Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarReview Update Lenovo IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE Notebook
For the original German review, see here.
The previously tested IdeaPad S300-MA145GE with a Core i3 and dedicated AMD graphics card even satisfied undemanding gamers. This is unknown to the IdeaPad S300 that we are now reviewing. The MA14CGE model features basic equipment in the form of a 1.8 GHz Pentium 2117U processor alongside the integrated Intel HD Graphics 2500. However, there is a price difference of 200 Euros (~$262) between both configurations. Our present review sample is available for 399 Euros (~$524).
There are not many contenders in this price range. Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge E335 based on AMD belongs to them as well as Asus' X301A that even sports a Core i3 processor. The buyer could also risk looking at the somewhat smaller Acer Aspire One 756 or Aspire One 725. The Asus X201E might also come into question.
Since no modifications have been made in casing, connectivity or input devices, we will start our review update with the screen's quality.
Display
13.3-inches, 16:9 aspect ratio and 1366x768 pixels are the key specs of the screen installed in the IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE. Although the size, format and native resolution are the same as in the stronger IdeaPad S300-MA145GE the screen is another type. This time, a model from Samsung is used.
This actually also brings along some improvements. For example, the maximum and average brightness are both approximately 50 cd/m² higher. The rates of 247 cd/m² and 220.9 cd/m² are even slightly higher than in the ThinkPad Edge E335 or Asus X301A. The screen is thus sufficiently bright for practical use.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 79 %
Center on Battery: 224 cd/m²
Contrast: 264:1 (Black: 0.85 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 12.09 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.95
ΔE Greyscale 13.65 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
39.07% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
56.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
37.78% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.67
Compared with the screen in the IdeaPad S300-MA145GE, the black value and contrast are much better although not yet really exceptional. The black value of 0.85 cd/m² still lets black areas look dark gray and the single colors look pale due to the at most acceptable contrast of 264:1. However, both rates are better than from all contenders and consequently the image reproduction is also superior.
It quickly becomes obvious in the more accurate color analysis using the colorimeter that the screen renders colors very imprecisely. The average deviation from the ideal rate of the reference color space was 12.09, which is a very high rate. The average deviation in the grayscale was even higher. When looking at the saturation, it is noticed that all colors are very shifted towards blue and thus the screen has an extreme bluish cast.
The IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE does a better job with the color space coverage than the MA145GE model. The color space is much larger particularly in green and violet hues in a direct comparison. However, the current review sample still does not come close to rendering the sRGB and Adobe RGB reference color spaces.
Using the laptop outdoors in bright sunlight is a rather unpleasant affair. The screen is extremely reflective and the just mediocre brightness almost completely prevents recognizing anything. However, it is possible to work well with the laptop in the shade and in bright rooms.
Considering that a TN LED screen is installed in Lenovo's IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE, great viewing angle stability cannot be expected. At least the horizontal viewing angles are quite decent. Apart from a slight brightness loss, major image changes do not occur when looking from the left or right. However, massive brightness changes quickly turn up when the screen is tilted up or down and extremely limit the contents' legibility.
Performance
High performance should not be expected from Lenovo's IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE in view of the price. Intel's Pentium 2117U dual-core processor with a clock rate of 1.8 GHz is a member of the entry-level sector. The laptop does not sport a dedicated graphics card either. Only the integrated Intel HD Graphics 2500 is available so that 3D and gaming performance will likely be quite weak.
4096 MB of working memory and a 320 GB hard drive that spins with only 5400 revolutions per minute complete the most vital system components. Our review sample is roughly within the category average compared with the most significant contenders.
Processor
The dual-core processor is a member of the no longer current Ivy Bridge generation. Intel replaced it with the new Haswell generation in June 2013. Intel's Pentium 2117U lacks many features of the Core i processors, such as Turbo Boost or Hyper Threading. That means that its two cores can in fact only process two threads with a maximum speed of 1.8 GHz.
However, the Pentium processor fares quite well compared with the lower clocked, 1.4 GHz Intel Core i3-2365M. Although the Core i3 can process four tasks simultaneously, the Pentium compensates for that with its higher clock so that both achieve exactly the same score in the Cinebench comparison. The Pentium 2117U even has the lead due to its higher clock when the single cores are compared. So it is not necessary to invest 200 Euros (~$262) more in the IdeaPad S300-MA145GE for sole processor power.
Compared with other devices from this price range, our review sample proves to be one of the fastest. Nevertheless, a bit of patience is needed to navigate through the swift Windows 8. Just booting the system takes a long time and switching between the desktop and start menu is associated with hefty dropouts. However, internet browsing is quite swift once the browser is completely cached in the working memory.
System Performance
Our review sample also fared quite well with the overall system performance in the category comparison. Only Asus' X301A stands out clearly. All other compared laptops fall behind. Of course, top performance cannot be expected for a price of 399 Euros (~$524). However, the speed is sufficient for daily routine.
The IdeaPad S300-MA145GE with a Core i3 processor is altogether on a par. The only thing that is noticed when looking at the single results is that the hard drive seemingly spins quite slowly.
Both the processor and graphics card were indifferent to longer load via the stress test. The temperature did not surpass a healthy rate and the clock rate was not throttled.
The GPU's and CPU's clock rate were lowered in battery mode. The CPU's clock dropped as soon as the power supply was disconnected even when the high performance profile was selected. The GPU's clock first decreased to 350 MHz in energy-saving mode and curiously did not increase again when the power supply was reconnected. Consequently, benchmarks like Cinebench presented a lower score in battery mode.
| PCMark Vantage Result | 3337 points | |
| PCMark 7 Score | 1686 points | |
Help | ||
| PCMark Vantage - 1024x768 Result (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E335 NZT5YGE 33555YG | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad S300 MA145GE | |
| Acer Aspire One 756 NU.SH0EG.007 | |
| Asus X301A-RX005V | |
Storage Devices
Seagate's 320 GB hard drive is in fact a bit slow with only 5400 revolutions per minute. This can be noticed when the synthetic benchmark scores are compared. Our review sample almost always lagged behind. That is also noticed in the system's slow booting and the sluggish opening of programs in routine use.
Graphics Card
One thing should be clear: The IdeaPad S300-MA14CGA is not apt for gaming in the sense that the latest high-end titles can be played even to the slightest extent. That is particularly due to Intel's HD Graphics 2500 card, which is simply called HD Graphics in the mobile sector and is integrated into the processor. The installed video decoder should at least noticeably accelerate video playback so that even 4K streams should not be a problem. In any case, our review sample did not have problems with two Full HD videos from the hard drive.
Lenovo's IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE has the lead on most other compared devices in the synthetic benchmarks. Only Asus' X301A and the IdeaPad S300-MA145GE, which both sport a dedicated graphics card, have a clear lead. We will look at the practical gaming capabilities of our review sample in the next part.
| 3DMark 06 Standard Score | 3300 points | |
| 3DMark Vantage P Result | 1375 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 374 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 20694 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 1906 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 257 points | |
Help | ||
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE | |
| Acer Aspire One 725-C7Xkk | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E335 NZT5YGE 33555YG | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad S300 MA145GE | |
Gaming Performance
The processor-integrated Intel HD Graphics 2500 is not exactly famous for its gaming suitability. Even two-year old games like Anno 2070 or the rather undemanding FIFA 2013 do not run completely smooth in minimum details and minimum resolution. It looks worse for demanding up to date games.
The IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE's power will be sufficient for users who only install casual games and really old game classics on the laptop. However, those who are remotely thinking about installing the latest full-priced games on the laptop should look elsewhere and will likely also have to shell out more. An entry for gamers could be laptops that sport Nvidia's GeForce GT 720M but they also cost at least 150 Euros (~$197) more. Processor-integrated graphics cards, such as the HD Graphics 4000 integrated into stronger Intel processors could also suffice for basic gaming. Models are available for around 500 Euros (~$656), for example Lenovo's B590.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| Anno 2070 (2011) | 23.15 | 9.78 | 5.23 | |
| Fifa 13 (2012) | 29.65 | 23.62 | 17.23 | |
| Tomb Raider (2013) | 20.1 | 10.9 | 7.1 | |
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 17.66 | 8 | 6.96 | |
| Metro: Last Light (2013) | 11.07 | 9.84 | 9.64 |
Emissions
System Noise
An ear has to be placed quite close to the left side of the casing where the vent is to hear the fan in the IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE. The laptop is ultra-quiet in most situations. Even the maximum noise of 33.9 dB during full load is barely audible. The previously tested IdeaPad S300-MA145GE was considerably noisier here; even if not in idle it reached up to 41.2 dB during load.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 31.4 / 31.4 / 31.4 dB(A) |
| HDD |
| 31.6 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 32.7 / 33.9 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance) | ||
Temperature
Lenovo's IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE proved to be quite cool regarding the temperatures. This is most likely also due to the laptop's low performance. The IdeaPad S300-MA145GE with Intel's Core i3 produced considerably more waste heat that was also noticed on the casing. The MA145GE got really warm particularly during load with up to 49 °C. Nice that our review sample stayed much cooler. In both cases, the fan sucks in air over the large vent on the bottom and blows it out from the casing's left.
Our review sample reached 31.4 °C when idling, which was at most 8.3 °C warmer than room temperature. The warmth is barely noticed, also due to the plastic surfaces' poor conductivity. The highest temperature was 38.1 °C in longer full load. Although that is felt it is not yet unpleasant. Generally, Lenovo's S300 got warmer on the top than on the bottom so that using it on the lap was no problem.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.1 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.1 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.3 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (33 °C / 91.4 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-4.7 °C / -8.5 F).
Speakers
It is rarely a good idea to place speakers on the bottom of a laptop. In this case, it is not very tragic since both speakers produce a quite decent sound despite the unfavorable place on the casing's underside. The maximum volume is good but the speakers' sound gets a bit imprecise when they are turned up to full. A volume of 60% is enough although the sound also remains somewhat muffled. The mids are overemphasized and the trebles and low pitches are lacking.
All in all, sound aficionados will prefer an external solution. However, it is not possible to connect a microphone when external speakers are connected since only one combo jack is installed. The speakers will nevertheless prove to be sufficient for occasionally listening to music or watching a movie.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Our review sample only sometimes has the lead in power consumption. The Pentium 2117U even has a slightly higher idle power consumption than the Core i3-2365M in the IdeaPad S300-MA145GE.
This looks different in load. The MA145GE consumes over 40 watts from the mains in contrast to the maximum of 29 watts of the now tested MA14CGE. The small 40 watt power supply is thus sufficiently designed to feed our review sample even in full load. The ThinkPad Edge E335 undercuts our review sample with a power consumption of 24.8 watts, but its performance is also weaker.
| Off / Standby | 0.1 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle | 7.2 / 10.1 / 10.1 Watt |
| Load |
25.6 / 29 Watt |
   
| |
Battery Runtime
The battery has not been changed compared with the previously tested Lenovo IdeaPad S300. A 32.97 watt hour, lithium-ion battery supplies the device with power when remote from the mains. The interesting question is what the runtimes look like seeing that the consumption rates are quite close to each other, with exception of full load.
In fact, our review sample reached a very similar idle rate as the IdeaPad S300-MA145GE with 5:13 hours. The clearest difference is seen in internet browsing where the present IdeaPad S300 achieved almost 90 minutes more than the previously tested laptop. The models close in on each other again with a difference of 24 minutes in full load.
However, the IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE's runtimes are not exactly long compared with the contenders. Lenovo's ThinkPad Edge E335 for example sports a twice as big battery and consequently achieves longer runtimes. Asus' X301A clearly outdoes our current review sample in both battery capacity and runtimes.
Verdict
Surprise! The less expensive IdeaPad S300-MA14CGE offers the better price-performance ratio compared with the bigger MA145GE model. This is due to the virtually identical performance of the processor and overall system. Only the storage device lags behind here. Although the MA145GE provides considerably higher graphics power, it is not enough for eager gamers either. So users who are not into games can save the 200 Euros (~$262) extra.
The buyer gets cooler surface temperatures, an almost silent operating noise and one of the best system performances in subnotebooks from this price range. USB 3.0 is also installed and the laptop features a stylish casing, large touchpad and better screen that however still has its shortcomings.
Only the battery runtimes should be secondary and the listed weaknesses in the review of the MA145GE, such as the omitted Gigabit LAN and spongy key stroke, also apply here. Buyers who can live with these trifles will get a lot for their money.
