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Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15 Notebook Review

Superfluous. Despite a frugal CPU, Lenovo's 15.6-inch notebook only manages poor battery runtimes. With a price tag of around 400 Euros (~ $446), it cannot really be called a bargain either.

For the original German review, see here.

Lenovo's IdeaPad 100-15IBY is a simple 15.6-inch notebook based on Intel's Bay Trail platform. Thanks to its frugal processor, the device is able to cool passively. Rivals for the IdeaPad are notebooks like the Acer Aspire ES1-512, the Acer Aspire E5-521, the HP 255, the HP 350, or the HP 355.

Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY (Ideapad 100 Series)
Processor
Intel Pentium N3540 4 x 2.2 - 2.7 GHz, Bay Trail-M
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Core: 896 MHz, Single-Channel, 10.18.10.4276
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR3, Single-Channel, one slot (occupied)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, Samsung L-ATLN156AT39L01, TN LED, glossy: yes
Storage
Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142, 500 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 400 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC235 @ Intel Bay Trail SoC - HD Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combined stereo jack, Card Reader: SD
Networking
RealTek Semiconductor RTL8101/2/3 Family Fast Ethernet NIC (10/100MBit/s), Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Optical drive
Matshita DVD-RAM UJ8HC
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 26 x 378 x 265 ( = 1.02 x 14.88 x 10.43 in)
Battery
24 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 8.1 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD-Webcam
Additional features
Speakers: Mono, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Cyberlink Power2Go 8, Lenovo PowerDVD 10, McAfee LiveSafe-Internet Security (trial), MS Office (trial), 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.3 kg ( = 81.13 oz / 5.07 pounds), Power Supply: 168 g ( = 5.93 oz / 0.37 pounds)
Price
399 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

The chassis of the IdeaPad is made entirely of matte black plastics. The surfaces are slightly roughened. There is no maintenance hatch and the battery is integrated. The build quality meets the expectations for this price range, which also applies to the stability. Pressure on the areas next to the keyboard or underneath the touchpad can easily dent the chassis.

Interesting: The pressure test on the left side of the keyboard resulted in a failure of the display. We have probably removed/loosened the connection between the display and the motherboard with the light pressure – this should not happen. Another push will usually reactivate the display. The display can be easily twisted and warps under pressure from the back.

The IdeaPad does not have a large number of ports and includes only the essentials. One of the two USB ports supports the USB 3.0 standard, and Lenovo still equips its devices with a Fast-Ethernet port in 2015. The operating system is Windows 8.1 (64-bit), but there is no recovery DVD in the box.

Left side: Power, HDMI, Ethernet, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, combined stereo jack
Left side: Power, HDMI, Ethernet, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, combined stereo jack
Right side: DVD burner, slot for a Kensington Lock
Right side: DVD burner, slot for a Kensington Lock
At the front is a card reader.
At the front is a card reader.

Input Devices

The IdeaPad is equipped with a non-illuminated chiclet keyboard. The flat and slightly roughened keys have a medium travel and a well-defined pressure point. There is some bouncing during typing, and the effect is more pronounced on the right side of the keyboard. You can feel that there is a hollow space in the chassis underneath the keyboard during typing. Overall, the keyboard is sufficient for private use, but prolific writers should look at another model. The touchpad with multitouch support measures around 9.3 x 5.5 cm (~3.4 x 2.2 in) and the roughened surface provides good gliding capabilities. The mouse buttons of the pad have a short travel and a clear pressure point.

Input devices IdeaPad
Input devices IdeaPad

Display

Lenovo uses a glossy 15.6-inch screen with a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels for the IdeaPad. The contrast (546:1) of the screen is very decent, and the luminance (221.8 cd/m²) is still reasonable for this price range.

231
cd/m²
221
cd/m²
210
cd/m²
232
cd/m²
224
cd/m²
218
cd/m²
232
cd/m²
217
cd/m²
211
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Samsung L-ATLN156AT39L01 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 232 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 221.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 185 cd/m²
Contrast: 546:1 (Black: 0.41 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 13.71 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 15.88 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
56.7% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
35.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
56.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37.46% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.39

The colors are not very convincing: We can measure a DeltaE-2000 deviation of 13.7 ex-works, while the ideal value should be less than three. The display also suffers from a distinct blue cast.

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

The IdeaPad is equipped with a TN panel, so the viewing angles are limited – a common issue in inexpensive devices. This means that the display content is not visible from every angle. You cannot really use the notebook outdoors, because it has a glossy screen and the luminance is further reduced on battery power.

The IdeaPad outdoors
The IdeaPad outdoors

Performance

Lenovo's IdeaPad 100-15 series consists of simple office notebooks with a 15.6-inch display. The devices are suitable for the office as well as web applications. Our review unit costs around 400 Euros (~$446), but Lenovo also offers other configurations. Currently, the cheapest version is available for around 290 Euros (~$324), with a Celeron N2840 processor, however you will have to dispense with Windows.

CPU Performance

At the heart of the IdeaPad is Intel's Pentium N3540 (Bay Trail) quad-core processor. The CPU runs at a nominal clock of 2.16 GHz, which can be increased to 2.66 GHz via Turbo. This is a pretty frugal processor (TDP: 7.5 watts), which means that the CPU can be cooled passively. Despite that, we could not determine any performance drops when we performed our CPU tests. Both the single thread as well as the Multithread tests were always executed at 2.66 GHz. The behavior was similar on battery and mains power. The results show that AMD's A6-6310 APU is the direct rival for the Intel processor.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2442
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
4759
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1383
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
6.42 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
1.9 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.5 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
5.9 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
158 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
43 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
158 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
157 Points -1%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
171 Points +8%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
157 Points -1%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
259 Points +64%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
129 Points -18%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
164 Points +4%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
119 Points -25%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
82 Points -48%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
127 Points -20%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
43 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
47 Points +9%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
39 Points -9%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
42 Points -2%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
108 Points +151%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
67 Points +56%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
49 Points +14%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
32 Points -26%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
49 Points +14%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
37 Points -14%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1.9 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1.94 Points +2%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
1.84 Points -3%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1.92 Points +1%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2.81 Points +48%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1.45 Points -24%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2.04 Points +7%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1.43 Points -25%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
0.99 Points -48%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1.74 Points -8%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.5 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
0.57 Points +14%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
0.75 Points +50%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.5 Points 0%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1.27 Points +154%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.74 Points +48%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.6 Points +20%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
0.39 Points -22%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
0.56 Points +12%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.45 Points -10%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
4759 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
5575 Points +17%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
5730 Points +20%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
4750 Points 0%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
8383 Points +76%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4852 Points +2%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
5785 Points +22%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
4171 Points -12%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
3075 Points -35%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
3598 Points -24%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1383 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1858 Points +34%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
2528 Points +83%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1379 Points 0%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
4156 Points +201%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2510 Points +81%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1850 Points +34%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1205 Points -13%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1850 Points +34%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1381 Points 0%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
992 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1244 Points +25%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
988 Points 0%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2468 Points +149%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1468 Points +48%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1287 Points +30%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
868 Points -12%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1255 Points +27%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
991 Points 0%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
3223 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
3534 Points +10%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
3267 Points +1%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
4975 Points +54%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2592 Points -20%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
3792 Points +18%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2762 Points -14%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1902 Points -41%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
3146 Points -2%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
321.1 ms *
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
254.3 ms * +21%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
182.1 ms * +43%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
303.3 ms * +6%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
121.2 ms * +62%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
181.5 ms * +43%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
253 ms * +21%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
427.3 ms * -33%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
243.9 ms * +24%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
346.9 ms * -8%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
6182 ms *
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
6279 ms * -2%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
6205 ms * -0%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2573 ms * +58%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4080 ms * +34%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
6200 ms * -0%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
9672 ms * -56%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
5810 ms * +6%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
8268 ms * -34%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5006 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
5574 Points +11%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
5052 Points +1%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
12509 Points +150%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
7963 Points +59%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
6074 Points +21%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
3727 Points -26%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
6167 Points +23%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4580 Points -9%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
861 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1108 Points +29%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
842 Points -2%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2394 Points +178%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1793 Points +108%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1136 Points +32%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
720 Points -16%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1223 Points +42%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
868 Points +1%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

Every potential buyer should know that the IdeaPad does not provide a high-end performance, but it is sufficient for common tasks and we did not encounter any problems during the review period. The system runs very smoothly, and the results in the PCMarks are on par with competing systems. The Acer Aspire E5-521 with an A6-6310 APU performs better since it is equipped with a much more powerful GPU. It would be possible to increase the system performance with a solid-state disk, so the system would be much more agile and Windows starts faster. Lenovo also offers versions of the IdeaPad with SSDs; however, you have to live with a weaker processor (Celeron N2840).

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1462 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
1299 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
1442 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1462 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1946 Points +33%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2758 Points +89%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2151 Points +47%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2451 Points +68%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1685 Points +15%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2026 Points +39%
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
1485 Points +2%

Storage Devices

Inside the IdeaPad is a 2.5-inch hard drive from Seagate that works with 5400 revolutions per minute and offers a total capacity of 500 GB. The drive works inconspicuously and the transfer rates are normal for a 5400 drive.

Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Transfer Rate Minimum: 45.7 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 116.2 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 86.7 MB/s
Access Time: 18.6 ms
Burst Rate: 73.4 MB/s
CPU Usage: 2.9 %

GPU Performance

The HD Graphics GPU of the IdeaPad is based on the Bay Trail generation. It supports DirectX 11 and runs at up to 896 MHz. The graphics chip is one of the weakest models that are currently available, and it cannot keep up with the low-cost competition from AMD. This is only the case for the Braswell successors that are currently available. The 3DMark results of the IdeaPad are on par with similarly equipped systems.

3DMark 11 Performance
238 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
17547 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
1417 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
238 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
788 Points +231%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
752 Points +216%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
268 Points +13%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
913 Points +284%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
574 Points +141%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1640 Points +589%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
592 Points +149%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
658 Points +176%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
688 Points +189%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
17547 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
31626 Points +80%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
30090 Points +71%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
17701 Points +1%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
42296 Points +141%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
27941 Points +59%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
39458 Points +125%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
27138 Points +55%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
21081 Points +20%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
23939 Points +36%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1417 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
2853 Points +101%
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
3276 Points +131%
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1444 Points +2%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
4389 Points +210%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2426 Points +71%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
4032 Points +185%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2244 Points +58%
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1976 Points +39%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
2291 Points +62%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
500 Points
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
1846 Points +269%
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2357 Points +371%
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1493 Points +199%
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1780 Points +256%
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1348 Points +170%
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1545 Points +209%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
473 Points
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
446 Points
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
552 Points
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
316 Points
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
843 Points
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
347 Points
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
375 Points
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
427 Points

Gaming Performance

The hardware equipment of the IdeaPad is primarily suitable for simple casual games that can be found in the Windows Store. Complex 3D games on the other hand, are not possible. There are only a handful of games in our database that reach smooth frame rates with low settings.

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 14 7.1 4.8
Battlefield Hardline (2015) 7.3 5.1
Dirt Rally (2015) 24.2 12.5

Emissions & Energy

System Noise

The IdeaPad is cooled passively, so you can only hear the murmur of the hard drive. It is possible to get a silent device when you replace the HDD with a solid-state disk.

Noise Level

Idle
32 / 32 / 32 dB(A)
HDD
32 dB(A)
Load
32 / 32 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

Stress test IdeaPad
Stress test IdeaPad

Our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour) is executed similarly on mains as well as battery power. The processor is throttled to 1.25 GHz and the GPU runs at 660 up to 720 MHz. The IdeaPad does not have a fan to dissipate the heat, so it gets pretty warm. We were able to measure temperatures of above 50 °C (~122 °F) at two spots during the stress test, but these values are not reached in practice. The stress test represents an extreme scenario and not a realistic usage.

Max. Load
 28.5 °C
83 F
30.3 °C
87 F
26.5 °C
80 F
 
 39.2 °C
103 F
41 °C
106 F
27 °C
81 F
 
 40.5 °C
105 F
43.3 °C
110 F
30.9 °C
88 F
 
Maximum: 43.3 °C = 110 F
Average: 34.1 °C = 93 F
27.4 °C
81 F
28.6 °C
83 F
29.2 °C
85 F
31 °C
88 F
50.1 °C
122 F
52.6 °C
127 F
32.1 °C
90 F
38 °C
100 F
42.1 °C
108 F
Maximum: 52.6 °C = 127 F
Average: 36.8 °C = 98 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.1 °C = 102 F | Room Temperature 23.9 °C = 75 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.1 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 29.5 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Office.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.3 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 52.6 °C / 127 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 43.3 °C / 109.9 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-15.6 °C / -28 F).

Speakers

The speaker (yes, just one) is above the keyboard behind a perforated cover. It produces a thin sound that lacks bass. Voices are easy to understand, but we recommend the use of headphones or external speakers for a better sound experience.

Power Consumption

We can measure a power consumption of up to 9.4 watts while idling. The value is a bit too high for a notebook in this performance class. The consumption was increased to 15.4 watts during the stress test, which confirms the throttling of the CPU and GPU due to the passive cooling solution. There is still a lot of headroom because the power adaptor is rated at 45 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6.1 / 8.2 / 9.4 Watt
Load midlight 14.5 / 15.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

We simulate web browsing with our realistic WiFi test. The power profile "Balanced" is active and the display brightness is adjusted to around 150 cd/m². The IdeaPad manages just 3:19 hours – a lousy result. The direct competitor Acer Aspire ES1-512 (5:49 h) has much more stamina. This is a result of the small battery capacity (24 Wh) inside the IdeaPad.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (IE 11)
3h 19min
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3 (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
199 min
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
350 min
Acer Aspire E15 ES1-512-P1SM
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
349 min
Dell Vostro 3558
HD Graphics 5500, 5200U, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
389 min
HP 350 G1 F7Z01EA
HD Graphics (Haswell), 3558U, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
290 min
HP 255 G3
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
190 min
HP ProBook 455 G2
Radeon R4 (Kaveri), A6 Pro-7050B, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
244 min
WiFi (sort by value)
Acer Aspire E5-521-60Y6
Radeon R4 (Beema), A6-6310, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-22JC3T0
427 min
Fujitsu Lifebook A514
HD Graphics 4400, 4005U, Samsung SSD PM871 MZ7LN128HCHP
350 min
HP 355 G2
Radeon R5 M240, A8-6410, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
283 min
Toshiba Satellite C50D-B-125
Radeon R3 (Mullins/Beema), A4-6210, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
338 min

Pros

+ passive cooling

Cons

- poor battery runtimes
- only one year warranty
- only Fast-Ethernet

Verdict

In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.
In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY. Test model courtesy of Cyberport.

Lenovo charges around 400 Euros (~$446) for the IdeaPad 100-15IBY – a steep price for a simple office notebook. The positive aspects are the processor, which is powerful enough for office and web applications, and thanks to the passive cooling solution, the system is very quiet. The display of the IdeaPad manages decent measurement results, but Lenovo uses a panel with a glossy surface.

The battery runtimes are deplorable. Many much more powerful multimedia notebooks can easily surpass a runtime of just 3:19 hours in our Wi-Fi test.

We do not like the limited one-year warranty, either. Why does Lenovo only offer one year when many rivals are covered for twice that time? We should also mention that the display fails when you apply pressure on the chassis left next to the keyboard. This is hopefully just an isolated issue with our review unit and not a weakness of the whole series.

A better alternative to the IdeaPad is Acer's direct rival: The Aspire ES1-512-P1SM. The device uses the same processor, but manages much longer battery runtimes and a two-year warranty. Finally, it is 100 Euros (~$112) cheaper than the IdeaPad, which is achieved by using the Bing version of Windows 8.1 (64-bit).

Lenovo IdeaPad 100-15IBY - 09/25/2015 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
55 / 98 → 56%
Keyboard
65%
Pointing Device
72%
Connectivity
56 / 80 → 70%
Weight
61 / 20-67 → 87%
Battery
80%
Display
70%
Games Performance
39 / 68 → 57%
Application Performance
49 / 92 → 53%
Temperature
83%
Noise
92%
Audio
30%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
61%
69%
Office - Weighted Average

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Sascha Mölck, 2015-10- 1 (Update: 2018-05-15)