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MagyarDouble trouble: Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen OLED convertible review
Introduced at CES 2023, the Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen is a risky but intriguing convertible concept where both the B and C faces are identical 13.3-inch OLED touchscreens. The keyboard has been relegated to an external Bluetooth add-on and the clickpad is now a virtual one on the secondary touchscreen. This approach is distinct from the Asus ZenScreen which is a much smaller secondary touchscreen.
Our review configuration is a higher-end SKU with the 13th gen Raptor Lake-U Core i7-1355U CPU and 512 GB SSD for approximately $2000 USD retail. Other options are available with the Core i5-1335U or 1 TB SSD instead, but all configurations come with the same 2x 16:10 2880 x 1800 2.8K OLED touchscreens.
Alternatives to the Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 include other flagship subnotebooks like the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED, Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre x360 13, or the MSI Summit E13 Flip. Of course, none offer the same integrated dual-screen capabilities of the Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1.
More Lenovo reviews:
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86.3 % | 05/2023 | Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen i7-1355U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.6 kg | 15.95 mm | 13.30" | 2880x1800 | |
| 86.2 % | 05/2023 | Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel i7-1370P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.3 kg | 15.85 mm | 13.50" | 2256x1504 | |
| 85.4 % | 05/2023 | Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 i7-1355U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1 kg | 11.8 mm | 13.30" | 2880x1800 | |
| 87.9 % | 10/2022 | HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx i7-1250U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.4 kg | 16 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1200 | |
| 87.3 % | 09/2022 | Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED i7-1280P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.3 kg | 15.28 mm | 13.40" | 3456x2160 | |
| 85.6 % | 05/2023 | Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 i7-1360P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 11.3 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 |
Case — Part Laptop, Part Tablet
The chassis can be best described as a Yoga 9i 14 G8 clamshell but with the keyboard and clickpad replaced by an entire touchscreen. It otherwise utilizes similar matte aluminum materials for the same smooth look and feel as most other Yoga models. When in the closed position, for example, the Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 would look and feel just like a regular Yoga 9i laptop.
Chassis rigidity is excellent with no major issues related to twisting or bending. In fact, overall build quality is better than expected since the chassis consists of fewer individual pieces due to the lack of an integrated physical keyboard and clickpad. Applying pressure on any of the two Gorilla Glass touchscreens would not result in any noticeable depressions or weak spots. Similarly, the hinges are also taut and mostly uniform at all angles up to 360 degrees. We're impressed by the design and quality of the device considering that it's just a first generation product. If we are to have any criticisms, then it would be to reduce the thickness of the top bezel as it's slightly thicker than on a regular Yoga 9i clamshell.
One might expect a dual 13-inch screen convertible to be heavier or thicker than usual, but this is not the case at all. In fact, the Lenovo model is just slightly larger than the XPS 13 Plus 9320 while weighing about the same. It's incredible how much screen you're getting relative to the high portability.
An important caveat to keep in mind is that the included wireless keyboard adds an additional 242 g for a total of 1588 g (1346 g+ 242 g). It's a bit of a hassle to carry both especially since the wireless keyboard can't attach to the laptop in the same convenient way that keyboard folios can attach to the Surface Pro or other tablets.
Connectivity — No 3.5 mm Audio Support
There are three integrated Thunderbolt 4 ports and nothing else — not even a headphone jack. The limited variety ensures a thinner and lighter profile, but it forces owners to invest in adapters and docking stations. Most other subnotebooks tend to have a wider variety of ports in comparison.
Communication
An Intel AX211 comes standard for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. We experienced no performance issues when paired to our Asus AXE11000 6 GHz test router.
Webcam
The 5 MP webcam is sharper than the webcams on most other laptops where 2 MP sensors are still common. Colors, however, aren't really any better.
IR and an electronic shutter are included for Hello support and privacy purposes, respectively.
Maintenance
Lenovo discourages end-user servicing by hiding any and all screws from the external design. The bottom frame also wraps around the sides of the chassis and makes contact with the edges of the glass screen to make disassembly even more difficult. If you were hoping to easily upgrade the SSD or replace the battery, then you'll be out of luck here.
Accessories and Warranty
The retail box includes an active Digital Pen 3 stylus (model WE02), a Bluetooth keyboard, and a protective folding folio for the keyboard that also doubles as a stand for the system. While the stylus is available for other Lenovo laptops, the keyboard is designed specifically for the Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 and it is not sold separately.
Disappointingly, the wireless keyboard cannot be used on other devices at least in our testing. The keyboard would be unrecognizable when attempting to connect it to smartphones or other PCs via Bluetooth or USB-C.
The standard one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies if purchased in the US.
Input Devices — Bring An External Mouse!
Keyboard
The removable keyboard may appear small and flimsy, but it's actually more rigid than many other keyboard attachments including the Surface keyboard. It attaches magnetically to the secondary touchscreen from either the top or bottom as shown by the pictures below. The secondary display automatically adjusts depending on the positioning of the keyboard.
There is no way to customize what the secondary touchscreen will show when the keyboard is attached and so it will always display either the virtual clickpad, live weather, or news feed. Even worse, clicking an item on the news feed will automatically launch the MSN browser instead of the more commonly used Edge or Chrome. We're hopeful that Lenovo will update the system with more customizable features in the near future.
Unfortunately, keyboard feedback is noticeably weaker and shallower than the keyboards on standard Lenovo clamshell designs like the Yoga 9i or IdeaPad Flex 5. The Space key, for example, is spongier and unsatisfying to press. We recommend testing out the keyboard first if you intend to do a lot of typing on the Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1.
Touchpad
The virtual clickpad is 10.8 x 5.6 cm compared to 11.5 x 7.4 cm on the HP Envy x360 13. There is unfortunately no way to change the shape, size, color, or other aspects of the clickpad. When compared to regular tactile clickpads on most other laptops, the virtual clickpad on our Lenovo has inferior gliding properties as you're essentially gliding on a layer of Gorilla Glass that wasn't designed for touchpad purposes. In other words, resistance is uneven and there is much more sticking than usual. Imagine using your smartphone touchscreen as a laptop clickpad and you'll have a perfect idea of how it feels to use the virtual clickpad on the Lenovo.
The virtual left and right mouse keys are a mixed bag as well. While we appreciate the slight vibrating haptic feedback when the buttons are pressed, it is far too easy to accidentally click on the keys. Tactile keys on most other laptops, for example, always require some force to press. On the Yoga 9i 2-in-1, however, there is no tactile separation between the virtual clickpad and mouse keys and so it is easy to slide a finger between the two regions and cause accidental inputs.
An external mouse is recommended whenever possible. Otherwise, half of the secondary screen must be reserved for the virtual clickpad.
Display — We've Seen These Samsung OLED Panels Before
While the design of the Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 is special, its OLED panels are not. The two Samsung ATNA33AA02 panels on this model can also be found on both the ThinkPad Z13 G1 and ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 meaning that all three of these models offer very similar image quality. It's still a high-end panel with full DCI-P3 colors and perfect black levels, but the 60 Hz refresh rate feels limiting. The Asus VivoBook Pro 14 and HP Pavilion Plus 14, for example, have 90 Hz OLED options.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 359.7 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.51 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
95.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.18
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen SDC ATNA33AA02-0, OLED, 2880x1800, 13.30 | Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel BOE CQ NE135FBM-N41, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50 | Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 SDC417B, OLED, 2880x1800, 13.30 | HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx BOE0ADC, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.30 | Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED Samsung 134XK04, OLED, 3456x2160, 13.40 | Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 Samsung ATNA40CU02-0, AMOLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -19% | 1% | -21% | 1% | 0% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 99.8 | 68.9 -31% | 99.7 0% | 67.6 -32% | 99.5 0% | 99.7 0% |
| sRGB Coverage | 100 | 97.5 -2% | 100 0% | 98.1 -2% | 100 0% | 100 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 95.4 | 71.1 -25% | 96.9 2% | 69.1 -28% | 98.4 3% | 95.7 0% |
| Response Times | -2225% | 104% | -2334% | -15% | 156% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 1.83 ? | 54.9 ? -2900% | 2 ? -9% | 54.8 ? -2895% | 2.6 ? -42% | 0.5 ? 73% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 2.03 ? | 33.5 ? -1550% | 1.6 ? 21% | 38 ? -1772% | 2.1 ? -3% | 0.1 ? 95% |
| PWM Frequency | 60 ? | 240 ? 300% | 59.5 -1% | 240 ? 300% | ||
| Screen | -3% | 33% | -6% | 14% | 15% | |
| Brightness middle | 359.7 | 503 40% | 361 0% | 418.9 16% | 371.8 3% | 409 14% |
| Brightness | 363 | 472 30% | 365 1% | 397 9% | 374 3% | 410 13% |
| Brightness Distribution | 98 | 87 -11% | 98 0% | 90 -8% | 98 0% | 99 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.36 | 0.27 | 0.01 | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.51 | 3.38 25% | 1.2 73% | 3.66 19% | 2.37 47% | 2.36 48% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7.05 | 7.08 -0% | 1.9 73% | 5.55 21% | 6.1 13% | 4.07 42% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.4 | 4.8 -100% | 1.2 50% | 4.6 -92% | 2 17% | 3.06 -28% |
| Gamma | 2.18 101% | 2.13 103% | 2.27 97% | 2.01 109% | 2.29 96% | 2.49 88% |
| CCT | 6112 106% | 6235 104% | 6486 100% | 7186 90% | 6261 104% | 6882 94% |
| Contrast | 1397 | 1551 | 40900 | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.21 | 1.09 | 3.16 | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -749% /
-411% | 46% /
43% | -787% /
-433% | 0% /
3% | 57% /
47% |
* ... smaller is better
The displays are not calibrated at factory. Despite this, average deltaE values are still reasonably low at 2.4 and 4.5 each for grayscale and colors, respectively. Both panels are therefore almost identical in calibration.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2.03 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.93 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.1 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 7 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.83 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.9 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.93 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 5 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 60 Hz |  | |
| ≤ 100 cd/m² brightness | |||
The display backlight flickers at 60 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 100 cd/m² and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 60 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. Flickering occurs at relatively low brightness settings, so extended use at this brightness setting or lower can cause eyestrain. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17915 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The OLED displays are not bright enough to be used outdoors comfortably under bright sunlight. They work much better when under shade, but glare is still noticeable especially on the secondary display. Touchscreen or tablet mode are definitely the way to go if you have to use the system outdoors.
The viewability of the two OLED screens is interesting. While colors are expectedly more stable at extreme angles when compared to IPS, the brightness of the screens may appear different from one another. This becomes more noticeable when using the model in laptop mode because the secondary display is at a more extreme angle to your eyes when compared to the primary display. The bottom center picture in our composite image below demonstrates this phenomenon where the primary screen can appear brighter even though both screens are set to similar brightness levels. The brightness difference is minor in practice, but it's worth mentioning nonetheless.
Another consequence of having two glossy displays so close to one another is the increase in glare. More specifically, the brightness of the primary display will almost always cast a glare on the secondary display especially from certain angles. It's not hugely distracting by any means, but it does mean that the primary display will offer the more optimal viewing experience than the secondary display in most conditions.
Performance — 13th Gen Intel U-series CPU
Testing Conditions
We set our unit to Extreme Performance mode prior to running any benchmarks below. It's recommended that owners become familiar with the Lenovo Vantage software as it is the control hub for Lenovo-specific settings and updates. There are unfortunately no special toggles or settings for customizing the secondary display. If you don't like how some automatic features are handled, then there's no way to change or disable them at the time of writing.
Processor
CPU performance is about 15 to 20 percent faster than the outgoing Core i7-1250U that our Core i7-1355U directly replaces. This same processor in the Asus ZenBook S13 OLED would perform 10 to 25 percent slower than our Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 and so it's a relief to see that the dual screen design hasn't led to any major throttling issues. Intel's naming convention has ballooned to confusing levels as our Core i7-1355U would perform similarly to the 12th gen Core i7-1260P or 13th gen Core i7-1360P even though the P-series is supposed to be faster.
Downgrading to the Core i5-1335U configuration is expected to reduce single-thread and multi-thread performance by about 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively, based on our time with the latest Samsung Galaxy Book3 15.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U (5673 - 8424, n=18) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U (2991 - 4453, n=18) | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U (21800 - 46154, n=18) | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
System Performance
PCMark results are neck-to-neck with other high-end subnotebooks like the Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 or the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 to show that overall performance isn't significantly reduced by having two internal displays.
We experienced an annoying bug on the model worth mentioning. By default, Lenovo has set Windows to a 200% custom scaling which can be changed if desired. The problem is that the laptop will automatically reset any scaling changes back to 200% whenever there is a Windows popup. Adjusting the scale to anything other than 200% will also interrupt the behavior of the secondary display. For example, the virtual clickpad would disappear for no reason whenever the custom scaling changes.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5455 - 5933, n=15) | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (10203 - 11822, n=15) | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (6763 - 7536, n=15) | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5723 - 6712, n=15) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1478 - 1643, n=15) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1444 - 1665, n=15) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1563 - 1732, n=15) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (1217 - 1681, n=15) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5642 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1355U (72.2 - 346, n=18) | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon reveals DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs of our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise perfect and without any dropped frames.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen | |
| Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 | |
| HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED | |
| Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices — One Internal Drive Only
The Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 utilizes the same WD PC SN740 512GB PCIe4 x4 NVMe SSD as found on the Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 or Yoga 7 16IRL8. The M.2 2242 drive is technically removable if you want to risk opening the bottom panel. Performance is still good for a PCIe4 drive with steady transfer rates of up to 4900 MB/s.
There is sadly no integrated SD card reader for storage expansion.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance — Integrated GPU With eGPU Support
Graphics performance is about 10 percent faster than the average laptop in our database equipped with the same integrated Iris Xe 96 EUs. Undemanding titles like DOTA 2 Reborn are playable on lower settings and resolutions. It's too bad that there are no AMD options as the latest Radeon 680M or 780M solutions are noticeably faster than the aging Intel Iris Xe series. At least eGPUs are supported.
If gaming, be careful not to touch the secondary display. Any accidental inputs on the secondary display may minimize the game window or shift focus away from the primary display.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 7007 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 5039 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1839 points | |
Help | ||
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| GTA V (2015) | 118.9 | 100.8 | 26.5 | 10.9 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 90.8 | 59 | 32.4 | 14.8 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 94.5 | 75.8 | 63.7 | 58.2 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 43.8 | 24.1 | 17.2 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 36.6 | 35.1 | 32 | |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 91.2 | 40.8 | 32.1 | 25.8 |
Emissions
System Noise
Fan noise and behavior are similar to what we experienced on the Asus ZenBook S13. The Lenovo system is quiet when running undemanding loads like browsing or video streaming where it tends to hover around 27 dB(A) against a silent background of 22.6 dB(A). When higher loads like 3DMark 06 are introduced, however, it would only take about 60 seconds before the internal fans reach their maximum fan noise of 38.6 dB(A). The processor would have to be at a very high utilization in order for the fans to reach peak RPM.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 23.1 / 23.1 / 23.1 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 38.6 / 38.3 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 22.6 dB(A) | ||
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1355U, WD PC SN740 512GB SDDPMQD-512G-1101 | Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1370P, WD PC SN740 SDDPNQD-1T00 | Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1355U, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR | HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1250U, SK Hynix BC711 512GB HFM512GD3GX013N | Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1280P, WDC PC SN810 512GB | Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1360P, WD PC SN740 512GB SDDPMQD-512G-1101 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -13% | -4% | 1% | -3% | -17% | |
| off / environment * | 22.6 | 23.2 -3% | 23.3 -3% | 22.9 -1% | 23.4 -4% | 25.2 -12% |
| Idle Minimum * | 23.1 | 23.2 -0% | 23.3 -1% | 23 -0% | 23.4 -1% | 25.2 -9% |
| Idle Average * | 23.1 | 23.2 -0% | 23.3 -1% | 23 -0% | 23.4 -1% | 25.2 -9% |
| Idle Maximum * | 23.1 | 23.2 -0% | 23.3 -1% | 23.7 -3% | 23.4 -1% | 32 -39% |
| Load Average * | 38.6 | 45.3 -17% | 37.7 2% | 32.5 16% | 35 9% | 45.25 -17% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 34.2 | 47.9 -40% | 40.1 -17% | 37.7 -10% | 41.6 -22% | |
| Load Maximum * | 38.3 | 49.2 -28% | 40.1 -5% | 37.5 2% | 39.9 -4% | 45.3 -18% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Surface temperatures are largely symmetrical with the warmest areas toward the center rear of the base. Even so, hot spots can reach up to 35 C when running demanding loads for long periods which is cooler than expected and similar to what we recorded on the HP Envy x360 13. The Lenovo unit is therefore never uncomfortably warm to handle. Most other subnotebooks tend to run warmer including the Framework Laptop 13.5 or Dell XPS 13 Plus which can reach 40 C to 45 C when under similar test conditions.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37 °C / 99 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 37.2 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.8 °C / 82 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 28.4 °C / 83.1 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 (-0.3 °C / -0.5 F).
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel Intel Core i7-1370P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 Intel Core i7-1355U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx Intel Core i7-1250U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i5-1240p Intel Core i5-1240P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 Intel Core i7-1360P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 4% | -3% | 4% | -34% | -13% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 37 | 38.2 -3% | 43.1 -16% | 39.2 -6% | 47.6 -29% | 43.9 -19% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 37.2 | 41.4 -11% | 45 -21% | 36.2 3% | 57 -53% | 50.7 -36% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 31.4 | 25.8 18% | 27.3 13% | 29 8% | 38.8 -24% | 30.8 2% |
| Idle Bottom * | 31.6 | 27.6 13% | 27.8 12% | 28.4 10% | 41 -30% | 31.6 -0% |
* ... smaller is better
Stress Test
When running Prime95 to stress the CPU, clock rates and board power draw would spike to 3.4 GHz and 43 W, respectively, lasting for only one or two seconds. The processor would then quickly stabilize at 1.1 GHz, 17 W, and 79 C to represent low Turbo Boost potential. Repeating this test on the Core P-powered Framework Laptop 13.5 would result in a higher stable clock rate and board power draw of 2.4 GHz and 30 W, respectively. The limited Turbo Boost longevity of our Lenovo is typical of most Core U-powered systems.
Running on battery power limits performance. A 3DMark 11 test on batteries would return Physics and Graphics scores of 9475 and 5693 points, respectively, compared to 14242 and 6395 points when on mains. This is somewhat disappointing as a Core U-series CPU is expected to retain most of its performance when on battery power.
| CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | -- | -- | 49 |
| Prime95 Stress | 1.1 | -- | 79 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 1.0 | 950 | 76 |
| Witcher 3 Stress | ~2.1 | 1300 | 75 |
Speakers
Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 9.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (6.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 1% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 99% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 1% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 99% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | bass is linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (4.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 0% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy Management — OLED Can Be Demanding
Power Consumption
Power consumption when idling on desktop can be higher than on most other subnotebooks due to the second display. Keep in mind that white colors will demand more power as detailed in our OLED power consumption test. If one display is set to maximum brightness and all white while the second display is disabled, idling power consumption would be around 14.2 W. If both displays are set to maximum brightness and all white, idling power consumption would be as high as 20.8 W or 2x more than on the HP Envy x360 13 or Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14. If both displays are off, consumption would be as low as 6.9 W. Each display appears to demand up to 6 W to 7 W as a result.
We're able to record a maximum consumption of 68 W from the small (~5.5 x 5.5 x 2.8 cm) 65 W USB-C AC adapter when running Prime95 stress on maximum brightness. This rate is only temporary as consumption would quickly fall to 56 W and then 41 W as shown by the graph below due to limited Turbo Boost potential.
| Off / Standby | 0.22 / 1 Watt |
| Idle | 6.9 / 11.6 / 20.8 Watt |
| Load |
55 / 68.1 Watt |
   
| |
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen i7-1355U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, WD PC SN740 512GB SDDPMQD-512G-1101, OLED, 2880x1800, 13.30 | Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel i7-1370P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, WD PC SN740 SDDPNQD-1T00, IPS, 2256x1504, 13.50 | Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 i7-1355U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL21T0HCLR, OLED, 2880x1800, 13.30 | HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx i7-1250U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, SK Hynix BC711 512GB HFM512GD3GX013N, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.30 | Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED i7-1280P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, WDC PC SN810 512GB, OLED, 3456x2160, 13.40 | Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 i7-1360P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, WD PC SN740 512GB SDDPMQD-512G-1101, AMOLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 23% | 32% | 25% | 12% | 19% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 6.9 | 2.9 58% | 5.8 16% | 6.6 4% | 6.5 6% | 4.2 39% |
| Idle Average * | 11.6 | 6.3 46% | 8.5 27% | 9.7 16% | 7.8 33% | 4.7 59% |
| Idle Maximum * | 20.8 | 9.9 52% | 8.8 58% | 10.4 50% | 13 37% | 11.4 45% |
| Load Average * | 55 | 56.2 -2% | 35.1 36% | 40.1 27% | 56.6 -3% | 61.5 -12% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 44.9 | 56.6 -26% | 27.6 39% | 35.2 22% | 49.2 -10% | 55.1 -23% |
| Load Maximum * | 68.1 | 60.8 11% | 59.5 13% | 48.1 29% | 63 7% | 64 6% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stresstest
Power Consumption external Monitor
Battery Life
Runtimes are better than expected as Lenovo has installed a large 80 Wh battery pack to make up for having two power-hungry displays. We're able to clock in almost 10 hours of constant real-world WLAN usage when on the Balanced power profile and with both displays active. Results are comparable to the HP Envy x360 13 or the more powerful Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 which come with smaller capacity batteries.
Charging from empty to full capacity with the included USB-C AC adapter takes about 2 hours.
| Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen i7-1355U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 80 Wh | Framework Laptop 13.5 13th Gen Intel i7-1370P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 61 Wh | Asus ZenBook S13 OLED UX5304 i7-1355U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 63 Wh | HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx i7-1250U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 66 Wh | Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 i7-1280P OLED i7-1280P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 55 Wh | Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 i7-1360P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 63 Wh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -10% | -9% | -6% | -41% | 8% | |
| Reader / Idle | 680 | 806 19% | 1257 85% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 586 | 527 -10% | 678 16% | 587 0% | 346 -41% | 528 -10% |
| Load | 219 | 146 -33% | 139 -37% | 109 -50% | ||
| H.264 | 829 | 712 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict — Double The Screen Without Doubling The Weight
The build quality and wow factor of having two OLED touchscreens are perhaps the best aspects of the Yoga 9i 2-in-1. The fact that owners can have Zoom meetings on one screen while gaming or watching YouTube videos on the other screen should be instantly appealing. It's a versatile concept especially when you consider that the system is just as thin and lightweight as any regular 13-inch subnotebook like the Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre x360 13, or Asus Zenbook S13 but with essentially twice the screen real estate.
Potential buyers need not be concerned about any cut corners to battery life, image quality, speaker quality, or build quality from having two displays. The hardware feels optimized unlike on the first generation Asus ZenBook Duo which had many image quality issues with its secondary screen.
The Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is the most elegant and well-made dual-screen subnotebook we've seen. It could definitely use more optimization on the software side, however.
The two screens are unfortunately directly responsible for some of the more annoying aspects of the system. The virtual clickpad, for example, is much more prone to accidental inputs than a standard physical clickpad. The wireless keyboard feels clunky to carry around and the software involving the keyboard and secondary display is finicky with no customizable options. This is definitely one of those laptops where having an external mouse ready at all times can make a huge difference in ergonomics.
The $2000 USD price point is a huge ask for buyers. If you want two displays at a more affordable budget, then a regular subnotebook like the Yoga 9i clamshell, , Dell XPS 13, or HP Spectre x360 14 plus a portable monitor like the GMKtec XPanel SE or Lepow Z1 would save you hundreds of dollars while providing some of the core benefits of the Yoga 9i 2-in-1.
Price and Availability
The Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 is not yet widely available through retailers. Best Buy has our configuration listed for pre-order starting at $1999 USD.
Lenovo Yoga Book 9i 2-in-1 Dual Screen
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07/16/2023 v7
Allen Ngo
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Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.
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