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Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR Netbook Review

Average. Lenovo's small Netbook features a matte display and works silently. However, the battery life is only average for an 11.6-inch computer.

For the original German review, see here.

Neither tablets nor convertibles can finish Netbooks off. They still enjoy some popularity. This is not surprising, since they are mobile, long-lasting devices for typing and surfing in the best case and do not cost very much. Our review will reveal whether this is true for the IdeaPad. Models like the Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 and the Asus EeeBook X205TA belong to its competitors. Moreover, the IdeaPad also rival Chromebooks like the Dell Chromebook 11-3120.

Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR (IdeaPad 300S Series)
Processor
Intel Celeron N3050 2 x 1.6 - 2.2 GHz, Braswell
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Core: 600 MHz, single channel, 20.19.15.4331
Memory
2048 MB 
, DDR3-1600, single channel
Display
11.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, AU Optronics B116XTN02.3, TN LED, glossy: no
Storage
Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142, 500 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 400 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek High Definition Audio
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Card Reader: SD, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22 x 299 x 209 ( = 0.87 x 11.77 x 8.23 in)
Battery
30 Wh, 4050 mAh Lithium-Ion, 7.4 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD web cam
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Lenovo Photo Master, McAfee LiveSafe-Internet Security (trial version), MS Office (trial version), 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
1.3 kg ( = 45.86 oz / 2.87 pounds), Power Supply: 272 g ( = 9.59 oz / 0.6 pounds)
Price
319 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

Lenovo uses a plastic case for the IdeaPad. While lid and underside are white, the other parts are from black plastic. Apart from the bezel, all parts feature smooth surfaces. A hard rubber ring surrounds three sides of the base unit. The case can be slightly depressed beside the keyboard and in front of the touchpad. The base unit is quite rigid. The device teeters while typing (both hands on the palm rests).

The small computer lacks a maintenance hatch. Nevertheless, it is quite easy to get to the innards. The underside can be detached without problems. After removing all screws, it can be taken off with a thumbnail.

Although the available space is small, the computer delivers all ports usual today. One of its three USB ports supports the USB 3.0 standard. The interfaces sit on both sides towards the rear. Thus, the areas beside the palm rests remain free of cables.

The card reader works surprisingly fast. It achieves a maximum transfer rate of 84.3 MB/s when copying big data blocks. Moving 250 JPG files (5 MB each) is done at 30.5 MB/s. We always check card readers with our reference card (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II).

left: Kensington lock slot, power-in, USB 2.0, card reader, audio combo
left: Kensington lock slot, power-in, USB 2.0, card reader, audio combo
right: power button, One Key Recovery button (recessed), USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI, Gigabit-Ethernet
right: power button, One Key Recovery button (recessed), USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI, Gigabit-Ethernet

Input Devices

Lenovo's Netbook comes with an unlit Chiclet keyboard. The flat, very slightly roughened keys feature a short travel and a clear pressure point. The keyboard does not really give in while typing. All things considered, Lenovo delivers a decent keyboard. However, keyboards in the discontinued ThinkPad Edge E145 series and predecessors prove that the manufacturer can even do much better. The multi-touch capable ClickPad is about 9 x 6 cm (~3.5 x 2.4 in). Thus, there is a good deal of space for gesture control. Its smooth surface does not make gliding difficult for the fingers. The touchpad features a short travel and a clear pressure point.

Display

Pixel grid
Pixel grid

The IdeaPad comes with a matte 11.6-inch display with a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. Its contrast (483:1) is acceptable, but its brightness (219.4 cd/m²) is too low. Positive: The display never shows PWM flickering.

216
cd/m²
232
cd/m²
215
cd/m²
220
cd/m²
222
cd/m²
206
cd/m²
211
cd/m²
193
cd/m²
179
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B116XTN02.3 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 232 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 210.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 77 %
Center on Battery: 188 cd/m²
Contrast: 483:1 (Black: 0.46 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.11 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 11.37 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
60% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
28% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.28% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
60% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.96% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.13

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.

The display shows a DeltaE 2000 shift of 10.11 out-of-the-box, which is normal in the low price segment. The target value would be smaller than 3. In addition, the display is bluish.

CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - Color Checker
CalMAN - grayscale
CalMAN - grayscale
CalMAN - color saturation
CalMAN - color saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5 ms rise
↘ 17 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 42 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 25 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. » 75 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Lenovo has equipped the IdeaPad with a viewing-angle-unstable TN panel. Thus, it is not possible to read from the screen from every position. The device can be used outdoors, however, only on a cloudy day or in the shade. The display brightness, which is already low in mains operation, falls even more on battery.

The Ideapad outdoors (sky overcast and very light fog)
The IdeaPad outdoors (sky overcast and very light fog)

Performance

The IdeaPad 300S-11IBR belongs to the Netbooks in 11.6-inch format. It is suitable for simple office and Internet applications. Our test model cost just under 330 Euros (~$368). We could not detect other configurations at the time of testing.

Processor

The IdeaPad sports a Celeron N3050 (Braswell) dual-core processor clocked at up to 2.16 GHz. It is one of the weakest CPUs that Intel currently has in its line-up. The Celeron is quite frugal (TDP: 6 watts) and the IdeaPad takes advantage of the option and is cooled passively. The processor cannot completely use its full potential in our CPU tests. The test results are consistently lower than other computers' with the Celeron N3050. Thus, the CPU does not work at full speed. We cannot tell the actual clock rates, since our measurements do not correspond to the results in the CPU tests.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2140
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
1941
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1046
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
8.02 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
0.72 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.37 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
11.41 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
56 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
30 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
56 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
64 Points +14%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
62 Points +11%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
66 Points +18%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
71 Points +27%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
30 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
35 Points +17%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
34 Points +13%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
35 Points +17%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
38 Points +27%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.72 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.76 Points +6%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.79 Points +10%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.8 Points +11%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
0.87 Points +21%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.37 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.41 Points +11%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.41 Points +11%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.41 Points +11%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
0.45 Points +22%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1941 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2156 Points +11%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2105 Points +8%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2783 Points +43%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2147 Points +11%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
2316 Points +19%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
2867 Points +48%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1046 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1125 Points +8%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1106 Points +6%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
848 Points -19%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1130 Points +8%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
1169 Points +12%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
813 Points -22%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
833 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
865 Points +4%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
847 Points +2%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
874 Points +5%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1531 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1583 Points +3%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1488 Points -3%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1604 Points +5%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
411.3 ms *
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
405.2 ms * +1%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
396.6 ms * +4%
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
554 ms * -35%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
378.8 ms * +8%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
319 ms * +22%
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
548 ms * -33%
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
535 ms * -30%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
488 ms * -19%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
46.17 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
50.2 Points +9%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
45.5 Points -1%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
5211 ms *
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4965 ms * +5%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4928 ms * +5%
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
3843 ms * +26%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7633 ms * -46%
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
4234 ms * +19%
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
4115 ms * +21%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
9362 ms * -80%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
6463 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7545 Points +17%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7291 Points +13%
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
8229 Points +27%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4059 Points -37%
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
7397 Points +14%
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
7486 Points +16%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
3483 Points -46%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
653 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
726 Points +11%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
683 Points +5%
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1571 Points +141%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
651 Points 0%
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
1593 Points +144%
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
1637 Points +151%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The system works smoothly most of the times and we did not face problems. There are some delays when opening content-rich websites, since the CPU simply lags behind. In addition, the computer quickly reaches its limits due to its low RAM capacity (2 GB). The PCMark benchmark results correspond to the performance of the SoC used and are on par with comparable devices. It is possible to improve the system performance of the IdeaPad. Replacing the HDD with an SSD would seem the thing to do. It would increase the system's responsiveness and decrease loading times.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1511 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
1548 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
1205 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1511 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1602 Points +6%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1029 Points -32%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1694 Points +12%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1142 Points -24%

Storage Device

Lenovo has equipped the IdeaPad with a 2.5-inch hard drive from Seagate. It works at 5400 RPM and provides a capacity of 500 GB. Its transfer rates are not surprising and normal for 5400-RPM models.

Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Transfer Rate Minimum: 51.9 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 114.5 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 84.6 MB/s
Access Time: 19.6 ms
Burst Rate: 80.3 MB/s
CPU Usage: 14.6 %

Graphics Card

Graphics is done by Intel's HD Graphics (Braswell) GPU. It supports DirectX 12 and works at up to 600 MHz. The IdeaPad also falls a bit behind the results of comparable computers in the 3DMark benchmarks. Thanks to a new architecture, it performs significantly better than its Bay Trail predecessor. An integrated decoder allows playing all usual video formats - including the H.265 (successor of H.264). It significantly decreases the CPU load. When playing our test video (4k, H.265, 60 fps), the CPU load remained below 10 percent. The media player has to support hardware-accelerated playback. The "Movies & TV" app from Windows does so.

3DMark 11 Performance
414 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
16825 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
1418 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
214 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
414 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
437 Points +6%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
192 Points -54%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
443 Points +7%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
226 Points -45%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
212 Points -49%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
16825 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
18329 Points +9%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
15880 Points -6%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
14470 Points -14%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
17593 Points +5%
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
14576 Points -13%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
15265 Points -9%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1418 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1529 Points +8%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1476 Points +4%
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1133 Points -20%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1539 Points +9%
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1186 Points -16%
1280x720 Sky Diver Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
939 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1031 Points +10%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1001 Points +7%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Score (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
214 Points
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
241 Points +13%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
239 Points +12%
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
204 Points -5%

Gaming Performance

Most modern 3D games do not achieve playable frame rates on the IdeaPad. Only a few titles with very low hardware requirements are able to. If you want to play games, you should stick to casual games from the Windows store.

low med. high ultra
Trackmania Nations Forever (2008) 97.6 21.4

Emissions & Energy

System Noise

The IdeaPad is passively cooled. Thus, there is no fan to produce noise. Only the noise of the hard drive is audible. A silent system is possible if the HDD is replaced with an SSD.

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   Audix TM1 Arta (15 cm distance)

Temperature

The Ideapad during the stress test.
The IdeaPad during the stress test.

The measurement of the clock rates did not work either during the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least one hour). According to the used tools, CPU and GPU work at their full speed (see screenshot). However, due to passive cooling, this is unlikely in our opinion. In addition, the energy demand would have to be higher if this was the case. Anyway, the IdeaPad does not get especially warm. We recorded temperatures below 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in all measurement segments.

Max. Load
 32.3 °C
90 F
36.7 °C
98 F
37.5 °C
100 F
 
 30.6 °C
87 F
35.8 °C
96 F
37.1 °C
99 F
 
 27.8 °C
82 F
28.2 °C
83 F
33.1 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 37.5 °C = 100 F
Average: 33.2 °C = 92 F
37.9 °C
100 F
37.8 °C
100 F
32.8 °C
91 F
38.2 °C
101 F
35.9 °C
97 F
29.4 °C
85 F
35.6 °C
96 F
33 °C
91 F
28.3 °C
83 F
Maximum: 38.2 °C = 101 F
Average: 34.3 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  37.1 °C = 99 F | Room Temperature 22.2 °C = 72 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.2 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 29.8 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Netbook.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.5 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.1 °C / 92 F, ranging from 21.6 to 53.2 °C for the class Netbook.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 38.2 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 36.6 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.2 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 29.8 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33.1 °C / 91.6 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 29.3 °C / 84.7 F (-3.8 °C / -6.9 F).

Speakers

Pink Noise of the speakers
Pink Noise of the speakers

The stereo speakers sit at the front edge of the underside. They produce an acceptable though tinny sound that will not knock anybody's socks off. The sound can be tuned by means of the pre-installed Dolby Digital Plus Software.

Power Consumption

While idle, the IdeaPad has a very high energy demand of up to 10.5 watts according to our measurements. The Acer One Cloudbook 11, with the same CPU, settles for 5.8 watts. The energy demand does not increase much under load. It is 14 watts during the stress test. We measured a similar value (14.6 watts) under medium load and attribute this to CPU and GPU throttling. The power adapter is rated at 45 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.44 / 0.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 8 / 10.1 / 10.5 Watt
Load midlight 14.6 / 14 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

In our realistic Wi-Fi test, we simulate the load during web surfing. The "balanced" profile is active and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². The IdeaPad achieves a battery life of 5:15 h - which is not impressive for a 11.6-inch notebook. The competitors from Acer - the Cloudbook 11 and the Aspire ES1-131 - last two and four hours longer, respectively.

Note: The battery of our test model had a wear level of 7 percent. This means that 7 percent of the original battery capacity is no longer available. The computer would last a few minutes longer with a fresh battery.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 25.10586.0.0)
5h 15min
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3 (sort by value)
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
315 min
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
445 min
Lenovo Ideapad 100S 80R2
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
406 min
Dell Chromebook 11-3120
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 16 GB eMMC Flash
566 min
Acer Aspire ES1-131
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
554 min
Asus X200MA-BING-KX366B
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680
285 min
WiFi (sort by value)
Lenovo N20 Chromebook
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, 16 GB eMMC Flash
532 min
Acer CB3-111
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
568 min
Asus EeeBook X205TA-FD005BS
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3735F, 32 GB eMMC Flash
545 min

Pros

+ matte display
+ silent operation

Cons

- mediocre battery runtimes
- weak CPU
- only 1-year warranty

Verdict

In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR. Test model provided by Cyberport.de
In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR. Test model provided by Cyberport.de

Lenovo's small computer delivers sufficient performance for simple office and Internet applications. The decoder integrated in the graphics core allows playback of several video formats. The computer works silently and hardly gets warm. The matte display delivers an acceptable contrast, but its brightness is too low. Thanks to a 500 GB hard drive, you will not run out of storage space very quickly. It would be easy to replace the HDD with an SSD - even though there is no maintenance hatch. The underside can be removed without problems. Unfortunately, Lenovo only includes a 1-year warranty.

The battery life performance is slightly weak. While 5:15 h in our WLAN test sounds good at first, competitors like the Acer Cloudbook 11 last two hours longer; several Chromebooks achieve as much as four hours longer battery life.

Those looking for a long-lasting alternative should consider the Aspire ES1-131. The model reviewed by us is currently priced at 230 Euros (~$257) - including Windows 10. However, we recommend buying a variant with a bigger hard drive. Such models allow replacing the HDD with an SSD, while this is not possible in our test model, since it only comes with eMMC memory and does not have a hard drive slot. The Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 is another alternative. It achieves a lower battery life than the ES1-131; but it includes a 1-year license of Office 365.

Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR - 02/09/2016 v4.1(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
77 / 98 → 79%
Keyboard
74%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
49 / 80 → 61%
Weight
71 / 35-78 → 84%
Battery
89%
Display
76%
Games Performance
42 / 68 → 62%
Application Performance
43 / 87 → 49%
Temperature
90 / 91 → 99%
Noise
92%
Audio
40 / 91 → 44%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
67%
77%
Netbook - Weighted Average

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Sascha Mölck, 2016-02-13 (Update: 2018-05-15)