Notebookcheck Logo

Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB (i7-8550U, SSD, FHD) Convertible Review

Chic. With the Yoga 720-13IKB, Lenovo delivers a chic 13.3-inch convertible that shines with a great keyboard, a fast NVMe SSD and good battery life. The touchscreen can be used both with the fingers and the included stylus. The quad-core processor can utilize its Turbo boost only for a very short while.

The Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB is no stranger to us - we have already reviewed a laptop from this series a few months ago. What differentiates the current model from its sibling model is the CPU: This model uses a quad-core processor. The competitors of the device include: the Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N, the Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370 and the HP Spectre x360 13.

Because both models are identically built, we shall skip the sections that deal with the case, connectivity, input devices and the speakers. You can find all the relevant information in the review of the sibling model.

Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB (Yoga 720-13 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8550U 4 x 1.8 - 4 GHz, Kaby Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Core: 1150 MHz, Dual-channel, 23.20.16.4877
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2400, Dual-Channel, soldered RAM, no memory slots
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 166 PPI, capacitive, 10 ten input points, native pen support, BOE CQ NV133FHM-N61, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK), 512 GB 
, 450 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC236 @ Intel Sunrise Point-LP PCH - High Definition Audiocontroller
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: microphone/headphone combo jack, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: motion sensor, TPM 2.0
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 10 x 310 x 213 ( = 0.39 x 12.2 x 8.39 in)
Battery
48 Wh Lithium-Ion, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 10.5 h
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: chiclet-style, Keyboard Light: yes, Active Stylus, McAfee LiveSafe (trial version), MS Office 365 (trail version), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.3 kg ( = 45.86 oz / 2.87 pounds), Power Supply: 286 g ( = 10.09 oz / 0.63 pounds)
Price
1399 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

325 mm / 12.8 inch 218 mm / 8.58 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 1.5 kg3.21 lbs324.4 mm / 12.8 inch 226 mm / 8.9 inch 15.9 mm / 0.626 inch 1.5 kg3.31 lbs310 mm / 12.2 inch 213 mm / 8.39 inch 14.3 mm / 0.563 inch 1.3 kg2.84 lbs313 mm / 12.3 inch 218 mm / 8.58 inch 10.9 mm / 0.4291 inch 1.1 kg2.43 lbs310 mm / 12.2 inch 213 mm / 8.39 inch 10 mm / 0.3937 inch 1.3 kg2.87 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
676 MBit/s
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
671 MBit/s -1%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
661 MBit/s -2%
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
580 MBit/s -14%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
532 MBit/s
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
518 MBit/s -3%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
505 MBit/s -5%
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
308 MBit/s -42%

Display

pixel arrangement
pixel arrangement

The 13.3-inch touch-enabled display of the Yoga has a native resolution of 1920x1080. The brightness (277.4 cd/m2) and contrast ratio (900:1) are more or less acceptable. However, devices with a similar price tag offer values that are well above 300 cd/m2and 1000:1.

Unfortunately, at 90% brightness and below, the screen exhibits PWM flickering with a frequency of 350 Hz. Therefore, susceptible individuals may experience headaches and eyestrain. 

288
cd/m²
279
cd/m²
273
cd/m²
285
cd/m²
297
cd/m²
281
cd/m²
258
cd/m²
266
cd/m²
270
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE CQ NV133FHM-N61 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 297 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 277.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 300 cd/m²
Contrast: 900:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.93 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.84 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
88% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
58% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
88.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.5
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
a-Si TFT-LCD, WLED, 1920x1080, 13.30
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
IPS, 2560x1440, 13.30
Display
-5%
6%
-1%
3%
Display P3 Coverage
67.8
65.3
-4%
69.8
3%
64
-6%
66.8
-1%
sRGB Coverage
88.2
83.7
-5%
94.6
7%
90
2%
92.8
5%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
64.4
61.2
-5%
69.3
8%
64.9
1%
67.3
5%
Response Times
30%
69%
13%
48%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
48 ?(26, 22)
32 ?(15, 17)
33%
49 ?(30, 19)
-2%
44 ?(22, 22)
8%
24 ?(11, 36)
50%
Response Time Black / White *
35 ?(19, 16)
26 ?(15, 11)
26%
27 ?(15, 12)
23%
29 ?(18, 11)
17%
19 ?(10, 28)
46%
PWM Frequency
350 ?(90)
1000 ?(20)
186%
Screen
-1%
16%
16%
6%
Brightness middle
297
351
18%
295
-1%
334
12%
324
9%
Brightness
277
310
12%
276
0%
321
16%
324
17%
Brightness Distribution
87
82
-6%
88
1%
86
-1%
90
3%
Black Level *
0.33
0.37
-12%
0.27
18%
0.25
24%
0.34
-3%
Contrast
900
949
5%
1093
21%
1336
48%
953
6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.93
5.03
-2%
2.97
40%
4.24
14%
4.36
12%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.39
12
-43%
5.67
32%
6.03
28%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.84
3.62
25%
3.12
36%
3.92
19%
4.62
5%
Gamma
2.5 88%
2.18 101%
2.45 90%
2.68 82%
2.18 101%
CCT
6894 94%
6323 103%
6676 97%
6758 96%
6857 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
58
55
-5%
62
7%
58
0%
60
3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
88
84
-5%
94
7%
90
2%
93
6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
8% / 2%
30% / 24%
9% / 12%
19% / 12%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 350 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 350 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 350 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware.

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.

Right out of the box, the screen exhibits a DeltaE-2000 color deviation of 4.93. Therefore, it is not too far away from the target value (DeltaE than less 3). The display does not suffer from a blue cast.

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

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
35 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19 ms rise
↘ 16 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 91 % 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
48 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26 ms rise
↘ 22 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 80 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Lenovo has equipped the Yoga with an IPS panel with very stable viewing angles. Therefore, the screen content is legible from every position. Under the open sky, the device can only be used when the sun does not shine too brightly, and even then the reflective surface of the display can negatively impact the experience.

The Yoga 720-13IKB outdoors (on a cloudy day)
The Yoga 720-13IKB outdoors (on a cloudy day)

Performance

With the Yoga 720-13IKB, Lenovo delivers a 13.3-inch convertible, which offers more than enough performance for such usage scenarios as office work and Internet browsing. Our review device can be had for 1350 (~$1630) to 1400 Euros (~$1690). The prices start at 940 Euros ($1130).

Review Conditions

The BIOS of the laptop allows the users to tune the temperature and fan management of the Yoga slightly. There are two options available: “Performance” (= maximum performance) and “Quiet” (= maximum quietness). We have conducted all of our benchmarks in “Performance” mode.

Subsequently, we tried out the “Quiet” mode. We could not determine any difference between the two modes. The results of the CPU benchmarks as well as the fan behavior were basically the same. 

Performance misspelled as "Performanced"...
Performance misspelled as "Performanced"...

Processor

Lenovo has put a quad-core Intel Core i7-8550U (Kaby Lake) CPU inside the Yoga. This ULV model (TDP: 15 watts) runs with a base clock of 1.8 GHz, which can be boosted up to 4 GHz.

In the “Cinebench” benchmarks, the CPU can run at its maximum clock speeds (Single-core: 3.7 to 4 GHz, Multi-core: 2.8 to 2.9 GHz) for only a very short time. After a few seconds, the CPU is throttled down to 1.8 GHz. Things look the same with the “Geekbench 4” benchmarks. However, in these benchmarks, the boost clock of 3.7 to 4 GHz was maintained for a little longer. In the “Geekbench 3” benchmark, the CPU operates almost constantly at 1.8 GHz. This behavior is identical when the laptop is plugged in and when it is running off of battery power.

We check if the Turbo boost can be used over an extended period of time by running the Cinebench R15 Multi-Core benchmark in a continuous loop for 30 minutes. After the first benchmark run, the results drop to 390 points and stay consistently at that level. The Turbo boost is not utilized at all, and the CPU operates at frequencies which are well below its own base clock.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit

Because the CPU cannot utilize its Turbo boost the results of the CPU benchmarks are significantly below those of the other 8550U-based notebooks. As a matter of fact, the results in the Single-core benchmarks lie below those of the previously-reviewed dual-core sibling model. It has an advantage only in the Multi-core benchmarks, which can be attributed to the two additional cores.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4202
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
11694
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
9114
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
109 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
407 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
46.55 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points +32%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i5-7200U
128 Points +17%
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
Intel Core i5-7200U
127 Points +17%
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
Intel Core i5-6200U
113 Points +4%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
109 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
534 Points +31%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
407 Points
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
Intel Core i5-7200U
302 Points -26%
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
Intel Core i5-6200U
284 Points -30%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i5-7200U
268 Points -34%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
5530 Points +32%
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
Intel Core i5-7200U
4950 Points +18%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i5-7200U
4946 Points +18%
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
Intel Core i5-6200U
4356 Points +4%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
4202 Points
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
16465 Points +41%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
11694 Points
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
Intel Core i5-7200U
10626 Points -9%
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
Intel Core i5-6200U
9770 Points -16%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i5-7200U
9213 Points -21%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
12854 Points +44%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
8918 Points
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
Intel Core i5-6200U
5932 Points -33%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
3444 Points +39%
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
Intel Core i5-6200U
2842 Points +15%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
2471 Points
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
12745 Points +19%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
10747 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
4523 Points
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
4232 Points -6%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
13424 Points +24%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
10869 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U
4942 Points
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U
4330 Points -12%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41)
256.1 Points +28%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i5-7200U (EDGE: 38.14393.1066.0)
215 Points +7%
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
Intel Core i5-7200U (Edge 40.15063.0.0)
208.5 Points +4%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel Core i7-8550U (Edge 41)
200.1 Points

System Performance

The system runs smoothly. We did not encounter any problems. Even though, the CPU benchmarks show that the processor can only operate at its boost clock for a few seconds, the results that the Yoga achieves in the PCMark benchmarks are on the same level as those of other devices that are based on the same CPU platform. In other words: The fact that the Turbo boost can only be used for a very short time does not seem to have much of a negative impact on day-to-day usage. However, this will not be the case when the CPU needs to do a lot of demanding calculations over an extended period of time. An increase in overall performance is not possible. Lenovo has already exhausted all the possibilities.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3815 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4748 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4685 points
PCMark 10 Score
3260 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
3815 Points
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3744 Points -2%
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
3521 Points -8%
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3197 Points -16%

Storage Devices

An NVMe SSD (M.2-2280) from Toshiba serves as the system drive. It has a total capacity of 512 GB. NVMe SSDs achieve faster transfer rates than SATA-III models, because they are connected via PCI Express 3.0 x4. Therefore, the included SSD delivers very good transfer rates.

Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
Sequential Read: 1345 MB/s
Sequential Write: 569 MB/s
512K Read: 1041 MB/s
512K Write: 547 MB/s
4K Read: 38.42 MB/s
4K Write: 127.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 416.4 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 337.5 MB/s
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
43%
-38%
-43%
Read Seq
1345
2172
61%
462.7
-66%
455.9
-66%
Write Seq
569
1222
115%
439.9
-23%
432.5
-24%
Read 512
1041
1295
24%
325.2
-69%
315.7
-70%
Write 512
547
863
58%
361.9
-34%
291.5
-47%
Read 4k
38.42
59.5
55%
27.52
-28%
29.7
-23%
Write 4k
127.1
150.3
18%
91.6
-28%
57
-55%
Read 4k QD32
416.4
426.4
2%
247.3
-41%
385.4
-7%
Write 4k QD32
337.5
360
7%
292
-13%
170.8
-49%

Graphics Card

The Intel UHD Graphics 620 is responsible for image rendering. It supports DirectX 12 and has a maximum core clock of 1150 MHz. The results in the 3DMark benchmarks are on the normal level for this kind of GPU. It benefits from the dual-channel-enabled RAM. Because the RAM runs in dual-channel mode the graphics unit can be better utilized, hence a boost in performance.

3DMark 11 Performance
1935 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
7139 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1029 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8550U
1765 Points
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1607 Points -9%
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1589 Points -10%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1528 Points -13%
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
1326 Points -25%
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i5-6200U
1326 Points -25%

Gaming Performance

The GPU-CPU combination of the notebook can run some games smoothly. This applies to the titles that have low system requirements. However, one will have to be content with running these games at low resolutions and with low graphical settings. Thanks to the dual-channel-enabled RAM, the frame rates of the Yoga are higher than those of comparable devices whose RAM runs in single-channel mode. 

low med. high ultra
StarCraft 2 (2010) 188.2 60.1 33.8 18.4
BioShock Infinite (2013) 59.9 31.4 25.9 8.4
Risen 3: Titan Lords (2014) 39.8 24.1 7.6
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) 37.7 22.6 11.3
Alien: Isolation (2014) 51.5 35.6 17
Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014) 26.3 21.9
Mirror's Edge Catalyst (2016) 22.3 15.2

Energy & Emissions

System Noise

The convertible does not get very noisy under all sorts of loads. As a rule, the fan stands still at idle and under light loads. However, even very light loads can cause the fan to start spinning. Under heavy load, the fan does not spin particularly hard. During our stress test (in which we run Prime95 and FurMark for at least one straight hour), we measured a sound pressure level of 34.7 dB(A). When only Prime95 is running, the noise level increases up to 36 dB(A). Under load, the fan of our review device operates somewhat quieter than the fan of the previously-reviewed sibling model. Nevertheless, more than a few users will find the fan noise annoying, especially when they are trying to concentrate on their work

Lenovo appears to have provided a few options for fan control. Presumably, this may also apply to the sibling model, when one installs the latest version of the BIOS. Our review device comes equipped with the BIOS version 1YCN35WW (V2.02). At the time of this review, the BIOS version 1YCN37WW (V2.04) is available on Lenovo’s website for both models. 

Noise Level

Idle
30.5 / 30.5 / 30.5 dB(A)
Load
32.8 / 34.7 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.5 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.535.134.634.434.52533.433.433.23933.43140.139.236.542.240.1403433.232.335.4345034.330.832.237.834.3633028.229.429.6308026.125.72528.826.110026.425.82628.326.412525.72624.825.625.716023.324.423.923.323.320023.62322.522.723.625022.622.421.921.522.631522.122.121.820.822.140021.921.420.420.421.950021.120.419.319.321.163020.520.11918.520.580022.821.118.218.222.8100024.322.118.317.924.3125022.920.818.117.922.9160021.719.617.817.721.7200023.321.217.917.823.3250024.221.417.817.724.231502320.817.818.123400024.1221818.224.1500023.82018.418.323.8630020.219.118.318.520.2800019.619.118.618.619.61000019.118.818.618.619.11250018.818.818.418.418.81600018.81918.518.518.8SPL34.832.830.630.634.8N2.21.81.41.42.2median 22.8median 21.1median 18.5median 18.5median 22.8Delta1.81.41.11.11.8hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo Yoga 720-13IKB

Temperature

The Yoga 720 during the stress test.
The Yoga 720 during the stress test.

In our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark running for at least one hour), the Yoga performs similarly both when it is plugged in and when it is running on battery power: The processor begins the test with a clock speed of 1.8 GHz. After a few minutes, it is throttled down to 1 to 1.1 GHz and operates consistently at this level. The graphics unit runs at 650 to 700 MHz. The convertible does not get excessively hot. During the stress test, the 40-degree Celsius (104 °F) mark is exceeded only at one measurement point.

Max. Load
 34.6 °C
94 F
39.2 °C
103 F
35.1 °C
95 F
 
 33.3 °C
92 F
36.2 °C
97 F
31.6 °C
89 F
 
 27.2 °C
81 F
26.8 °C
80 F
27 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 39.2 °C = 103 F
Average: 32.3 °C = 90 F
34.5 °C
94 F
40.6 °C
105 F
36 °C
97 F
30.7 °C
87 F
34.7 °C
94 F
31.5 °C
89 F
28 °C
82 F
29 °C
84 F
29.2 °C
85 F
Maximum: 40.6 °C = 105 F
Average: 32.7 °C = 91 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.2 °C = 103 F | Room Temperature 21.9 °C = 71 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.3 °C / 90 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 39.2 °C / 103 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 40.6 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.4 °C / 81 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 27.2 °C / 81 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 (+0.9 °C / 1.6 F).
Heat Distribution of the Topside (under load)
Heat Distribution of the Topside (under load)
Heat Distribution of the bottom side (under load)
Heat Distribution of the bottom side (under load)
Heat Distribution of the Topside (at idle)
Heat Distribution of the Topside (at idle)
Heat Distribution of the bottom side (at idle)
Heat Distribution of the bottom side (at idle)

Lautsprecher

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203634.436253839383145.742.245.74037.935.437.95035.637.835.66329.729.629.78027.328.827.310027.828.327.812530.325.630.316032.223.332.220035.422.735.425048.821.548.831556.320.856.340059.220.459.250058.419.358.463059.118.559.180069.318.269.3100065.717.965.7125062.817.962.8160061.217.761.2200062.117.862.1250061.417.761.4315061.618.161.6400060.118.260.1500059.118.359.1630059.918.559.9800055.218.655.21000058.518.658.51250061.518.461.51600058.618.558.6SPL74.330.674.3N33.51.433.5median 59.1median 18.5median 59.1Delta6.41.16.435.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo Yoga 720-13IKBApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 46% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 47% of all tested devices were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

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

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked!)

Energy Consumption

There are no abnormalities in terms of energy consumption. While idling, we measured a maximum power draw of 9.7 watts. During the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark running for at least one hour), the power consumption rises only to 33 watts, because the CPU cannot utilize its Turbo boost. After a few minutes, the throttling of the CPU leads to a decrease in energy consumption. The nominal power draw of the AC adapter is 45 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.5 / 0.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.8 / 8.4 / 9.7 Watt
Load midlight 36 / 36 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

Our practically-oriented Wi-Fi test simulates loads which are consistent with surfing the web. The “balanced” profile is selected, the display brightness is set to 150 cd/m² and the energy saving functions are switched off. The Yoga achieves a battery runtime of 7 hours and 45 minutes. Therefore, it performs worse than its sibling model (8h:25m). The reason for this: The battery of our review device shows a wear level of 6%

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 41)
7h 46min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
505 min +8%
HP Spectre x360 13-4104ng
6200U, HD Graphics 520, 56 Wh
500 min +7%
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 53.9 Wh
500 min +7%
Asus ZenBook Flip S UX370
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 39 Wh
483 min +4%
Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
466 min

Pros

+ IPS screen
+ Full HD resolution
+ chic, well-built case
+ very good input devices
+ NVMe SSD
+ very good battery life
+ Thunderbolt 3
+ stylus

Cons

- display should have had more brightness and contrast
- Turbo boost can only be used for a short time
- no SD card reader
- display suffers from PWM flickering

Verdict

The Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB 81C3002MGE, provided courtesy of: notebooksbilliger.de
The Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB 81C3002MGE, provided courtesy of: notebooksbilliger.de

The ULV CPU represents the only innovation over the previously-reviewed sibling model. Even though the CPU can only make use of its Turbo boost for a very short period of time, this does not seem to have much of a negative impact on everyday usability. Albeit, a dual-core CPU is quite sufficient for day-to-day use. Therefore, it does not make much sense for potential buyers to get a Yoga 720 model with a quad-core CPU.


Such a model would only be worth it if you are going to use software that is optimized for multi-core CPUs. Even when the CPU operates with its base clock, it is still faster than its dual-core sibling. However, those who need the full performance of the CPU on a permanent basis will have to get a different device.

With the Yoga 720-13IKB, Lenovo delivers a chic notebook which is very good for typing and Internet-surfing, but which, nevertheless, has weaknesses.

The convertible does not get very hot and works quietly most of the time. A fast NVMe SSD creates a very responsive system. The great battery life and a keyboard, which has a backlight and is very good for long typing sessions, round off the package.

The IPS Full HD screen is nothing to write home about. Although, the brightness and the contrast ratio are quite acceptable, we would expect more from a device with such a price tag. The display of a 1400-Euro (~$1690) laptop should not suffer from PWM flickering.

Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB - 01/02/2018 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
90 / 98 → 91%
Keyboard
92%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
60 / 80 → 75%
Weight
71 / 35-78 → 85%
Battery
90%
Display
83%
Games Performance
58 / 68 → 86%
Application Performance
85 / 87 → 98%
Temperature
92%
Noise
93%
Audio
46 / 91 → 50%
Camera
42 / 85 → 50%
Average
76%
87%
Convertible - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 6 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo Yoga 720-13IKB (i7-8550U, SSD, FHD) Convertible Review
Sascha Mölck, 2018-01- 2 (Update: 2020-05-19)