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Lenovo S20-30 Netbook Review

A netbook with Bing. The S20-30 was designed to be a little, mobile machine for writing and surfing. For around 250 Euros (~$309), you'll get a quiet netbook with a matte screen and Windows 8.1. The battery life is good, too.

For the original German article, see here.

Little 10.1 and 11.6-inch netbooks are still popular nowadays, mostly because writing on these mobile devices is much more comfortable than typing on a tablet with an attachable keyboard. We're already familiar with the Lenovo S20-30 up for review here; the Lenovo S20 series is structurally identical to its predecessors, the IdeaPad S210 and IdeaPad S215 lines. We tested the IdeaPad S215 59372287 (AMD A4-5000Radeon HD 8330) and the IdeaPad S210 Touch 59370994 (Pentium 2127UHD Graphics (Ivy Bridge)) a while ago. While the predecessors still ran on Ivy Bridge processors or AMD APUs, Lenovo chose to install Bay Trail processors in their S20 models. Is the S20 series an enticing offer? Read our review to find out.

Fundamentally, all 11.6-inch computers count as competitors against Lenovo's S20 line. Examples include the Aspire E3-111-C6LG, the Asus F200MA-CT067H, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145 and the Acer Aspire V3-111P-P06A.

Case & Connectivity

The little computer's whole case is constructed out of matte, black plastic. The top side of the base unit and the display frame have a roughened feel. The back side of the lid and the underside of the device are textured. In terms of stability and manufacturing quality, there's nothing much to critique. The base unit yields to pressure in the usual spots: to the left of the keyboard and below the touchpad. The base unit could also stand to be a little stiffer. But all in all, the case delivers what we'd expect of an 11.6-inch netbook in this price range. The computer lacks a maintenance hatch; to access the inner workings, the bottom shell would have to be removed.

When it comes to connections and their locations, the S20 looks exactly like its predecessors. Lenovo integrated the usual connections for a netbook on today's market. The computer comes with Windows 8.1 (64-bit) + Bing preinstalled. There is no recovery DVD. For those interested in installing Windows 7 instead, Lenovo offers the necessary drivers for download.

The Lenovo S20-30. (Image: Lenovo)
The Lenovo S20-30. (Image: Lenovo)
The back side of the lid is textured. (Image: Lenovo)
The back side of the lid is textured. (Image: Lenovo)
There is no maintenance hatch. (Image: Lenovo)
There is no maintenance hatch. (Image: Lenovo)
Left side: OneKey recovery button, Ethernet port, HDMI, USB 3.0 (Image: Lenovo)
Left side: OneKey recovery button, Ethernet port, HDMI, USB 3.0 (Image: Lenovo)
Right side: audio combo, memory-card reader, USB 2.0, power connection (Image: Lenovo)
Right side: audio combo, memory-card reader, USB 2.0, power connection (Image: Lenovo)

Input Devices

Input devices: Lenovo S20-30
Input devices: Lenovo S20-30

The little S20 is equipped with an unlit chiclet keyboard. The flat, glossy keys have a short travel length and a clear click point. During typing, the keyboard bends slightly, especially in the middle. Overall, the keyboard isn't exactly one of the best of its kind. The Aspire V3-111, for example, and especially the ThinkPad Edge E145, both offer better keyboards. The S20's touchpad measures about 8.1 x 4.4 cm (~3.2 x 1.7 inches) and supports multitouch gestures. The palm rest's roughened surface continues into the touchpad as well, but our fingers still glide easily across the pad. The computer recognizes and translates multitouch gestures without a problem. The two mouse keys have a short travel length and a distinctly audible and palpable click point.

Display

In their little 11.6-inch netbook, Lenovo installed a matte display with a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels. The panel's brightness value of 235.2 cd/m² is on par with others in the device's price range; its contrast (203:1) and black value (1.25 cd/m²), however, should be better.

219
cd/m²
220
cd/m²
224
cd/m²
229
cd/m²
254
cd/m²
237
cd/m²
236
cd/m²
254
cd/m²
244
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N116BGE-L32 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 254 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 235.2 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 254 cd/m²
Contrast: 203:1 (Black: 1.25 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 10.77 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 11.97 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
40% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
43.35% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
63.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
41.96% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.13
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
Acer Aspire V3-111P-P06A
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3530, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145
Radeon HD 8240, E1-2500, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
Acer Aspire E3-111-C6LG
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2930, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
Lenovo IdeaPad S215 59372287
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
Display
-3%
-7%
-4%
-5%
Display P3 Coverage
41.96
40.67
-3%
39.2
-7%
40.43
-4%
40.17
-4%
sRGB Coverage
63.2
61.1
-3%
58.8
-7%
60.7
-4%
59.4
-6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
43.35
42.02
-3%
40.51
-7%
41.8
-4%
41.43
-4%
Screen
14%
17%
-3%
20%
Brightness middle
254
233
-8%
294
16%
245
-4%
222
-13%
Brightness
235
222
-6%
266
13%
235
0%
198
-16%
Brightness Distribution
86
88
2%
86
0%
85
-1%
77
-10%
Black Level *
1.25
0.68
46%
0.89
29%
1.17
6%
0.58
54%
Contrast
203
343
69%
330
63%
209
3%
383
89%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
10.77
10.29
4%
11.14
-3%
12.53
-16%
7.55
30%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
11.97
11.2
6%
11.48
4%
13.25
-11%
8.13
32%
Gamma
2.13 103%
2.54 87%
2.1 105%
2.68 82%
2.18 101%
CCT
14771 44%
14016 46%
12680 51%
18403 35%
12120 54%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
40
40
0%
38.7
-3%
37.6
-6%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
6% / 9%
5% / 10%
-4% / -3%
8% / 13%

* ... smaller is better

Out of the factory, the screen's average DeltaE 2000 deviations measures 10.77 -- a normal number for a notebook in this low price range. A deviation of less than 3 would be ideal. The display has a visible blue cast.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Color saturation
CalMAN - Color saturation
The Lenovo S20-30 in outdoor use (photo taken on a cloudy day).
The Lenovo S20-30 in outdoor use (photo taken on a cloudy day).

Thanks to its matte display surface, the S20 can be used outdoors, as the user doesn't have to fight against reflections on the screen. Lenovo selected a TN panel for their netbook. These panels only offer limited viewing angles.

Performance

The S20-30 is one of Lenovo's little, mobile machines for writing and surfing. The hardware is intended for office and Internet-related applications. Our test device is currently available for 250 Euros (~$309). The manufacturer also has models with different amounts of working memory and hard drive space in their line-up.

Processor

The S20's processor is a model we've run into a lot lately. For several weeks now, the Celeron N2830 dual-core processor (Bay Trail) has shown up in more and more extremely low-priced notebooks. The CPU runs at a base clock speed of 2.16 GHz. Via turbo, the speed can be increased to up to 2.416 GHz. The processor completed the Cinebench benchmark's CPU tests at full speed (2.416 GHz) in both AC power mode and battery mode, demonstrating that the CPU's full performance power is always available.

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
2224
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2270
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1202
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
0.79 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.43 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
6.01 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
5.49 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
67 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
38 Points
Help
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
0.43 Points
HP Pavilion 11-n070eg x360
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2820, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.29 Points -33%
Lenovo IdeaPad S215 59372287
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
0.38 Points -12%
Asus F200MA-CT067H
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2815, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.4 Points -7%
Acer Aspire E3-111-C6LG
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2930, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.41 Points -5%
Acer Aspire V5-132P
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2129Y, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.45 Points +5%
Acer Aspire V3-111P-P06A
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3530, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.48 Points +12%
Lenovo IdeaPad S210 Touch 20257
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2127U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
0.79 Points +84%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145-20BC000UGE
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
0.39 Points -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145
Radeon HD 8240, E1-2500, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
0.35 Points -19%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
0.79 Points
HP Pavilion 11-n070eg x360
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2820, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.51 Points -35%
Lenovo IdeaPad S215 59372287
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
1.48 Points +87%
Asus F200MA-CT067H
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2815, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.76 Points -4%
Acer Aspire E3-111-C6LG
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2930, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1.59 Points +101%
Acer Aspire V5-132P
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2129Y, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
0.88 Points +11%
Acer Aspire V3-111P-P06A
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3530, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1.82 Points +130%
Lenovo IdeaPad S210 Touch 20257
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2127U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
1.51 Points +91%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145-20BC000UGE
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1.48 Points +87%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145
Radeon HD 8240, E1-2500, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
0.66 Points -16%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
911 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad S215 59372287
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
870 Points -5%
Asus F200MA-CT067H
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2815, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
781 Points -14%
Acer Aspire E3-111-C6LG
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2930, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
842 Points -8%
Acer Aspire V5-132P
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2129Y, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1008 Points +11%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145-20BC000UGE
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
870 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145
Radeon HD 8240, E1-2500, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
785 Points -14%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
1565 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad S215 59372287
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
2759 Points +76%
Asus F200MA-CT067H
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2815, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1343 Points -14%
Acer Aspire E3-111-C6LG
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2930, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2728 Points +74%
Acer Aspire V5-132P
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2129Y, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1786 Points +14%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145-20BC000UGE
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
2766 Points +77%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145
Radeon HD 8240, E1-2500, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
1340 Points -14%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
564 ms *
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
337.3 ms * +40%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
7261 Points
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
4542 Points -37%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
6996 ms *
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
4867 ms * +30%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
1345 Points
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
834 Points -38%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

Great performance is not to be expected of this computer; the hardware platform is too weak for that. Nevertheless, the little netbook runs smoothly and doesn't present any problems. The results in the PCMark benchmarks are on par with those achieved by comparable devices.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1130 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
815 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
1137 points
Help
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
1130 Points
Acer Aspire E3-111-C6LG
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2930, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1104 Points -2%
Asus F200MA-CT067H
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2815, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1324 Points +17%
Acer Aspire V5-132P
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2129Y, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
1340 Points +19%
Acer Aspire V3-111P-P06A
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3530, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
1451 Points +28%

Storage Devices

The 11.6-inch computer's hard drive is manufactured by Western Digital. It offers a capacity of 500 GB and runs at 5400 revolutions per minute. The drive's transfer rates are at a normal level for 5400 rpm hard drives.

Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
Transfer Rate Minimum: 3.4 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 108.9 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 80.3 MB/s
Access Time: 18.4 ms
Burst Rate: 151 MB/s
CPU Usage: 7.4 %

Graphics Card

Like the processor, the HD Graphics GPU installed in the device doesn't offer all that much in terms of performance. Comparable graphics cores from AMD, like the Radeon R4 (Beema) chip offer much stronger performance. Intel's GPU supports DirectX 11 and runs at up to 750 MHz. The results in the 3DMark benchmarks are more or less on par with those attained by other computers equipped with this graphics core. However, the comparison table below reveals that even with the same GPU, the Aspire E3-111-C6LG, for example, achieves better results here. The reason: The Aspire's graphics core runs at a higher clock speed (up to 854 MHz).

3DMark 11 Performance
226 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
15256 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
1176 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
226 Points
Asus F200MA-CT067H
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2815, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
222 Points -2%
Acer Aspire E3-111-C6LG
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2930, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
264 Points +17%
Acer Aspire V3-111P-P06A
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3530, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
269 Points +19%
Acer Aspire V5-132P
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2129Y, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
321 Points +42%
Lenovo IdeaPad S210 Touch 20257
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2127U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
393 Points +74%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145
Radeon HD 8240, E1-2500, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
464 Points +105%
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145-20BC000UGE
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
581 Points +157%
Lenovo IdeaPad S215 59372287
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
591 Points +162%

Gaming Performance

If you only play games that are available for download in the Windows Store, you shouldn't have any problems. Modern 3D games almost never reach playable frame rates on this Lenovo machine -- exceptions, of course, prove the rule.

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 14.1 7.4 4.8

Emissions

System Noise

Surprisingly, the S20's fan never stands still. Even in idle mode, it continues to run at a low speed. In a quiet environment, the whirring is audible. The sound generated by the hard drive is also noticeable. If the little computer is under load, the fan only runs a little faster; it never spins fast enough to be truly loud.

Noise Level

Idle
33.4 / 33.4 / 33.4 dB(A)
HDD
33.7 dB(A)
Load
34.7 / 35.4 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance)

Temperature

The Lenovo S20-30 in the stress test.
The Lenovo S20-30 in the stress test.

The S20-30 completed the stress test (Prime95 and Furmark running simultaneously for at least an hour) in the same way in both AC power mode and battery mode: The processor ran at 2.416 GHz. The graphics core went about its business at 720 MHz. Neither in idle mode, nor during the stress test, did the Lenovo netbook's case grow particularly warm. We only measured a temperature of over 40 °C (104 °F) in one spot.

 27.3 °C
81 F
28.1 °C
83 F
26.3 °C
79 F
 
 27.6 °C
82 F
29 °C
84 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
 28 °C
82 F
28.8 °C
84 F
27.9 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 29 °C = 84 F
Average: 27.8 °C = 82 F
26.1 °C
79 F
28.4 °C
83 F
27.7 °C
82 F
29.3 °C
85 F
30.4 °C
87 F
27.1 °C
81 F
29 °C
84 F
27.3 °C
81 F
27.4 °C
81 F
Maximum: 30.4 °C = 87 F
Average: 28.1 °C = 83 F
Power Supply (max.)  31.1 °C = 88 F | Room Temperature 24.2 °C = 76 F | Voltcraft IR-360
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 28.9 °C / 84 F, compared to the average of 29.8 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Netbook.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 33.7 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 33.1 °C / 92 F, ranging from 21.6 to 53.2 °C for the class Netbook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 36.6 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.8 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 29.8 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33.7 °C / 92.7 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 29.3 °C / 84.7 F (-4.4 °C / -8 F).

Speakers

The computer's stereo speakers are located on the underside of the device. An excellent sound is, of course, not to be expected. The two speakers generate a thin sound that is noticeably lacking in bass.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Intel's Bay Trail processors are some of the most energy-efficient of their kind. As a result, overall, the S20-30 doesn't require a lot of energy. In idle mode, the power consumption rate remains significantly under 10 Watts. During the stress test, the number rose to 13.4 Watts. These numbers are in line with those of other notebooks equipped with the same hardware platform.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.9 / 6 / 6.2 Watt
Load midlight 12.8 / 13.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Life

In our WLAN test, which is designed to simulate practical, everyday use, we run a script that automatically loads a new webpage every 40 seconds. The energy-saving profile is active, and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². In this test, the S20-30 achieved a battery runtime of 5:28 h -- a good result.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Surfing
5h 28min
Battery Runtime - WiFi (sort by value)
Lenovo S20-30
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2830, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0
328 min
Acer Aspire V5-132P
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2129Y, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
174 min
Lenovo IdeaPad S210 Touch 20257
HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge), 2127U, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
209 min
HP Pavilion 11-n070eg x360
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2820, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
217 min
Acer Aspire E3-111-C6LG
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2930, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
257 min
Asus F200MA-CT067H
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2815, Toshiba MQ01ABF050
301 min
Lenovo IdeaPad S215 59372287
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT0 12-9WS142
302 min
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145-20BC000UGE
Radeon HD 8330, A4-5000, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
464 min
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145
Radeon HD 8240, E1-2500, Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E380
499 min
Acer Aspire V3-111P-P06A
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3530, Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPVX
501 min

Verdict

The Lenovo S20-30 offers enough performance for office and Internet-related applications. The computer always runs relatively quietly and doesn't warm up excessively. The computer's battery life is also perfectly satisfactory. Considering the price of the notebook, the screen is acceptable, though it could stand to provide stronger contrast and a better black value. For the most part, the device's attractiveness is based on its low price. In our opinion, the Acer Aspire V3-111 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145 are better mobile machines for writing and surfing, as they are outfitted with superior keyboards and run considerably longer off of one battery charge. However, even without a Windows operating system the two computers cost 320 Euros (~$396; Aspire) and 310 Euros (~$384; ThinkPad). If you add the cost of a used Windows license (about 30 Euros; ~$37), the two cost just under 100 Euros more (~$123) than the S20-30.

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In review: Lenovo S20-30 (59423388). Test model courtesy of: www.cyberport.de
In review: Lenovo S20-30 (59423388). Test model courtesy of: www.cyberport.de

Specifications

Lenovo S20-30 (S20-30 Series)
Processor
Intel Celeron N2830 2 x 2.2 - 2.4 GHz, Bay Trail-M
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Core: 750 MHz, 10.18.10.3540
Memory
2048 MB 
, DDR3, Single-Channel, Soldered
Display
11.60 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, Chi Mei N116BGE-L32, TN LED, glossy: no
Storage
Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD5000LPCX-24C6HT0, 500 GB 
, 5400 rpm, 390 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Valleyview SoC - HD Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 1, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Realtek RTL8102E Family PCI-E Fast Ethernet (10/100MBit/s), Broadcom BCM43142 (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 20.9 x 299 x 207 ( = 0.82 x 11.77 x 8.15 in)
Battery
36 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Windows 8.1 (64 Bit) + Bing
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, Cyberlink PowerDirector 10, McAfee LiveSafe-Internet Security (trial version), MS Office (trial version), Nitro Pro 9, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.3 kg ( = 45.86 oz / 2.87 pounds), Power Supply: 293 g ( = 10.34 oz / 0.65 pounds)
Price
249 Euro

 

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Links

  • Manufacturer's information

Price Comparison

Pros

+Matte display
+Runs quietly
+Good battery life
+Low energy consumption
+Low price
 

Cons

-Display lacks contrast
-No maintenance hatch
-Only 12-month warranty

Shortcut

What we like

The good battery life and the fact that it runs quietly.

What we'd like to see

A higher-contrast display.

What surprises us

Nothing.

The competition

Acer Aspire E3-111-C6LG, Asus F200MA-CT067H, Acer Aspire V3-111P-P06A, Acer Aspire V5-132P, HP Pavilion 11-n070eg x360, MSI S12T-3MA441, Acer Aspire V5-131.

Rating

Lenovo S20-30 - 11/11/2014 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
74 / 98 → 76%
Keyboard
71%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
52 / 80 → 65%
Weight
71 / 35-78 → 84%
Battery
88%
Display
73%
Games Performance
37 / 68 → 54%
Application Performance
43 / 87 → 49%
Temperature
91 / 91 → 100%
Noise
86%
Audio
30 / 91 → 33%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
64%
75%
Netbook - Weighted Average
Sascha Mölck, 2014-11-23 (Update: 2018-05-15)