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Lenovo IdeaPad 330 15 (Ryzen 5 2500U) Laptop Review

Heavy throttler. The affordable Ryzen-powered laptop starts at just $330 USD with options up to the Ryzen 7 2700U and FHD display. Unfortunately, CPU throttling means owners won't benefit from the full performance of the hardware.

The Ideapad 330 15 is one of the least expensive 15-inch multimedia machines from Lenovo. The base configuration starts at just $330 USD for the AMD E2-9000 SoC with a 768p display while the most expensive option includes a Ryzen 7 2700U SoC with a 1080p display for $750. Our unit today is the middle option with a Ryzen 5 2500U SoC, 1080p display, and 256 GB SSD for roughly $550 USD.

This review page highlights the core performance features of the system. For more details and comments on the chassis, please stay tuned for our upcoming review on the Ryzen 3 2200U configuration of the same Ideapad 330 model.

Competitors in this entry-level price range include the HP Pavilion 15, Asus Vivobook 15, Dell Inspiron 15 5000 or 7000 series, Huawei Matebook D, and the Acer Aspire 3 series.

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS (IdeaPad 330 Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 4 x 2 - 3.6 GHz, Zen
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000) - 256 MB VRAM, Core: 1101 MHz, Memory: 1200 MHz, DDR4, 23.20.822.3584
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4 4 GB soldered + 4 GB PC4-21300, 17-17-17-39, Dual-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AUO B156HTN03.8, TN LED, AUO38ED, glossy: no
Mainboard
AMD CZ FCH
Storage
SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF, 256 GB 
Soundcard
AMD Raven - Audio Processor - HD Audio Controller
Connections
0 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (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
HP DVD-RW DA8AESH
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22.9 x 378 x 260 ( = 0.9 x 14.88 x 10.24 in)
Battery
35 Wh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Primary Camera: 0.3 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 2 x 1.5 W, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Norton Anti-Virus, Lenovo Utility, Lenovo Vantage, Power2Go, Power2DVD, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.2 kg ( = 77.6 oz / 4.85 pounds), Power Supply: 162 g ( = 5.71 oz / 0.36 pounds)
Price
570 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

379.5 mm / 14.9 inch 254 mm / 10 inch 22.1 mm / 0.87 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs378 mm / 14.9 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 22.9 mm / 0.902 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs361 mm / 14.2 inch 244 mm / 9.61 inch 19.4 mm / 0.764 inch 1.6 kg3.58 lbs361.7 mm / 14.2 inch 245.6 mm / 9.67 inch 17.8 mm / 0.701 inch 1.8 kg3.94 lbs359 mm / 14.1 inch 245 mm / 9.65 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 1.7 kg3.69 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 239 mm / 9.41 inch 16.9 mm / 0.665 inch 1.8 kg4.07 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.2 MB/s
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32.6 MB/s -10%
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.35 MB/s -24%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.56 MB/s
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28.95 MB/s -23%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.2 MB/s -36%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
530 MBit/s +126%
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
516 MBit/s +121%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
234 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
652 MBit/s +93%
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
644 MBit/s +91%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
338 MBit/s

Display

Subpixel array (141 PPI)
Subpixel array (141 PPI)

The TN panel exhibits all the features of a budget display. Color temperature is far too cool, contrast is low, color coverage is narrow, and the matte overlay has a grainy texture to it. Content appears washed out with very inaccurate colors. We highly recommend applying our ICC profile below to get the most out of the display.

226.8
cd/m²
252.3
cd/m²
263.9
cd/m²
228.3
cd/m²
252.2
cd/m²
251.7
cd/m²
254
cd/m²
268.7
cd/m²
264.3
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AUO B156HTN03.8 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 268.7 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 251.4 cd/m² Minimum: 11.99 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 252.2 cd/m²
Contrast: 467:1 (Black: 0.54 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 12.36 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.43
ΔE Greyscale 12.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
54.5% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
34.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37.57% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
54.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
36.36% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 1.83
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AUO B156HTN03.8, TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
AU Optronics B156HW02, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
AU Optronics B156XW02 V0, TN LED, 15.60, 1366x768
Asus VivoBook 15 F510UF-ES71
LG Philips LP156WF9-SPK2, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
N156HCA-EAB, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
12%
6%
8%
15%
Display P3 Coverage
36.36
40.96
13%
38.37
6%
39.35
8%
41.84
15%
sRGB Coverage
54.7
60.9
11%
57.7
5%
59.2
8%
62.4
14%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
37.57
42.24
12%
39.65
6%
40.65
8%
43.32
15%
Response Times
-17%
5%
2%
-31%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38.8 ?(20, 18.8)
36.4 ?(18.4, 18)
6%
43.6 ?(20, 23.6)
-12%
27.2 ?(13.2, 14)
30%
37.2 ?(19.6, 17.6)
4%
Response Time Black / White *
19.6 ?(15.6, 4)
27.2 ?(15.6, 11.6)
-39%
15.2 ?(10, 5.2)
22%
24.8 ?(14, 10.8)
-27%
32.4 ?(18.4, 14)
-65%
PWM Frequency
25770 ?(67)
Screen
29%
10%
27%
34%
Brightness middle
252.2
265.7
5%
220.1
-13%
257
2%
285.1
13%
Brightness
251
258
3%
210
-16%
246
-2%
271
8%
Brightness Distribution
84
91
8%
93
11%
89
6%
88
5%
Black Level *
0.54
0.31
43%
0.29
46%
0.34
37%
0.28
48%
Contrast
467
857
84%
759
63%
756
62%
1018
118%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
12.36
6.01
51%
11.4
8%
4.54
63%
4.38
65%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
24.75
18.87
24%
25.96
-5%
16
35%
24.07
3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.43
3.94
11%
4.09
8%
3.61
19%
3.95
11%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
12.2
5
59%
12
2%
4.6
62%
3.1
75%
Gamma
1.83 120%
2.7 81%
2.09 105%
2.44 90%
2.24 98%
CCT
13028 50%
6569 99%
12625 51%
7096 92%
6705 97%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
34.6
42.24
22%
36.5
5%
37.5
8%
40
16%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
54.5
60.92
12%
57.5
6%
59.2
9%
62
14%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
8% / 20%
7% / 9%
12% / 21%
6% / 22%

* ... smaller is better

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
19.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15.6 ms rise
↘ 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. » 37 % 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
38.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 18.8 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. » 53 % 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 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.

Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors on overcast day
Outdoors on overcast day
Limited TN viewing angles
Limited TN viewing angles

Performance

 

Processor

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-8259U
154 Points +22%
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
146 Points +16%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
141 Points +12%
Huawei MateBook X Pro, i7
Intel Core i7-8550U
141 Points +12%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (124 - 142, n=15)
136.2 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga-20LH000LUS
Intel Core i5-8250U
135 Points +7%
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel Core i7-6500U
127 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
126 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
107 Points -15%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-8259U
687 Points +35%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-8259U
608 Points +19%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (510 - 642, n=16)
598 Points +17%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
566 Points +11%
Huawei MateBook X Pro, i7
Intel Core i7-8550U
537 Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga-20LH000LUS
Intel Core i5-8250U
519 Points +2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
510 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
367 Points -28%
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel Core i7-6500U
316 Points -38%
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
306 Points -40%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
1.61 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1.58 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (1.53 - 1.61, n=4)
1.578 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga-20LH000LUS
Intel Core i5-8250U
1.56 Points
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel Core i7-6500U
1.16 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
0.85 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (5.71 - 6.91, n=4)
6.48 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
5.88 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga-20LH000LUS
Intel Core i5-8250U
5.47 Points
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel Core i7-6500U
3.56 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
3.4 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
2.68 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga-20LH000LUS
Intel Core i5-8250U
16043 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (13850 - 16471, n=6)
15426 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
13729 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
12799 Points
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel Core i7-6500U
9158 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
6745 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
5595 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga-20LH000LUS
Intel Core i5-8250U
5510 Points
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel Core i7-6500U
4779 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
4515 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (4103 - 4473, n=6)
4371 Points
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
3729 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Acer TravelMate P449-M-7407
Intel Core i7-6500U
521 s *
Lenovo ThinkPad 25
Intel Core i7-7500U
473.6 s *
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (251 - 376, n=2)
314 s *
Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga-20LH000LUS
Intel Core i5-8250U
306.2 s *
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
268.1 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
126 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
510 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
44.05 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 10 - Score
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3904 Points +36%
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
3643 Points +26%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
3250 Points +13%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (2501 - 3685, n=12)
3182 Points +10%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF
2881 Points
Asus VivoBook 15 F510UF-ES71
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
2801 Points -3%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3889 Points +28%
Asus VivoBook 15 F510UF-ES71
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
3704 Points +21%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
3675 Points +21%
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
3585 Points +18%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
3461 Points +14%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3049 - 3550, n=14)
3340 Points +10%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF
3049 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4894 Points +42%
Acer TravelMate P2510-G2-MG-50WE
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4769 Points +39%
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
4762 Points +39%
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
4654 Points +35%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3437 - 4870, n=11)
4211 Points +23%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF
3437 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3049 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
3437 points
PCMark 10 Score
2881 points
Help

Storage Devices

CDM 5
CDM 5
AS SSD
AS SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
Asus VivoBook E200HA-FD0041TS
Hynix HBG4a2 32 GB eMMC
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
AS SSD
80%
-8%
-120%
143%
Copy Game MB/s
262.4
301.1
15%
221.7
-16%
56.8
-78%
684
161%
Copy Program MB/s
334
233.5
-30%
174.4
-48%
38.74
-88%
495.6
48%
Copy ISO MB/s
434.5
868
100%
262.5
-40%
60.7
-86%
1013
133%
Score Total
752
1387
84%
727
-3%
135
-82%
2123
182%
Score Write
295
415
41%
275
-7%
48
-84%
832
182%
Score Read
296
690
133%
297
0%
54
-82%
860
191%
Access Time Write *
0.08
0.051
36%
0.072
10%
0.575
-619%
0.051
36%
Access Time Read *
0.102
0.06
41%
0.078
24%
0.228
-124%
0.045
56%
4K-64 Write
203.6
271.6
33%
187
-8%
25.33
-88%
612
201%
4K-64 Read
228.5
431.3
89%
231.8
1%
23.97
-90%
660
189%
4K Write
45.41
88.4
95%
49.43
9%
10.55
-77%
99.5
119%
4K Read
23.4
38.69
65%
20.27
-13%
14.01
-40%
40.59
73%
Seq Write
459.6
550
20%
384.7
-16%
124.7
-73%
1209
163%
Seq Read
441.6
2205
399%
448.1
1%
160.8
-64%
1596
261%

* ... smaller is better

SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 537 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 481.4 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 202.9 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 197 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 526 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 465.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 29.2 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 66.6 MB/s

GPU Performance

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo IdeaPad 530s-14IKB
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3833 Points +67%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
3728 Points +63%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1668 - 4317, n=44)
3447 Points +50%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8259U
3044 Points +33%
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8550U
2613 Points +14%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
2592 Points +13%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
2294 Points
Asus VivoBook E200HA-FD0041TS
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Z8350
348 Points -85%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Lenovo IdeaPad 530s-14IKB
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3851 Points +213%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
2831 Points +130%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2734 Points +122%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8259U
2683 Points +118%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1232 - 3871, n=44)
2503 Points +103%
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8550U
2395 Points +94%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
1232 Points
Asus VivoBook E200HA-FD0041TS
Intel HD Graphics 400 (Braswell), Z8350
385 Points -69%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Lenovo IdeaPad 530s-14IKB
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
18946 Points +86%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
15613 Points +53%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (7309 - 19399, n=37)
15327 Points +51%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8259U
14343 Points +41%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
12942 Points +27%
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8550U
10816 Points +6%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
10177 Points
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
10131 Points 0%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2442 Points +105%
Lenovo IdeaPad 530s-14IKB
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
2323 Points +95%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1095 - 2901, n=41)
2224 Points +87%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
2149 Points +80%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8259U
2070 Points +74%
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8550U
2069 Points +74%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1284 Points +8%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
1192 Points
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (59083 - 74203, n=13)
67389 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 530s-14IKB
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
39557 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
2241 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
7161 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1066 points
Help
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 68.9 7.6
The Witcher 3 (2015) 22

Stress Test

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Tooltip
The Witcher 3 low
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature Tctl/Tidle (°C)
Prime95 Stress 1.3 -- 51
FurMark Stress -- 206 50
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 0.4 200 52
Witcher 3 Stress ~1.6 305 50

Emissions

System Noise

Noise Level

Idle
28.1 / 31.6 / 32.8 dB(A)
Load
36.5 / 32.8 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: 28.1 dB(A)
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba MQ04ABF100
Asus VivoBook 15 F510UF-ES71
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
Noise
6%
-11%
-1%
-16%
off / environment *
28.1
28
-0%
27.8
1%
28.2
-0%
28.5
-1%
Idle Minimum *
28.1
28
-0%
29.4
-5%
31.7
-13%
30.8
-10%
Idle Average *
31.6
28
11%
29.6
6%
31.7
-0%
30.8
3%
Idle Maximum *
32.8
30.1
8%
29.6
10%
32
2%
31
5%
Load Average *
36.5
30.2
17%
43.5
-19%
32.8
10%
45.6
-25%
Witcher 3 ultra *
32.8
43.5
-33%
45.6
-39%
Load Maximum *
32.8
33.2
-1%
45.8
-40%
35
-7%
46.7
-42%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (top)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Witcher 3 load (bottom)
Max. Load
 32.4 °C
90 F
32.8 °C
91 F
27.8 °C
82 F
 
 36.8 °C
98 F
33.4 °C
92 F
27 °C
81 F
 
 34 °C
93 F
29.4 °C
85 F
27.4 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 36.8 °C = 98 F
Average: 31.2 °C = 88 F
27.4 °C
81 F
29.4 °C
85 F
30.2 °C
86 F
27.4 °C
81 F
36.6 °C
98 F
42 °C
108 F
27.4 °C
81 F
29.2 °C
85 F
35.8 °C
96 F
Maximum: 42 °C = 108 F
Average: 31.7 °C = 89 F
Power Supply (max.)  38.4 °C = 101 F | Room Temperature 22.8 °C = 73 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.2 °C / 88 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 36.8 °C / 98 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 42 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.4 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.7 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34 °C / 93.2 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-6.3 °C / -11.3 F).

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203838.52534.8373133.734.3403335.15032.832.26336.332.18031.131.410030.631.512528.931.716028.632.420028.439.125027.649.631526.957.540026.856.250026.653.763025.762.180025.665.710002561.4125025.767.2160025.666200025.263.4250024.165.3315023.762.3400023.765.2500023.270.3630023.266.5800023.263100002370.31250022.970.11600022.961.5SPL36.878N2.841.3median 25.6median 62.3Delta1.8835.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUSApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.9% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 75% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 74% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note the steady drop in power consumption due to throttling
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note the steady drop in power consumption due to throttling
Consumption while running Witcher 3. Consumption falls and stabilizes to show throttling
Consumption while running Witcher 3. Consumption falls and stabilizes to show throttling
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.27 / 0.37 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 7.6 / 10.6 / 11.8 Watt
Load midlight 24.1 / 39.4 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 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
R5 2500U, Vega 8, SK Hynix Canvas SC311 256GB HFS256G32TNF, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba MQ04ABF100, TN LED, 1366x768, 15.60
Asus VivoBook 15 F510UF-ES71
i5-8550U, GeForce MX130, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
20%
-27%
16%
-25%
Idle Minimum *
7.6
3.5
54%
4.2
45%
5.6
26%
5.9
22%
Idle Average *
10.6
5.6
47%
7.2
32%
7.1
33%
7
34%
Idle Maximum *
11.8
10.3
13%
12.1
-3%
7.9
33%
8.5
28%
Load Average *
24.1
30.5
-27%
51.1
-112%
32.8
-36%
54.5
-126%
Witcher 3 ultra *
30.3
52.7
-74%
50.6
-67%
Load Maximum *
39.4
33.8
14%
59.9
-52%
30.5
23%
55.7
-41%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
3h 57min
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 35 Wh
Lenovo Ideapad 530S-15IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
Huawei MateBook D 15-53010BAJ
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 43.3 Wh
HP Pavilion 15-cs0053cl
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 41 Wh
Asus VivoBook 15 F510UF-ES71
i5-8550U, GeForce MX130, 42 Wh
Battery Runtime
65%
95%
77%
-2%
WiFi v1.3
237
391
65%
462
95%
419
77%
232
-2%
Reader / Idle
910
722
Load
74
134

Pros

+ smooth matte surfaces conceal fingerprints
+ high-pitched fan
+ optical drive
+ inexpensive
+ USB Type-C

Cons

- heavy performance throttling
- very inaccurate display
- spongy trackpad
- short battery life

Verdict

In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS
In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS

The 15-inch Ideapad 330 is a cheap multimedia solution and so we don't expect very much out of the system. Its chassis is smooth if not bland and its matte panel is great at reducing glare. It's also one of the few laptops shipping with both USB Type-C and an optical drive for users who may want them on one machine.

There is still a long list of disappointing qualities despite the low asking price. Colors and RGB balance are terrible out of the box and so an end-user calibration is recommend for an overall better experience especially when playing videos. Throttling is severe at almost 41 percent according to our CineBench R15 loop test. Thus, while the Ryzen 5 2500U is a powerful Intel alternative on paper, owners of the Lenovo won't benefit fully from the AMD processor when gaming or under high loads. The costlier SKU with the more powerful Ryzen 7 2700U could potentially be a poor buy since our less demanding Ryzen 5 2500U configuration already throttles so heavily. Battery life is short as well which makes the Ideapad 330 a poor travel companion.

For future revisions, we are hoping to see USB Type-C charging in lieu of the proprietary AC adapter and perhaps another USB Type-A port along the right edge. A brighter display, longer battery runtime, and reduced performance throttling would also go a long way to making this a better machine. The recent HP Pavilion 15 refresh is the stronger option overall for the same price range.

There are some core basics that the Ideapad 330 could have done better without bumping up the affordable price. A better calibrated display, manual fan controls for silent streaming, reduced performance throttling, and a USB Type-A port along the right edge could have made the Ideapad 330 an easier buy for the price. As it stands, the system is merely average.

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR 81D2005CUS - 09/20/2018 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
74 / 98 → 75%
Keyboard
75%
Pointing Device
44%
Connectivity
39 / 80 → 49%
Weight
62 / 20-67 → 89%
Battery
75%
Display
77%
Games Performance
60 / 68 → 88%
Application Performance
78 / 92 → 85%
Temperature
92%
Noise
92%
Audio
55%
Camera
32 / 85 → 37%
Average
66%
74%
Office - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo IdeaPad 330 15 (Ryzen 5 2500U) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2018-09-12 (Update: 2018-09-12)