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Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB (i7-8550U, FHD) Convertible Review

More versatile than ever. We check out the pricier Core i7 SKU to see how it holds when up against the less expensive Core i5 SKU. Is it worth investing in the faster option? And how much better is the faster option exactly?
(Source: Lenovo)
(Source: Lenovo)

Not to be confused with the very different Yoga Book C930, the Yoga C930 is the direct successor to last year's Yoga 920. This latest iteration is actually slightly thicker than its predecessor and it drops the unique watchband hinge in favor of added functionality such as larger internal speakers and a new integrated active stylus. See our original preview page for an overview of the changes from the Yoga 920.

Currently, the Yoga C930 is only available in just a handful of SKUs. The base configuration is equipped with a Core i5-8250U CPU, FHD touchscreen, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 256 GB PCIe SSD while the higher-end configuration uses a Core i7-8550U CPU, 4K UHD touchscreen, 16 GB of RAM, and up to 1 TB of storage. Our test model today is the mid-range option with the i7-8550U, FHD touchscreen, and 12 GB of RAM retailing for about $1400 to $1500 USD.

Since this is our second Yoga C930 unit, we recommend checking out the full review on our first Yoga C930 unit for more information on the chassis and its features. Our review here will instead focus on the performance of the i7-8550U configuration and how it compares to the i5-8250U configuration.

Competitors in this convertible subnotebook space include the HP Spectre x360 13, Dell XPS 13 9365 2-in-1, Acer Spin 5, and Asus ZenBook Flip 14.

More Lenovo Yoga reviews:

Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 (Yoga C930 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8550U 4 x 1.8 - 4 GHz, Kaby Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Core: 400 MHz, DDR4, 23.20.16.5037
Memory
12 GB 
, DDR4-2400, 10-10-10-28, Dual-Channel
Display
13.90 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 158 PPI, 10-point capacitive, native pen support, AUO B139HAN03_0, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer
Networking
Intel Wireless-AC 9260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 14.9 x 322 x 227 ( = 0.59 x 12.68 x 8.94 in)
Battery
60 Wh, 7820 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: Rotating Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos Speaker System, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 65W USB Type-C Netzteil, Active Pen, McAfee LiveSafe, Lenovo Vantage, Lenovo Utility, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.38 kg ( = 48.68 oz / 3.04 pounds), Power Supply: 318 g ( = 11.22 oz / 0.7 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

334.95 mm / 13.2 inch 229.95 mm / 9.05 inch 20.8 mm / 0.819 inch 1.7 kg3.75 lbs327.4 mm / 12.9 inch 224.8 mm / 8.85 inch 17.6 mm / 0.693 inch 1.5 kg3.31 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 224.5 mm / 8.84 inch 14.3 mm / 0.563 inch 1.4 kg3.04 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 223.5 mm / 8.8 inch 13.95 mm / 0.549 inch 1.4 kg3.02 lbs322 mm / 12.7 inch 227 mm / 8.94 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.4 kg3.04 lbs306 mm / 12 inch 218 mm / 8.58 inch 13.6 mm / 0.535 inch 1.3 kg2.78 lbs302 mm / 11.9 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 11.6 mm / 0.4567 inch 1.2 kg2.68 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

(Source: Lenovo)
(Source: Lenovo)

Communication

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
655 MBit/s +2%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
640 MBit/s
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
566 MBit/s -12%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
504 MBit/s -21%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
665 MBit/s +8%
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
648 MBit/s +5%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
617 MBit/s
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
484 MBit/s -22%

Display

Unsurprisingly, display measurements are close to that of our Core i5 test unit since both use the same AU Optronics B139HAN03_0 IPS panel. Backlight bleeding is once again minimal to suggest excellent display consistency between different C930 systems.

It remains to be seen how the 4K UHD configuration performs as it will likely have different display properties as the FHD option. It's unfortunate that display brightness is only around 300 nits as the XPS 15, MacBook Pro 15, and Surface Pro alternatives are much brighter for better outdoor visibility.

Almost no uneven backlight bleeding
Almost no uneven backlight bleeding
Subpixel array (158 PPI)
Subpixel array (158 PPI)
289.8
cd/m²
317.4
cd/m²
294.7
cd/m²
290.6
cd/m²
312
cd/m²
298.1
cd/m²
275.9
cd/m²
303.1
cd/m²
276.6
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AUO B139HAN03_0 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 317.4 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 295.4 cd/m² Minimum: 0.08 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 312 cd/m²
Contrast: 726:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.96
ΔE Greyscale 8.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
92.3% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
59.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
92.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.01
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
AUO B139HAN03_0, IPS, 13.90, 1920x1080
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
B139HAN03_0, IPS, 13.90, 1920x1080
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
AU Optronics B139HAN03.0, IPS, 13.90, 1920x1080
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
Chi Mei (CMN1376), IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
BOE CQ NV140FHM-N41, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
ID: Sharp SHP148B, Name: LQ133D1, Dell P/N: 8XDHY, IPS, 13.30, 3840x2160
Display
2%
-1%
8%
-37%
8%
Display P3 Coverage
62.7
64.3
3%
62.5
0%
68.1
9%
39.68
-37%
68.9
10%
sRGB Coverage
92.6
94.6
2%
91.7
-1%
99.5
7%
58.9
-36%
98.4
6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
64.7
66.2
2%
64.1
-1%
70.2
9%
41
-37%
69.5
7%
Response Times
-14%
-29%
-5%
-31%
-87%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
34.4 ?(18.8, 15.6)
40.8 ?(20.4, 20.4)
-19%
46 ?(20.8, 25.2)
-34%
36 ?(18, 18)
-5%
43 ?(21, 22)
-25%
69.6 ?(32.4, 37.2)
-102%
Response Time Black / White *
25.6 ?(15.6, 10)
27.6 ?(15.6, 12)
-8%
31.6 ?(18.4, 13.2)
-23%
27 ?(13, 14)
-5%
35 ?(21, 14)
-37%
44 ?(24.4, 19.6)
-72%
PWM Frequency
25000 ?(40)
1000
3759 ?(20)
Screen
10%
6%
30%
6%
34%
Brightness middle
312
316
1%
297.9
-5%
311
0%
220
-29%
478.5
53%
Brightness
295
291
-1%
278
-6%
278
-6%
221
-25%
466
58%
Brightness Distribution
87
83
-5%
81
-7%
82
-6%
78
-10%
86
-1%
Black Level *
0.43
0.36
16%
0.44
-2%
0.2
53%
0.18
58%
0.43
-0%
Contrast
726
878
21%
677
-7%
1555
114%
1222
68%
1113
53%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
7.6
5.9
22%
5.1
33%
3.98
48%
3.98
48%
3.09
59%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
15.06
12.9
14%
11
27%
8.48
44%
7.69
49%
5.94
61%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.96
1.3
34%
4
-104%
2.06
-5%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
8.8
8.6
2%
6.7
24%
5.57
37%
1.68
81%
2.4
73%
Gamma
2.01 109%
2.1 105%
2.9 76%
2.51 88%
2.37 93%
2.063 107%
CCT
6874 95%
6854 95%
6839 95%
7810 83%
6382 102%
6883 94%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
59.1
60.7
3%
64.1
8%
64
8%
38
-36%
69.47
18%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
92.3
94.5
2%
91.7
-1%
99
7%
58
-37%
98.36
7%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-1% / 6%
-8% / 0%
11% / 21%
-21% / -7%
-15% / 14%

* ... smaller is better

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Color accuracy is disappointingly below average out of the box with an overly cool color temperature. Our calibration efforts address the issue and we highly recommend applying our ICC profile above to get the most out of the display.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

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
25.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15.6 ms rise
↘ 10 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 56 % 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
34.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18.8 ms rise
↘ 15.6 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. » 41 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is average under shade but somewhat disappointing overall. A brighter backlight would have made the Yoga C930 an even better convertible when on-the-go. Viewing angles are still excellent with no extreme color or contrast degradation from obtuse angles.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

 

Processor

CineBench R15
CineBench R15

The CineBench R15 Multi-Thread score for our Core i7 SKU is only 3 percent higher than the Core i5 SKU. At first glance, this suggests that the pricier Yoga C930 Core i7 option offers almost no performance benefits over the Core i5 option.

The performance delta between the two configurations begins to widen when testing performance sustainability. By running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, we can observe how each CPU performs over time. In this case, the Core i7 SKU is able to maintain faster clock rates than the Core i5 SKU when under stress. Our graph below shows a performance leap of almost 20 percent between the Core i5 and Core i7 towards the end of our stress test. In other words, the Yoga C930 Core i5 SKU suffers from steeper performance throttling than its Core i7 alternative.

Users who may need even more CPU performance should consider the ThinkPad performance series with Coffee Lake-H options.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-8550U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630Tooltip
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø588 (570.26-651.27)
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø524 (494.16-573.93)
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø484 (468.03-611.66)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000RGE
Intel Core i5-8300H
174 Points +4%
Lenovo Legion Y730-17ICH, i7-8750H
Intel Core i7-8750H
173 Points +3%
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel Core i7-8550U
170 Points +1%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel Core i7-8550U
168 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-15IKB 81AC001AGE
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
161 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (108 - 172, n=76)
159.6 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
146 Points -13%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
145 Points -14%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points -14%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
135 Points -20%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
134 Points -20%
Lenovo ThinkPad X260-20F6007RGE
Intel Core i7-6500U
128 Points -24%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo Legion Y730-17ICH, i7-8750H
Intel Core i7-8750H
1230 Points +89%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000RGE
Intel Core i5-8300H
850 Points +31%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-15IKB 81AC001AGE
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
683 Points +5%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel Core i7-8550U
651 Points
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
613 Points -6%
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel Core i7-8550U
576 Points -12%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (301 - 761, n=78)
576 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
553 Points -15%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
546 Points -16%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
535 Points -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
367 Points -44%
Lenovo ThinkPad X260-20F6007RGE
Intel Core i7-6500U
324 Points -50%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.91 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (1.43 - 1.95, n=32)
1.834 Points
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
1.64 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
1.61 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
1.5 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X260-20F6007RGE
Intel Core i7-6500U
1.47 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (4.38 - 8.56, n=32)
6.28 Points
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
6.05 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
6.04 Points
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel Core i7-8550U
5.94 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X260-20F6007RGE
Intel Core i7-6500U
3.57 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
3.4 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
18579 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (11694 - 24180, n=31)
17825 Points
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel Core i7-8550U
15599 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
14336 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
12799 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X260-20F6007RGE
Intel Core i7-6500U
11019 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
9812 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel Core i7-8550U
6452 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (4202 - 8211, n=31)
6328 Points
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel Core i5-8250U
5641 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
5595 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X260-20F6007RGE
Intel Core i7-6500U
4859 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
4379 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
4204 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
473.6 s *
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
386.4 s *
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel Core i7-8550U
378 s *
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (258 - 435, n=11)
351 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
168 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
651 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
57.7 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks are significantly higher than the Core i5 Yoga C930 SKU by as much as 56 percent. The PCMark score is unusually low and well below average for the Core i5 configuration likely due to unforeseen background activity. Navigation and performance are otherwise smooth and without any hitches or issues on the Core i7 Yoga C930.

A potential bug on our test unit prevents the system from waking properly when put into Sleep mode. We repeated the action several times and the system would always fail to wake each time. We did not experience this on our i5-8250U SKU, so hopefully it is not a widespread problem.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 - Score
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
4072 Points
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4012 Points -1%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
3728 Points -8%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2629 - 4072, n=31)
3607 Points -11%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
2603 Points -36%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3999 Points +11%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
3774 Points +4%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
3615 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3024 - 4197, n=33)
3614 Points 0%
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK
3605 Points 0%
Lenovo Yoga 910-13IKB-80VF004CGE
HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV512
3555 Points -2%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
3371 Points -7%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5154 Points +1%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
5110 Points
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
4854 Points -5%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3518 - 5154, n=27)
4585 Points -10%
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK
4463 Points -13%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4125 Points -19%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5342 Points
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK
4998 Points
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4865 Points
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
4742 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3381 - 5342, n=18)
4638 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3615 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5110 points
PCMark 10 Score
4072 points
Help

Storage Devices

Our second Lenovo Yoga C930 test unit uses the same 256 GB SK Hynix SSD as our first unit and performance is about the same according to AS SSD. It's unfortunate that Lenovo is not using the Samsung PM961 from the Yoga 920 as it is the faster drive. It's possible that the 512 GB and 1 TB SKUs of the Yoga C930 could have SSDs from different OEMs like Toshiba or Samsung.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo Yoga 910-13IKB-80VF004CGE
Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV512
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
AS SSD
29%
58%
38%
-48%
7%
Copy Game MB/s
533
503
-6%
319.2
-40%
856
61%
340
-36%
Copy Program MB/s
540
570
6%
463.3
-14%
281.8
-48%
209.7
-61%
Copy ISO MB/s
628
585
-7%
1341
114%
1205
92%
539
-14%
Score Total
1394
1911
37%
2536
82%
1865
34%
455
-67%
1373
-2%
Score Write
466
596
28%
608
30%
611
31%
42
-91%
427
-8%
Score Read
628
926
47%
1316
110%
850
35%
305
-51%
657
5%
Access Time Write *
0.51
0.055
89%
0.028
95%
0.028
95%
2.391
-369%
0.056
89%
Access Time Read *
0.46
0.059
87%
0.044
90%
0.034
93%
0.044
90%
0.069
85%
4K-64 Write
305.1
444.8
46%
391.3
28%
422.2
38%
2.09
-99%
266.3
-13%
4K-64 Read
466.4
678
45%
1039
123%
671
44%
115.6
-75%
434.3
-7%
4K Write
106.5
107.4
1%
128.1
20%
132.9
25%
1.73
-98%
95
-11%
4K Read
39.16
29.36
-25%
48.46
24%
39.92
2%
31.73
-19%
38.04
-3%
Seq Write
544
435.8
-20%
885
63%
560
3%
377.1
-31%
661
22%
Seq Read
1228
2205
80%
2282
86%
1389
13%
1574
28%
1850
51%

* ... smaller is better

SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2359 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 779 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 305.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 385.1 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1610 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 798 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 40.91 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 108.7 MB/s

GPU Performance

The integrated UHD Graphics 620 holds no surprises as it is a very common on Ultrabooks. When compared to the average UHD Graphics 620 in our database, the Yoga C930 is about 15 percent faster due to improved Turbo Boost sustainability. In practice, however, the performance gap is hardly noticeable. Discrete Nvidia options like the MX130 or MX150 continue to be out of reach.

See our dedicated page on the UHD Graphics 620 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3512 Points +84%
Dell Latitude 5591
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i7-8850H
3044 Points +59%
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
2849 Points +49%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
2794 Points +46%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2688 Points +41%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1911 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 510S-14ISK
Intel Iris Graphics 550, 6267U
1782 Points -7%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points -8%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1734 Points -9%
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1709 Points -11%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1663 Points -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X260-20F6007RGE
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6500U
1268 Points -34%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
2975 Points +60%
Dell Latitude 5591
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i7-8850H
2934 Points +58%
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
2820 Points +51%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
1915 Points +3%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1862 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 510S-14ISK
Intel Iris Graphics 550, 6267U
1679 Points -10%
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1640 Points -12%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (927 - 2505, n=244)
1578 Points -15%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1524 Points -18%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1299 Points -30%
Lenovo ThinkPad X260-20F6007RGE
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6500U
1242 Points -33%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1157 Points -38%
3DMark - 1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
HP Envy 13-ah0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
17325 Points +65%
Dell Latitude 5591
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i7-8850H
14809 Points +41%
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7500U
13362 Points +27%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
10490 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
10370 Points -1%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
10003 Points -5%
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
9678 Points -8%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
9364 Points -11%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points -12%
Lenovo IdeaPad 510S-14ISK
Intel Iris Graphics 550, 6267U
8885 Points -15%
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB-81EK00CWGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
8374 Points -20%
Lenovo ThinkPad X260-20F6007RGE
Intel HD Graphics 520, 6500U
6287 Points -40%
3DMark 11 Performance
2149 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
9459 points
Help
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 58.6 33.8 30.3 9.6

Stress Test

We stress the system with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When subjected to Prime95, we can observe the CPU running at up to 3.7 GHz for the first few seconds before reaching a core temperature of 95 C. Thereafter, clock rate drops and stabilizes at 2.5 GHz for a cooler core temperature of 77 C. Since the base clock rate of the i7-8550U is 1.8 GHz, the Yoga C930 is able to sustain a Turbo Boost of +700 MHz which is impressive for a sub 14-inch convertible. Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously throttles the CPU to just 1.0 GHz.

Running on battery power will not dramatically impact CPU or GPU performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 7530 and 1810 points, respectively, compared to 7890 and 1911 points when on mains.

Note that the latest version of GPU-Z (2.12.0) is unable to retrieve correct readings of the GPU.

System idle
System idle
Prime95 stress (first few minutes)
Prime95 stress (first few minutes)
Prime95 stress (>20 minutes)
Prime95 stress (>20 minutes)
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 43
Prime95 Stress 2.5 -- 77
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.0 798 68

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise is similar to the Yoga C930 Core i5 SKU when under low to medium loads. When under extreme load, however, the Core i7 SKU will be significantly louder at almost 40 dB(A) compared to just 33 dB(A) on the slower configuration. The extra horsepower from the Core i7 CPU comes at the cost of louder fan noise when under very high loads.

We can notice no electronic noise or coil whine from our test unit.

Noise Level

Idle
27.9 / 27.9 / 29.3 dB(A)
Load
32 / 39.3 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: 27.9 dB(A)
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Noise
-1%
-0%
-2%
-3%
-10%
0%
off / environment *
27.9
28
-0%
28
-0%
28.4
-2%
30.13
-8%
30
-8%
29.3
-5%
Idle Minimum *
27.9
28
-0%
28
-0%
28.4
-2%
30.13
-8%
30
-8%
29.3
-5%
Idle Average *
27.9
28
-0%
28.8
-3%
28.4
-2%
30
-8%
30
-8%
29.3
-5%
Idle Maximum *
29.3
28
4%
30.3
-3%
28.4
3%
30.13
-3%
30
-2%
29.7
-1%
Load Average *
32
32.5
-2%
34.5
-8%
35.7
-12%
33.4
-4%
38.5
-20%
31.8
1%
Load Maximum *
39.3
42.2
-7%
34.3
13%
39
1%
33
16%
44
-12%
32.7
17%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Surface temperatures are warmest towards the center of the keyboard in a roughly symmetrical gradient. Palm rests remain relatively cool at all times no matter the load, but some keyboard keys can be over 40 C when under very high loads. Overall results are quite similar to the last generation Yoga 920.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Max. Load
 36.4 °C
98 F
45.2 °C
113 F
45.4 °C
114 F
 
 33.2 °C
92 F
44 °C
111 F
39.8 °C
104 F
 
 31.8 °C
89 F
30 °C
86 F
33.2 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 45.4 °C = 114 F
Average: 37.7 °C = 100 F
44.2 °C
112 F
41.2 °C
106 F
37.2 °C
99 F
37.8 °C
100 F
39 °C
102 F
34.2 °C
94 F
33.6 °C
92 F
34 °C
93 F
32.2 °C
90 F
Maximum: 44.2 °C = 112 F
Average: 37 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  38 °C = 100 F | Room Temperature 22.2 °C = 72 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 37.7 °C / 100 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 45.4 °C / 114 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 44.2 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.3 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33.2 °C / 91.8 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (-5.1 °C / -9.2 F).

Speakers


Pink noise graph
Pink noise graph

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Power consumption is slightly higher than on the Core i5 SKU likely due to the faster performance and louder fans of the Core i7 SKU. Power demand when under load is also much higher than on the Yoga 920 because of the reduction in CPU throttling.

The small (~10.9 x 4.9 x 3 cm) 65 W AC adapter is sufficient for the notebook since it is unable to sustain maximum Turbo Boost anyway. The adapter can be used to fast charge smartphones with USB Type-C as well.

Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note the short-lived spike in power consumption
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note the short-lived spike in power consumption
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.29 / 4.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.4 / 7.5 / 11.8 Watt
Load midlight 47.7 / 63.2 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G, IPS, 3840x2160, 13.30
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90
Power Consumption
-1%
27%
32%
26%
38%
11%
Idle Minimum *
3.4
5
-47%
3.1
9%
3.3
3%
3.2
6%
2.9
15%
3.3
3%
Idle Average *
7.5
8.3
-11%
6.6
12%
5.2
31%
6
20%
5.2
31%
6.8
9%
Idle Maximum *
11.8
8.8
25%
7
41%
5.6
53%
9.2
22%
5.4
54%
9.5
19%
Load Average *
47.7
46.4
3%
35.2
26%
32.9
31%
29.5
38%
29.4
38%
40.8
14%
Load Maximum *
63.2
48.6
23%
34.6
45%
35.2
44%
35.6
44%
29.6
53%
57
10%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Expect a real-world runtime of 11 hours to be comparable to the last generation Yoga 920 if not slightly shorter. Battery capacity has actually decreased from 70 Wh to 60 Wh despite the added thickness.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
11h 04min
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 52 Wh
Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB-80Y7
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 70 Wh
Lenovo Yoga 910-13IKB-80VF004CGE
i7-7500U, HD Graphics 620, 78 Wh
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-DB51T
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 52.5 Wh
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
Battery Runtime
-30%
3%
-3%
-13%
-21%
-25%
-17%
WiFi v1.3
664
465
-30%
685
3%
644
-3%
578
-13%
527
-21%
496
-25%
550
-17%
Reader / Idle
819
1655
1069
1432
Load
109
140
174
166
124

Pros

+ better Turbo Boost performance than Core i5 SKU
+ good speaker quality for the size
+ built-in webcam privacy slider
+ integrated active stylus
+ great build quality
+ NVMe SSD

Cons

- smaller battery capacity than last gen model
- louder than Core i5 SKU when under load
- no SD card reader; few integrated ports
- no dedicated GPU options
- display could be brighter

Verdict

In review: Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4. Test model provided by Lenovo US
In review: Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4. Test model provided by Lenovo US

How much faster is the Yoga C930 Core i7 SKU compared to the Core i5 SKU? Expect a 20 percent increase in raw CPU power at most when both systems are under heavy stress. The Core i7 SKU is better at maintaining faster Turbo Boost clock rates for longer without necessarily impacting battery life for day-to-day tasks like browsing, streaming, or word processing. Users who know they can take advantage of the added horsepower will benefit the most from the pricier configuration.

For everyone else, the performance delta between the Core i5 and Core i7 SKUs is unnoticeable. The Core i5-8250U is more than sufficient for browsing, streaming, and multi-tasking loads. Instead, the weakest aspect of the Yoga C930 is its graphics as the series continues to lack dedicated Nvidia or even Iris options. Owners will be more likely to notice the laptop's limited graphics performance for image or video editing than the comparatively minimal differences between the Core i5 and Core i7.

The Yoga C930 is inching closer to being a consumer-business hybrid convertible with its portable design and unarguably useful active stylus. Basic office or home entertainment tasks will run just as flawlessly on the Core i5 SKU when compared to the Core i7. Users who may want more graphics horsepower, however, should consider the MateBook X Pro, MSI PS42, or the XPS 13 with Iris graphics.

Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 - 10/17/2019 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
88 / 98 → 90%
Keyboard
83%
Pointing Device
90%
Connectivity
61 / 75 → 81%
Weight
70 / 20-75 → 92%
Battery
89%
Display
78%
Games Performance
52 / 78 → 66%
Application Performance
85 / 85 → 100%
Temperature
88%
Noise
96%
Audio
90 / 91 → 99%
Camera
56 / 85 → 66%
Average
79%
87%
Convertible - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB (i7-8550U, FHD) Convertible Review
Allen Ngo, 2018-10-25 (Update: 2018-10-26)