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Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR (Ryzen 3 2200U, Vega 3) Laptop Review

Affordable Ryzen notebook.

Lenovo's IdeaPad 330 offers a DVD drive, supports quick-charge and it has an AMD CPU. However, some corners were cut for it to cost only $430. This has affected the case quality and display. Find out what else the IdeaPad 330 has to hide in our review.
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR

Lenovo uses the name "IdeaPad 330" for affordable 14, 15 or 17-inch notebooks with a wide range of configuration options. The price range starts at around $250 and can reach up to over $1000. Accordingly, the possible configurations are very diverse, and the individual models can often only be told apart by their names. Our current test unit is called "IdeaPad 330-15ARR" and is a 15-inch notebook with an AMD Ryzen CPU.

Buyers will receive a Ryzen 3 2200U processor from AMD, the integrated GPU Radeon RX Vega 3, 4 GB of RAM and a 1 TB HDD for just over $400. For a little more money, the IdeaPad 330 is also available with other processors up to the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U. There is also an Intel model available.

Of course, there is quite a bit of competition in the segment of affordable notebooks. The IdeaPad 330 will compete with the following devices in today's review: Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BMAsus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143TDell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4 and the HP 250 G6 2UB93ES.

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE (IdeaPad 330 Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U 2 x 2.5 - 3.4 GHz, Zen
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR4, Single-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, BOE07A3, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
AMD CZ FCH
Storage
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035, 1024 GB 
, 860 GB free
Soundcard
AMD Raven - Audio Processor - HD Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combined audio jack, Card Reader: 4 in 1 (SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC)
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Optical drive
PLDS DVD-RW DA8A6SH
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 23 x 378 x 260 ( = 0.91 x 14.88 x 10.24 in)
Battery
35 Wh, 4610 mAh Lithium-Ion, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 6 h
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.3 MP
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.2 kg ( = 77.6 oz / 4.85 pounds), Power Supply: 214 g ( = 7.55 oz / 0.47 pounds)
Price
400 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity - Lenovo notebook with DVD-RW drive

Maintenance options
Maintenance options

The case of the IdeaPad 330 is made of stable-looking plastic and is available in platinum gray, snow white, midnight blue, chocolate and onyx black. The workmanship appears to be very good with nothing to criticize. The lid of the Lenovo notebook is also very stable and will only warp under high pressure. The weight of the base unit is just high enough to enable you to open the device with one hand.

The bottom plate of the IdeaPad 300 can be lifted off after removing several screws. This gives you access to the hard drive. Our test unit also has a free RAM slot that is hidden below a metal sheet, which means you can expand the working memory if you wish. Before opening the case, you must also remove the optional DVD-RW drive.

Lenovo only includes the most necessary ports, although there is a USB Type-C port, which gives you the possibility to connect a docking station with further ports. The internal card reader accepts cards in the SD, SDHC, SDXC and MMC formats. However, they all stand out of the case by over a centimeter. The card reader only reaches below-average transfer rates in our test with our reference card, the Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II. However, our comparison devices all have similarly slow transfer rates.

The integrated Wi-Fi adapter is similar. It performs below average in our Wi-Fi test and places our test unit in last place in our comparison table. 

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR

Size Comparison

381.6 mm / 15 in 259 mm / 10.2 in 29.2 mm / 1.15 in 2.4 kg5.29 lbs384 mm / 15.1 in 243 mm / 9.57 in 25 mm / 0.984 in 2 kg4.41 lbs380 mm / 15 in 251 mm / 9.88 in 23 mm / 0.906 in 2.3 kg5.07 lbs378 mm / 14.9 in 260 mm / 10.2 in 23 mm / 0.906 in 2.2 kg4.85 lbs380 mm / 15 in 258 mm / 10.2 in 20 mm / 0.787 in 2.1 kg4.59 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Port Selection

Left: AC-adapter, LAN, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0, combined audio jack, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 4-in-1 card reader
Left: AC-adapter, LAN, HDMI, 2x USB 3.0, combined audio jack, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 4-in-1 card reader
Right: DVD-RW drive, Kensington lock
Right: DVD-RW drive, Kensington lock
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
75.9 MB/s +116%
Average of class Office
  (22.7 - 198.5, n=35, last 2 years)
58.1 MB/s +65%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35.2 MB/s
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
34.3 MB/s -3%
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
30.9 MB/s -12%
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.2 MB/s -31%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86.2 MB/s
Average of class Office
  (25 - 249, n=32, last 2 years)
72.5 MB/s
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.5 MB/s
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
31.1 MB/s
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.9 MB/s
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
350 MBit/s +422%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
345 MBit/s +415%
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
339 MBit/s +406%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
325 MBit/s +385%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
67 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
338 MBit/s +110%
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
337 MBit/s +109%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
331 MBit/s +106%
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
299 MBit/s +86%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
RealTek Semiconductor, Device ID: C821
161 MBit/s

Input Devices - loose ClickPad

The IdeaPad 330-15ARR is equipped with a good keyboard. The keys have a nicely firm pressure point and their surface offers sufficient grip. Typing is very quiet, which means that the device can easily be used in quiet surroundings.

The IdeaPad 330's mouse replacement is in the shape of a ClickPad. Its smooth surface enables good navigation, but unfortunately the touchpad sits quite loosely in its enclosure and makes a rattling sound every time you double-tap to click. It is even louder when clicking by applying pressure to the touchpad. In addition to this rattle, you can hear the actual clicking of the mouse button.

Input devices
Input devices

Display - a Full HD screen

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The screen of the Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR is a 15-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Alternatively, the device can also be equipped with an HD panel with 1366x786 pixels. The average brightness is very low at around 200 cd/m² but can still keep up with our comparison devices. The brightness distribution is a little uneven at 87%. Again, comparable devices do not offer better results.

In addition, our test unit uses PWM to regulate the screen brightness. The frequency of this is rather low, which means that the screen flickers at 200 Hz at brightness levels below 90%.

200
cd/m²
193
cd/m²
197
cd/m²
196
cd/m²
222
cd/m²
195
cd/m²
198
cd/m²
201
cd/m²
196
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE07A3 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 222 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 199.8 cd/m² Minimum: 10.6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 225 cd/m²
Contrast: 389:1 (Black: 0.57 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 14.07 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.93, calibrated: 2.94
ΔE Greyscale 15.89 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
57% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
40.51% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.21% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.59
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
BOE07A3, , 1920x1080, 15.6"
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
Innolux JMC9X 156BGA, , 1366x768, 15.6"
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
Chi Mei CMN15D5, , 1920x1080, 15.6"
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
BOE BOE0687, , 1920x1080, 15.6"
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
BOE CQ NT156FHM-N41, , 1920x1080, 15.6"
Display
2%
2%
-0%
-4%
Display P3 Coverage
39.21
40.02
2%
40.09
2%
39.11
0%
37.47
-4%
sRGB Coverage
59.1
59.8
1%
59.7
1%
58.8
-1%
56.4
-5%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
40.51
41.37
2%
41.47
2%
40.41
0%
38.71
-4%
Response Times
-39%
4121%
376%
1108%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
40 ?(22, 18)
50 ?(28, 22)
-25%
44 ?(23, 21)
-10%
42 ?(23, 19)
-5%
41 ?(22, 19)
-3%
Response Time Black / White *
11 ?(7, 4)
24 ?(20, 4)
-118%
14 ?(10, 4)
-27%
13 ?(8, 5)
-18%
19 ?(14, 5)
-73%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(90)
250 ?(20)
25%
25000 ?(10)
12400%
2500 ?(90)
1150%
7000 ?(90)
3400%
Screen
12%
15%
9%
30%
Brightness middle
222
197
-11%
234
5%
184
-17%
230
4%
Brightness
200
195
-2%
211
6%
178
-11%
221
11%
Brightness Distribution
87
78
-10%
83
-5%
80
-8%
91
5%
Black Level *
0.57
0.43
25%
0.43
25%
0.38
33%
0.45
21%
Contrast
389
458
18%
544
40%
484
24%
511
31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
14.07
10.35
26%
11.27
20%
11.29
20%
3.6
74%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
23.62
16.02
32%
18.03
24%
19.48
18%
5.59
76%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.94
Greyscale dE 2000 *
15.89
11.25
29%
11.54
27%
12.43
22%
3.13
80%
Gamma
2.59 85%
2.08 106%
2.09 105%
2.34 94%
2.45 90%
CCT
23883 27%
11592 56%
11607 56%
13823 47%
7244 90%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
37
38
3%
38
3%
37
0%
36
-3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
57
60
5%
60
5%
59
4%
56
-2%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-8% / 0%
1379% / 782%
128% / 76%
378% / 226%

* ... smaller is better

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
11 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 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. » 26 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 57 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.9 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 200 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 200 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8774 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

Color-space coverage AdobeRGB - 37%
Color-space coverage AdobeRGB - 37%
Color-space coverage sRGB - 59%
Color-space coverage sRGB - 59%

According to our measurements, the IdeaPad 330-15ARR has a subpar contrast ratio of 389:1 and an elevated black value of 0.58 cd/m². This makes it difficult to distinguish clearly between colors while black content seems to have a gray film over it. We also noticed a significant blue cast. The color-space coverage is comparable to those of other devices in this price range.

The Lenovo notebook can hardly be used outdoors. Its brightness is just about enough to recognize content in the shade, but you can forget using this display in very bright surroundings or sunlight. The viewing-angle stability is very good from the sides but is rather disappointing from above or below. From these angles, brightness reduces quickly, and colors appear inverted. 

CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - grayscales
CalMAN - grayscales
CalMAN - color accuracy (calibrated)
CalMAN - color accuracy (calibrated)
CalMAN - saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN - saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN - grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN - grayscales (calibrated)
Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing-angle stability
Viewing-angle stability
Viewing-angle stability
Viewing-angle stability

Performance - good for office applications

Our test unit's configuration is suitable for office and simple multimedia applications. The AMD Ryzen 3 2200U and the integrated Radeon RX Vega 3 can handle streaming videos and daily typing without difficulty. There are also 4 GB of RAM and a 1 TB HDD. Users should also be able to play casual games, but it will not be possible to play more-demanding games with this hardware.

Users who need to use more-demanding applications can also purchase the IdeaPad 330 with an AMD Ryzen 5 2500U or Ryzen 7 2700U. Apart from the integrated Radeon RX Vega, the manufacturer also offers various dedicated graphics options up to the Radeon RX 540. 

Processor

Lenovo has equipped the IdeaPad 330 with the mobile two-core processor Ryzen 3 2200U from AMD. This supports dual-channel RAM and includes the integrated graphics unit Radeon RX Vega 3. The adjustable consumption of this CPU makes it very suitable for thin-and-light notebooks - its maximum performance strongly depends on the individual model's cooling system. 

The Lenovo notebook only managed to keep up its boost performance for a short time in our Cinebench loop. After that, the benchmark results dropped by about 22%. This means that long-term performance is a lot lower than it was in the single run of the test.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit

The IdeaPad 330 reached above-average multi-core results in the single Cinebench R15 benchmark both compared to other devices equipped with the Ryzen 3 2200U and to its comparison devices. However, its single-core performance is very low and you can only expect average performance from this Lenovo notebook. 

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (98 - 284, n=101, last 2 years)
226 Points +115%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
146 Points +39%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
128 Points +22%
Average AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
  (105 - 128, n=4)
116.8 Points +11%
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
107 Points +2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
105 Points
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
Intel Core i3-6006U
83 Points -21%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Office
  (242 - 2642, n=102, last 2 years)
1519 Points +336%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
730 Points +110%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
348 Points
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
318 Points -9%
Average AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
  (275 - 348, n=4)
312 Points -10%
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
306 Points -12%
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
Intel Core i3-6006U
213 Points -39%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
105 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
348 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
23.1 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help

System Performance

The Lenovo IdeaPad 330 performs below-average in the PCMark 8 Home benchmark as well. The results are significantly lower than those of comparable devices. This is in part due to the traditional HDD and the single-channel RAM. Upgrading the hard drive to an SSD and providing more working memory should improve system performance significantly.

You can compare the performance of the Lenovo IdeaPad 330 to those of other notebooks on our CPU benchmark page.

PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Office
  (4252 - 4830, n=7, last 2 years)
4559 Points +95%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3695 Points +58%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
Vega 3, R3 2200U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
3457 Points +48%
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
Vega 3, R3 2200U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
3185 Points +36%
Average AMD Ryzen 3 2200U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 3
  (2342 - 3457, n=4)
3064 Points +31%
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
HD Graphics 520, 6006U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
2845 Points +21%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
Vega 3, R3 2200U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
2342 Points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
2342 points
PCMark 10 Score
2305 points
Help

Storage Devices

Lenovo has used an HDD with a capacity of 1 TB in its more affordable configuration of the IdeaPad 330. The slower write and read rates of the hard drive are slowed down even more by its low speed of 5400 RPM. Comparable devices that are equipped with an SSD are significantly faster in our test. However, our test unit is also about 11% slower than the Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4, which is equipped with the same hard drive model.

Find out which benchmark results other storage devices reach compared to the IdeaPad 330's Seagate Mobile ST1000LM035 on our HDD / SSD benchmark page.

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Average Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
 
Average of class Office
 
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
11%
16074%
24760%
24283%
40%
25420%
Read Seq
137.4
137.2
0%
512
273%
488
255%
468.5
241%
Write Seq
130.4
126.7
-3%
257.2
97%
455
249%
378.4
190%
Read 512
42.51
41.77
-2%
368.5
767%
426.4
903%
342.5
706%
31.5 ?(22.3 - 42.5, n=14)
-26%
Write 512
93.6
95.9
2%
259.1
177%
390.7
317%
368.7
294%
77.3 ?(26.7 - 98.6, n=14)
-17%
Read 4k
0.491
0.418
-15%
24.92
4975%
37.68
7574%
26.93
5385%
0.4174 ?(0.326 - 0.491, n=14)
-15%
Write 4k
0.206
0.123
-40%
46.59
22517%
76.9
37230%
88.1
42667%
0.525 ?(0.009 - 3.15, n=14)
155%
Read 4k QD32
1.109
1.267
14%
195.7
17547%
286.5
25734%
247.8
22244%
Write 4k QD32
0.201
0.47
134%
165.5
82238%
253.1
125820%
246.5
122537%
0.803 ?(0.154 - 4.71, n=14)
300%
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
Transfer Rate Minimum: 6.2 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 130.5 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 84.4 MB/s
Access Time: 19.6 ms
Burst Rate: 125.9 MB/s
CPU Usage: 4.8 %

Graphics Performance

The performance of the integrated graphics unit AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 depends on the RAM that the notebook is equipped with. Our test unit is only equipped with a single-channel RAM, which means the performance of the GPU is below the average of other devices that are equipped with an RX Vega 3. Again, a memory upgrade could lead to a significant performance increase.

Find out what the AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 has to offer compared to other GPUs on our GPU benchmark page.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Office
  (1468 - 13132, n=94, last 2 years)
6644 Points +436%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2734 Points +121%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
1908 Points +54%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 3
  (1108 - 2048, n=14)
1674 Points +35%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 3, AMD Ryzen 3 2200U
1239 Points
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
Intel HD Graphics 520, Intel Core i3-6006U
1220 Points -2%
3DMark 11 Performance
1329 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 is suitable for gaming only to a limited extent. While casual games can be played easily and older games such as BioShock Infinite, which we tested it with, run smoothly at the lowest graphics settings, the IdeaPad 330 in our test configuration is not suitable for more-demanding games.

Find out which games can be played with the AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 in our GPU gaming list.

lowmed.highultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 59.3 6.33

Emissions & Energy - a device for quiet surroundings

System Noise

The Lenovo IdeaPad 330 is very quiet. It is completely silent while idling and the fans only hum lightly under load. The DVD-RW drive does not disturb either and is not even as loud as the cooling fans according to our measurements.

This makes the Lenovo IdeaPad 330 suitable for use in quiet surroundings.

Noise Level

Idle
31.8 / 31.8 / 31.8 dB(A)
HDD
31.6 dB(A)
DVD
35.7 / dB(A)
Load
35.2 / 36.4 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: 30.6 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.134.63335.733.12532.331.332.335.832.33131.932.532.137.531.9403031.632.331.5305032.533.332.636.632.56328.228.228.827.628.28028.128.227.227.228.110026.728.227.625.126.712525.525.926.825.825.516024.624.62524.324.62002425.225.723.1242502323.430.322.72331522.824.126.421.722.840021.525.925.520.721.550020.122.826.22020.163019.822.123.619.819.880021.524.226.418.621.5100021.324.426.918.221.3125020.624.527.817.920.6160020.124.427.317.820.1200020.423.52617.520.4250018.825.927.617.618.8315018.624.230.517.918.6400018.521.125.71818.5500018.320.122.918.118.3630018.319.221.918.118.3800018.118.519.818.218.11000018.318.418.918.118.31250018.118.318.51818.11600018.218.218.318.118.2SPL31.935.238.436.430.631.9N1.52.12.82.31.31.5median 20.1median 24.1median 26median 18.2median 20.1median 16.7Delta1.72.22.321.715.2hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

While idling, the surface temperatures of the IdeaPad 330 are low and do not exceed 30 °C. Temperatures increase slightly under load but still only reach 35 °C. 

The core temperatures increase to up to 73 °C during our stress test while the clock rate drops significantly below the base clock rate of 2.5 GHz. As this demanding scenario should not occur during normal use, you should not have to worry about performance limitations due to high temperatures.

Max. Load
 30.6 °C
87 F
34.5 °C
94 F
27.3 °C
81 F
 
 34 °C
93 F
34.3 °C
94 F
27.1 °C
81 F
 
 32.4 °C
90 F
32.5 °C
91 F
29.6 °C
85 F
 
Maximum: 34.5 °C = 94 F
Average: 31.4 °C = 89 F
28.6 °C
83 F
28.9 °C
84 F
30.4 °C
87 F
28 °C
82 F
34 °C
93 F
32.8 °C
91 F
30.6 °C
87 F
29.1 °C
84 F
31 °C
88 F
Maximum: 34 °C = 93 F
Average: 30.4 °C = 87 F
Power Supply (max.)  47.1 °C = 117 F | Room Temperature 23.8 °C = 75 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.4 °C / 89 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 34.5 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 34.3 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 34 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.1 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.5 °C / 90.5 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-4.8 °C / -8.6 F).
Heat map while idling - top
Heat map while idling - top
Heat map while idling - bottom
Heat map while idling - bottom
Heat map under load - top
Heat map under load - top
Heat map under load - bottom
Heat map under load - bottom

Speakers

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

The speakers of the IdeaPad 330 offer average volume and a comparatively unbalanced sound. Individual frequencies vary widely, which creates an irregular sound pattern. In addition, you can hear a slight drone when the speakers are turned up high. However, it is difficult to find better speakers in this price range. We would recommend that users connect headphones or external speakers to the device.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.935.731.92533.735.833.73131.537.531.5403131.5315034.136.634.16328.827.628.88027.727.227.71002825.12812530.325.830.316028.324.328.32003223.1322505022.75031557.921.757.940059.620.759.650054.12054.163060.119.860.18006318.66310006518.265125068.317.968.3160065.417.865.4200066.117.566.1250066.817.666.8315065.717.965.7400070.51870.5500072.918.172.9630063.618.163.6800066.118.266.11000071.418.171.41250067.51867.51600066.518.166.5SPL79.630.679.6N42.81.342.8median 65median 18.2median 65Delta8.51.28.535.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGEApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 52% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 59% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 34% 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
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Consumption

The power consumption of the IdeaPad 330 is average compared to its competitors. Eight watts while idling and a maximum consumption of 43 watts under load mean the Lenovo is not an energy guzzler, but it is not really energy-efficient either. The included 65-watt power supply is large enough to always supply the IdeaPad 330 with sufficient energy.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.29 / 0.34 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 8 / 9.9 / 10.4 Watt
Load midlight 31 / 43 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy

Battery Runtime

The IdeaPad 330 only reaches subpar results in our practical Wi-Fi test. It made last place in our comparison table with a runtime of just under 2:30 hours. Other notebooks that are equipped with a Ryzen 3 2200U manage to run for up to an hour longer. 

Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Average of class Office
  (300 - 1349, n=96, last 2 years)
598 min +312%
HP 250 G6 2UB93ES
6006U, HD Graphics 520, 41.6 Wh
409 min +182%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, 38 Wh
407 min +181%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-41-R7BM
R3 2200U, Vega 3, 37 Wh
344 min +137%
Dell Inspiron 15 5575-98MH4
R3 2200U, Vega 3, 42 Wh
251 min +73%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE
R3 2200U, Vega 3, 35 Wh
145 min
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
2h 25min

Pros

+ USB Type-C port
+ 4-in-1 card reader
+ good keyboard
+ very quiet DVD-RW drive

Cons

- loud ClickPad
- short battery runtimes
- slow HDD
- low display brightness
- PWM at low frequency

Verdict - performance remains below expectations

In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 330. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de
In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 330. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de

Our impression of the IdeaPad 330 is fair to middling after our review. Its modern USB Type-C port, the decent port selection and the optical drive are definitely plus points - particularly if you consider its price. The performance of the Ryzen CPU is also sufficient and enables the system to run smoothly. The device can handle most office applications and light gaming.

The IdeaPad 330 from Lenovo offers sufficient power for office applications and casual games. Apart from that, its performance remains below expectations. 

Potential buyers should also be aware of the fact that the ClickPad wobbles and the 1 TB HDD slows the system down significantly. Although the latter can be exchanged for an SSD, buyers of an affordable notebook might want to avoid the additional costs this would entail. In addition, the performance of the Ryzen 3 2200U does not reach its full potential.

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR-81D2005JGE - 09/18/2018 v6 (old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
74 / 98 → 75%
Keyboard
71%
Pointing Device
44%
Connectivity
39 / 80 → 49%
Weight
62 / 20-67 → 89%
Battery
66%
Display
75%
Games Performance
55 / 68 → 81%
Application Performance
56 / 92 → 61%
Temperature
94%
Noise
90%
Audio
55%
Camera
32 / 85 → 37%
Average
63%
71%
Office - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15ARR (Ryzen 3 2200U, Vega 3) Laptop Review
Mike Wobker, 2018-09-19 (Update: 2018-09-20)