Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga (Core i5-8265U, 256 GB, FHD) Convertible Review
The successor to the ThinkPad L380 Yoga is here, which Lenovo has aptly named the ThinkPad L390 Yoga. The ThinkPad L Yoga series is characterized by being affordable devices that retain the excellent features of their more expensive ThinkPad counterparts. Hence, these devices are suitable not only for small businesses but also for educational institutions thanks to their affordable pricing. Private buyers should take a closer look at the ThinkPad L390 Yoga too though as it does much of what more expensive devices can do but at a fraction of the cost.
Lenovo sells the ThinkPad L390 Yoga in three basic configurations, the cheapest of which starts at €779 (~ US$878). The company equips the base model with an Intel Core i3-8145U processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD along with a Lenovo Active Pen Pro. The most expensive model has a Core i7-8565U processor and currently costs €1,189 (~ US$1,341). The convertible also comes with 8 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD and the Active Pen Pro. The configurations are not fixed though, with Lenovo listing up to 32 GB of RAM as an option during the ordering process, for example.
Our review unit is the midrange model, which Lenovo equips with a Core i5-8265U processor, 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD. This configuration costs €1,039 (~ US$1,172) at the time of writing and comes with an Active Pen Pro too.
We have chosen to compare the ThinkPad L390 Yoga against other comparably priced 13.3-inch convertibles including its predecessor, the L380 Yoga. Our other comparison devices are the Acer Spin 5 SP513, the Dell Inspiron 13 5379 and the Lenovo Yoga C930.
Case
Lenovo has refined the display lid compared to the L380 Yoga. While the latter has an aluminum lid, the L390 Yoga’s is made from an aluminum and magnesium composite, which is sturdy yet light. The remainder of the case is identical though, so please see our L380 Yoga review for our thoughts on its case. This also applies to our Connectivity and Communication sections.
Connectivity
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Average of class Convertible (17.7 - 177.7, n=36, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Average of class Convertible (22.6 - 263, n=34, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) |
Communication
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Average of class Convertible (1003 - 1395, n=2, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Average of class Convertible (1178 - 1578, n=2, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF |
Maintenance
The internal components are laid out identically as they are in the L380 Yoga too. We would recommend carefully prying the bottom plate from the case using a flat plastic tool as Lenovo has secured the plate with several retaining clips that are easily damaged. Once removed, you can clean or change most components like the battery, the fan, the heatsink the RAM, the SSD and the Wi-Fi card. Lenovo has left one SO-DIMM slot free too, which makes it simple to upgrade to 16 GB RAM should you wish to do so. This does mean that our review unit operates in single-channel mode out of the box though, the limitations of which we will go into greater detail later in this review.
Display
The L390 Yoga has a 13.3-inch IPS touchscreen display that operates natively at 1,920 x 1,080. The panel also has a pixel density of 166 PPI and a 16:9 aspect ratio. Unfortunately, Lenovo does not offer an optional UHD or WQHD panel.
Our review unit achieved an average maximum brightness of 295 cd/m², which is just shy of the 300 cd/m² that Lenovo details in the L390 Yoga spec sheet. The display achieved 300 cd/m² or brighter at two points of the display though. The L390 Yoga finishes second in our comparison table here, but it is 5% darker than its predecessor. The two ThinkPad L Yoga series convertibles share the same black value, which results in the L390 Yoga achieving a 1,423:1 contrast that again puts it second to the L380 Yoga in our comparison table.
Positively, our test device suffers from hardly any backlight bleeding, which is better than many other laptops that we have tested. Moreover, while the L390 Yoga uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate its display luminosity, which can cause eyestrain and headaches for some people, the frequency is so high it should not trouble even those who are PWM sensitive. We measured a PWM frequency of 1,000 Hz, for reference.
|
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 311 cd/m²
Contrast: 1423:1 (Black: 0.22 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.2 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.5
ΔE Greyscale 8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
90.6% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
59.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
66.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
90.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
69.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.38
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE LEN4094, NV133FHM-N5A, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE M133NWF4-R3, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 BOE BOE06A7, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB B139HAN03_0, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90 | Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF LC133LF102, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 0% | -36% | -1% | 3% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 69.2 | 65.1 -6% | 41.2 -40% | 64.3 -7% | 69.8 1% |
sRGB Coverage | 90.6 | 95.5 5% | 61.7 -32% | 94.6 4% | 94.6 4% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 66.3 | 66.9 1% | 42.6 -36% | 66.2 0% | 69.3 5% |
Response Times | -15% | -20% | 23% | 10% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 51.2 ? | 47 ? 8% | 45 ? 12% | 40.8 ? 20% | 49 ? 4% |
Response Time Black / White * | 36.8 ? | 28 ? 24% | 33 ? 10% | 27.6 ? 25% | 27 ? 27% |
PWM Frequency | 1000 ? | 217 ? -78% | 192 ? -81% | 1000 ? 0% | |
Screen | 6% | -16% | -7% | 11% | |
Brightness middle | 313 | 323 3% | 274 -12% | 316 1% | 295 -6% |
Brightness | 295 | 310 5% | 272 -8% | 291 -1% | 276 -6% |
Brightness Distribution | 90 | 88 -2% | 81 -10% | 83 -8% | 88 -2% |
Black Level * | 0.22 | 0.22 -0% | 0.32 -45% | 0.36 -64% | 0.27 -23% |
Contrast | 1423 | 1468 3% | 856 -40% | 878 -38% | 1093 -23% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 6.2 | 5 19% | 5.57 10% | 5.9 5% | 2.97 52% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 10.7 | 9.56 11% | 13.48 -26% | 12.9 -21% | 5.67 47% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 2.5 | 1.3 48% | |||
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 8 | 6.64 17% | 4.66 42% | 8.6 -8% | 3.12 61% |
Gamma | 2.38 92% | 2.2 100% | 2.53 87% | 2.1 105% | 2.45 90% |
CCT | 7100 92% | 6638 98% | 7010 93% | 6854 95% | 6676 97% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 59.1 | 61 3% | 39 -34% | 60.7 3% | 62 5% |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 90.6 | 95 5% | 61 -33% | 94.5 4% | 94 4% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -3% /
1% | -24% /
-20% | 5% /
-2% | 8% /
9% |
* ... smaller is better
Colors look vibrant on our test device thanks to its good contrast ratio, but its Delta E-2000 deviations were too high upon delivery. The L380 Yoga struggled in this regard too, but the L390 Yoga’s are even higher. We significantly improved our review unit’s color accuracy with further calibration though, the associated ICC profile of which we have included in the box above our comparison table. Please note that for some reason our ICC profile caused the average maximum display luminosity to drop to 250 cd/m², which is 18% darker than without the profile applied.
The L390 achieved slightly lower color space coverage than its predecessor, with its 59.1% AdobeRGB and 90.6% sRGB coverages meaning that the display is only accurate enough for hobbyist image editing. We would recommend considering a more color accurate device if you are a professional user.
The L390 Yoga is relatively easy to use outdoors, despite its display’s glossy finish and its low maximum luminosity. However, Lenovo has added an anti-reflective coating that helps to diffuse some reflections. Hence, the screen remains readable even in the sunshine, but we would recommend avoiding direct sunlight, where possible.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
36.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 19.2 ms rise | |
↘ 17.6 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 94 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
51.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 26.8 ms rise | |
↘ 24.4 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. » 86 % 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)
Screen flickering / PWM detected | 1000 Hz | ≤ 99 % brightness setting | |
The display backlight flickers at 1000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 1000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Viewing angle stability is particularly important for a convertible laptop. The IPS display offers good viewing angles, especially when looking at the display from side-on. A blue tint appears at more acute angles, while the contrast drops at oblique angles, but overall the display should remain readable in daily use regardless of how you look at it.
Performance
The L390 Yoga is largely a refreshed L380 Yoga with Whiskey Lake processors, which have higher clock speeds than their Kaby Lake R predecessors. Lenovo has equipped our test device with a Core i5-8265U processor, 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD, which should be powerful enough for most people.
The company also sells a cheaper model should you be on a budget, which comes with a Core i3-8145U processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD. You can subsequently upgrade the RAM and SSD should you wish to do so, but the CPU is soldered to the motherboard similar to almost all laptop CPUs, which prevents it from being upgraded. There is a Core i7-8565U model too should you need more performance, but our test system is still competent, and we did not encounter any noticeable DPC latencies during our tests.
Processor
The Core i5-8265U is a quad-core processor that can execute up to 8 threads thanks to Intel Hyperthreading. The CPU has a 1.6 GHz base clock speed that can Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHz on one core and 3.7 GHz across all cores when required.
The Core i5-8265U succeeds the popular Core i5-8250U and predictably delivers better performance in synthetic benchmarks. Our review unit achieved up to 12% better single-core performance than its predecessor and 22% in multi-threaded benchmarks like Cinebench R15 Multi 64Bit.
We also subjected our test device to a looped CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark to determine how well it can maintain its peak CPU performance under sustained load. Please note that we had HWiNFO logging system information throughout our looped benchmark, which is why the L390 Yoga achieved lower peak CB R15 scores than it did in our initial tests.
The CPU can consume up to 51 W for 28 seconds, but its core temperatures rapidly rose to 90 °C (194 °F) during our tests, at which point our review unit started to thermal throttle. You can see how hard the system throttles in the graph below, with the benchmark dropping by 100 points in the second run through. The CPU had cooled sufficiently by the fifth benchmark in which it scored 563 points, but the scores gradually dropped to 525 points by the end of the loop. In short, the L390 Yoga achieved considerably higher scores than its predecessor, and many of our other Core i5-8250U equipped comparison devices, but it is on par with the Inspiron 13 5379, despite the latter having a theoretically weaker processor.
Please see our CPU benchmarks page for more information about the Core i5-8265U and how it compares against other processors.
Cinebench R15 | |
CPU Single 64Bit | |
Average of class Convertible (68.6 - 287, n=64, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (111 - 164, n=35) | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
CPU Multi 64Bit | |
Average of class Convertible (110.1 - 2889, n=66, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (457 - 750, n=38) | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE |
Cinebench R11.5 | |
CPU Single 64Bit | |
Average of class Convertible (1.86 - 3.26, n=7, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (1.73 - 1.88, n=6) | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
CPU Multi 64Bit | |
Average of class Convertible (4.31 - 25, n=7, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (5.22 - 7.22, n=6) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE |
Cinebench R10 | |
Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit | |
Average of class Convertible (8098 - 12816, n=3, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (7705 - 7975, n=4) | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit | |
Average of class Convertible (40308 - 58815, n=3, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (18924 - 25361, n=4) |
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
Average of class Convertible (124.8 - 443, n=5, last 2 years) | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (193.7 - 244, n=19) | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 |
Octane V2 - Total Score | |
Average of class Convertible (23395 - 92146, n=16, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (12842 - 35563, n=23) | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (851 - 1245, n=25) | |
Average of class Convertible (472 - 3989, n=65, last 2 years) |
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U (769 - 1098, n=15) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Average of class Convertible (193 - 3620, n=60, last 2 years) |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
The L390 Yoga achieved comparatively good system performance benchmark results. Our review unit finished top of our comparison tables in all but two system performance benchmarks, where it fell just short of the Yoga C930-13IKB. The newer processor helped the L390 Yoga consistently outscore its predecessor though.
It is worth pointing out that these results are consistent with our subjective impressions that the L390 Yoga is a powerful convertible.
PCMark 8 | |
Home Score Accelerated v2 | |
Average of class Convertible (4404 - 5830, n=3, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620 (2747 - 4244, n=24) | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF | |
Work Score Accelerated v2 | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
Average Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620 (3132 - 4927, n=23) | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF | |
Average of class Convertible (2921 - 6089, n=3, last 2 years) |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3780 points | |
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 | 4924 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4843 points | |
PCMark 10 Score | 3840 points | |
Help |
Storage Devices
Lenovo equipped our test device with a 256 GB Samsung PM981 SSD, which is faster than the drives in our comparison devices. The PM981 is a PCIe drive that utilizes the NVMe protocol, which helps it achieve fast sequential transfer speeds of over 1 GB/s. By contrast, the Inspiron 13 5379 has a Micron 1100 SSD that cannot exceed 600 MB/s because it operates on the much slower SATA III standard.
The PM981 also has excellent 4K read speeds of over 50 MB/s, which should ensure that programs and the OS load quickly. Please see our HDD/SSD benchmarks page for more information about the PM981 and how it compares against other drives.
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ | Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP | Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN | Average Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -8% | -62% | -35% | 32% | ||
Write 4K | 126.3 | 123.4 -2% | 71.2 -44% | 94.5 -25% | 116.1 ? -8% | |
Read 4K | 41.58 | 42.24 2% | 25.36 -39% | 39.95 -4% | 189.5 ? 356% | |
Write Seq | 1383 | 920 -33% | 196.3 -86% | 531 -62% | 1409 ? 2% | |
Read Seq | 2012 | 1991 -1% | 455.7 -77% | 1499 -25% | 1624 ? -19% | |
Write 4K Q32T1 | 543 | 531 -2% | 261 -52% | 315.3 -42% | 360 ? -34% | |
Read 4K Q32T1 | 411 | 373.6 -9% | 231.8 -44% | 279.8 -32% | 396 ? -4% | |
Write Seq Q32T1 | 1712 | 1360 -21% | 510 -70% | 829 -52% | 1492 ? -13% | |
Read Seq Q32T1 | 3423 | 3394 -1% | 525 -85% | 2570 -25% | 3313 ? -3% | |
Write 4K Q8T8 | 1031 | 332 -68% | 1152 ? 12% | |||
Read 4K Q8T8 | 572 | 488.6 -15% | 736 ? 29% | |||
AS SSD | -25% | -90% | -47% | -74% | -6% | |
Seq Read | 1724 | 1609 -7% | 462.8 -73% | 1850 7% | 486.3 -72% | 2032 ? 18% |
Seq Write | 1123 | 859 -24% | 365.7 -67% | 661 -41% | 421.4 -62% | 1339 ? 19% |
4K Read | 51.8 | 49.34 -5% | 24.71 -52% | 38.04 -27% | 25.48 -51% | 46.1 ? -11% |
4K Write | 133.8 | 117 -13% | 68.2 -49% | 95 -29% | 80.8 -40% | 107.4 ? -20% |
4K-64 Read | 745 | 774 4% | 232.2 -69% | 434.3 -42% | 235.5 -68% | 712 ? -4% |
4K-64 Write | 1193 | 299.9 -75% | 245.1 -79% | 266.3 -78% | 216.5 -82% | 999 ? -16% |
Access Time Read * | 0.041 | 0.049 -20% | 0.13 -217% | 0.069 -68% | 0.11 -168% | 0.07076 ? -73% |
Access Time Write * | 0.028 | 0.031 -11% | 0.074 -164% | 0.056 -100% | 0.055 -96% | 0.04352 ? -55% |
Score Read | 969 | 984 2% | 303 -69% | 657 -32% | 310 -68% | 961 ? -1% |
Score Write | 1440 | 503 -65% | 350 -76% | 427 -70% | 340 -76% | 1240 ? -14% |
Score Total | 2889 | 1966 -32% | 812 -72% | 1373 -52% | 813 -72% | 2671 ? -8% |
Copy ISO MB/s | 1025 | 747 -27% | 539 -47% | 327.5 -68% | 1297 ? 27% | |
Copy Program MB/s | 322.1 | 216.3 -33% | 209.7 -35% | 157.3 -51% | 409 ? 27% | |
Copy Game MB/s | 637 | 364.9 -43% | 340 -47% | 246.6 -61% | 786 ? 23% | |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -17% /
-19% | -76% /
-78% | -41% /
-42% | -74% /
-74% | 13% /
10% |
* ... smaller is better
Graphics Card
The L390 Yoga relies on the Intel UHD Graphics 620 for graphics, which is integrated within the Core i5-8265U. It is worth noting that Lenovo does not offer an optional dedicated GPU with the L390 Yoga.
The UHD Graphics 620 clocks between 300 to 1,100 MHz and is the same GPU that Intel integrated within the Core i5-8250U. The chip manufacturer has made no incremental improvements to the UHD Graphics 620; it is an identical iGPU. The UHD Graphics 620 can run the H.265/HEVC and VP9 codecs natively, which takes the pressure off the CPU. The iGPU can decode the former in the Main 10 profile with a 10-bit colour depth, for reference. In short, the UHD Graphics 620 is powerful enough to play high-resolution videos smoothly.
The iGPU in our review unit operates in single-channel mode because Lenovo has equipped the system with one 8 GB SO-DIMM module. This limits GPU performance as is demonstrated in our comparison tables, with the Yoga C930 outscoring the L390 Yoga by up to 15% in 3DMark benchmarks, despite being equipped with the same iGPU. Fortunately, adding a second identical SO-DIMM module rectifies this and enables dual-channel mode, which would improve GPU performance.
Please see GPU benchmarks page for more information about the UHD Graphics 620 and how it compares against other GPUs.
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
Average of class Convertible (471 - 40768, n=64, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (1144 - 3432, n=244) | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 |
3DMark | |
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics | |
Average of class Convertible (2965 - 154219, n=50, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (6205 - 16400, n=225) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics | |
Average of class Convertible (365 - 29684, n=64, last 2 years) | |
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (557 - 2608, n=213) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE | |
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 |
SPECviewperf 13 | |
Solidworks (sw-04) | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (28 - 37.6, n=7) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Siemens NX (snx-03) | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (4.37 - 5.37, n=7) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Showcase (showcase-02) | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (4.99 - 8.34, n=7) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Medical (medical-02) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (1.96 - 2.26, n=7) | |
Maya (maya-05) | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (15.7 - 23, n=7) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Energy (energy-02) | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (0.21 - 2.85, n=6) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Creo (creo-02) | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (15.2 - 18.9, n=7) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
Catia (catia-05) | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (17.4 - 23.4, n=7) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE | |
3ds Max (3dsmax-06) | |
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 (10.8 - 15, n=7) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE |
3DMark 11 Performance | 1874 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 57630 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 7947 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 1000 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score | 452 points | |
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Gaming Performance
The UHD Graphics 620 can only handle simple or older games like BioShock Infinite and Dota 2 Reborn. Even these games are only playable at minimum graphics in 720p, although enabling dual-channel mode may make Dota 2 Reborn playable at medium graphics settings.
Please see our games benchmark page for more information about what games can be played on the UHD Graphics 620 and how it compares against other GPUs too.
low | med. | high | ultra | |
BioShock Infinite (2013) | 54.3 | 29.1 | 23.7 | 7.3 |
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 69.5 | 38.7 | 18 | 16 |
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 30.3 | 22.7 | 19.1 |
Emissions
Fan Noise
The L390 Yoga uses a single heat pipe and fan to cool its CPU, but the system operates almost silently while idling. The fan occasionally spins up, but it only reaches a maximum of 30.6 dB(A) under load, which is comparatively quiet even for a convertible laptop. In short, the L390 Yoga has one of the quietest active cooling systems that we tested.
We should also note that we noticed no coil whine or any other electrical interference during our tests.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 29.5 / 29.5 / 29.5 dB(A) |
Load |
| 30.6 / 30.6 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 29.5 dB(A) |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ | Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP | Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | -4% | -5% | -2% | -6% | |
off / environment * | 29.5 | 30.4 -3% | 30.1 -2% | 29.3 1% | 30.4 -3% |
Idle Minimum * | 29.5 | 30.4 -3% | 30.1 -2% | 29.3 1% | 30.4 -3% |
Idle Average * | 29.5 | 30.4 -3% | 30.1 -2% | 29.3 1% | 30.4 -3% |
Idle Maximum * | 29.5 | 30.8 -4% | 30.1 -2% | 29.7 -1% | 30.9 -5% |
Load Average * | 30.6 | 32.1 -5% | 33 -8% | 31.8 -4% | 34 -11% |
Load Maximum * | 30.6 | 32.9 -8% | 35 -14% | 32.7 -7% | 33.5 -9% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Unfortunately, the restrained fan causes surface temperatures to exceed 50 °C (122 °F) in some areas when the system is operating under sustained load. Our review unit feels cool to the touch while idling, but we would recommend keeping the machine off your lap if you are pushing it hard.
Moreover, we subjected our test device to a series of stress tests to determine how it manages its internal temperatures under sustained load. CPU core temperatures reached a maximum of 92 °C (197.6 °F), which caused our review unit to thermal throttle, although the CPU almost constantly achieved its 15 W TDP.
Furthermore, the CPU operated at 2.4 GHz during our one-hour Prime95 stress test despite its high core temperatures, which is 800 MHz higher than its base clock speed. The iGPU also reached 85 °C (185 °F) and maintained a stable 900 MHz clock speed, which is closer to its maximum potential.
However, the CPU averaged just 1.27 GHz during our combined FurMark and Prime95 stress test, while the iGPU still achieved 900 MHz. The CPU and iGPU share the same TDP, so the former must share its power with the latter, which is why the CPU operated at a lower level than it did during just a Prime95 stress test.
We also noticed no reduction in 3D performance even after our stress tests.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.7 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 50.7 °C / 123 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.9 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 24.7 °C / 76.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (+3.4 °C / 6.1 F).
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ | Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP | Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | 0% | -23% | 6% | 1% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 46.7 | 45 4% | 43.2 7% | 41.8 10% | 41.8 10% |
Maximum Bottom * | 50.7 | 44.5 12% | 57.8 -14% | 40.9 19% | 47.8 6% |
Idle Upper Side * | 23.8 | 25.6 -8% | 35.7 -50% | 25.6 -8% | 26 -9% |
Idle Bottom * | 25.6 | 27.7 -8% | 34.6 -35% | 24.5 4% | 26.9 -5% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
Unfortunately, the L390 Yoga’s speakers are in the same position as its predecessor. The downward firing stereo speakers are simply too quiet and lack bass, although the latter is an issue that the convertible shares with most laptops. Audio sounds comparatively balanced, but Lenovo equips its other devices, like the Yoga C930, with better speakers. The latter has speakers that are integrated within its 360 ° hinge, which helps it deliver richer sound than the L390 Yoga can. If Lenovo equips future ThinkPad Yogas with similar speakers, then nothing should stand in the way of us awarding a better rating in this regard.
Alternatively, you could connect external speakers or headphones via Bluetooth or the headphone jack for a better listening experience. The latter worked perfectly throughout our tests.
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 65% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 63% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 4.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | reduced highs - on average 5.1% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 16% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 13% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 84% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Power Management
Power Consumption
The L390 Yoga consumes slightly more than its predecessor and the class average. Our review unit consumes between 4 and 10.7 W at idle, which is higher than all our comparison devices. Moreover, the L390 Yoga consumes a maximum of 48.8 W under load, which puts the convertible second bottom of our comparison table and is 19.8 W more than the L380 Yoga consumes. In short, the L390 Yoga is not a power-hungry device, it just consumes more than all but the Yoga C930 of our comparison devices.
Lenovo includes a 65 W USB Type-C power supply in the box, which is powerful enough to charge the L390 Yoga even when it is pushed hard. It should also be possible to charge the convertible with other 65 W Type-C chargers too.
Off / Standby | 0.37 / 0.62 Watt |
Idle | 4 / 7.1 / 10.7 Watt |
Load |
33.8 / 48.8 Watt |
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90 | Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Average Intel UHD Graphics 620 | Average of class Convertible | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 18% | 15% | -1% | 12% | 5% | -24% | |
Idle Minimum * | 4 | 3.44 14% | 3.2 20% | 3.3 17% | 3.9 2% | 3.81 ? 5% | 5.48 ? -37% |
Idle Average * | 7.1 | 6.9 3% | 5.9 17% | 6.8 4% | 8.2 -15% | 6.94 ? 2% | 8.27 ? -16% |
Idle Maximum * | 10.7 | 9.2 14% | 8.8 18% | 9.5 11% | 8.8 18% | 8.75 ? 18% | 10.5 ? 2% |
Load Average * | 33.8 | 27.6 18% | 31.2 8% | 40.8 -21% | 28.5 16% | 35 ? -4% | 46 ? -36% |
Load Maximum * | 48.8 | 29 41% | 42.2 14% | 57 -17% | 30.7 37% | 47.5 ? 3% | 65 ? -33% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
The L390 Yoga has a 45 Wh battery, which is the same capacity as Lenovo used in the L380 Yoga. Our test device lasted for 15:49 hours while idling, which puts it second in our comparison table, but well behind the Yoga C930 and its 60 Wh battery.
Our test device needed recharging after just over 7 hours in our H.264 and Wi-Fi battery life tests, which we both conducted having set the display to approximately 150 cd/m², or 76%, and the Windows 10 power mode to Balanced. We also disabled any other power saving features. The L390 Yoga cannot compete with the Yoga C930 and the Acer Spin 5 in both tests, and it is even outlasted by its predecessor in our looped H.264 test.
Overall, the L390 Yoga has decent battery life that should last a full working day of moderate use, but the Yoga C930 will last noticeably longer before it needs recharging.
The L390 Yoga does not throttle on battery power though. Our review unit also takes just under two hours to recharge fully with the included power supply.
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh | Lenovo ThinkPad L380 Yoga-20M7001BGE i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh | Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh | Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N-54SF i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 53.9 Wh | Average of class Convertible | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | 3% | -6% | 40% | 16% | 38% | |
Reader / Idle | 949 | 833 -12% | 918 -3% | 1432 51% | 1138 ? 20% | |
H.264 | 444 | 508 14% | 632 42% | 731 ? 65% | ||
WiFi v1.3 | 431 | 420 -3% | 324 -25% | 550 28% | 500 16% | 557 ? 29% |
Load | 89 | 99 11% | 98 10% | 124 39% | 121.2 ? 36% |
Verdict
Pros
Cons
The Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga is a reasonably priced and well-made 13-inch convertible laptop. Lenovo has not abandoned what has impressed us about other ThinkPads to keep costs down too. The company constructs the L390 Yoga with glass fibre, aluminum and magnesium like it does with its more expensive siblings, which makes the L390 Yoga look premium and feel robust. Its wide screen bezels make the L390 Yoga look outdated, but that is still a trait of other ThinkPads. The keyboard delivers the same excellent typing experience that we have come to love on other ThinkPads, but it is a shame that Lenovo has omitted the lift & lock mechanism that it uses on its more expensive convertibles.
The upgrade to Whiskey Lake processors also brings a moderate increase in performance compared to the L380 Yoga, but the cooling system is quickly overwhelmed under sustained load, which can cause temporary thermal throttling. Hence, we are unsure how well the Core i7 model will perform in our tests. The fan is also impressively quiet, but it comes at the cost of high temperatures.
The Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga is an incremental upgrade over the L380 Yoga. The move to Whiskey Lake processors brings improved performance, and Lenovo has again delivered a budget convertible ThinkPad that does not compromise on the impressive craftsmanship, input devices and performance with which the ThinkPad name is synonymous.
We also liked the inclusion of a fast SSD, while Lenovo has equipped the convertible with a newer and faster Intel Wi-Fi module than the one in its predecessor. The budget ThinkPad remains easy to maintain and repair too, which is a bonus.
The display once again leaves us in two minds. It has stable viewing angles it is readable outdoors despite its glossy finish, but it is too dim and color inaccurate for our liking. Overall, the L390 Yoga is an impressive business convertible that delivers a ThinkPad experience on a budget.
Lenovo ThinkPad L390 Yoga-20NT000XGE
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02/13/2019 v6(old)
Sebastian Bade