Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL Laptop Review: Premium Ice Lake convertible is a strong competitor for the Dell XPS 13
The Lenovo Yoga 900 series enters in its fifth generation with the Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL. The premium convertible represents the "top of the line" in terms of Lenovo 2-in-1s for the consumer market. For the first time ever, it contains a 14-inch screen and as one of the first Lenovo laptops, it is powered by the latest Intel Ice Lake processors. Even beyond Lenovo, the Yoga C940 is one of the first laptops with the new 10 nm CPUs that we can test. Another laptop with the new CPUs that we have already tested is the Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1. The other comparison devices are listed in the table under the specifications.
Our review unit is neither high nor low end. It contains the Intel Core i7-1065G7, 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD as well as the FHD screen. This configuration costs €1,700 (~$1875) here in Germany, though it can be had cheaper for about €1,550 (~$1710) if one is a student.
Since Lenovo has carried over the design of the Lenovo Yoga C930 in many ways, this review is just an update. For more in-depth information on the connectivity, design and input devices, we redirect you to our review of the previous model.
#compare_competitor
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88.2 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2019 | Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU) | 1.4 kg | 14.95 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 86.3 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2019 | Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU) | 1.3 kg | 13 mm | 13.40" | 1920x1200 | |
| 86 % v7 (old) | 09 / 2019 | HP Spectre x360 13-ap0312ng i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.3 kg | 14.7 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | |
| 87.1 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2018 | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.4 kg | 14.9 mm | 13.90" | 1920x1080 |
Changes compared with the Lenovo Yoga C930
Even though Lenovo has left the design of the Yoga C930 basically unchanged, there are a few minor design changes. For one, the hinge design has been altered and the Yoga C940 sports a large single piece hinge. The pen is still stored at the back of the machine, but Lenovo has removed the spring that released the pen when pressed down – instead, it now has to be pulled out. Also, the Chinese manufacturer has introduced the "reverse notch", which we already know from the Lenovo Yoga S940. Opening the screen is a little bit easier this way.
Lenovo PC with a basic array of connectors
Lenovo laptop display brighter than the LCD of the Lenovo Yoga C930
With the Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL, Lenovo finally brings the screen size up to 14 inches – originally, the flagship Yogas contained 13.3-inch LCDs. With the Lenovo Yoga 910 the screen-size was increased to 13.9 inch to minimize screen bezels. Now, it is a 14-inch screen, though sadly still in the rather narrow 16:9 format – a taller 3:2 or 16:10 screen would probably suit this Lenovo Yoga tablet a lot better.
Buyers of the Yoga laptop have a choice between two glossy IPS touch LCDs with HDR support. As the premium option, there is a 4K UHD LCD (3,840x2,160) with 500 cd/m² of brightness and wider color gamut. Our review unit contains the basic FHD (1,920x1,080 pixel) screen with 400 cd/m² of brightness. Unfortunately, the panel used in our review sample does not reach the promised brightness value. On average, the screen is 363 cd/m² bright. With this measurement, it is at least brighter than the FHD screen of its predecessor of the HP Spectre x360 13. On the other hand, the WUXGA LCD of the new XPS 13 2-in-1 is far brighter.
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Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 383 cd/m²
Contrast: 2259:1 (Black: 0.17 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91, calibrated: 1
ΔE Greyscale 4.6 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
97.7% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.32
| Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL LP140WF9-SPE2, , 1920x1080, 14" | Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 Sharp LQ134N1, , 1920x1200, 13.4" | HP Spectre x360 13-ap0312ng M133NVF3, , 1920x1080, 13.3" | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 AUO B139HAN03_0, , 1920x1080, 13.9" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 4% | -6% | -5% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 66 | 69.9 6% | 63 -5% | 62.7 -5% |
| sRGB Coverage | 97.9 | 99.2 1% | 89.8 -8% | 92.6 -5% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 67.3 | 71.5 6% | 64.1 -5% | 64.7 -4% |
| Response Times | 4% | 37% | 23% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 49.6 ? | 47.6 ? 4% | 29.2 ? 41% | 34.4 ? 31% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 30 ? | 29.2 ? 3% | 20 ? 33% | 25.6 ? 15% |
| PWM Frequency | 2500 ? | 1000 ? | ||
| Screen | 0% | -44% | -68% | |
| Brightness middle | 384 | 549.8 43% | 272 -29% | 312 -19% |
| Brightness | 363 | 520 43% | 298 -18% | 295 -19% |
| Brightness Distribution | 90 | 86 -4% | 84 -7% | 87 -3% |
| Black Level * | 0.17 | 0.39 -129% | 0.39 -129% | 0.43 -153% |
| Contrast | 2259 | 1410 -38% | 697 -69% | 726 -68% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.5 | 2.12 39% | 4.3 -23% | 7.6 -117% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.5 | 3.66 33% | 9 -64% | 15.06 -174% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1 | 1.37 -37% | 2.4 -140% | 1.96 -96% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.6 | 2.6 43% | 4.4 4% | 8.8 -91% |
| Gamma | 2.32 95% | 2.3 96% | 1.97 112% | 2.01 109% |
| CCT | 6884 94% | 6884 94% | 5825 112% | 6874 95% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 62 | 65.4 5% | 58.9 -5% | 59.1 -5% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 97.7 | 99.7 2% | 89.8 -8% | 92.3 -6% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 3% /
1% | -4% /
-27% | -17% /
-45% |
* ... smaller is better
The contrast value of 2259:1 is excellent and better than all the competitors. Color reproduction is very good as well and it can be enhanced by enabling HDR in certain apps, too. Ex-factory, there is a slight blue teint, which we could remove with a calibration. The panel has an appropriate sRGB color gamut coverage of 97.7 %, which enables basic photo editing.
Despite the glossy surface, the Yoga C940 can be used outdoors, since the LCD is bright enough. Using it outside however means having to live with annoying reflections and the sun should be avoided completely.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 16.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 13.6 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. » 78 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 49.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 23.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 26 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 84 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| 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 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The viewing-angle stability is – typical for an IPS panel – very good.
Performance: Ice-Lake convinces in the Lenovo Yoga C940 as well
Buyers of the Lenovo laptop Yoga C940 have the choice between two different processor options: Lenovo offers the Intel Core i5-1035G4 as well as the Intel Core i7-1065G7. The GPU selection is connected to the CPUs. There are two choices: The Intel Iris Plus Graphics G4 (48 EUs) and the Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (64 EUs). The soldered LPDDR4X-3733 memory has a capacity of 8 or 16 GB. In terms of storage, the SSD either has a capacity of 512 GB or 1 TB.
Processor
The Intel Core i7-1065G7 is a brand new quad core processor of the recent Ice Lake generation. This 15-W CPU is manufactured in the new 10 nm process. Its maximum clock-rate sits at 3.9 GHz, the base clock at 1.3 GHz. Comparisons with other processors are possible with our CPU benchmark list.
Ex-factory, the Lenovo Yoga tablet runs in the "Intelligent Cooling" mode. This feature of the Lenovo Vantage app regulates the performance in a dynamic way. Because of this feature, the CPU performance is slightly lower than it could be, which means lower temperatures too. It is possible to deactivate the Intelligent Cooling mode and to enable the performance mode instead. Doing so will result in temperatures of roughly 95 degrees Celsius (~203 degrees Fahrenheit) during the Cinebench loop as well as a higher power limit of 25 W (40 W at the beginning of the first Cinebench iteration).
No matter if the Yoga C940 is running in the Intelligent Cooling mode or the performance mode – the short-term boost performance of the Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL is worse than the Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 with the same CPU. On the other hand, the performance under continuous load is better, especially in the performance mode. The Lenovo Yoga C930 is clearly slower than its successor.
The CPU performance is not limited in battery mode.
System performance
There is nothing to complain about when it comes to the system performance, neither in the benchmarks nor in everyday use.
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 4003 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 5158 points | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 4583 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Solution
The single M.2 2280 SSD is made by Samsung. The extremely fast PCIe NVMe SSD PM981 has a capacity of 512 GB. It is faster than the SSDs of all the other convertibles.
| Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ | Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZPZ512G | HP Spectre x360 13-ap0312ng Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | Average Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -16% | -26% | -30% | -8% | |
| Write 4K | 128.4 | 106.7 -17% | 105.1 -18% | 108.7 -15% | 126.7 ? -1% |
| Read 4K | 46.37 | 49.94 8% | 42.3 -9% | 40.91 -12% | 44 ? -5% |
| Write Seq | 1863 | 1223 -34% | 677 -64% | 798 -57% | 1617 ? -13% |
| Read Seq | 2340 | 1801 -23% | 2092 -11% | 1610 -31% | 1716 ? -27% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 451.1 | 325.3 -28% | 378.8 -16% | 385.1 -15% | 413 ? -8% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 415.3 | 551 33% | 271.3 -35% | 305.8 -26% | 420 ? 1% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 2985 | 1224 -59% | 527 -82% | 779 -74% | 2076 ? -30% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 2565 | 2350 -8% | 3175 24% | 2359 -8% | 3130 ? 22% |
GPU
The Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 is the fastest integrated GPU available in the recent Intel Ice Lake processors. It has 64 executive units, but it does not have its own dedicated memory, different from older Iris GPUs. The performance of this iGPU depends on the main system memory. It has to run in the dual channel mode to bring out the maximum performance of the iGPU – luckily, the memory does run in the dual channel mode in the case of the Lenovo Yoga C940.
Different from the normal Intel UHD Graphics 620, the Iris GPU can be used for modern games, though the graphical details certainly have to be reduced a lot. In terms of pure GPU performance, the Intel Iris GPU is still a little bit slower than the Nvidia GeForce MX250, even though the difference is not huge. The GPU is definitely suitable for some light gaming.
We could not detect any GPU throttling in the battery mode.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 4929 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 945 points | |
Help | ||
| The Witcher 3 - 1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Average of class Convertible (28 - 257, n=42, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T490-20N3S02L00 | |
| Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL | |
| Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 | |
| Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU) (20.8 - 36.8, n=18) | |
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 111.9 | 71.9 | 61.2 | 21.7 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 56 | 35.8 | 18.9 | |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 101 | 60 | 34.2 | 29.3 |
| Rainbow Six Siege (2015) | 98.2 | 61.5 | 33.6 | 27.7 |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) | 45.7 | 28.7 | 15.4 | |
| Rocket League (2017) | 123 | 64.8 | 45.6 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 42.9 | 20.7 | 19.4 | |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) | 29 | 14 | ||
| Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) | 24 | |||
| Battlefield V (2018) | 43 | 20.6 | 17.2 | |
| Far Cry New Dawn (2019) | 32 | 17 | ||
| The Division 2 (2019) | 27 | |||
| Anno 1800 (2019) | 41 | 15.6 | ||
| Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) | 63.3 | 13.1 | ||
| F1 2019 (2019) | 35 | 23 |
Emissions: Good speakers & not a lot of fan noise or heat
Noise
In terms of noise, the Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL is very low-key. The fan is permanently shut off when it is idling and it does not get very loud under load. Unfortunately, we did detect coil whine, though it was only audible when an ear was pressed against the keyboard.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 29.3 / 29.3 / 29.3 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 33.3 / 33.3 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 29.3 dB(A) | ||
Temperatures
With the Intelligent Cooling mode enabled, we measured 44.6 degrees Celsius (~112 degrees Fahrenheit) as the maximum temperature of the outer chassis. That is completely OK for such a thin laptop, especially since the palmrest always stays completely cool. In the stress test, the CPU can consume 40 W at the beginning of the test, reaching 2.4 GHz. After an hour, the power consumption sits at 17 W, which translates into clock-rates of 1.1 GHz. This is TDP throttling, which should not affect everyday use in any way. Also, it only occurs with the Intelligent Cooling mode enabled.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 60 °C for the class Convertible.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44.6 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.6 °C / 74 F, compared to the device average of 30.3 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.5 °C / 85.1 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 (-1.4 °C / -2.5 F).
Speakers
Lenovo has not changed anything about the speaker system with a total of four speakers (two at the bottom, two in the hinge). The speakers still deliver a very good performance and they effortlessly compete with the speakers of the Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1.
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | reduced highs - on average 7.6% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 28% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 64% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 27% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 66% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 7.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 21% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 17% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 79% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy management of the Lenovo computer
Power consumption
There are positive changes when it comes to the power consumption, as it has decreased compared with the predecessor. However, the comparison against the Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 does not bode well for the Lenovo Yoga C940.
| Off / Standby | 0.45 / 0.53 Watt |
| Idle | 3.2 / 7 / 8.9 Watt |
| Load |
47.6 / 63.1 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14" | Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZPZ512G, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.4" | HP Spectre x360 13-ap0312ng i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.3" | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.9" | Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU) | Average of class Convertible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 19% | 4% | -9% | 2% | -22% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.2 | 2.6 19% | 4.32 -35% | 3.4 -6% | 3.91 ? -22% | 5.21 ? -63% |
| Idle Average * | 7 | 5.3 24% | 6.84 2% | 7.5 -7% | 7.33 ? -5% | 8.16 ? -17% |
| Idle Maximum * | 8.9 | 7 21% | 8.64 3% | 11.8 -33% | 9.16 ? -3% | 11.1 ? -25% |
| Load Average * | 47.6 | 43.1 9% | 31.8 33% | 47.7 -0% | 39.2 ? 18% | 46.2 ? 3% |
| Load Maximum * | 63.1 | 49 22% | 53 16% | 63.2 -0% | 49.8 ? 21% | 67 ? -6% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 43.1 |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
The internal battery of the Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL has a capacity of 60 Wh, which means it is bigger than the ebattery of the Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1. Despite the lower power consumption of the Dell XPS 13, the Lenovo Yoga C940 still managed to achieve a better battery life in the Wi-Fi test. With a screen brightness of just 150 cd/m², the Yoga tablet ran for over 10 hours. Repeated with the maximum screen brightness, the Yoga lasted 7.5 hours in the same test.
| Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 60 Wh | Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 51 Wh | HP Spectre x360 13-ap0312ng i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620, 61 Wh | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh | Average of class Convertible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -16% | 25% | 4% | 23% | |
| H.264 | 793 | 643 -19% | 773 ? -3% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 | 636 | 537 -16% | 531 -17% | 664 4% | 594 ? -7% |
| Load | 64 | 135 111% | 114.9 ? 80% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Lenovo continues its high-end Yoga line with the Yoga C940-14IIL and has equipped it with the latest Ice Lake processors for the first time. This is a well executed evolutionary update.
Without a doubt, the new Intel Core i7-1065G7 is the heart of the Yoga tablet. In terms of CPU and especially the GPU performance, the new CPU platforms brings a huge improvement in performance, which makes the Yoga C940 even suitable for light gaming. This was accomplished without an increase in heat or noise – on the contrary, there is a decrease in both areas. The battery life continues to be good. Compared with the Yoga C930, there is a new, brighter FHD screen, which is definitely a welcome improvement. Apart from that, Lenovo carries over many good things from the predecessors, such as the premium metal build, the integrated stylus or the strong quad speaker system.
There are barely any weak points. One of the few is definitely the lack of ports as well as the small amount of coil whine. Also, it is needlessly complicated to open up the Yoga C940 (as screws are hidden beneath rubber feet). It would be nice too if Lenovo would offer a matte screen option and if the LCD panel would hit the promised brightness value of 400 cd/m².
Lenovo does not make any deal-breaking mistakes in this case – which is why the Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL will probably make it onto many wish-lists this holiday season.
These weak-points are not decisive for us. We can wholeheartedly recommend the Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL. It is a premium laptop that offers a lot of quality and flexibility, which target groups such as students will appreciate. The Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 has a tough competitor here.
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
- 10/12/2019 v7 (old)
Benjamin Herzig
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