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Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN (8250U, MX150, FHD) Laptop Review

The familiar problems remain. The 15.6-inch device from Lenovo has been given a good performance upgrade. The new quad-core processor is fast and works well together with the dedicated graphics card. But the biggest headache remains - the ThinkPad's low-quality screen. The battery runtimes are also rather disappointing.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB is a multimedia laptop that can cover a wide range of use thanks to its hardware. The basic configuration offers users a faster and more modern Intel Core i5-8250U with a dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX150, which is equipped with its own VRAM (2 GB of GDDR5). For a price of around 699 Euros (~$870), the device also comes with 8 GB of DDR4 RAM and a 256-GB SSD. Lenovo has decided to keep the previous model's matte TN panel. If you do not mind spending a little more money, you can purchase the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB with an Intel Core i7-8550U and an Nvidia GeForce MX150 with 4 GB of VRAM. This also gives you the option of a combination of SSD and HDD drives. The price for this configuration is at around 899 Euros (~$1120). 

We have chosen only 15-inch multimedia devices as comparison devices for this review. You can find an overview of their most important technical data in the table below.

Please note: This configuration is not currently available in the US.

Lenovo IdeaPad 320 Asus ZenBook UX530UX Asus VivoBook 15 Acer Swift 3 SF315 HP Pavilion 15 Acer Aspire 7 A715
CPU Intel Core i5-7200U Intel Core i7-7500U Intel Core i5-8250U AMD Ryzen 5 2500U Intel Core i5-8250U Intel Core i5-7300HQ
GPU Nvidia GeForce 940MX Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M Nvidia GeForce 940MX AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 Nvidia GeForce 940MX Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
Panel 15.6-inch 1920x1080 (TN) 15.6-inch 1920x1080 (IPS) 15.6-inch 1920x1080 (IPS) 15.6-inch 1920x1080 (IPS) 15.6-inch 1920x1080 (TN) 15.6-inch 1920x1080 (IPS)
RAM 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB 8 GB
Storage 256 GB SSD 256 GB SSD 1 TB HDD 256 GB SSD 256 GB SSD 128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD
Rating 79% 83% 77% 82% 81% 84%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE (IdeaPad 320 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-8250U 4 x 1.6 - 3.4 GHz, Kaby Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX150 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1532 MHz, Memory: 6000 MHz, GDDR5, 64 bit bus, Nvidia 390.77, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, 4 GB soldered on, max 12 GB
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, Chi Mei CMN15D5, N156HGA-EAB, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U + iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL, 0 GB 
, 2.5 inch, 182 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek High Definition Audio
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combined audio jack, Card Reader: SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC, 1 Fingerprint Reader, TPM 2.0
Networking
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GUE0N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22.9 x 378 x 260 ( = 0.9 x 14.88 x 10.24 in)
Battery
30 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 1280x720
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Cyberlink Power2Go 8, Cyberlink PowerDVD 14, MS Office (trial version), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.023 kg ( = 71.36 oz / 4.46 pounds), Power Supply: 210 g ( = 7.41 oz / 0.46 pounds)
Price
739 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The case of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB is mainly made of plastic. The only decoration on the outside is the Lenovo lettering, which makes the case rather inconspicuous. The smooth surface of the base unit imitates an aluminum finish and fits well into the overall design concept. The device looks good, but is not quite as robust as we would have hoped: The display warps easily under very little pressure. The base unit is more stable, but we were still able to warp it without too much force. The center of the base clearly gives way under pressure as well. Pressing onto the screen causes visible waves on the display. The hinges do a good job, however - they have a very wide opening angle (almost 180 degrees) and the display does not wobble too much either.

Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN

The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB measures 37.8 x 26 cm (~14.9 x 10.2 in). As all our comparison devices are also 15-inch devices, the differences in size are minimal: +/- 2 cm (~0.8 in). Our configuration weighs about 2 kg (~4.4 lb), which is relatively light. This could increase with other configurations (HDD+SSD). The power supply weighs just 210 grams (~7.4 oz). 

381.6 mm / 15 inch 262.8 mm / 10.3 inch 23.95 mm / 0.943 inch 2.4 kg5.34 lbs384 mm / 15.1 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 2 kg4.46 lbs378 mm / 14.9 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs378 mm / 14.9 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 22.9 mm / 0.902 inch 2 kg4.46 lbs378 mm / 14.9 inch 252.1 mm / 9.93 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 1.8 kg4.01 lbs361.4 mm / 14.2 inch 243.5 mm / 9.59 inch 19.4 mm / 0.764 inch 1.6 kg3.57 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 246 mm / 9.69 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 1.6 kg3.59 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

All the important ports are placed on the left side of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB. Lenovo has given our test unit the usual USB 3.1 ports, as well as a USB 3.1 Type-C port. Unfortunately, this does not support Thunderbolt 3 signals, which slightly limits its usefulness. We would also welcome a third USB 3.1 port (Type-A). You can connect external screens to the laptop via an HDMI cable. On the right side, you will find the optical drive and a Kensington Lock connector.

left: power supply, Gigabit-Ethernet, HDMI, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-A), combined audio jack, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-C), memory card reader (SD), Novo key, status LED
left: power supply, Gigabit-Ethernet, HDMI, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-A), combined audio jack, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-C), memory card reader (SD), Novo key, status LED
right: DVD+/-RW-DL burner, Kensington Lock
right: DVD+/-RW-DL burner, Kensington Lock
front: no ports
front: no ports
back: no ports
back: no ports

SD Cardreader

The memory card reader is internally connected via USB 2.0, which limits faster memory cards. The memory cards also stand out of the slot quite a bit. The IdeaPad reached a sequential transfer rate of only 29.7 MB/s with our reference card, the Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II. But our test unit is even slower when copying JPG files and manages just 26.8 MB/s. The HP Pavilion 15 and Acer Aspire 7 are both significantly faster - their card readers work at USB 3.0 speeds.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80.2 MB/s +199%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
73.5 MB/s +174%
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
34.8 MB/s +30%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
 
32.4 MB/s +21%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.8 MB/s
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26 MB/s -3%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.1 MB/s -10%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86.9 MB/s +193%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
84.4 MB/s +184%
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.8 MB/s +27%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
 
35 MB/s +18%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.7 MB/s
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28.8 MB/s -3%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.3 MB/s -8%

Communication

Wi-Fi module
Wi-Fi module

Wireless communication is taken care of by the Wi-Fi module Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377, which also supports Bluetooth (4.1). According to its specifications, its maximum gross transfer rate is 433 MBit/s. During our measurements, the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB reached an average rate of 325 MBit/s (sending) and 294 MBit/s (receiving). This means that we did not measure a rise in performance compared to the device's predecessor. If you want to transfer a lot of data, you had better use the Ethernet port. This offers a maximum of 1000 MBit/s and is a lot faster.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
680 MBit/s +109%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
667 MBit/s +105%
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
660 MBit/s +103%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4
512 MBit/s +58%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
484 MBit/s +49%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
333 MBit/s +2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
325 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4
637 MBit/s +117%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
579 MBit/s +97%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
554 MBit/s +88%
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
531 MBit/s +81%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
519 MBit/s +77%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
294 MBit/s
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
285 MBit/s -3%

Security

fingerprint sensor
fingerprint sensor

The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB is equipped with a fingerprint sensor, which is integrated into the right side of the wrist rest. After a quick set-up, you can use your fingerprint to log in to Windows. The device also features a Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) and a space reserved for a Kensington Lock.

Accessories

The scope of delivery includes a 65-watt power supply and various service brochures and warranty information.

Maintenance

If you want to do maintenance work on the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB, you have to take off the entire bottom of the base unit, as the manufacturer has not equipped it with a maintenance hatch. After removing the numerous screws, the cover can be removed relatively easily with a little skill and a suitable lever. Once this is done, you have access to all the important components. The storage device and RAM can be exchanged easily, although we should mention that only one module can be exchanged as the other 4 GB element is firmly soldered on to the motherboard.

the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN without the bottom cover
the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN without the bottom cover

Warranty

Lenovo offers a manufacturer's warranty of two years for its IdeaPad 320-15IKB. This can be optionally expanded while purchasing the device (Lenovo online store). An additional 12 months costs a further 27 Euros (~$34). If you would prefer on-site warranty, you will have to pay 51 Euros (~$65) for 36 months.

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

keyboard of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
keyboard of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN

The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB is equipped with a 6-row chiclet keyboard (no backlighting), which is worked into the top of the base unit. The keys are nicely sized at 16 x 15 mm (~0.63 x 0.6 in) and have a good grip thanks to their slightly roughened surface. We were also happy with the size of the arrow keys (left/right), although the up/down keys have to share the space of one key. The individual keys have short travel and a noticeable pressure point, although we would have preferred this to be more pronounced. As we mentioned in the section about the case, the base unit gives way a little in the center of the keyboard, but this did not bother us while typing. Even fast typing does not produce too much noise - only the space bar rattles a little, which is clearly audible while typing.

Touchpad

the touchpad of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
the touchpad of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN

The touchpad (ClickPad) has the same color as the rest of the device and is well dimensioned at 10.5 x 7 cm (~4.1 x 2.8 in). This makes the input quite suitable for inputs via gesture control, which can be individually configured via the setup menu of the pad. Thanks to the smooth surface, the cursor navigates quickly. The touchpad is very exact and our inputs were registered precisely, even at the edges and corners of our test unit. The mouse keys are incorporated into the bottom half of the touchpad. They make a loud click sound when pressed, but this did not bother us too much.

Display

subpixel array
subpixel array

The matte Chi Mei display has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Combined with a screen size of 15.6 inches, this translates into a pixel density of 141 ppi. Both the Lenovo's display brightness (194 cd/m²) and its contrast ratio (512:1) are far below our expectations. A device in this price range should offer a panel with significantly higher luminosity. The brightness distribution of 84% is also not really enough. The previous model was also equipped with the same panel and we were just as disappointed with it then. Unfortunately, Lenovo has not dealt with the issue, so the current test unit has to accept just as many minus points as its predecessor. Luckily, we did not notice any clouding on our test unit, and although there is some PWM flickering to regulate display brightness, this happens at a high frequency (25770 Hz) and should not cause any problems in everyday use.

184
cd/m²
192
cd/m²
191
cd/m²
187
cd/m²
220
cd/m²
212
cd/m²
184
cd/m²
189
cd/m²
189
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei CMN15D5, N156HGA-EAB tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 220 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 194.2 cd/m² Minimum: 3.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 220 cd/m²
Contrast: 512:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 11.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 12.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
62.7% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
43.44% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
42.04% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.07
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Chi Mei CMN15D5, N156HGA-EAB, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
Chi Mei N156HGA-EAB, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Chi Mei CMN15E8, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
LG Philips LP156WF9-SPK2, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
BOE CQ NV156FHM-N48, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
AU Optronics, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
BOE NV156FHM-N42 , 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
-6%
49%
-7%
-6%
-11%
-4%
Display P3 Coverage
42.04
39.47
-6%
64.3
53%
39.22
-7%
39.59
-6%
37.28
-11%
40.53
-4%
sRGB Coverage
62.8
59
-6%
90.6
44%
59
-6%
58.5
-7%
56.1
-11%
59.9
-5%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
43.44
40.81
-6%
65.2
50%
40.55
-7%
40.9
-6%
38.51
-11%
41.87
-4%
Response Times
6%
-22%
19%
-48%
10%
-51%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
45.6 ?(24.4, 21.2)
42 ?(24, 18)
8%
40 ?(22, 18)
12%
43 ?(22, 21)
6%
46 ?(25, 21)
-1%
45 ?(24, 21)
1%
49 ?(25, 24)
-7%
Response Time Black / White *
16 ?(11.6, 4.4)
14 ?(10, 4)
12%
28 ?(16, 12)
-75%
11 ?(6, 5)
31%
36 ?(20, 16)
-125%
13 ?(8, 5)
19%
36 ?(20, 16)
-125%
PWM Frequency
25770 ?(60)
25000 ?(70)
-3%
25000 ?(20)
-3%
21000 ?(90)
-19%
20000 ?(90)
-22%
Screen
0%
56%
38%
40%
3%
33%
Brightness middle
220
227
3%
309
40%
267
21%
237
8%
234
6%
267
21%
Brightness
194
207
7%
296
53%
250
29%
229
18%
230
19%
250
29%
Brightness Distribution
84
81
-4%
80
-5%
83
-1%
88
5%
76
-10%
82
-2%
Black Level *
0.43
0.44
-2%
0.24
44%
0.22
49%
0.19
56%
0.34
21%
0.31
28%
Contrast
512
516
1%
1288
152%
1214
137%
1247
144%
688
34%
861
68%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
11.8
11.52
2%
4.09
65%
5.31
55%
4.85
59%
12.19
-3%
4.65
61%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
20.6
19.97
3%
7.44
64%
9.28
55%
8.34
60%
20.81
-1%
8.2
60%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
12.5
12.01
4%
4.75
62%
6.24
50%
3.84
69%
13.99
-12%
2.65
79%
Gamma
2.07 106%
2.23 99%
2.39 92%
2.7 81%
2.42 91%
2.32 95%
2.44 90%
CCT
14346 45%
13330 49%
7034 92%
7619 85%
6790 96%
15863 41%
6820 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
40.1
38
-5%
58
45%
37
-8%
37
-8%
36
-10%
38
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
62.7
59
-6%
90
44%
59
-6%
58
-7%
56
-11%
59
-6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
0% / 0%
28% / 40%
17% / 27%
-5% / 15%
1% / 1%
-7% / 10%

* ... smaller is better

Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN vs. sRGB (62.7%)
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN vs. sRGB (62.7%)
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN vs. AdobeRGB (40.1%)
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN vs. AdobeRGB (40.1%)

The Chi Mei panel cannot improve its ratings in terms of color display: The DeltaE 2000 deviations of 12.5 (gray scales) and 11.8 (ColorChecker) are very far from the ideal value (DeltaE below 3). The TN panel also suffers from a noticeable blue cast. Calibrating the screen improved these results significantly and you can download our ICC profile above, as usual. The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB reaches slightly better results than its competition in terms of color space coverage: 62.7% of the sRGB color space and 40.1% of the AdobeRGB color space. Nonetheless, these results are not good enough for professional image processing.

CalMAN: gray scales
CalMAN: gray scales
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: color saturation
CalMAN: color saturation
CalMAN: gray scales (calibrated)
CalMAN: gray scales (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: color saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: color saturation (calibrated)

The very low display brightness makes the display difficult to use outdoors, despite its matte surface. We would suggest always choosing a spot in the shade.

in the sun
in the sun
in the sun
in the sun

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
16 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 11.6 ms rise
↘ 4.4 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. » 31 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
45.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24.4 ms rise
↘ 21.2 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).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 25770 Hz ≤ 60 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 25770 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 60 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 25770 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

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.

It becomes quite clear that our test unit is equipped with a TN panel when looking at the results of our viewing angle test. The inserted display has very instable viewing angles, which is why there is a strong change in the colors when looking at the screen from an angle.

the viewing angles of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN
the viewing angles of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN

Performance

Our test unit combines a modern Intel Core i5-8250U with a GeForce MX150. With this configuration, the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB offers a decent base for the many usage scenarios of a multimedia laptop. The soldered-on 4-GB DDR4 RAM has already been expanded to a total of 8 GB by adding another module. The storage device in the shape of an SSD ensures a smoothly running system.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
DPC latencies
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
Intel Extreme Utility
Intel Extreme Utility (benchmark)

Processor

Intel Core i5-8250U
Intel Core i5-8250U

The Intel Core i5-8250U is a very energy-efficient quad-core processor with a base clock rate of 1.6 GHz. In turbo mode, this SoC can reach up to 3.4 GHz for a short time, which creates a significant increase in performance. Our test unit holds a good position in the middle ranks of our comparison field and lies right next to the HP Pavilion 15. The Intel Core i5-8250U cannot keep up with its competition in the Cinebench R15 Multi benchmark. The compact cooling system soon reaches its limits and CPU speed is throttled shortly after the beginning of the test. The Asus VivoBook 15 did a significantly better job here. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that the Intel Core i7-8550U in the top configuration will offer a better performance. In direct comparison to its predecessor, equipped with the Intel Core i5-7200U, the CPU performance has improved dramatically.

The Cinebench R15 Multi loop is supposed to measure the processor's performance during a long period of load. The graph shows that the performance of our processor drops under constant load. The result went from 540 points to a final 450 points, which signifies a drop in performance of about 17%. This result is not worrisome as we have often measured similar drops in performance in these SoCs.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
147 Points +1%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
146 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
145 Points
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Intel Core i7-7500U
141 Points -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
140 Points -3%
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
Intel Core i5-8250U
136 Points -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
Intel Core i5-7200U
126 Points -13%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
Intel Core i5-8250U
720 Points +33%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
589 (499min - 552max) Points +9%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
556 Points +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
542 Points
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
513 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
Intel Core i5-7200U
329 Points -39%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Intel Core i7-7500U
307 Points -43%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
1.68 Points +2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
1.65 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1.6 Points -3%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
6.01 Points
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
5.91 Points -2%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
5.71 Points -5%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
255.7 Points +6%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
252.5 Points +4%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
242.3 Points
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
Intel Core i5-8250U
241.7 Points 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
Intel Core i5-7200U
215 Points -11%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
209 Points -14%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
36008 Points +4%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
34533 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
29587 Points -14%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
1053 ms *
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
1020 ms * +3%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10
Cinebench R10
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
Jetstream 1.1
Jetstream 1.1
Octane V2
Octane V2
Mozilla Kraken 1.1
Mozilla Kraken 1.1
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6788
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
18172
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5553
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
6805 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
23478 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
7249 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
6.01 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
58 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.65 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
542 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
145 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
71.1 fps
Help

System Performance

Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB offers more than enough performance for office, internet and multimedia applications. Thanks to the dedicated graphics card, the device can even display games. The PCMark results are rather mixed and show a similar result to the CPU benchmarks before. But still, the mobile processor offers a solid performance and can master all usual areas of use. With the Intel Core i5-8250U, the device should not run into difficulties in the next two to three years. 

PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
4055 Points +24%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
3683 Points +12%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
GeForce 940MX, i5-7200U, SK Hynix HFS256G3BTND
3677 Points +12%
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U
3592 Points +10%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
3515 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3450 Points +5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
3274 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
4908 Points +3%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
4812 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
4760 Points
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4661 Points -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
GeForce 940MX, i5-7200U, SK Hynix HFS256G3BTND
4623 Points -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3797 Points -20%
PCMark 10
Score
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
4092 Points +36%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
3505 Points +17%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
3007 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
GeForce 940MX, i5-7200U, SK Hynix HFS256G3BTND
2918 Points -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
2501 Points -17%
Productivity
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
6088 Points +22%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
5109 Points +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
4975 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
GeForce 940MX, i5-7200U, SK Hynix HFS256G3BTND
4936 Points -1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3113 Points -37%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3274 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3357 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4760 points
PCMark 10 Score
3007 points
Help

Storage Devices

256-GB SSD
256-GB SSD

We appreciate the fact that Lenovo has used an SSD for this device. The storage device from Ramaxel offers 256 GB of storage and communicates via a SATA interface. The documented performance of the 2.5-inch SSD is fine, and the SSD clearly plays a big part in the smooth system performance. We did not notice any long waiting periods during the entire time of testing. We were disappointed by the missing second slot, however, which could have been used to add a second storage device. While we did find a place marker for an M.2 SSD, it was just that - a place marker. We would recommend looking closely at the included storage devices at purchase, as Lenovo also offers the IdeaPad 320-15IKB with an SSD and HDD.

256-GB SSD when inserted
256-GB SSD when inserted
unfortunately there is no M.2 slot
unfortunately there is no M.2 slot
AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 3
CrystalDiskMark 3
CrystalDiskMark 5.2
CrystalDiskMark 5.2
CrystalDiskInfo
CrystalDiskInfo
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
SK Hynix HFS256G3BTND
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
 
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
3%
-41%
-86%
43%
-5%
-15%
Read Seq
530
466.4
-12%
282.2
-47%
139.2
-74%
1130
113%
475.4
-10%
456
-14%
Write Seq
497.5
259.3
-48%
184.5
-63%
126
-75%
601
21%
453.5
-9%
245
-51%
Read 512
392
314.5
-20%
233.5
-40%
42.35
-89%
837
114%
345.2
-12%
328.4
-16%
Write 512
253.7
259.4
2%
140.1
-45%
111.2
-56%
606
139%
299.1
18%
146.3
-42%
Read 4k
29.67
31.47
6%
24.42
-18%
0.207
-99%
20.46
-31%
27.8
-6%
31.72
7%
Write 4k
78.3
78.3
0%
48.98
-37%
4.059
-95%
81.7
4%
54.2
-31%
69.3
-11%
Read 4k QD32
282.8
346.1
22%
170
-40%
0.738
-100%
235.5
-17%
250.9
-11%
263.7
-7%
Write 4k QD32
149.8
260.4
74%
98.5
-34%
4.468
-97%
155
3%
181.8
21%
165.7
11%
Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
Sequential Read: 530 MB/s
Sequential Write: 497.5 MB/s
512K Read: 392 MB/s
512K Write: 253.7 MB/s
4K Read: 29.67 MB/s
4K Write: 78.3 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 282.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 149.8 MB/s

Graphics

Nvidia GeForce MX150
Nvidia GeForce MX150

The Intel UHD Graphics 620 mainly takes care of image display, which takes a big load off the processor. But the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB also offers a dedicated graphics card (Nvidia GeForce MX150) with its own VRAM (2 GB of GDDR5). This replaces the predecessor (GeForce 940MX) and offers significantly improved 3D performance. The 3DMark benchmarks confirm this improvement and show that the GeForce MX150 offers a similar performance to the GeForce GTX 950M. The Acer Aspire 7 has a significant advantage here due to the better GPU.

3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i5-7300HQ
36956 Points +95%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i7-7500U
18961 Points 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
18940 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
14338 Points -24%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-7200U
13979 Points -26%
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
12306 Points -35%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
9012 Points -52%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i5-7300HQ
6164 Points +76%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
3511 Points
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i7-7500U
3293 Points -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-7200U
2339 Points -33%
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
2174 Points -38%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2109 Points -40%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
1720 Points -51%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i5-7300HQ
7917 Points +73%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
4582 Points
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i7-7500U
4117 Points -10%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3457 Points -25%
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
2992 Points -35%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-7200U
2918 Points -36%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
2471 Points -46%
3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark Time Spy Extreme
3DMark Time Spy Extreme
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
 
3DMark 11 Performance
4576 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
43559 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
9669 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3068 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
1594 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1101 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The performance of the GeForce MX150 is sufficient to display most games smoothly in HD resolution (1366x768 pixels) and average quality settings. The graphics card has more difficulty displaying games in the device's native resolution, which is why we will refer you to our benchmark table at this point. Performance remains stable even during long gaming sessions.

012345678910111213Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 149.7 97 81.8 32.5
The Witcher 3 (2015) 62.1 36.2 16.8 11.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 67 38.3 21.8 17.5

Emissions

System Noise

noise characteristics
noise characteristics

The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB remains relatively quiet (34.6 dB(A)) under average load. While idling and under low load, the cooling fan usually stands still. While gaming, the fan turns up high and we measured peaks of 40.2 dB(A). The Asus VivoBook 15 and the Acer Aspire 7 are even louder, while the other comparison devices have average results. We did not notice any other noises. 

The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN has a cooling fan.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN has a cooling fan.
a heat pipe for the processor and graphics card
a heat pipe for the processor and graphics card

Noise Level

Idle
29.9 / 29.9 / 32.2 dB(A)
Load
34.6 / 40.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.9 dB(A)
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
GeForce 940MX, i5-7200U, SK Hynix HFS256G3BTND
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
Noise
2%
1%
-9%
-0%
-1%
-1%
off / environment *
29.9
30.5
-2%
30.2
-1%
31
-4%
31.8
-6%
30.5
-2%
30.4
-2%
Idle Minimum *
29.9
30.5
-2%
30.2
-1%
32.3
-8%
31.8
-6%
30.9
-3%
30.4
-2%
Idle Average *
29.9
30.5
-2%
30.2
-1%
32.3
-8%
32.1
-7%
30.9
-3%
30.8
-3%
Idle Maximum *
32.2
30.5
5%
31.6
2%
32.3
-0%
32.1
-0%
31
4%
30.8
4%
Load Average *
34.6
35.1
-1%
36
-4%
43.2
-25%
33
5%
37.2
-8%
33.6
3%
Witcher 3 ultra *
40.2
Load Maximum *
40.2
35.4
12%
36.6
9%
43.2
-7%
34.8
13%
36.8
8%
43.4
-8%

* ... smaller is better

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.835.23837.735.339.52529.830.530.232.529.733.13132.531.733.532.131.836.14031.530.731.431.129.432.95034.634.234.536.133.736.96328.627.62828.127.438.38027.326.325.627.22533.31003029.129.929.530.931.112526.726.527.725.825.627.716028.5272825.926.128.42002725.325.824.424.226.325026.923.624.324.121.925.131526.523.124.223.32126.44002623.623.321.519.728.250027.623.523.121.218.82963028.222.422.32118.327.680028.223.322.920.517.928.7100029.424.523.521.317.429.3125030.625.624.822.316.730.9160030.423.623.321.516.730.6200029.223.823.619.616.429.4250030.62221.119.316.530.1315029.121.821.118.816.929.2400025.720.319.818.317.325.4500023.719.419.11817.723.3630021.519.219.218.217.921.2800020.519.219.318.218.119.91000019.51919.418.218.218.71250019.218.91918.117.918.21600019.619.119.117.917.818.1SPL40.134.634.232.229.940.2N3.32.12.11.71.43.4median 27median 23.3median 23.1median 21median 17.9median 27.7Delta3.22.62.62.823.3hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE

Temperature

3DMark 11 after stress test
3DMark 11 after stress test

The measured case temperatures are similar under load and during the Witcher 3 test, although we measured a peak of 51.1 °C (~ 124°F) during the gaming test. Under full load, the case heated up to a maximum of 49.7 °C (~ 121.5 °F). The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB performs best of all comparison devices as its temperatures are nice and low while idling with an average of 23 °C (~ 73.4 °F). Things look quite different on the inside, however. We measured peaks of 85 °C (~ 185 °F) around the CPU during our stress test, and the GPU reached a maximum of 78 °C (~ 173.4 °F). Despite the relatively high temperatures, the Intel Core i5-8250U managed to keep its base clock rate of 1.6 GHz stable. The GeForce MX150 reacted a little differently and clocked at 1075 MHz under constant load, which is a little below its base rate (1469 - 1532 MHz). Therefore, the results of the second run of the 3DMark 11 were a little worse at 4122 points. As the stress test simulates an extreme scenario, you should not encounter any noticeable restrictions during normal use.

stress test: Prime95 only
stress test: Prime95 only
stress test: FurMark only
stress test: FurMark only
stress test: FurMark+Prime95
stress test: FurMark+Prime95
Max. Load
 43 °C
109 F
38.3 °C
101 F
27.9 °C
82 F
 
 40.1 °C
104 F
38.8 °C
102 F
25.5 °C
78 F
 
 34.5 °C
94 F
32.5 °C
91 F
22.7 °C
73 F
 
Maximum: 43 °C = 109 F
Average: 33.7 °C = 93 F
25 °C
77 F
38.1 °C
101 F
49.7 °C
121 F
23.1 °C
74 F
36.5 °C
98 F
40.5 °C
105 F
22.4 °C
72 F
25.4 °C
78 F
29.1 °C
84 F
Maximum: 49.7 °C = 121 F
Average: 32.2 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  42.8 °C = 109 F | Room Temperature 20.6 °C = 69 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.7 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 49.7 °C / 121 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 33 °C / 91 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34.5 °C / 94.1 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-5.7 °C / -10.3 F).
heat development top (load)
heat development top (load)
heat development bottom (load)
heat development bottom (load)
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
GeForce 940MX, i5-7200U, SK Hynix HFS256G3BTND
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
Heat
-5%
-3%
-9%
-8%
4%
-8%
Maximum Upper Side *
43
43.8
-2%
48.2
-12%
40
7%
41
5%
42.3
2%
41.6
3%
Maximum Bottom *
49.7
43.7
12%
45.8
8%
44
11%
41.1
17%
40
20%
42.5
14%
Idle Upper Side *
24
26.5
-10%
25
-4%
31
-29%
29.9
-25%
25.5
-6%
29.7
-24%
Idle Bottom *
23.7
28.4
-20%
24.9
-5%
29.4
-24%
30.9
-30%
23.6
-0%
29.4
-24%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

speaker characteristics
speaker characteristics
Dolby Audio software
Dolby Audio software

Lenovo has placed the two stereo speakers towards the front of the bottom of the base unit. With a maximum of 77.1 dB(A), they produce a decent volume. However, the sound lacks bass, and mids and highs predominate. The Dolby Audio software lets you choose between various predefined sound profiles. We would recommend using headphones or external speakers for a better sound experience.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.336.42529.7303131.831.94029.432.45033.734.76327.427.6802525.910030.930.912525.62716026.130.220024.239.925021.953.23152154.740019.75550018.854.563018.354.980017.956.8100017.458.8125016.768.5160016.762.7200016.465.2250016.566.3315016.967.5400017.365.3500017.769.8630017.963800018.162.41000018.261.71250017.9581600017.852.9SPL29.977.1N1.437.7median 17.9median 58Delta274141.34139.337.839.334.430.734.434.731.534.733.928.633.936.131.136.133.330.433.333.93233.933.825.833.837.526.137.539.824.939.843.124.243.150.42350.450.321.850.348.921.248.950.120.350.155.519.555.555.818.655.858.417.958.461.917.461.960.21760.259.116.759.154.616.454.65116.35157.116.157.163.81663.867.115.967.166.81666.860.11660.162.816.162.872.630.272.628.11.428.1median 55.5median 17.9median 55.57.22.97.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGEAsus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.8% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (15.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 82% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 68% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (67.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.9% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 81% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 12% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (check boxes can be turned on/off!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power supply offers a maximum of 65 watts.
The power supply offers a maximum of 65 watts.

The new version of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB turns out not to be quite as energy-efficient as its predecessor. It treats itself to 4 - 8.3 watts while idling, which is a relatively good result in this comparison field. Under average load, the IdeaPad based on the Kaby Lake refresh CPU is rather sparing at 37.3 watts. We did also measure peaks of 75 watts, although this soon stabilized at around 65 watts. We measured an average of 47.5 watts by the end of the stress test. While gaming, the notebook consumed 52 watts. The compact power supply offers a maximum of 65 watts. We believe that Lenovo could have included a stronger power supply, but due to the limitation, the battery still did not lose power when it was under full load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.36 / 0.54 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.03 / 6.81 / 8.34 Watt
Load midlight 37.3 / 65.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
i5-7200U, GeForce 940MX, SK Hynix HFS256G3BTND, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
i7-7500U, GeForce GTX 950M, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
i5-8250U, GeForce 940MX, , , 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
i5-8250U, GeForce 940MX, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH, a-Si TFT-LCD, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
17%
-7%
-29%
-30%
5%
-39%
Idle Minimum *
4.03
2.9
28%
3.5
13%
5.6
-39%
7.3
-81%
2.8
31%
4
1%
Idle Average *
6.81
5.9
13%
5.3
22%
9.2
-35%
9.7
-42%
5.8
15%
6.9
-1%
Idle Maximum *
8.34
7.3
12%
9.1
-9%
9.7
-16%
13
-56%
7.5
10%
9.4
-13%
Load Average *
37.3
39.5
-6%
60
-61%
58
-55%
40.4
-8%
54
-45%
72.6
-95%
Witcher 3 ultra *
52
Load Maximum *
65.5
42
36%
65
1%
64.2
2%
42.2
36%
56
15%
122
-86%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtimes

3DMark 11 on battery
3DMark 11 on battery
30-Wh battery
30-Wh battery

The new IdeaPad 320 still only has a small 30-Wh battery. Other comparison devices can do significantly better. Only the Asus VivoBook 15 has an even shorter battery runtime in our practical Wi-Fi test. We had to criticize the same thing about the previous model. A 15.6-inch device should manage 5 to 6 hours of battery runtime. We also checked the 3D performance on battery. The result is a little lower than before (4009 points in the 3DMark 11).

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
10h 31min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 41.16299.15.0)
4h 30min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
5h 00min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 50min
maximum battery runtime
maximum battery runtime
minimum battery runtime
minimum battery runtime
Wi-Fi battery runtime
Wi-Fi battery runtime
H.264 battery runtime
H.264 battery runtime
charging time
charging time
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 30 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB 80XL01NEGE
i5-7200U, GeForce 940MX, 30 Wh
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
i7-7500U, GeForce GTX 950M, 50 Wh
Asus VivoBook 15 X510UQ-BQ534T
i5-8250U, GeForce 940MX, 42 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
i5-8250U, GeForce 940MX, 41.7 Wh
Acer Aspire 7 A715-71G-53TU
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 48 Wh
Battery Runtime
3%
14%
-13%
2%
46%
1%
Reader / Idle
631
526
-17%
730
16%
592
-6%
H.264
300
420
40%
306
2%
WiFi v1.3
270
279
3%
370
37%
234
-13%
310
15%
395
46%
336
24%
Load
110
105
-5%
81
-26%
94
-15%

Verdict

Pros

+ fast 4-core processor
+ matte display
+ 1080p resolution
+ comfortable touchpad
+ good SSD
+ Nvidia GeForce MX150 with 2 GB of VRAM
+ AC Wi-Fi

Cons

- dark, low-contrast display with bad viewing-angles
- no keyboard backlighting
- no maintenance hatch
- average battery runtimes
- light GPU throttling under load
The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN, test unit provided by Cyberport
The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN, test unit provided by Cyberport

The Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB is a 15.6-inch multimedia laptop. Unfortunately, Lenovo has not acted upon our criticism of the previous version, which leaves us with a device with the same issues as before, but has improved the performance. Of course, the current Intel Core i5-8250U offers quite a decent performance and the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB can even be used for gaming thanks to the GeForce MX150. All in all, buyers will receive a good all-round notebook with a substandard display for a decent price of 739 Euros (~$922).

The SSD is a good addition that does not slow the system down unnecessarily. However, if you are not careful you will not be able to add a further drive. If you purchase the configuration with a combination of SSD and HDD, you will be rewarded with a further M.2 slot. This was omitted in our device. The processor performs well and offers a noticeable improvement from the previous version. The same can be said for the GeForce MX150, which can be compared to the GeForce GTX 950M. The manufacturer could possibly reconsider its choice of ports - we would have hoped for a further USB port as well as a USB Type-C port that supports Thunderbolt 3 signals. This would significantly improve the overall impression of this device and expand its area of use.

At first glance, the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKB looks like a good all-round device. However, the display requires a big compromise.

Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE - 02/08/2018 v6(old)
Sebastian Bade

Chassis
77 / 98 → 78%
Keyboard
76%
Pointing Device
88%
Connectivity
46 / 81 → 57%
Weight
63 / 20-67 → 91%
Battery
79%
Display
77%
Games Performance
75 / 85 → 88%
Application Performance
83 / 92 → 90%
Temperature
88%
Noise
91 / 95 → 96%
Audio
50%
Camera
25 / 85 → 29%
Average
71%
80%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN (8250U, MX150, FHD) Laptop Review
Sebastian Bade, 2018-02-16 (Update: 2019-03-25)