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Lenovo Yoga 3 14 (GT 940M) Convertible Review

Gaming acrobat. Despite the thin chassis and the versatile 360-degree hinge, the Lenovo Yoga 3 14 is also available with a dedicated GeForce 940M GPU. The following review shows how the device compares with the previously reviewed IGP version and why it is still not completely convincing, despite the good requisites.
Lenovo Yoga 3 teaser image

For the original German review, see here.

Lenovo’s Yoga 3 with a 14-inch screen already left a good impression in the U.S. review thanks to the good performance and the handy 360-degree hinge. While this version only used the integrated graphics chip of the processor, the German test model (Yoga 3 14 80JH0035GE) is equipped with an additional graphics card from Nvidia, which should improve the gaming performance. There are also differences to the previously reviewed model in terms of wireless communication as well as the chassis color.

Rivals for the Yoga 3 14 are, among others, the 13.3-inch devices Acer Aspire R13 and the slightly more expensive HP Spectre 13 x360 as well as the Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN with a 15-inch screen. There is also competition from Lenovo itself with the ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14, but the business convertible with a comparable performance is more expensive.

Many aspects of the review unit are similar to the U.S. model, so the sections Case & Connectivity as well as Input Devices will mainly cover the differences between both models. More details and information about the speakers are available in the previous review.

 

 

Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE (yoga Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-5200U 2 x 2.2 - 2.7 GHz, Broadwell
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce 940M - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1176 MHz, Memory: 900 MHz, DDR3, ForceWare 345.01 (9.18.13.4501), Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR3L 1600MHz (PC3-12800), Single-Channel
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, 10-Fingers-Multitouch-Panel, LG Philips LGD047A (LP140WF3-SPL2), IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Broadwell-U PCH-LP (Premium)
Storage
Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP, 256 GB 
, 180 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Broadwell PCH-LP - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headset port, Card Reader: 4-in-1 (SD, MMC, SDXC, SDHC), Sensors: Position sensor, brightness sensor
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18.3 x 334.8 x 229.4 ( = 0.72 x 13.18 x 9.03 in)
Battery
47 Wh Lithium-Ion, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 7.4 h
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: JBL speakers with Wave Audio certification, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, McAfee Internet Security (30-day trial), VeriFace Pro, OneKey Optimizer, Zinio Online Newsstand, Lenovo Photo Master, Lenovo SHAREit, Lenovo Harmony, Lenovo Companion, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.69 kg ( = 59.61 oz / 3.73 pounds), Power Supply: 246 g ( = 8.68 oz / 0.54 pounds)
Price
1000 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

Contrary to the U.S. sibling, our review unit is not completely black but has contrasting white surfaces like the keyboard, the display frame as well as the surrounding protective stripes at the sides. There are no changes in respect of the surface structure and the stability.

Lenovo Yoga 3 14 Tend Mode
Lenovo Yoga 3 14 Tend Mode
Lenovo Yoga 3 14 Stand Mode
Lenovo Yoga 3 14 Tablet Mode
Lenovo Yoga 3 14 Laptop Mode
Lenovo Yoga 3 14 Top
Lenovo Yoga 3 14 Bottom
Lenovo Yoga 3 14 Keyboard
Lenovo Yoga 3 14 Detail

Our review unit does not use a Wi-Fi module from Qualcomm but is equipped with an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160 chip instead, which also supports the modern AC-standard besides Bluetooth 4.0. The signal quality did not reveal any weaknesses, and we were able to use the full bandwidth of 433 Mbps in a 5 GHz network with the router Asus RT-AC56U. It is a bit unfortunate that you do not get a module with two antennas for a price of around 1,000 Euros (~$1095), which is the case for all the rivals except for the convertibles from Asus.

The manufacturer’s warranty for the Yoga 3 is 24 months in Germany, which is twice as long as the U.S. sibling. There are, however, no differences in respect of the ports or the maintainability.

Input Devices

Lenovo Yoga 3 14 input devices
Lenovo Yoga 3 14 input devices

Keyboard & Touchpad

The German keyboard layout of the Yoga 3 differs from the American version. The biggest difference is the larger Return-key. The standard inverted row of functions keys did not change, just like the slightly awkward position of several additional keys at the right side of the keyboard. We also know the quiet, but slightly spongy stroke. Contrary to the U.S. model, our model, fortunately, only showed minimal signs of flexing in the area of the keyboard. A handy feature is the one-stage background illumination, which improves typing in dark environments.

We did, however, have a problem with a software bug during the review, which affected the functionality of the F-row (two functions) and occurred after an automatic update of the Lenovo Settings app. The functions switched after the update, so that the combination of Fn and F-keys activated special functions like flight mode, for example, similar to other notebooks. After we tried to change the setting, the key assignment did not work properly anymore. Another problem was that the functionality of the keys was automatically reversed after a restart of the operating system if the Settings app was launched before. It helped when we did not touch the keyboard section in the settings as soon as you selected the desired assignment after a restart.

The touchpad did not change compared to the previously reviewed Yoga 3 14 and inputs were no problem.

Touchscreen

The usability of a convertible really depends on the precision and the functionality of the integrated touchscreen. While there were no problems in the U.S. review, our test model repeatedly suffered from ghost-touch issues. When the error occurred, the display surface recognized multiple inputs even though we did not touch it, so normal use was impossible because of the moving cursor. A restart could fix the issue for a while. After some similar feedback from customers in Lenovo’s support forums, an employee announced that they are already working on a solution for affected devices internally. This does, however, not mean that we can exclude a defective review unit.

Display

The 14-inch Full HD display of our review unit is similar to the American sibling. It is therefore not surprising that the maximum luminance is pretty much identical at around 225 cd/m² on average. The majority of rivals manage much higher results. The review unit still manages an excellent contrast of 1,138:1, which is a result of the very low black value at just 0.21 cd/m². The results of the U.S. model are much lower, despite the similar panel.

A brightness distribution of 88% is also very good among the rivals. We could not determine annoying screen bleeding even with a dark picture when we used the review unit, but light pressure on the panel – it does not matter if front or back – was enough to see ripples on the screen in dark environments.

225
cd/m²
234
cd/m²
239
cd/m²
224
cd/m²
239
cd/m²
226
cd/m²
210
cd/m²
222
cd/m²
220
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LGD047A (LP140WF3-SPL2) tested with X-Rite i1 Basic Pro 2
Maximum: 239 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 226.6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 239 cd/m²
Contrast: 1138:1 (Black: 0.21 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.71 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
59% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40.65% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.31% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.51
Yoga 3 14 vs. sRGB
Yoga 3 14 vs. sRGB
Yoga 3 14 vs. AdobeRGB
Yoga 3 14 vs. AdobeRGB

We can measure a DeltaE-2000 deviation of 5.4 in ColorChecker for the Yoga, which is a decent result and pretty much on par with the comparison devices, but it cannot reach the target value (DeltaE smaller 3). The situation is similar for the grayscale. An AdobeRGB color-space coverage of just 37% (sRGB 59%) is not really overwhelming, and some of the competitors have a clear advantage.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps

The integrated IPS panel manages very good viewing angles, but outdoor use is pretty limited because of the comparatively low luminance and the very glossy screen.

Outdoor use in the shade
Outdoor use in the shade
Outdoor use under direct sunlight
Outdoor use under direct sunlight
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
1920x1080 px 14'' IPS-Panel
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
1920x1080 px 14'' IPS-Panel
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
1920x1080 px 14'' IPS-Panel
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
1920x1080 px 13.3'' IPS-Panel
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
2560x1440 px 13.3'' IPS-Panel
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
1920x1080 px 15.6'' TN-Panel
Display
Display P3 Coverage
39.31
63.7
62%
67.1
71%
49.85
27%
sRGB Coverage
58.8
81.9
39%
91.4
55%
73.3
25%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
40.65
59.8
47%
66.8
64%
51.7
27%
Screen
Brightness middle
239
234.6
-2%
271
13%
321
34%
324
36%
154
-36%
Brightness
227
225
-1%
263
16%
322
42%
315
39%
143
-37%
Brightness Distribution
88
82
-7%
88
0%
83
-6%
80
-9%
84
-5%
Black Level *
0.21
0.394
-88%
0.4
-90%
0.32
-52%
0.59
-181%
0.3
-43%
Contrast
1138
595
-48%
678
-40%
1003
-12%
549
-52%
513
-55%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.4
5.22
3%
4.72
13%
4.79
11%
5.69
-5%
4.84
10%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.71
3.35
29%
4.25
10%
2.67
43%
8.02
-70%
4.53
4%
Gamma
2.51 88%
2.27 97%
2.36 93%
2.52 87%
2.3 96%
2.22 99%
CCT
6354 102%
6184 105%
5957 109%
6835 95%
6398 102%
7307 89%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
37
36.92
0%
54
46%
59
59%
48
30%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
59
82
39%
91
54%

* ... smaller is better

Performance

Thanks to an Intel Core i5 processor, an SSD as well as the additional Nvidia GPU, the Yoga 3 14 is basically powerful enough for all common tasks, despite the chassis that was designed for a high flexibility. Gaming is possible as well. Lenovo also offers versions with i7 processors or without dedicated GPUs besides our review configuration.

CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z SPD
GPU-Z
HWiNFO64
LatencyMon

Processor

The review unit is equipped with a Core i5-5200U processor from Intel’s current Broadwell generation that runs at up to 2.7 GHz or 2.5 GHz when you stress both cores. The nominal clock is 2.2 GHz. Our first review unit of the Yoga 3 14 used this processor as well.

The benchmarks only show small differences compared to the rivals that use the same CPU. Only HP's Spectre 13 x360 that was reviewed with the more powerful Core i7-5500U processor can manage a small lead. Asus' Transformer Book Flip, however, still uses a Haswell CPU and falls slightly behind in Cinebench R15.

 

 

Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
5812 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
11307 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
5493 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
5800
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
8702
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4191
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
43.66 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.86 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.25 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
57 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
254 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
108 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
254 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
260 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
260 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
255 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
276 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
232 Points
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
108 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
109 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
107 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
109 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
114 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
86 Points
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
2.86 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
2.83 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
2.85 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
2.79 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
3.01 Points
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
1.25 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
1.27 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
1.22 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
1.27 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
1.3 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
5493 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
5492 Points
Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
11307 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
10899 Points
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
111.1 ms *
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
114.5 ms *
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
116.5 ms *
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
121.4 ms *
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
96.7 ms *
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
2588 ms *
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
2595 ms *
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
2574 ms *
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
2576 ms *
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
2301 ms *
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
12322 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
11658 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
12663 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
14438 Points
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
2022 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
2389 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
2038 Points

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The benchmarks PCMark 7 and PCMark 8 evaluate the general performance of a system. Besides the processor and the graphics performance, the results are particularly dependent on the performance of the integrated storage solution. The Yoga 3 14 uses a fast Core i5 CPU, dedicated GPU and a fast Samsung SSD, so the results are very good.

Our review unit can manage a clear lead over the Asus convertible with a conventional hard drive in PCMark 7 but is beaten by the HP Spectre x360 with the faster i7 processor, which was expected. The other components are pretty much on par. It makes no difference if the benchmark is performed with the dedicated GPU or the Intel graphics chip.

This changes in PCMark 8, where the results with the GeForce chip are 5 - 10% higher (results in the table with 940M GPU). Our review unit is therefore ahead of the rivals in the Work as well as the Home tests. All the rivals with an SSD are pretty much identical in the Creative test.

 

 

PCMark 7 Score
4575 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3041 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3583 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4184 points
Help
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
4575 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
4659 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
4619 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
5103 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
3991 Points
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
3041 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
2795 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
2858 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
2805 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
2895 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2846 Points
Creative Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
3583 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
3756 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
3391 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
3317 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
3691 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2927 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
4184 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
3315 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
3910 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
3641 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
3675 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
3541 Points

Storage Devices

Similar to the U.S. model, the review unit uses a 256 GB Samsung PM851 SSD. Users can use around 180 GB on two partitions for their own files; the rest is occupied by the operating system as well as preloaded applications. Despite the comparatively low capacity compared to conventional hard drives, the manufacturer decided to create a primary partition with around 198 GB and a secondary partition with 24.9 GB, which is not a perfect scenario.

The performance figures easily surpass the conventional hard drive of the Asus Transformer Book, but they are also convincing compared to the SSDs from ADATA and Kingston inside the devices from Acer and HP when you look at small files (read and write). Only the PM871 SSD, which is also provided by Samsung, inside the Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14 is even faster. We also noticed that the performance figures differ quite a lot from the U.S. sibling, even though it used the identical drive. The SSD in our review unit manages much lower sequential write rates, while it has a clear advantage when it writes small files. One reason could be different firmware.

All in all, the performance should be satisfying, even for demanding users.

Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
Samsung SSD PM851
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
Samsung SSD PM851
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
Samsung SSD PM871
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
Kingston SSD
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
ADATA SSD
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
Seagate HDD
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
Read Seq
525
525
0%
523
0%
505
-4%
475.6
-9%
109.2
-79%
Write Seq
265.8
446.6
68%
304.7
15%
340.3
28%
288.6
9%
106.9
-60%
Read 512
428.9
442.9
3%
445.3
4%
344.1
-20%
322.9
-25%
34.6
-92%
Write 512
266.1
126.6
-52%
304.7
15%
336.3
26%
285.2
7%
43.2
-84%
Read 4k
35.18
34.89
-1%
37.72
7%
27.63
-21%
31.87
-9%
0.4
-99%
Write 4k
97.6
18.34
-81%
111.2
14%
62.5
-36%
102.7
5%
0.9
-99%
Read 4k QD32
354.6
354.1
0%
389.1
10%
181.8
-49%
276.7
-22%
0.8
-100%
Write 4k QD32
265.4
267.2
1%
303.5
14%
232.9
-12%
261.6
-1%
0.9
-100%
Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
Sequential Read: 525 MB/s
Sequential Write: 265.8 MB/s
512K Read: 428.9 MB/s
512K Write: 266.1 MB/s
4K Read: 35.18 MB/s
4K Write: 97.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 354.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 265.4 MB/s

Graphics Solution

Thanks to the dedicated Nvidia GeForce 940M mainstream GPU, the review unit can easily surpass its sibling with the Intel GPU in 3DMark 11 and is almost twice as fast. We can, however, also see that the similarly equipped ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14 is around 10% faster. One reason could be the slower memory interface of the Yoga 3 14 at 900 MHz (ThinkPad 1,000 MHz). The Asus Transformer Book Flip with the older GeForce 840M GPU is also slightly faster than our review unit. This suggests that the 940M GPU of our review unit cannot utilize its slightly higher clock range.

The results in 3DMark (2013) Fire Strike as well as Cloud gate are similar, and the GeForce 840M of the Asus convertible is beaten by the two 940M devices. It is unusual that the performance of our review unit is worse than all the rivals in the Ice Storm benchmark, and it was repeatable. One reason might be the pretty old driver (version 345.01 from 12/17/2014), but Lenovo did not offer a newer version at the time of writing.

 

 

3DMark 11 Performance
2282 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
37830 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
5819 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1357 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
2282 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
1013 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
2520 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
1130 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
1220 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
2322 Points
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
37830 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
42707 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
45949 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
46421 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
53957 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
44738 Points
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
5819 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
4537 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
6292 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
5059 Points
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500, 5500U, ADATA AXNS381E-256GM-B
5405 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
5452 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
1357 Points
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
610 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
1495 Points
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
724 Points
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
1309 Points

Gaming Performance

A convertible with a dedicated graphics card is obviously not automatically a real gaming notebook, but the GeForce 940M ensures that the majority of current game can at least be smoothly played with medium or at least low settings. Tomb Raider even ran smoothly in the high preset. The comparison with the rivals confirms the results of the synthetic benchmarks: The ThinkPad with the same GPU is once again 5-10% faster than the review unit. A new way of playing games is the tablet mode of the device, where optimized games like Civilization Beyond Earth can be played via touch inputs.

Not all titles worked well, despite the good requisites: An attempt to launch Batman Arkham Knight failed during the intro. It produced massive picture errors, which resulted in a complete freeze of the device. Civilization Beyond Earth refused to start in the full-screen mode at first, but it worked when we reduced the desktop resolution before we started the game. Unfortunately, this did not help in Dirt Rally and it continued to run in a window. An update of the Intel graphics driver via Windows Update did at least solve the issues with Civilization Beyond Earth. It is unfortunate that Lenovo does not offer any new drivers via the preloaded update tool, even though those are actually available. This is, however, a common issue for many notebook manufacturers.

The preloaded security software from McAfee (trial version) can also cause problems during gaming: Steam reported an undefined error when it downloaded installation files of games, which could be solved by a temporary deactivation of the anti-virus software.

 

 

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 123.3 60.2 33.5 16.3
Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014) 64.3 28.2 18.8 14.9
Dirt Rally (2015) 136 small graphical problems (nur Fenstermodus) 44 small graphical problems (nur Fenstermodus) 22 small graphical problems (nur Fenstermodus) 12 small graphical problems (nur Fenstermodus)
Tomb Raider
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
60.2 (45min - 74max) fps
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
66.4 fps
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
27.5 fps
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
33.5 (27.1min - 40.4max) fps
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
36.7 fps
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Kingston RBU-SNS8100S3256GD
18 fps
Dirt Rally
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
44 (26.7min - 59.39max) fps
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
46.9 fps
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZYTE256HMHP
22.44 (16.9min - 29.9max) fps
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M, 5200U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN256HCHP
23.6 fps

Emissions & Energy Management

System Noise

Our review unit cannot really convince in terms of noise development when we compare it to the rivals: Overall, they are slightly quieter, even though a maximum noise level of around 40 dB(A) for our review unit does not necessarily have to be disturbing. The murmur is, however, also accompanied by high-pitched tones, especially under load, which can be pretty annoying for sensitive users after a while. The fans are also always active while idling. The ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14 from the same manufacturer, which is mainly silent while idling, shows that it does not have to be like this.

Another annoying characteristic of our review unit is a very high-pitched whining, which is always audible at a normal sitting distance to the notebook.

Noise Level

Idle
32 / 32.6 / 33.9 dB(A)
Load
40.1 / 39.8 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft SL 320 (15 cm distance)
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M; 5200U; SSD
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500; 5200U; SSD
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M; 5200U; SSD
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500; 5200U; SSD
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500; 5500U; SSD
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M; 4210U; HDD
Noise
Idle Minimum *
32
32.2
-1%
29.6
7%
29.6
7%
29.6
7%
30.6
4%
Idle Average *
32.6
32.5
-0%
29.6
9%
31
5%
29.6
9%
30.6
6%
Idle Maximum *
33.9
32.6
4%
29.6
13%
31.8
6%
29.6
13%
31.8
6%
Load Average *
40.1
33.6
16%
35.6
11%
36.5
9%
38.6
4%
37.4
7%
Load Maximum *
39.8
37.2
7%
37.1
7%
36.7
8%
41
-3%
39.1
2%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Stress test Yoga 3 14 (mains power)
Stress test Yoga 3 14 (mains power)

Despite the Nvidia 940M GPU, the review unit does not get much warmer under load than the version without a dedicated GPU. Up to 45 °C during the stress test in the center of the bottom of the notebook is no reason to be worried.

The stress test shows how the Yoga 3 14 manages these comparatively low values despite the thin construction and the pretty powerful performance. We use the tools Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously to stress the processor and the graphics card for at least one hour. The review unit already starts this test with reduced clocks that are slightly below the nominal clocks of the CPU (2.2 GHz) and GPU (1,072 MHz), and the performance drops further over the course of the test. The clock of the Intel i5-5200U processor leveled off at just 1.2 GHz, while the GeForce GPU could at least maintain 850 - 1,000 MHz. The reason for the throttling is not the temperature, because both components still have a lot of headroom at just 65 °C. It actually seems to be a decision from Lenovo to limit the surface temperatures. The behavior is similar on battery power, but the processor will drop to 800 MHz even faster, which results in a lower chip temperature of just 60 °C.

Throttling was already an issue for the U.S. model without a dedicated GPU, but the CPU performance did not drop that much. It is interesting that Lenovo implements a different behavior compared to the similarly equipped ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14, where the graphics card is more affected in favor of the CPU performance. The behavior of the review unit is therefore the better choice for gamers, because the GPU performance is usually the bottleneck during gaming.

 

 

Max. Load
 33.4 °C
92 F
39 °C
102 F
34.2 °C
94 F
 
 31.6 °C
89 F
38.1 °C
101 F
32 °C
90 F
 
 28.1 °C
83 F
27 °C
81 F
29.7 °C
85 F
 
Maximum: 39 °C = 102 F
Average: 32.6 °C = 91 F
31 °C
88 F
45 °C
113 F
32 °C
90 F
29.2 °C
85 F
43.8 °C
111 F
30.4 °C
87 F
28.7 °C
84 F
27.3 °C
81 F
27.6 °C
82 F
Maximum: 45 °C = 113 F
Average: 32.8 °C = 91 F
Power Supply (max.)  53.5 °C = 128 F | Room Temperature 24.7 °C = 76 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.6 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45 °C / 113 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 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.7 °C / 85.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (-1.6 °C / -2.9 F).

Power Consumption

The Lenovo Yoga 3 14 is a very frugal device, so the review unit can surpass the majority of rivals while idling. It also benefits from the comparatively low display brightness. The review unit cannot keep up with the rivals that only have an integrated GPU, but it can at least beat the Asus Transformer Book Flip, which still uses the less efficient Haswell technology as well as a GeForce 840M graphics card. The difference is mainly caused by the better Turbo utilization of the Asus convertible. Another drawback is the comparatively high power consumption of 0.3 Watts when the device is turned off.

The provided 65-Watt power adaptor has enough headroom and can be attached to the notebook via USB cable.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.2 / 5.5 / 6.8 Watt
Load midlight 40 / 40.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
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.
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M; 5200U; SSD
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M; 5200U; SSD
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500; 5200U; SSD
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500; 5500U; SSD
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M; 4210U; HDD
Power Consumption
Idle Minimum *
3.2
5
-56%
3.5
-9%
3
6%
9.8
-206%
Idle Average *
5.5
8.9
-62%
5.6
-2%
6.9
-25%
12.2
-122%
Idle Maximum *
6.8
9.8
-44%
5.8
15%
9.5
-40%
12.9
-90%
Load Average *
40
36.7
8%
26.2
34%
33.4
16%
49.2
-23%
Load Maximum *
40.4
35
13%
29.1
28%
30.2
25%
55.3
-37%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

The battery runtime of 6 hours and 21 minutes in our Wi-Fi test for our Yoga 3 14 is actually practical, but it still cannot keep up with the rivals that were also tested with the newer and more demanding version of our Wi-Fi test. Those models mainly benefit from higher battery capacities.

It is interesting that the review unit with the Nvidia GPU lasts pretty much as long as the U.S. sibling without dedicated GPU under load. It is possible that the heavier throttling of the CPU compensates for the additional consumption. However, the idle runtime is around 30% shorter despite the Optimus technology, but the Asus Transformer Book Flip is still beaten by the review unit.

A bit strange is Lenovo's popup message on mains power when the battery is full: The suggestion for the user is the removal of the power adaptor to increase the lifetime of the battery when the normal charging mode is selected. This means the system advises against the stationary use with the attached power adaptor when the battery is fully charged. You can also choose a Maintenance mode that keeps the battery at 55 - 60% of the maximum capacity in favor of the lifetime – with the disadvantage of a lower runtime without a socket.

 

 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
14h 48min
WiFi Websurfing
6h 21min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 14min
Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE
GeForce 940M; 5200U; SSD
Lenovo Yoga 3 14
HD Graphics 5500; 5200U; SSD
Lenovo ThinkPad S3 Yoga 14
GeForce 940M; 5200U; SSD
Acer Aspire R7-371T-52EL
HD Graphics 5500; 5200U; SSD
HP Spectre 13-4001ng x360
HD Graphics 5500; 5500U; SSD
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN
GeForce 840M; 4210U; HDD
Battery Runtime
Reader / Idle
888
1183
33%
1105
24%
1223
38%
452
-49%
WiFi v1.3
381
466
22%
542
42%
Load
134
135
1%
157
17%
154
15%
49
-63%
WiFi
467
449
276

Pros

+ can handle games
+ versatile chassis construction
+ high-contrast display
+ fast SSD
+ practical battery runtimes
+ good WLAN signal
+ basically usable input devices, but...

Cons

- touchscreen issues during the review
- software bugs
- continuous whining in operation
- limited usability outdoors
- significant CPU throttling during the stress test
- slight GPU throttling during the stress test
- micro-HDMI port
- torsion resistance could be better
- pressure on the display results in ripples

Verdict

In review: Lenovo Yoga 3 14. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.
In review: Lenovo Yoga 3 14. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.

The concept of the review unit is promising: There is a perfect operating mode for every scenario thanks to the compact dimensions and the 360-degree display hinge. The mainstream GeForce GPU also provides a decent gaming performance. The display convinces with a sharp presentation and great contrasts indoors, but you might be disappointed by the comparatively low display brightness and the very glossy touchscreen if you like to work outdoors.

The chassis leaves a good impression with the pretty low temperatures under load as well as the low susceptibility to dirt, despite the white surfaces, but the stability of the display cover could be better for such a flexible device.

The situation is better in respect of the performance thanks to the fast SSD, current Core i5 processor and dedicated graphics card. However, the simultaneous load for the processor and the graphics card clearly show the limits of the overall concept: The result is heavy CPU and moderate GPU throttling.

Frequent touchscreen issues as well as several software problems prevented a completely positive impression during our review period – but Lenovo's concept of a very versatile and also mobile gaming device is fascinating.

Lenovo Yoga 3 14-80JH0035GE - 07/28/2015 v4(old)
Andreas Kilian

Chassis
72 / 98 → 73%
Keyboard
79%
Pointing Device
87%
Connectivity
57 / 80 → 71%
Weight
67 / 35-78 → 74%
Battery
88%
Display
80%
Games Performance
80 / 68 → 100%
Application Performance
81 / 87 → 93%
Temperature
90%
Noise
83%
Audio
56 / 91 → 62%
Camera
66 / 85 → 78%
Average
76%
81%
Convertible - Weighted Average

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Andreas Kilian, 2015-08- 4 (Update: 2018-05-15)