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Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (i7-8550U, GeForce MX150) Laptop Review

Deplorable display. The IdeaPad 330 17 doesn't break any ground, but we find it to be a little overpriced for the specifications. The GeForce MX150 GPU doesn't make up for the very slow 1 TB HDD or poorly calibrated 900p TN display to justify the $900 USD asking price.

Take one step down from the flagship Lenovo Yoga series and you have the mainstream Lenovo IdeaPad series. The IdeaPad series itself is further divided into the budget 300 series, mid-range 500 series, and the mid-upper-range 700 series. Our test unit today is the bottom-of-the-barrel IdeaPad 330 17 aimed at users who want to spend as little as possible on a no-frills reliable laptop.

The specific configuration we have is equipped with a Core i7-8550U CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and dedicated GeForce MX150 GPU for $800 to $900 USD. Cheaper configurations can be found with a Core i3 CPU and integrated UHD Graphics 620 GPU while pricier configurations with a Core i7-8750H CPU and GeForce GTX 1050 GPU are also available. Even at its best, however, our review will show why the system still manages to fall short when compared to the competition.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17 is the direct successor to the IdeaPad 320-17 and it competes directly with other budget 17.3-inch multimedia laptops like the Acer Aspire ES1-732Asus VivoBook 17, Dell Inspiron series, and the HP Pavilion 17.

More Lenovo IdeaPad reviews:

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM (IdeaPad 330 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8550U 4 x 1.8 - 4 GHz, Kaby Lake Refresh
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX150 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1468 MHz, Memory: 6008 MHz, GDDR5, 388.75, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 10-10-10-28, Single-channel
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1600 x 900 pixel 106 PPI, BOE0685, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Kaby Lake-U iHDCP 2.2 Premium PCH
Storage
WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0, 1000 GB 
, 5400 rpm
Soundcard
Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD card reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 24.9 x 418 x 292.6 ( = 0.98 x 16.46 x 11.52 in)
Battery
34 Wh, 4480 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Primary Camera: 0.3 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 1.5 W with Dolby Audio, Keyboard Light: no, McAfee LiveSafe, Lenovo Vantage, App Explorer, PowerDVD, Power2Go, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.8 kg ( = 98.77 oz / 6.17 pounds), Power Supply: 198 g ( = 6.98 oz / 0.44 pounds)
Price
900 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The chassis is plastic from top to bottom in stark contrast to the carbon fiber or aluminum alloy materials of higher-end models. The lid exhibits moderate flexing, the base creaks slightly when twisting its edges, and the hinge teeters more than we would like. This all contributes to the overall budget impression of the laptop. To Lenovo's defense, these characteristics are common on inexpensive laptops and so the IdeaPad 330 17 isn't trying to break any new ground here. On the other hand, we're disappointed to not see any notable gen-to-gen improvements in terms of rigidity or quality. We find the system to feel just slightly better than the Pavilion 17.

One particular aspect we can appreciate is that the matte silver surfaces are great at hiding fingerprints. The palm rests and keyboard center are also relatively rigid and resistant to flexing in contrast to the lid.

Build quality is otherwise excellent on our unit with no unintended gaps or crevices between materials.

The Lenovo system is larger, thicker, and heavier than both the competing Asus VivoBook Pro 17 and HP Pavilion 17. We attribute this to the thick bezels of the system that appear to be even wider than other inexpensive 17.3-inch laptops. We're surprised by how heavy the system is considering the ample amount of unused empty space inside.

plastic from top to bottom with a brushed aluminum-like finish
plastic from top to bottom with a brushed aluminum-like finish
Plain chassis introduces nothing special to the IdeaPad 330 series
Plain chassis introduces nothing special to the IdeaPad 330 series
All ports along the left edge
All ports along the left edge
Lid opened to maximum angle
Lid opened to maximum angle
423.3 mm / 16.7 inch 289.9 mm / 11.4 inch 27.3 mm / 1.075 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs418 mm / 16.5 inch 283 mm / 11.1 inch 25.1 mm / 0.988 inch 3 kg6.61 lbs418 mm / 16.5 inch 292.6 mm / 11.5 inch 24.9 mm / 0.98 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs415 mm / 16.3 inch 278 mm / 10.9 inch 24.6 mm / 0.969 inch 2.6 kg5.8 lbs411 mm / 16.2 inch 273 mm / 10.7 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 2.3 kg5.17 lbs412.5 mm / 16.2 inch 274 mm / 10.8 inch 16.09 mm / 0.633 inch 2.8 kg6.21 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

All the ports we expect to be on a budget laptop can be found here including HDMI, USB Type-C, and an SD card reader. Port positioning, however, is a mixed bag because all ports are positioned along the left edge. DisplayPort over USB does not appear to be supported.

The DVD drive on the right edge can be easily removed with a screwdriver. While convenient, it's too bad that there is no quick and official way to swap in a secondary 2.5-inch SATA III drive for users who have no need for an optical drive.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: Optical drive, Kensington Lock
Right: Optical drive, Kensington Lock
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, Gigabit RJ-45, 2x USB 3.0, 3.5 mm combo audio, USB Type-C Gen. 1, SD card reader
Left: AC adapter, Gigabit RJ-45, 2x USB 3.0, 3.5 mm combo audio, USB Type-C Gen. 1, SD card reader

SD Card Reader

Fully inserted SD card
Fully inserted SD card

The integrated SD card reader is slow at just under 30 MB/s. Transferring 1 GB worth of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes 36 seconds compared to only 6 or 7 seconds on the Dell XPS 15.

A fully inserted SD card still protrudes by over half its length. We recommend removing the card before transporting the laptop.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32 MB/s +14%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
 
29.26 MB/s +5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28 MB/s
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26 MB/s -7%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.7 MB/s -15%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
 
37.44 MB/s +25%
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35.92 MB/s +20%
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32.6 MB/s +9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.97 MB/s
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.8 MB/s -11%

Communication

Removable M.2 WLAN module
Removable M.2 WLAN module

Our test unit comes equipped with an Intel 3165 WLAN module for 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. Unlike the 2x2 Intel 9560 on newer Ultrabooks, this 1x1 module offers just one-fourth the maximum transfer rate (433 Mbps vs. 1.73 Gbps). This thankfully does not impact day-to-day web browsing or streaming and we didn't experience any connectivity issues during our time with the unit.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
658 (642min - 669max) MBit/s +121%
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
552 MBit/s +85%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
298 MBit/s
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
280 (191min - 292max) MBit/s -6%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Realtek RTL8188E Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC
46.1 MBit/s -85%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
Realtek 8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
627 MBit/s +84%
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
553 (463min - 618max) MBit/s +63%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
340 MBit/s
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
281 (268min - 293max) MBit/s -17%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Realtek RTL8188E Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC
46.3 MBit/s -86%

Maintenance

The bottom panel requires a Philips screwdriver and a sharp edge to remove. It's latched tightly around the edges and corners to make end-user servicing more difficult than it should be. Once opened, users have access to just 1x DDR4 SODIMM slot and 1x storage bay. Note the vast amount of space dedicated to the optical drive and the unused space surrounding the small battery.

Moderately difficult to remove the bottom panel
Moderately difficult to remove the bottom panel

Accessories and Warranty

There are no included extras in the retail box other than the usual AC adapter and small start guide.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies. Lenovo typically offers a wider range of optional protection packages than smaller OEMs like Asus or Acer.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The keyboard keys offer good feedback when pressed including the smaller NumPad keys. Actuation force feels lighter than usual, however, so the keys don't feel as firm or as deep as they could have been unlike on the Lenovo ThinkPad series. Clatter is relatively quiet save for the noticeably louder Enter and Space keys. As for as budget laptops go, the IdeaPad 330 17 keyboard is better than most in its category.

There is no keyboard backlight option.

Touchpad

The multi-touch trackpad (~10.6 x 7 cm) is relatively small considering the large screen size. The trackpad on the 15.6-inch Dell XPS 15, for example, is larger at 10.5 x 8.5 cm. Its surface is smooth with no cursor jumping when gliding slowly or quickly. There appears to be no Microsoft Precision support.

Whereas the trackpad is decent for cursor movement, the integrated mouse keys are poor and representative of the budget laptop category. Feedback is soft, spongy, and rather difficult to press. The auditory click in particular feels hollow for a cheap impression.

Uniform feedback with little clatter aside from the Enter and Space keys
Uniform feedback with little clatter aside from the Enter and Space keys
Lots of empty space around the keyboard and relatively small trackpad
Lots of empty space around the keyboard and relatively small trackpad

Display

Subpixel array. Pixels are not as sharp as on a glossy alternative
Subpixel array. Pixels are not as sharp as on a glossy alternative

Lenovo IdeaPad laptops are traditionally equipped with cheap displays and the IdeaPad 330 17 is no exception. The matte HD+ panel here offers low PPI for blocky texts and images, low contrast ratio for poor colors and blacks, and low brightness for poor outdoor visibility. Perhaps the one saving grace is its relatively fast black-white and gray-gray response times for fewer ghosting issues when compared to traditional IPS panels on competing systems. Even so, we don't think this makes up for the generally poor visual experience.

The BOE0685 TN panel on our unit can be found on no other laptop in our database.

Moderate-to-heavy graininess is apparent on our test unit to reduce sharpness even further. We're disappointed to not see any significant improvements over the 2016 IdeaPad V110-17IKB in terms of display quality.

203.9
cd/m²
201.5
cd/m²
199.1
cd/m²
203.2
cd/m²
210.5
cd/m²
199.4
cd/m²
207.5
cd/m²
212.3
cd/m²
201.7
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE0685 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 212.3 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 204.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 94 %
Center on Battery: 210.5 cd/m²
Contrast: 334:1 (Black: 0.63 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.48 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.04
ΔE Greyscale 12 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
75.8% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
49.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
55.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
76.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
56.9% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.12
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
BOE0685, TN LED, 17.30, 1600x900
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
LG Philips, 173W4F, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Chi Mei N173FGE-E23, TN LED, 17.30, 1600x900
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
LP173WF4-SPF5, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
ID: AUO109D, Name: AU Optronics B173HW01 V0, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Lenovo IdeaPad V110-17IKB 80V20006GE
BOE, TN LED, 17.30, 1600x900
Display
9%
-1%
16%
14%
0%
Display P3 Coverage
56.9
64.8
14%
53.5
-6%
67.9
19%
64.8
14%
56.6
-1%
sRGB Coverage
76.3
81.6
7%
80.1
5%
86.8
14%
87.5
15%
77.2
1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
55.9
59.7
7%
54.9
-2%
63.5
14%
64
14%
56.5
1%
Response Times
-49%
-18%
-25%
-44%
-49%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38.8 ?(20, 18.8)
38 ?(19, 19)
2%
49 ?(28, 21)
-26%
30.8 ?(15.6, 15.2)
21%
34 ?(15.6, 18.4)
12%
44 ?(22, 22)
-13%
Response Time Black / White *
13.6 ?(8.4, 5.2)
27 ?(16, 11)
-99%
15 ?(10, 5)
-10%
23.2 ?(13.2, 10)
-71%
27.2 ?(16.4, 10.8)
-100%
25 ?(7, 18)
-84%
PWM Frequency
961
119000 ?(99)
50 ?(50)
Screen
50%
35%
49%
51%
-9%
Brightness middle
210.5
343
63%
227
8%
376.2
79%
363.6
73%
213
1%
Brightness
204
313
53%
209
2%
355
74%
349
71%
203
0%
Brightness Distribution
94
82
-13%
80
-15%
89
-5%
90
-4%
86
-9%
Black Level *
0.63
0.37
41%
0.15
76%
0.42
33%
0.37
41%
0.67
-6%
Contrast
334
927
178%
1513
353%
896
168%
983
194%
318
-5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
9.48
4.8
49%
12.93
-36%
4.21
56%
5.8
39%
12.3
-30%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
17.19
10.35
40%
20.92
-22%
8.31
52%
10
42%
21.48
-25%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.04
3.95
2%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
12
3.51
71%
14.69
-22%
5.5
54%
8.8
27%
14.13
-18%
Gamma
2.12 104%
2.19 100%
2.38 92%
2.335 94%
2.16 102%
2.11 104%
CCT
13874 47%
6188 105%
19863 33%
7056 92%
5900 110%
17705 37%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
49.4
54
9%
51
3%
57
15%
57.2
16%
50
1%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
75.8
81
7%
80
6%
87
15%
87.3
15%
77
2%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
3% / 29%
5% / 21%
13% / 34%
7% / 31%
-19% / -12%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is narrow at just 76 percent of sRGB to suggest a budget panel. This helps explain the generally shallow and washed out colors of the display. Digital artists should avoid working on this system.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter reveal very inaccurate colors and grayscale. Color temperature in particular is much too cool which is not uncommon on cheap laptops with low resolution TN displays. Once calibrated, however, display quality improves immensely as shown by our CalMAN measurements below. We recommend applying our color profile to make the most out of the display.

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
13.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8.4 ms rise
↘ 5.2 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. » 29 % 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
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.

Outdoor visibility is extremely poor. Not only is the backlight dim, but the narrow TN viewing angles severely limit the laptop's ability to minimize glare without impacting color quality. This is most certainly not a laptop to be used outdoors on a frequent basis.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Narrow TN viewing angles
Narrow TN viewing angles

Performance

The 15 W Core i7-8550U is a common CPU found on most flagship Ultrabooks including the Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo's own Yoga C930. The IdeaPad 330 17 is unique in that the chassis also carries 45 W quad-core Core i5-8300H and hexa-core i7-8750H options as well for much faster performance.

As for the GPU, the 25 W GeForce MX150 GPU on our test unit is relatively powerful for a budget laptop. It allows the IdeaPad 330 17 to play even the latest PC titles at the native 900p resolution with most settings reduced.

System RAM is limited to one SODIMM slot for single-channel memory only. The pricier SKUs with GTX 1050 graphics have 4 GB of soldered RAM to supplement the single SODIMM slot. Nvidia Optimus is included to increase battery life.

Processor

CineBench R15
CineBench R15

CPU performance is about where we expect it to be if not a bit slower than the average Core i7-8550U in our database. The pricier ThinkPad T480, for example, is 25 percent faster than our IdeaPad 330 according CineBench R15 Multi-Thread despite both systems having the same Core i7 CPU.

Running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop shows a very short-lived Turbo Boost during the initial loop. The ThinkPad T480 and Yoga C930 are both able to maintain faster clock rates than our inexpensive IdeaPad throughout the entirety of the stress test.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-8550U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630Tooltip
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø526 (522.29-550.6)
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø588 (570.26-651.27)
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG); CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø396 (384.35-541.21)
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00 GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø628 (624.25-657.27)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Intel Core i7-8750H
173 Points +4%
Lenovo Yoga S730-13IWL
Intel Core i7-8565U
171 Points +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
Intel Core i7-8550U
166 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
Intel Core i7-8550U
161 Points -3%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (108 - 172, n=76)
159.6 Points -4%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
147 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel Core i7-7500U
146 Points -12%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-51-59SZ
Intel Core i5-8250U
143 Points -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
132 Points -20%
Lenovo Ideapad 330-15IKB-81DC00SWGE
Intel Core i5-7200U
120 Points -28%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Intel Core i7-8750H
1238 Points +125%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480-20L6S01V00
Intel Core i7-8550U
657 Points +19%
Lenovo Yoga S730-13IWL
Intel Core i7-8565U
640 Points +16%
Acer Swift 3 SF313-51-59SZ
Intel Core i5-8250U
576 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U
  (301 - 761, n=78)
576 Points +5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
Intel Core i7-8550U
551 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
541 Points -2%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
501 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel Core i7-7500U
338 Points -39%
Lenovo Ideapad 330-15IKB-81DC00SWGE
Intel Core i5-7200U
316 Points -43%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
166 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
551 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
86 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark results are consistently behind the Asus VivoBook S15 even though both systems are equipped with the same CPU and GPU. We suspect that the slow HDD and single-channel RAM on our Lenovo are responsible for the lower scores. Subjectively, the IdeaPad 330 feels sluggish with its long boot up time and constant loading when launching applications.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Score
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
4175 Points +25%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
3711 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (3056 - 4106, n=19)
3631 Points +9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0
3339 Points
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Radeon 530, A9-9420, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
2046 Points -39%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1361 Points -59%
Essentials
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
8190 Points +50%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (5448 - 8412, n=19)
7198 Points +32%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
6710 Points +23%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0
5448 Points
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Radeon 530, A9-9420, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
3733 Points -31%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2957 Points -46%
Productivity
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
6483 Points +8%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
6236 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (4779 - 7244, n=19)
6104 Points +2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0
5989 Points
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Radeon 530, A9-9420, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
4123 Points -31%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2025 Points -66%
Digital Content Creation
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
3722 Points +20%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
3315 Points +7%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0
3096 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2036 - 3518, n=19)
2984 Points -4%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Radeon 530, A9-9420, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
1511 Points -51%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
1145 Points -63%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
4092 Points +10%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0
3724 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (3145 - 4130, n=21)
3656 Points -2%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
3620 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad V110-17IKB 80V20006GE
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
3611 Points -3%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Radeon 530, A9-9420, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
2897 Points -22%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2052 Points -45%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
5254 Points +9%
Asus VivoBook S15 S530UN-BQ097T
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD9SN8W256G1027
5025 Points +4%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0
4837 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (4063 - 5228, n=20)
4771 Points -1%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Radeon 530, A9-9420, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
3976 Points -18%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
2717 Points -44%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3724 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4837 points
PCMark 10 Score
3339 points
Help

Storage Devices

The system has just one 2.5-inch SATA III bay with no secondary options. Our specific test unit utilizes a standard 1 TB WD Blue WD10SPZX HDD with no Optane or dedicated SSD cache.

Transfer rates are very slow. Average sequential read rate is just 77 MB/s according to CrystalDiskMark which is slow even for a 5400 RPM drive. We recommend configuring with an SSD if possible to boost system performance and responsiveness.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

Single 7 mm 2.5-inch SATA III bay
Single 7 mm 2.5-inch SATA III bay
CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
KBG30ZMS128G
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
7306%
9%
19592%
14%
Write 4K
10.42
71.3
584%
1.167
-89%
151.3
1352%
1.322
-87%
Read 4K
0.416
33.43
7936%
0.443
6%
46.62
11107%
0.545
31%
Write Seq
116.4
127.3
9%
123.3
6%
1020
776%
89.1
-23%
Read Seq
76.8
816
963%
123.9
61%
935
1117%
91.4
19%
Write 4K Q32T1
14.15
94.6
569%
1.163
-92%
452.3
3096%
1.239
-91%
Read 4K Q32T1
0.417
196.7
47070%
0.885
112%
559
133953%
1.548
271%
Write Seq Q32T1
108.1
130.6
21%
121.9
13%
1614
1393%
90.3
-16%
Read Seq Q32T1
79.6
1110
1294%
124.3
56%
3220
3945%
88.3
11%
Write 4K Q8T8
98
Read 4K Q8T8
209.4
WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0
Transfer Rate Minimum: 41.7 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 253.7 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 184.4 MB/s
Access Time: 3 ms
Burst Rate: 172.2 MB/s
CPU Usage: 3.1 %

GPU Performance

Surprisingly, the IdeaPad 330 ships with a full-fledged 25 W GeForce MX150 '1D10' GPU instead of the slower 10 W '1D12' variant. Users upgrading from the UHD Graphics 620-only SKU will see a raw GPU performance boost of 100 to 200 percent.

Popular titles like League of Legends, Overwatch, DOTA 2, or Fortnite run well on this system especially because of the low native resolution of 1600 x 900. Running Witcher 3 shows stable frame rates with no recurring dips to suggest no interrupting background activity or throttling when gaming. We experienced one small dip to 22 FPS as shown by our graph below, though this appears to be an odd exception rather than a rule.

See our dedicated page on the GeForce MX150 GPU for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop), i5-7300HQ
36528 Points +87%
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
36413 Points +86%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
21755 Points +11%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
19545 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (16227 - 22183, n=43)
19512 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
14071 Points -28%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
12942 Points -34%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
10490 Points -46%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
9858 Points -50%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
7285 Points -63%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
AMD Radeon 530, A9-9420
6377 Points -67%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200
3229 Points -83%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
6042 Points +63%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop), i5-7300HQ
5738 Points +55%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3726 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3698 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2323 - 3739, n=44)
3310 Points -10%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
2149 Points -42%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
2036 Points -45%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2018-20KGS5DU00
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1308 Points -65%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
AMD Radeon 530, A9-9420
1224 Points -67%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
842 Points -77%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200
403 Points -89%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop), i5-7300HQ
8345 Points +74%
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
7640 Points +59%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4905 Points +2%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4792 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2796 - 4905, n=47)
4191 Points -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
3123 Points -35%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
2592 Points -46%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
AMD Radeon 530, A9-9420
2327 Points -51%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1911 Points -60%
Lenovo IdeaPad V110-17IKB 80V20006GE
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1535 Points -68%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1489 Points -69%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200
660 Points -86%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
6889 Points +61%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop), i5-7300HQ
5933 Points +39%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4394 Points +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
4273 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2820 - 4421, n=46)
3957 Points -7%
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex-1570 81CA000RUS
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8550U
2831 Points -34%
Lenovo ThinkPad A285-20MX0002GE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 PRO 2500U
1982 Points -54%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1862 Points -56%
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
AMD Radeon 530, A9-9420
1549 Points -64%
Lenovo IdeaPad V110-17IKB 80V20006GE
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1473 Points -66%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1193 Points -72%
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Intel HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200
559 Points -87%
3DMark 11 Performance
4899 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
12510 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3276 points
Help
The Witcher 3 - 1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Asus GL552VW-DK725T
Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
48.4 fps +59%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
38.2 fps +26%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Intel Core i7-7500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M
36.04 fps +19%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (24.4 - 43.2, n=26)
34.3 fps +13%
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
30.4 fps
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
23 fps -24%
HP ProBook 450 G6-5TJ93EA
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
21.3 fps -30%
051015202530Tooltip
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0; FPS: Ø30.1 (22-33)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 162.8 96.8 82.8
The Witcher 3 (2015) 59.7 30.4
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 74.8 40.7

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution consists of a single fan and a short heat pipe shared between the CPU and GPU. The fan will idle when not running any applications, but it will rev almost immediately when heavier loads are introduced. Expect the fan to hover between 31.8 dB(A) and 34 dB(A) when browsing or video streaming to be louder than most Ultrabooks under similar loads. For a cheap multimedia laptop, however, this is rather typical.

Running Witcher 3 will induce a fan noise of 39.9 dB(A) to be slightly quieter than a full-fledged gaming laptop with more powerful GTX graphics. While noticeable, we certainly don't find it deafening unlike on some ultra-thin gaming laptops.

Our test unit suffers from no audible coil whine.

Single 50 mm fan
Single 50 mm fan
Very small cooling solution considering the large 17.3-inch screen size
Very small cooling solution considering the large 17.3-inch screen size
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, KBG30ZMS128G
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
HD Graphics 505, Pentium N4200, Toshiba MQ01ABD100
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
Radeon 530, A9-9420, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD
Lenovo IdeaPad V110-17IKB 80V20006GE
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0
Noise
-1%
-1%
-1%
-9%
1%
off / environment *
28.6
30.3
-6%
30.2
-6%
28.3
1%
28
2%
30.5
-7%
Idle Minimum *
29
30.7
-6%
31
-7%
28.3
2%
30.5
-5%
31.2
-8%
Idle Average *
29
30.7
-6%
31
-7%
29
-0%
30.6
-6%
31.2
-8%
Idle Maximum *
31.8
30.7
3%
31
3%
29
9%
30.6
4%
31.2
2%
Load Average *
34.8
33.4
4%
35.1
-1%
36.7
-5%
41.6
-20%
32.6
6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
39.9
44.7
-12%
48
-20%
Load Maximum *
40.8
38.7
5%
35.1
14%
42.8
-5%
48
-18%
32.6
20%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
29 / 29 / 31.8 dB(A)
Load
34.8 / 40.8 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: 28.6 dB(A)

Temperature

Witcher 3 stress. No ventilation grilles along the rear or sides
Witcher 3 stress. No ventilation grilles along the rear or sides

Surface temperatures are flat across the board when idling on desktop. Even so, the left half of the notebook will generally always be warmer than the right half because of how the motherboard and heat sink are positioned. Note that the right palm rest can be warmer than the left since the HDD is directly underneath as shown by our temperature maps below.

When under higher stress like gaming, the top left quadrant of the system can become as warm as 42 C to 47 C. Meanwhile, the other half of the notebook will barely warm up and remain at just 25 C for a wide temperature difference between both sides. Since the CPU and GPU are so close to the commonly used WASD keys and 1-4 number keys, however, be prepared for sweaty fingers when gaming.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the system with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, the CPU can be observed running at 3.7 GHz for the first few seconds before reaching a core temperature of 67 C. Thereafter, clock rate drops to 2.2 to 2.3 GHz in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 58 C. If running both Prime95 and FurMark loads, the CPU and GPU each stabilize at just under 70 C.

Witcher 3 is a more accurate representation of real-world gaming stress. The CPU and GPU become stable at 62 C and 65 C, respectively, to be relatively cool for an Ultrabook with a discrete GPU.

Running on battery power will limit performance even when on the High Performance profile. A 3DMark Cloud Gate test on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 4069 and 17396 points, respectively. compared to 5536 and 19545 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 44 37
Prime95 Stress 2.2-2.3 -- 58 --
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.8 1506 69 67
Witcher 3 Stress 1.8 1683 62 65
Max. Load
 47.4 °C
117 F
40 °C
104 F
27.8 °C
82 F
 
 44.6 °C
112 F
39.6 °C
103 F
27 °C
81 F
 
 30 °C
86 F
27.4 °C
81 F
27.4 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 47.4 °C = 117 F
Average: 34.6 °C = 94 F
27.6 °C
82 F
43 °C
109 F
50 °C
122 F
28 °C
82 F
33.2 °C
92 F
51 °C
124 F
26.8 °C
80 F
30.2 °C
86 F
31 °C
88 F
Maximum: 51 °C = 124 F
Average: 35.6 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  45 °C = 113 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.6 °C / 94 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 47.4 °C / 117 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 51 °C / 124 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.7 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.4 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30 °C / 86 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-1.2 °C / -2.2 F).

Speakers

Sound quality is good for a budget laptop. Maximum volume is loud enough to fill a small room with no static or clatter from vibrations. Higher frequencies are accentuated more than usual and bass is poor as one would expect.

Down-firing Stereo 1.5 W speakers
Down-firing Stereo 1.5 W speakers
Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2043.149.32540.945.23137.542.44037.243.15034.141.96334.342.38034.138.210033.135.212532.73616031.937.420030.74925030.260.131529.461.84002960.450028.761.163027.964.180027.464.6100026.961.9125026.769.1160026.362.1200026.367.825002666.5315025.863.6400025.971.2500025.773.7630025.773800025.667.71000025.569.81250025.575.61600025.470.8SPL38.781.2N3.449.5median 26.7median 64.1Delta1.57.135.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DMApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 77% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 62% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 31% 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

Idling on desktop demands anywhere between 4 W and 11 W depending on the brightness setting and power profile. When gaming, consumption jumps to about 56 W not unlike on the Dell Inspiron 17-7786 since both laptops share the same GeForce MX150 GPU and 15 W Intel U-class CPU.

The highest consumption we can record is 75 W from the small (~7.5 x 7.5 x 2.7 cm) 65 W AC adapter. The system eventually throttles when under such high loads to stabilize at a lower consumption rate. When running Prime95, for example, consumption jumps to 68 W for the first few seconds before dropping and stabilizing at 34 W to match our observations during the Prime95 stress test above.

Interestingly, power consumption is not constant when running 3DMark 06 as shown by the graph below. The dynamic frame rates and demands of the benchmark scene could be responsible for the unexpected results.

Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption spikes before stabilizing at more manageable levels
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption spikes before stabilizing at more manageable levels
Uneven power consumption when running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Uneven power consumption when running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.23 / 0.44 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.7 / 9.2 / 10.6 Watt
Load midlight 56.3 / 75.3 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 330-17IKB 81DM
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, WDC Blue WD10SPZX-24Z10T0, TN LED, 1600x900, 17.30
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, KBG30ZMS128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Pentium N4200, HD Graphics 505, Toshiba MQ01ABD100, TN LED, 1600x900, 17.30
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
i5-8550U, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
A9-9420, Radeon 530, Avolusion MD1TBLSSHD, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Lenovo IdeaPad V110-17IKB 80V20006GE
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPCX-24UE4T0, TN LED, 1600x900, 17.30
Power Consumption
1%
19%
-28%
-35%
26%
Idle Minimum *
4.7
4.2
11%
6
-28%
5.06
-8%
8.4
-79%
4.2
11%
Idle Average *
9.2
9.4
-2%
9.6
-4%
10.3
-12%
11.7
-27%
8.4
9%
Idle Maximum *
10.6
12.9
-22%
10.7
-1%
10.7
-1%
24.1
-127%
9
15%
Load Average *
56.3
56
1%
21.2
62%
83
-47%
50.4
10%
36.7
35%
Witcher 3 ultra *
55
92.4
-68%
58
-5%
Load Maximum *
75.3
63.4
16%
26
65%
99.9
-33%
62.8
17%
29.7
61%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The internal 34 Wh battery is smaller than the batteries of the competing Acer Aspire ES1 (37 Wh) or HP Pavilion 17 (42 Wh). Consequently, runtimes are shorter on the Lenovo. The system lasts just under 4 hours when subjected to our WLAN test whereas the aforementioned Acer and HP laptops can each last around 5 hours.

Recharging the laptop from empty to full with the included AC adapter is very slow. Expect to wait about 3 hours for a full charge compared to 1.5 hours on most Ultrabooks.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
8h 27min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 51min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 32min
Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 34 Wh
Dell Inspiron 17-7786
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, 56 Wh
Acer Aspire ES1-732-P7YA
Pentium N4200, HD Graphics 505, 37 Wh
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
i5-8550U, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 42 Wh
HP Pavilion 17z 1EX13AV
A9-9420, Radeon 530, 41.6 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad V110-17IKB 80V20006GE
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 32 Wh
Battery Runtime
98%
33%
-14%
2%
0%
Reader / Idle
507
997
97%
466
-8%
WiFi v1.3
231
540
134%
308
33%
265
15%
275
19%
231
0%
Load
92
149
62%
53
-42%
88
-4%

Pros

+ full-power GeForce MX150 GPU; up to GTX 1050 options
+ serviceable without voiding warranty
+ USB Type-C and SD card reader
+ removable optical drive
+ decent key feedback
+ decent speakers

Cons

- slow HDD; slow system performance
- large and heavy; thick bezels
- very poor quality display
- no keyboard backlight
- 1x SODIMM slot only
- poor viewing angles
- lid tends to teeter
- spongy trackpad
- slow charging
- overpriced

Verdict

In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB
In review: Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB

The IdeaPad 330 17 is not the laptop to get in 2019. While its Kaby Lake-R CPU and Pascal GPU are comparable or even better than on many Ultrabooks, its display is a tremendous eyesore. Contrast is incredibly poor, resolution is low, brightness is dim, and colors are washed out and grainy. Such a panel would have been acceptable on a budget laptop 5 years ago, but it has no place here even on a cheap multimedia offering.

Look past the horrendous display and there are still a fair number of deep faults. The short battery life, teetering lid, spongy trackpad, thick bezel chassis, single-channel memory, and slow HDD performance are heavy prices to pay.

Speaking of price, our particular configuration can be found for around $800 at retail. This is overpriced for a model belonging to Lenovo's bottom-of-the-barrel IdeaPad 300 family. Significantly more powerful laptops with the Core i5-8300H CPU, GTX 1050 GPU, and 1080p display can be found for around the same price including the MSI GV72, Asus Vivobook F510, Asus TUF FX504, or the HP Pavilion Gaming 15.

Keep away from this configuration. Its retail price is far too high considering the terrible display and teetering lid. If you have $800 to spend, then we recommend the many GTX 1050 laptops in the market that offer significantly faster performance and more features than what we have here.

Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB 81DM - 03/19/2019 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
59 / 98 → 60%
Keyboard
65%
Pointing Device
61%
Connectivity
41 / 81 → 51%
Weight
58 / 20-67 → 80%
Battery
74%
Display
75%
Games Performance
76 / 85 → 89%
Application Performance
92 / 92 → 100%
Temperature
88%
Noise
92 / 95 → 96%
Audio
50%
Camera
40 / 85 → 46%
Average
67%
76%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo IdeaPad 330-17IKB (i7-8550U, GeForce MX150) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2019-03-19 (Update: 2019-03-20)