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MagyarLenovo Yoga 500-15IBD Convertible Review
For the original German review, see here.
No matter how we look at it: Convertibles with a 360-degree hinge have entered the market - the success of the handy ThinkPad Yoga 12 or that of the Yoga 3 11 seem to prove that. Lenovo virtually dives into a new World, and even challenges restrained, conservative business clients to rethinking. The manufacturer has its ThinkPad Yoga 15 in its lineup for this. Lenovo's gaming suitable Yoga 3 14 (940M) is intended for consumers. The step to 15 inches appears logical, but whether or not it is handy remains doubtful.
Our review sample of Lenovo's Yoga 500-15 includes a 15.6-inch IPS screen with 1920x1080 pixels. A potent trio composed of a Core i5-5200U, 8 GB RAM and Nvidia GeForce 940M join in on that. This hardware is sold as a "conventional" laptop for 500 to 600 Euros (~$558 to $669). The Yoga tablet option currently costs 800 Euros (~$892).
There are now quite a few rivals with a similar convertible approach and 15.6-inch screens. Lenovo's IdeaPad Flex 15 was one of the first in 2014 and is still sold with a Haswell SoC. The Flex 2 Pro 15 as a Broadwell update makes it state-of-the-art, and we will publish a review update in the near future. Asus caters to its customers with multiple versions of the Transformer Book Flip TP550LA and TP500LA. HP tries its luck with the Envy 15-u200ng x360, and Toshiba recently stepped in line with the Satellite Radius 1. All 360-degree, 15-inch devices are roughly in the same price range when based on similar configurations. Can the Yoga 500-15 mingle at the very front?
· Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15 (4200U, 720M, HD), 750 Euros (~$837)
· Lenovo Flex 2 Pro 15 (5200U, SSD, 840M, FHD IPS), 930 Euros (~$1037)
· Transformer Book Flip TP550LA-CJ086H (5200U, HD), 700 Euros (~$781)
· ASUS Transformer Book Flip TP500LA-DN133H (5200U, FHD), 1015 Euros (~$1132)
· HP Envy 15-u200ng x360 silver (5200U, 930M), 800 Euros (~$892)
· Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P50W-C-102 (5200U, IPS), 1080 Euros (~$1205)
Case
The stiff plastic construction with an upper tray composed of brushed aluminum makes a good quality and solid impression. We could only twist the base marginally with two hands. The Yoga 500's aluminum surface and its relatively high weight always conveyed the impression of holding a solid convertible in our hands. Both silver hinges are not quite as solid as they look. However, two strong metal hinges are under the plastic cover that is mounted firmly to the base and lid. Opening the lid with one hand is not possible.
The bottom tray is sleek and does not have a maintenance hatch. That and the non-removable battery are adverse for repairs and maintenance, but certainly contribute to stiffness. The underside cannot be dented anywhere, unlike the lid. Although it features a pressure resistant back, it can be noticeably warped diagonally. We noticed that the bezel and back slide against each other here.
The lid rests on the big, round stoppers when opened 360 degrees (Tablet Mode). A rubber rim surrounds the work area so that the brushed aluminum surface does not come in contact with the tabletop to prevent scratches. Since it does not increase the height by even one millimeter, scratches will be inevitable over time when used on slightly uneven surfaces. Both the keys and ClickPad are disabled in Tablet Mode.
Users who carry the tablet in their hands will find this irregularity annoying. However, the significant gap between both curved back parts struck us the most. It creates a clear break and does not make the best impression when handling the device. The tablet cannot be locked, and there is no magnetic fastener, either. These points will not be a problem when the tablet is used on a table. The situation is different when it is carried around or used in a sitting position. The drifting apart of both heavy single components will be unwelcome.
Connectivity
VGA d-Sub has been axed, but Lenovo installs an RJ-45, likely because the Yoga 500 will mostly be used as a conventional laptop and only as a tablet to a small extent. Lenovo's typical One Key Recovery button is hidden in a small opening. The button for opening the recovery manager has to be triggered with a paperclip.
We tested the performance of the installed card reader with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference SD card. The maximum transfer rate was 86 MB/s (read) in copying large data blocks. Write was a bit slower at 63 MB/s. Our package of .jpg image files (approx. 5 MB each) was copied to the hard drive in 17 seconds, which is very fast. Slow card readers need over 30 seconds for that.
Communication
Intel's Wireless-AC 3160 Wi-Fi adapter operates inside the Yoga 500. The chip supports Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards (2.4 and 5 GHz). That theoretically enables 433 Mbit/s gross in single-stream, which is far from the real world rates. Up to 6.5 Mbit/s were possible with 1 - 3 bars at a distance of 15 meters (~49 feet) outside a building. Websites opened quickly. The 15 incher displayed 1 bar at the 45-meter (~148 ft) measuring point. The connection was not interrupted, but websites were loaded at a maximum of 500 Kbit. It took longer for pages to open, but that is still acceptable under difficult conditions. By comparison, approximately 25% of our review samples completely lost the AC router's signal at the 45-meter (~148 ft) measuring point, and only a handful of selected Wi-Fi chips could maintain the connection beyond 45 meters. This is a personal setting of the author, and can only provide a reference point about the performance of the chip and the antennas.
Webcam
The 1.0 megapixel webcam in the display's bezel is not very useful. The CMOS lens delivered the following photos despite very good daylight conditions (sunlight). Surfaces are faded and details are lost. They give the impression they are covered with a Vintage effect. In return, the microphone does a good job; see "Speakers".
Accessories
Our Yoga 500 with Windows 8.1 is shipped without driver CDs or other accessories. In addition to the 65-watt power supply, only a quick start guide and leaflet with warranty contacts is in the box. Installing the free Windows 10 upgrade is possible.
Maintenance
There is no maintenance hatch. We did not open the Yoga 500 in favor of the lender. Opening appears to be possible after releasing 11 screws.
Warranty
As common in Lenovo's mid-range, a 24-month warranty is included on the Yoga 500. Comparatively affordable upgrade packages (bring-in service: 24/36 months starts at 32/58 Euros (~$36/$65)) make upgrading this period seem sensible.
Input Devices
Keyboard
Typing on the keyboard is pleasing. Although the AccuType keys are not concave, they have a firm, almost hard stroke due to the stably installed base, a clear pressure point, and medium drop. The keys' surface is relatively sleek, but that suits a nimble and quick typing style.
Touchpad
The ClickPad has a diagonal of 12.5 cm (~4.9 in), and responds to touch up to its edges. Multi-touch gestures are implemented quickly on the sleek, gliding-friendly surface. Only a rim separates the pad very subtly from the wrist rest. The finger might sometimes miss the pad when not looking because the aluminum finish around it feels very similar. The ClickPad only has a short drop, but the pressure point is triggered easily, making it possible to tap a window accurately and move it quickly with a finger. The ClickPad's hardware detects a left or right mouse click according to where the finger is placed on the pad.
Touchscreen
The hinges cannot stop the touchscreen from wobbling when using it. However, they are tight enough to prevent the lid from falling back unintentionally. Opening the lid with one hand is not possible. A rotation lock button on the left (beside the volume rocker) fixes the contents current position. The surface of the 10-finger multi-touch TFT is agreeably sleek and responsive. The surface is sensitive up to the edges.
Display
The LG TFT Display (model: LP156WF4_SPL1) is an AH-IPS with WLED light. LG specifies a contrast of 700:1 and brightness of 220 cd/m². That corresponds almost exactly with our measurements. We ascertained an average of 206 cd/m². We recorded 224 cd/m² as the brightest point. The illumination of 87% is homogeneous; we did not discover any distracting screen bleeding.
The review sample covers 59% of the sRGB color space, and only 37% of AdobeRGB. Professional graphic designers and image editors will not be happy with this screen. Furthermore, its color reproduction is inaccurate with a DeltaE of around 6. That is better than the low-cost TN TFTs on the market. The competition is not much better here. Quite the contrary: The TN screen in the Envy 15-u200ng x360 is the worst: DeltaE 13. The IdeaPad Flex 2 15 has an IPS and a slightly better DeltaE of 5, but the contrast is abysmal. Our review sample is in the midfield here. The Satellite Radius 15 P50W has the best screen with a contrast of 1172:1 and the most accurate color reproduction. Its brightness is also the best in this comparison.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 167 cd/m²
Contrast: 732:1 (Black: 0.28 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.68 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
59% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40.68% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.36% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.34
| Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD IPS FHD | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15 TN HD | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 2 15 IPS FHD | Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN TN FHD | HP Envy 15-u200ng x360 TN FHD | Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P50W-C-102 IPS FHD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -4% | -2% | 26% | 51% | ||
| Display P3 Coverage | 39.36 | 37.89 -4% | 38.52 -2% | 49.85 27% | 64.4 64% | |
| sRGB Coverage | 59 | 56.7 -4% | 57.1 -3% | 73.3 24% | 83.2 41% | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 40.68 | 39.17 -4% | 39.94 -2% | 51.7 27% | 60.8 49% | |
| Screen | -16% | -19% | -1% | -45% | 33% | |
| Brightness middle | 205 | 209 2% | 224.2 9% | 154 -25% | 261 27% | 293 43% |
| Brightness | 206 | 203 -1% | 215 4% | 143 -31% | 253 23% | 287 39% |
| Brightness Distribution | 87 | 81 -7% | 84 -3% | 84 -3% | 79 -9% | 91 5% |
| Black Level * | 0.28 | 0.3 -7% | 0.675 -141% | 0.3 -7% | 0.58 -107% | 0.25 11% |
| Contrast | 732 | 697 -5% | 332 -55% | 513 -30% | 450 -39% | 1172 60% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 6.68 | 9.61 -44% | 5.8 13% | 4.84 28% | 13.09 -96% | 5.4 19% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.3 | 10.32 -64% | 5.03 20% | 4.53 28% | 13.34 -112% | 4.33 31% |
| Gamma | 2.34 94% | 2.84 77% | 2.18 101% | 2.22 99% | 3.46 64% | 2.39 92% |
| CCT | 6996 93% | 12804 51% | 7277 89% | 7307 89% | 13202 49% | 6670 97% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 37 | 35.8 -3% | 36.19 -2% | 48 30% | 55 49% | |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 59 | 83 41% | ||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -10% /
-13% | -11% /
-15% | 13% /
6% | -45% /
-45% | 42% /
38% |
* ... smaller is better
The Yoga 500 does not exhibit the bluish tint typical for TN screens. IPS panels are rarely plagued by that. We measured the delivery state, and calibrated the color reproduction. We linked the profile in the box above.
The low maximum brightness of only 167 cd/m² alongside its glossy touch surface makes working with the Yoga 500 in daylight difficult. Users will have to look for a shadowy place, but are not protected against blinding effects there, either. The Yoga 500 has an ambient light sensor for adapting the brightness automatically. We disabled it for the assessments/photos.
The viewing angles of IPS screens are more stable, and they usually have a more accurate color reproduction than TN panels. Our review sample does not suffer under contrast shifts and image inverting. Vivid colors and a clear image can be recognized from every position.
Performance
Lenovo's 15-inch Yoga 500 models are available starting at approximately 500 Euros (~$558). We discovered 11 configurations at test time: Options starting with a Pentium 3805U and HD screen (likely TN) up to a Core i7-5500U alongside a 256 GB SSD and FHD IPS TFT (like our review sample) are possible. The latter premium configuration costs 1000 Euros (~$1115).
Our review sample with a Core i5-5200U (Broadwell), GeForce 940M and HDD is practically an all-rounder among the configurations. It should be able to cope with the most diverse applications including games. The GeForce 940M is an attractive incentive for many customers who want to play an occasional game. We will examine this aspect randomly further below.
Processor
Intel's Core i5-5200U clocks at a base speed of 2.2 GHz, which can be boosted to 2.5 GHz (both cores) or 2.7 GHz (one core) via Turbo. The Turbo is utilized in both AC and battery mode. The Cinebench benchmarks were always performed at full speed (multi-test @ 2.5 GHz). Other 5200U laptops achieve similar scores. Thermal throttling is not an issue during normal use, unlike in the stress test, see "Emissions" chapter. The 940M GPU clocks at 1176 MHz during load and utilizes its Turbo stably (GPU Boost 2.0).
System Performance
Here we compare the application performance of HDD based laptops. Devices with a solid-state hybrid drive where frequently used data is cached, such as Lenovo's IdeaPad Flex 2 15, do not have a real advantage in the PCMark benchmarks. That could only be measured by repeating the benchmarks multiple times. PCMark 7 favors the IdeaPad Flex 2 15, and it achieves considerably more points than the Yoga 500. That cannot be due to the processor and graphics since they are Haswell precursors and somewhat weaker. PCMark 8 is more objective and sees the Yoga 500 ahead of the Flex 2 15 on both the Work and Home benchmarks by 11 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Systems based on an identical i5 processor reach the same score.
* ... smaller is better
| PCMark 7 Score | 2558 points | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 2793 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 3622 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Device
Western Digital's WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 hard drive with a gross capacity of 1024 GB, of which approximately 865 GB are available after deducting the recovery partition and OS, does a good job. It is a touch faster than other 5400 rpm models (15 - 20%). The chart with the test outcomes shows: 4K Read and write are sometimes considerably better. The solid state hybrid drive in Lenovo's IdeaPad Flex 2 15 does not achieve an advantage; the HDD benchmarks do not benefit from the cache.
| Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD GeForce 940M, 5200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15 HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 2 15 HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | HP Envy 15-u200ng x360 HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Toshiba MQ02ABF100 | Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P50W-C-102 HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 3.0 | -16% | -15% | -23% | -24% | -23% | |
| Read 4k | 0.542 | 0.427 -21% | 0.494 -9% | 0.4 -26% | 0.406 -25% | 0.432 -20% |
| Read Seq | 114.4 | 102.8 -10% | 99.5 -13% | 109.2 -5% | 106.5 -7% | 95.4 -17% |
| Write Seq | 113 | 102.1 -10% | 101.7 -10% | 106.9 -5% | 90.8 -20% | 97.5 -14% |
| Read 4k QD32 | 1.498 | 1.034 -31% | 1.248 -17% | 0.8 -47% | 0.82 -45% | 0.878 -41% |
| Write 4k QD32 | 1.281 | 1.208 -6% | 0.933 -27% | 0.9 -30% | 0.984 -23% | 0.986 -23% |
Graphics Card
The GeForce 940M (2GB DDR3) operates in an Optimus array with Intel's HD 5500, which allows switching to the processor graphics automatically. This functioned in all benchmarks without problems. The 940M can also be enforced in the Nvidia driver (high performance mode). All information concerning the GeForce 940M including an extensive overview of playable games can be found in the data sheet.
According to 3DMark 2013, the performance of the GeForce 940M is a bit higher than that of the GeForce 840M (Transformer Book Flip TP500LN). The 840M achieves up to 8% more points depending on the test, which is hardly noteworthy. Integrated solutions, such as the HD 5500, are defeated by a higher performance of almost 30%. Too small an advantage? As we will prove in a moment, real games benefit even more clearly from the GeForce. 3DMark 11 could not be performed; it crashed repeatedly.
| 3DMark | |
| 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 2 15 | |
| Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN | |
| HP Envy 15-u200ng x360 | |
| Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P50W-C-102 | |
| 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 2 15 | |
| Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN | |
| HP Envy 15-u200ng x360 | |
| 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Physics (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 2 15 | |
| Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN | |
| HP Envy 15-u200ng x360 | |
* ... smaller is better
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 37883 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 5932 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 1384 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
The Yoga 500 is suitable for entry-level gaming with its GeForce 940M (Maxwell). Up-to-date games can be played smoothly in medium or at least low settings. The native FHD resolution will rarely be utilized because the narrow memory bandwidth of 64 bits is then quickly overloaded.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| Evolve (2015) | 33.7 | 24.2 | 13 | 11.4 |
| Battlefield Hardline (2015) | 56 | 40 | 17.5 | |
| Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) | 20 | 17 | 12 | 7 |
Emissions
System Noise
Although the user will find a fan that is never completely disabled (idle), it remains on a virtually inaudible noise level. The noise level fluctuations are very minor and only measurable but not perceptible in normal use and low load. The hard drive is also quiet; its read-write heads do not produce noise, and they are quieter than the fan's base noise and their own spinning noise.
The level quickly climbs to 40.6 dB(A) during load, which is not high. The strongest rival with an 840M was a touch quieter in the test (Transformer Book Flip TP500LN). We did not notice any strong level fluctuations.
| Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD GeForce 940M, 5200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15 HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 2 15 HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | HP Envy 15-u200ng x360 HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Toshiba MQ02ABF100 | Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P50W-C-102 HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 8% | -2% | 5% | -5% | -1% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 31.9 | 30.7 4% | 33.8 -6% | 30.6 4% | 34.7 -9% | 32.9 -3% |
| Idle Average * | 32.3 | 32.1 1% | 33.9 -5% | 30.6 5% | 34.7 -7% | 32.9 -2% |
| Idle Maximum * | 32.7 | 32.1 2% | 34 -4% | 31.8 3% | 34.7 -6% | 32.9 -1% |
| Load Average * | 40.3 | 33.2 18% | 36.6 9% | 37.4 7% | 39.6 2% | 37.1 8% |
| Load Maximum * | 40.6 | 33.7 17% | 42 -3% | 39.1 4% | 43.4 -7% | 43.1 -6% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 31.9 / 32.3 / 32.7 dB(A) |
| HDD |
| 32 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 40.3 / 40.6 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance) | ||
Temperature
The Yoga 500 stays quite cool while idling. The average on the top/bottom was just 27/28 degrees Celsius (80.6/82.4 Fahrenheit). That can vary depending on the ambient temperature. We measured up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit, upper side) and 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit, underside) on the hot spots during and primarily permanent load over several hours. That is very low for a device with dedicated graphics. These are stress test rates where the maximum is retrieved from the thermals. However, throttling was noticed in the stress test. The CPU's clock dropped to an unsteady 1.8/1.9 GHz. That was only the case with simultaneous GPU load. Without that, Intel's SoC clocked at an unwavering 2.5 GHz. Throttling lowers the stress test power consumption and waste heat during load.
| Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD GeForce 940M, 5200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15 HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 2 15 HD Graphics 4400, 4210U, Seagate ST500LM000 Solid State Hybrid Drive | Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | HP Envy 15-u200ng x360 HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Toshiba MQ02ABF100 | Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P50W-C-102 HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 3% | -10% | -3% | 20% | -7% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 39.9 | 38.6 3% | 38.2 4% | 41.6 -4% | 32.8 18% | 41.6 -4% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 41.5 | 40.5 2% | 41.8 -1% | 46 -11% | 29.7 28% | 45.8 -10% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 28.6 | 26.4 8% | 34 -19% | 28.4 1% | 23.6 17% | 30.7 -7% |
| Idle Bottom * | 30 | 30.5 -2% | 36.6 -22% | 28.7 4% | 25.1 16% | 32 -7% |
* ... smaller is better
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.9 °C / 104 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 41.5 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.7 °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 30 °C / 86 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 (-1.9 °C / -3.4 F).
Speakers
The installed speakers under the wrist rest radiate their sound toward the tabletop and use its reflection for a relatively strong and to some extent rich sound. We cannot speak of basses, but low-pitches are hinted just like differentiated trebles. A disadvantage of speakers on the underside: A soft surface absorbs the waves and the sound changes adversely. However, that should not often be the case because movies or music videos will likely be watched mostly in Tent or Presentation Mode. The speakers' openings are then not covered at all, which is also true for Tablet Mode.
In return, we like the stereo microphone's recordings (beside the webcam). The recording barely exhibits base noise; recorded speech is loud and clear. We achieved the best result when speaking directly into the microphone from a distance ranging from 80 centimeters to 1.5 meters (~2.6 to 4.9 feet). The level is reduced when turning away from the device, and interference noise becomes noticeable.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The idle power consumption of Lenovo's Yoga 500 remains clearly below 10 watts. The rivals are roughly on par since they all sport a 15-watt SoC. The test system consumes up to 43 watts in the stress test. That is relatively little for the GPU configuration but is a result of throttling. The Yoga 500 would consume around 55 watts without that, like the Transformer Book Flip TP500LN. The 65-watt power supply is sized sufficiently.
| Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD GeForce 940M, 5200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15 HD Graphics (Haswell), 3556U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0 | Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LN GeForce 840M, 4210U, Seagate Momentus SpinPoint M8 ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB | HP Envy 15-u200ng x360 HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Toshiba MQ02ABF100 | Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P50W-C-102 HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, HGST Travelstar 5K1000 HTS541010A9E680 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 17% | -63% | 1% | 2% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 4.2 | 4.2 -0% | 9.8 -133% | 4.7 -12% | 4.4 -5% |
| Idle Average * | 7.4 | 7.5 -1% | 12.2 -65% | 8.9 -20% | 7.9 -7% |
| Idle Maximum * | 8.6 | 7.5 13% | 12.9 -50% | 9.1 -6% | 9.2 -7% |
| Load Average * | 36.5 | 24.8 32% | 49.2 -35% | 30 18% | 31.5 14% |
| Load Maximum * | 42.7 | 25.3 41% | 55.3 -30% | 31.8 26% | 36.1 15% |
* ... smaller is better
| Off / Standby | 0.1 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle | 4.2 / 7.4 / 8.6 Watt |
| Load |
36.5 / 42.7 Watt |
   
| |
Battery Runtime
The Yoga 500 (30 Wh) only achieves an idle runtime of 7:47 hours. Even though the power consumption is average, the runtime is low due to its low battery capacity. All contenders do a better job here because they have a stronger battery than our review sample.
The review sample only lasted 153 minutes in the significant Wi-Fi test. That is considerably less than three hours. In particular, HP's Envy 15-u200ng x360 and Toshiba's Satellite Radius 15 P50W-C-102 can boast here; they have the bigger batteries at a very similar power consumption. The Wi-Fi test simulates opening websites in the "Balanced" profile and a brightness set to approximately 150 cd/m² (dimmed 2 levels). The Yoga 500's battery life is very short due to its limited capacity.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Buyers looking at a 15 incher with a 360-degree hinge will have specific purposes for it in mind. Watching a video without having an annoying keyboard in view, relaxing on the sofa with a tablet on the lap or making a presentation in Tent Mode is all possible with the Yoga 500. It is up to the buyer whether the 15 incher's unhandiness and weight (2.15 kg/4.7 pounds) will be deterring. Lenovo does many things right - starting with the next to first-rate screen with contrast rich colors and wide viewing angles. A drawback here is its low brightness, particularly in battery mode. That and the reflective screen make it almost useless outside in the sun.
Neither the input devices nor the quality and stability give reason for complaint. The big dimensions function surprisingly well as a convertible. We believe that fears of weakening hinges over time are unfounded. The Yoga 500 will likely mostly be used as a tabletop computer where it will look good as an all-rounder owing to its sufficiently fast components. We can label it conditionally as gaming suitable, but gamers should look for at least a GTX card. That is, however, not yet available in convertibles and the 940M is presently the strongest dedicated graphics card in a convertible.
The Yoga 500 can make up for small drawbacks, such as the disappointing webcam, with little bonus features such as the very good dual-array microphone, the swift SD card reader and the above-average hard drive.
On the other hand, the short battery life of less than three hours in the Wi-Fi test is deplorable. It is Lenovo's own "fault" due to the very small battery.
The Yoga 500's price of 800 Euros (~$892) in our test configuration composed of a GeForce and FHD IPS screen is interesting. The rating of 78% is also better than that of the more expensive Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P50W (1080 Euros/~$1205), which does not feature a graphics card. We cannot recommend HP's Envy 15-u200ng x360 as warmly due to its TN screen. Asus' Transformer Book Flip TP500LA appears to be the most adequate rival although we have not yet had the Broadwell configuration in review, and we are referring to the likely identically built Flip TP500LN with Haswell and a GeForce 840M. However, the Broadwell model does NOT have a dedicated graphics card. Therefore, only Lenovo's Flex 2 Pro remains to be a potential rival. The review of the SSD 840M IPS model will follow soon.
Lenovo Yoga 500-15IBD
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09/21/2015 v4(old)
Sebastian Jentsch
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