Y50 configuration. The Acer Aspire V15 Nitro is much lighter at 2.4 kg while the super-thin MSI GS60 and HP Omen are roughly 2.1 kg each in comparison.
Connectivity
Port selection feels limited on the Y700. Users have only three USB ports to work with and only one video-out option via HDMI. We would have liked to see USB Type-C to make up for the low USB count and mDP to complement the HDMI port. The Acer Aspire V Nitro, for example, has USB Type-C and Thunderbolt with an optical drive while the MSI GS60 includes both USB Type-C and mDP. The options here are unchanged from last year's Y50 and it definitely feels like Lenovo is cutting corners in this regard.
Communication
WLAN is provided by an Intel 8260 dual-band (2x2) M.2 module with 802.11ac connectivity, WiDi, and integrated Bluetooth 4.2. Maximum throughput is rated at 867 Mbps and we experienced no connection issues during our time with the Y700. In comparison, the smaller 14-inch Y700 is only sold with a 1x1 Intel 3165 module.
There are no WWAN or GPS options on the gaming-centric Y700.
Accessories
Lenovo has expanded its gaming series lineup to include dedicated gaming accessories in the same manner as Asus and Aorus. Thus, the manufacturer is now marketing mechanical keyboards, surround sound headsets, precision mice, and backpacks sleekly designed in black with red accents to match the current Y700 color scheme.
Maintenance
Like the older Y50, the panel underneath is very difficult to remove. Removing the set of Philips screws is easy enough, but the hinges are attached so tightly that quite a bit of force is needed even with a sharp edge. Users will have to pry open the panel in the most literal sense, which is never a user-friendly approach.
While we were unable to safely detach the base without damaging the rest of the unit, LaptopMedia.com has provided a neat teardown of the Y700 with images of the innards. Users are treated to dual storage bays, 2x SODIMM slots, and removable M.2 WLAN card. The motherboard has been redesigned compared to the Y50 with the RAM modules and subwoofer repositioned and the battery made more easily removable.
Warranty
Lenovo provides the standard one-year warranty with extensions for up to three years for an additional $80 and accidental damage protection for an additional $30.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The keyboard layout (34 x 10.2 cm) has not changed last year's model. Two levels of red backlight are available and the full-size arrow keys are appreciated unlike on the HP Omen. Key travel and feedback are shallow and soft, respectively, but consistent nonetheless so users can quickly become accustomed to its feel. Still, we would have liked a deeper travel length as typing on the Y700 can feel like typing on an Ultrabook. The recent Gigabyte P55W, for example, provides a travel length of 2.2 mm compared to 1.5 mm on most other notebooks.
Users may also lament the fact that Lenovo includes no dedicated Macro or auxiliary keys. There are no dedicated software either for recording keystrokes or setting game-specific features. Lenovo may want to examine the examples set by MSI or Clevo on the software front if it wants to be on level playing field with more established gaming manufacturers.
Touchpad
At 10.6 x 7 cm, the touchpad is exactly the same as it was on the Y50. Its surface is matte plastic with a smooth and comfortable glide and its Synaptics software is able to recognize up to four fingers simultaneously. If typing, the surface is automatically disabled to prevent accidental movement. We experienced no major issues regarding accuracy or responsiveness.
The integrated mouse keys are shallow and quiet, so feedback is not quite as firm as it could have been and is a little on the soft side. The force required to push down and input a click is on the high side, so tapping on the surface instead is more ergonomic if an external mouse is unavailable.
Display
Like last year's Y50, this year's Y700 is available in FHD (1920 x 1080) or UHD (3840 x 2160) with optional touchscreen support. Our test model is the FHD touchscreen version. While the screen is protected with a semi-glossy panel, Lenovo makes no mention of Gorilla Glass and the panel feels like clear plastic to cut down on costs. Subjectively, colors and text appear crisp with no major backlight bleeding or clarity issues. A quick search for the LP156WF6-SPK1 panel name shows no other notebooks in our database sporting the exact same screen. The more generic LP156WF6 model name, however, is used on other touchscreen notebooks such as the Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 and ThinkPad S5 Yoga.
Display brightness is average for its class at around 250 nits. Black levels are very good for a contrast of nearly 1000:1, so the Lenovo is excellent for media playback. Contrast is almost twice that of the older Y50. Of course, our data only reflects the 1080p touchscreen SKU and results will likely differ for the UHD configurations.
|
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 258.6 cd/m²
Contrast: 934:1 (Black: 0.277 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 7.23 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
57.2% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
36.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.86% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
57.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
38.55% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 1.99
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW 15.60, 1920x1080 | Acer Predator 15 G9-591-74ZV 15.60, 1920x1080 | HP Envy 15-w103ng x360 15.60, 1920x1080 | MSI GS60 6QE-002US 15.60, 1920x1080 | Lenovo IdeaPad Y50-70 (59424712) 15.60, 3840x2160 | HP Omen 15.60, 1920x1080 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 59% | 4% | 54% | 31% | 64% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 38.55 | 66 71% | 39.97 4% | 64 66% | 50.6 31% | 64.4 67% |
sRGB Coverage | 57.6 | 85.8 49% | 59.8 4% | 82.7 44% | 76.3 32% | 92.6 61% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 39.86 | 62.7 57% | 41.32 4% | 60.4 52% | 52.3 31% | 65.5 64% |
Response Times | 10% | -4% | ||||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 40.8 ? | 31 ? 24% | 37 ? 9% | |||
Response Time Black / White * | 24 ? | 25 ? -4% | 28 ? -17% | |||
PWM Frequency | 58.1 | |||||
Screen | 24% | -4% | 10% | 4% | 16% | |
Brightness middle | 258.6 | 310 20% | 208 -20% | 291.2 13% | 290 12% | 315 22% |
Brightness | 242 | 287 19% | 205 -15% | 292 21% | 257 6% | 301 24% |
Brightness Distribution | 88 | 86 -2% | 80 -9% | 83 -6% | 81 -8% | 85 -3% |
Black Level * | 0.277 | 0.36 -30% | 0.26 6% | 0.547 -97% | 0.512 -85% | 0.38 -37% |
Contrast | 934 | 861 -8% | 800 -14% | 532 -43% | 566 -39% | 829 -11% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 8.1 | 3.83 53% | 6.97 14% | 4.29 47% | 3.72 54% | 4.37 46% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 7.23 | 2.53 65% | 7.37 -2% | 2.51 65% | 3.11 57% | 5.46 24% |
Gamma | 1.99 111% | 2.42 91% | 2.34 94% | 2.13 103% | 2.48 89% | 2.48 89% |
CCT | 6567 99% | 6934 94% | 6823 95% | 6403 102% | 6959 93% | 7915 82% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 36.5 | 56 53% | 38 4% | 54 48% | 48.16 32% | 60 64% |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 57.2 | 86 50% | 59 3% | 82 43% | ||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 31% /
30% | -1% /
-2% | 32% /
21% | 18% /
11% | 40% /
29% |
* ... smaller is better
Color space reproduction is below average at roughly 36 percent and 57 percent of the AdobeRGB and sRGB standards, respectively. This is typical of low-end to mainstream panels and costlier gaming notebooks like the Predator 15 or GS60 tend to have wider color ranges. It doesn't mean that the display for the Y700 is poor, but colors are ultimately not as deep as they could be.
Further display measurements with an X-Rite spectrophotometer show inaccurate grayscale and colors out-of-the-box. A calibration will dramatically improve grayscale and RGB balance, but color accuracy becomes increasingly poor at higher saturation levels due to imperfect sRGB coverage. Fortunately, this has little significance for gaming purposes as response times take priority over color accuracy. Here the Y700 shows very good Black-White and Gray-Gray response times for reduced ghosting when gaming.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
24 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4 ms rise | |
↘ 20 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. » 48 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
40.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 16.4 ms rise | |
↘ 24.4 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. » 59 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM detected | 58.1 Hz | ||
The display backlight flickers at 58.1 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 58.1 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Outdoor visibility is limited due to the semi-glossy display and average backlight. Glare is unavoidable and colors appear washed out as the display cannot overcome ambient light on even an overcast day. Luckily, the IPS panel allows for wide viewing angles as needed, though apparent brightness will drop if viewing from too steep of an angle in any direction outside of the normal. The hinge allows for an opening of up to roughly 140 degrees.
Performance
The current 15.6-inch Y700 Touchscreen can only be equipped with a Core i7-6700HQ with no other CPU options. Similarly, the only Nvidia option is the GTX 960M with Optimus support for longer battery life. The CPU will run as low as 900 MHz and the GPU at 135/202 MHz core/memory when on the Power Saver profile. Otherwise, the CPU is capable of up to 3.5 GHz and the GPU up to 1189/1252 MHz core/memory depending on the system load.
An important note to keep in mind is that the lower-end SKUs have the GTX 960M with only 2 GB VRAM compared to the higher-end SKUs with 4 GB VRAM. Our configuration uses the 4 GB VRAM variant, which is the standard variant on the majority of gaming notebooks with the GTX 960M GPU. It's unfortunate that Lenovo had to strip GPU performance to bring the entry-level MSRP down as low as possible.
System RAM is provided by two 8 GB DDR4 SODIMM modules for a total of 16 GB. Each slot can now support up to 16 GB, so total RAM can be up to 32 GB.
Processor
Compared to last year's Haswell i7-4720HQ and i7-4710HQ, the new Skylake i7-6700HQ provides a similar level of performance for single-threaded applications due to having similar Turbo Boost potential under these types of system loads. Instead, Skylake shines in multi-threaded applications where our i7-6700HQ outperforms the i7-4710HQ by 25 percent according to CineBench as Turbo Boost occurs more consistently. Nonetheless, CPU power is essentially the same as - if not slightly lower than - the i7-5700HQ since the jump from Broadwell to Skylake is more beneficial to the integrated GPUs involved.
See our dedicated CPU page on the Core i7-6700HQ for additional benchmarks and comparisons.
Cinebench R15 | |
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
MSI GT72S 6QF | |
Lenovo Y70 DU004HUS | |
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
MSI GT72S 6QF | |
Lenovo Y70 DU004HUS |
Cinebench R11.5 | |
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
MSI GT72S 6QF | |
Lenovo Y70 DU004HUS | |
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
MSI GT72S 6QF | |
Lenovo Y70 DU004HUS |
Cinebench R10 | |
Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
MSI GT72S 6QF | |
Lenovo Y70 DU004HUS | |
Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
Eurocom Sky DLX7 | |
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL | |
MSI GT72S 6QF | |
Lenovo Y70 DU004HUS |
System Performance
Perhaps surprisingly, PCMark 7 positions our Y700 next to the better-equipped Predator 15 and well ahead of the similarly equipped Acer Aspire V Nitro. Fortunately, PCMark 8 results are more in line with what we were expecting with scores that are just a few percentage points between the Acer Aspire V Nitro and Predator 15. Results are especially better than last year's Y70 as our test model at the time was only equipped with a 1 TB SSHD instead of a dedicated SSD.
Subjectively, we experienced no recurring system issues during our time with the Y700. We had a random system crash and a screen that would not wake from sleep on separate occasions, but were unable to repeat them. The pre-installed McAfee software may be bothersome to users who have no interest in its features.
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
Acer Predator 15 G9-591-74ZV | |
Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition VN7-792G-74Q4 | |
HP Envy 15-ae020ng | |
Lenovo Y70 DU004HUS |
PCMark 7 Score | 5918 points | |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3845 points | |
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 4790 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 5011 points | |
Help |
Storage Devices
A total of two bays are available: The M.2 2280 slot and the 2.5-inch SATA III slot. Our configuration uses a Samsung MZNLN128HCGR 128 GB SSD as the primary and a Western Digital WD10SPCX 1 TB HDD as the secondary. This Blue Class drive is 7 mm in thickness, so we recommend using drives of similar height if upgrading. The older Y50 did not have the luxury of dual storage bays.
Transfer rates are limited to SATA III speeds since none of the current configurations support NVMe. The Samsung SSD exhibits excellent sequential read rates at 515 MB/s according to CrystalDiskMark, but write speeds are a bit disappointing at just 156 MB/s. The Micron M600 MTFDDAV512MBF is capable of sequential read rates of 494 MB/s in comparison.
Meanwhile, the WD HDD is fast for a 5400 RPM with an average transfer rate of 91 MB/s according to HD Tune. Faster 7200 RPM drives tend to reach just over 100 MB/s, such as the Hitachi drive in the Eurocom Sky DLX7. Nonetheless, the large capacity should prove sufficient and almost mandatory for storing a library of games.
GPU Performance
Raw GPU performance according to 3DMark is about 20 percent ahead of the GTX 950M in the MSI PX60 and is almost twice as slow as the GTX 970M in the Asus G752. This doesn't necessarily mean that systems with the GTX 970M are almost twice as fast as our Y700, but the gap is definitely very wide when gaming.
3DMark 11 Performance | 5678 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 84067 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 17554 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 4036 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score | 2032 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
Frame rates in real-world games lie comfortably between the GTX 950M and GTX 970M as expected. In most cases, however, the jump from a GTX 960M to the GTX 970M will be much greater than the jump from a GTX 950M to the GTX 960M. All modern titles are playable at the native 1080p resolution as long as details are reduced for newer or more demanding titles like Fallout 4 or Thief. If 1080p60 on high settings is your target, then systems with the GTX 980M are recommended.
See our dedicated GPU page on the GTX 960M for more comparisons and benchmarks.
low | med. | high | ultra | |
Sleeping Dogs (2012) | 145.6 | 92.8 | 24.3 | |
Guild Wars 2 (2012) | 58.6 | 33.1 | ||
Tomb Raider (2013) | 182.8 | 116.2 | 53.7 | |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 137.3 | 122.5 | 46.5 | |
Metro: Last Light (2013) | 100.9 | 60.7 | 31.7 | |
Thief (2014) | 66.4 | 56 | 28.2 | |
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) | 81.1 | 42.9 | 33 | |
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) | 62 | 34 | 24 | |
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) | 59.9 | 59.3 | 39.8 | |
Fallout 4 (2015) | 56.8 | 31.8 | 24.6 |
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor | |
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset (HD Package) (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD |
Sleeping Dogs | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:High (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD | |
1920x1080 Extreme Preset AA:Extreme (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD |
Tomb Raider | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD |
BioShock Infinite | |
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD |
Metro: Last Light | |
1366x768 High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD | |
1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD |
Thief | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD | |
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Eurocom P7 Pro | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD |
Batman: Arkham Knight | |
1920x1080 High / On (Interactive Smoke & Paper Debris Off) AA:SM AF:8x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Asus G752VT | |
MSI GP62-2QEi781FD | |
1920x1080 High / On AA:SM AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Asus G752VT |
Metal Gear Solid V | |
1920x1080 High / On (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Asus G752VT | |
1920x1080 Extra High / On (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
Asus G752VT |
Fallout 4 | |
1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x (sort by value) | |
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW | |
SCHENKER XMG U716 |
Stress Test
The Lenovo notebook holds up very well to stressful loads. Its CPU is able to maintain the maximum 3.1 GHz Turbo Boost when under Prime95 stress and the GPU is likewise at a steady 1006 MHz (or about 90 MHz slower than the base clock rate) when under FurMark stress. The CPU will throttle just slightly under its base 2.6 GHz clock rate when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously.
The system fares better when under Unigine Heaven load. The CPU will run anywhere between its base 2.6 GHz clock rate and its 3.1 GHz maximum while the GPU enjoys a steady boost to 1189 MHz. Core temperatures remain relatively low for a notebook in the mid 50 C and 60 C ranges.
Running on batteries will not impede GPU performance, but CPU performance takes a hit as Turbo Boost occurs much less frequently. A 3DMark 11 run on battery power produces final Physics and Graphics scores of 8014 and 5246 points, respectively, compared to 8751 and 5322 points when on mains.
CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (C) | Average GPU Temperature (C) | |
Prime95 Stress | 3.1 | -- | ~73 | -- |
FurMark Stress | -- | 1006 | -- | ~63 |
Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 2.5 | 1006 | ~76 | ~72 |
Unigine Heaven Stress | 2.6 - 3.1 | 1189 | ~54 | ~64 |
Emissions
System Noise
The cooling system of the Y700 is similar in setup to the one in the Y50 except with longer heat pipes and two identical fans. The fans are inaudible when on Power Saver or idling on desktop. Of course, this is assuming that the notebook is running on integrated graphics. If on the Balanced profile or higher with the dGPU enabled, then the fans will occasionally pulsate from 30 dB(A) to 33 dB(A) even when the system is idling. We suggest using Power Saver mode if working in noise-sensitive environments.
Fan noise comes out to just over 41 dB(A) when running Unigine Heaven and can be as loud as 47 dB(A) when running both Prime95 and FurMark. This is quieter than competing notebooks like the Predator 15, Omen, and Alienware 15. We're impressed with the results when combined with the fact that the system does not significantly throttle and CPU/GPU temperatures are relatively low.
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung MZNLN128HCGR-000L2 | Acer Predator 15 G9-591-74ZV GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256 | MSI GS60 6QE-046XPL GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NU | Alienware 15 GeForce GTX 970M, 4710HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 M.2 2280 128GB | Lenovo IdeaPad Y50-70-59441231 GeForce GTX 960M, 4710HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 512 GB MZ7TE512HMHP | HP Omen GeForce GTX 860M, 4710HQ, SanDisk A110 SD6PP4M-256G-1006 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | -10% | -13% | -5% | -3% | -8% | |
Idle Minimum * | 30.4 | 31 -2% | 36 -18% | 29.4 3% | 29.6 3% | 32.2 -6% |
Idle Average * | 30.5 | 32 -5% | 36 -18% | 30.7 -1% | 31.1 -2% | 34.3 -12% |
Idle Maximum * | 33.3 | 42 -26% | 36 -8% | 34 -2% | 34.3 -3% | 36.2 -9% |
Load Average * | 41.4 | 47 -14% | 45 -9% | 46.2 -12% | 45 -9% | 46.2 -12% |
Load Maximum * | 47 | 48 -2% | 52 -11% | 53 -13% | 49.2 -5% | 46.6 1% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
Idle |
| 30.4 / 30.5 / 33.3 dB(A) |
Load |
| 41.4 / 47 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance) |
Temperature
Surface temperatures are flat on both sides with no noticeable hot spots when the system is idling. When under heavy loads, the right half of the Y700 becomes much warmer than the left since this is where the CPU and GPU are situated. Thus, the palm rests and WASD keys remain relatively cool no matter the workload for comfortable gaming. In turn, heavy NumPad users will definitely feel the heat on this side of the keyboard.
A maximum recorded surface temperature of almost 48 C is quite warm, but competing models like the Acer Aspire V15 Nitro with the same GTX 960M GPU can have warmer hot spots. The higher-end Predator 15 or GS60 are even warmer under similar conditions.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.8 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 47.8 °C / 118 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.5 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.2 °C / 84.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-0.3 °C / -0.6 F).
Speakers
The 2 W stereo JBL speakers and 3 W subwoofer are very loud with no static or distortions at maximum volume. The bass adds a level of balance that smaller or thinner notebooks cannot normally achieve with integrated speakers. Its range is sufficient enough for acceptable movie playback if 3.5 mm earphones or speakers are unavailable.
Battery Life
The Li-Ion battery remains non-removable, though Lenovo has kindly upped the capacity from 55 Wh on the original Y50 to 60 Wh on the newer Y700. Runtimes are very good for a gaming notebook at almost 6 hours of constant WLAN use. Alienware notebooks typically have higher capacity batteries and are able to last much longer than most of the competition.
Note that a built-in Lenovo battery saver feature may have automatically kicked in at 30 percent battery life while running our minimum runtime test. This kink on the curve extended our runtime results which would have otherwise been much shorter.
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW 60 Wh | Acer Predator 15 G9-591-74ZV 88 Wh | Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P 52 Wh | MSI GS60 6QE-002US 47 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad Y50-70-59441229 55 Wh | Alienware 15 R2 (Skylake) 96 Wh | HP Envy 15-ae020ng 55 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | 19% | -51% | -63% | -28% | 27% | 26% | |
Reader / Idle | 617 | 670 9% | 216 -65% | 116 -81% | 769 25% | 753 22% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 353 | 166 -53% | 97 -73% | 254 -28% | 446 26% | 308 -13% | |
Load | 88 | 113 28% | 58 -34% | 56 -36% | 114 30% | 148 68% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Lenovo calls its Y700 series the entry-level gaming solution that also doubles as a multimedia experience. When judging under this pretense, the refresh is a success as its core basics are excellent. Display quality is very good with fast response times, build quality is improved over the previous generation, and the system experiences no throttling when gaming. Battery life is very good with Optimus enabled and the dual storage bays make it that much more practical than its predecessor as a gaming machine.
The downsides of the 15.6-inch Y700 come to light after spending a bit more time with the notebook. The devil is in the details as color reproduction is only average and there is no USB Type-C to future-proof the model. The cut corners go deeper as users who opt in for a lower-end SKU will end up with a maimed GTX 960M with half the VRAM. The lack of NVMe, mDP, and dedicated Macro keys further separate the Y700 series from the big guns like the G752 or GT72S.
Gamers on a tight budget of around $1000 USD should consider the 15.6-inch Y700 as it is currently one of the least expensive systems with a GTX 960M alongside the Acer Aspire V15 Nitro. We recommend dropping both UHD and touchscreen options in favor of a SKU with secondary HDD and proper GTX 960M with 4 GB VRAM.
Lenovo Ideapad Y700 15ISK 80NW
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01/29/2016 v4.1(old)
Allen Ngo