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Walmart Motile M142 Laptop Review: Pretty Good for $500

Checks all the right boxes.

We never expect very much from laptops retailing for less than $500, but the Walmart Motile offers a surprisingly balanced experienced. Its AMD Zen+ Ryzen 5 CPU performs as fast as any Intel 9th gen Ultrabook in a chassis that doesn't feel hastily put together.

Walmart only recently started offering its own line of branded laptops which, perhaps unsurprisingly, are much cheaper than the laptops from more well-known manufacturers. The new Walmart Motile series encompasses affordable Ultrabooks aimed at users on tighter budgets.

One of the first Motile laptops is the 14-inch M142 equipped with the latest generation AMD Ryzen 5 3500U CPU, 8 GB of expandable single-channel RAM, 256 GB SSD, and a 14-inch FHD display for $700 USD on Walmart or $550 on Newegg. Walmart has this exact model on sale for just $380 for Black Friday shoppers. A lesser SKU with the slower Ryzen 3 3300U CPU and just half the RAM and storage is also available.

Beyond the low barrier of entry, the Motile M142 is notable for being optimized by THX to meet THX audio and visual standards.

The 14-inch Motile competes directly with other thin-and-light budget laptops like the Lenovo IdeaPad 330S, HP 14, Asus VivoBook, or the Dell Inspiron 3000/5000 series.

Walmart Motile M142
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 4 x 2.1 - 3.7 GHz, Picasso-U (Zen+)
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000) - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1200 MHz, RAM: 1200 MHz, DDR4, Adrenalin 19.10.26
Memory
8 GB 
, 1200 MHz, 17-17-17-39, Single-channel
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, Chi Mei N140HCA-EAC, IPS, CMN14D4, glossy: no
Mainboard
AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH
Storage
BIWIN SSD 256 GB, 256 GB 
Soundcard
AMD Raven - Audio Processor - HD Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: MicroSD
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18 x 320 x 213 ( = 0.71 x 12.6 x 8.39 in)
Battery
47 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Primary Camera: 1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.13 kg ( = 39.86 oz / 2.49 pounds), Power Supply: 200 g ( = 7.05 oz / 0.44 pounds)
Price
700 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Price
77.7 %
v7 (old)
11 / 2019
Walmart Motile M142
R5 3500U, Vega 8
1.1 kg18 mm14.00"1920x1080
82.7 %
v7 (old)
11 / 2019
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
R5 3500U, Vega 8
1.5 kg18 mm14.00"1920x1080
79.7 %
v6 (old)
08 / 2019
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
R7 3700U, Vega 10
1.8 kg19.5 mm15.60"1920x1080
80.7 %
v6 (old)
05 / 2018
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130
2.3 kg23 mm15.60"1920x1080
84.9 %
v6 (old)
07 / 2019
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
i5-8265U, GeForce MX250
1.4 kg15.9 mm14.00"1920x1080

Case

The word "quality" is probably not the first thing users think of when purchasing Walmart-branded products. Indeed, the plastic Motile M142 is simply no match when up against the likes of an XPS 13, HP Spectre 13, Asus ZenBook S13, Lenovo Yoga C930, or Acer Swift 7 in terms of looks or rigidity. Its lid in particular flexes too easily and the hinges feel like they'll be ready to call it quits after just a year or two. For its sub $500 budget category, however, the Motile M142 holds its own pretty well. The lightweight chassis, understated design, and smooth aluminum-like surfaces leave great first impressions considering the price.

THX logo imprinted on the left palm rest
THX logo imprinted on the left palm rest
Lid opened to maximum angle (~160 degrees)
Lid opened to maximum angle (~160 degrees)
Smooth aluminum-like plastic chassis leaves a better impression than the IdeaPad or VivoBook
Smooth aluminum-like plastic chassis leaves a better impression than the IdeaPad or VivoBook
Fingerprints aren't as obvious on the gray surfaces
Fingerprints aren't as obvious on the gray surfaces
Lid flexes a bit too easily for our liking
Lid flexes a bit too easily for our liking
No fingerprint-enabled Power button
No fingerprint-enabled Power button
335 mm / 13.2 in 234 mm / 9.21 in 20 mm / 0.787 in 1.5 kg3.31 lbs323 mm / 12.7 in 228 mm / 8.98 in 18 mm / 0.709 in 1.5 kg3.31 lbs323 mm / 12.7 in 208 mm / 8.19 in 16.5 mm / 0.65 in 1.3 kg2.91 lbs323 mm / 12.7 in 227 mm / 8.94 in 15.9 mm / 0.626 in 1.4 kg3.11 lbs320 mm / 12.6 in 213 mm / 8.39 in 18 mm / 0.709 in 1.1 kg2.49 lbs320.3 mm / 12.6 in 215.6 mm / 8.49 in 14.95 mm / 0.589 in 1.4 kg3.09 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

All the basic ports are here and they're evenly spaced along the left and right edges for easy access. The only exception is the MicroSD slot along the front edge which is an oddity on any laptop, but having a card reader is still better than none at all.

USB Power Delivery is not supported meaning that the system cannot be recharged via USB Type-C.

Front: MicroSD reader
Front: MicroSD reader
Right: USB Type-C, USB 3.0 Type-A, HDMI, AC adapter
Right: USB Type-C, USB 3.0 Type-A, HDMI, AC adapter
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: Kensington Lock, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 3.0 Type-A, 3.5 mm headphones
Left: Kensington Lock, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 3.0 Type-A, 3.5 mm headphones

SD Card Reader

Transferring 1 GB of images from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 30 seconds. The slot is not spring-loaded and so we don't recommend keeping the MicroSD card inserted for longer than it needs to be.

Fully inserted MicroSD card
Fully inserted MicroSD card
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
82.9 MB/s +147%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.3 MB/s +8%
HP 14-dk0008ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35.2 MB/s +5%
Walmart Motile M142
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
33.6 MB/s
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
19.7 MB/s -41%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
89.9 MB/s +148%
HP 14-dk0008ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
38 MB/s +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.8 MB/s +4%
Walmart Motile M142
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
36.2 MB/s
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.5 MB/s -35%

Communication

The system ships with the older 1x1 Intel 3168 compared to the 2x2 Intel 9560 as found on most newer Ultrabooks likely to save on costs. Theoretical transfer rates are limited to just 433 Mbps when on an 802.11ac network.

WLAN module sits adjacent to the BIOS battery
WLAN module sits adjacent to the BIOS battery
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
743 MBit/s +137%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
672 MBit/s +115%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
629 MBit/s +101%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
558 (428min - 613max) MBit/s +78%
Walmart Motile M142
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
313 (299min - 323max) MBit/s
HP 14-dk0008ng
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
309 (212min - 410max) MBit/s -1%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
635 MBit/s +120%
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
635 MBit/s +120%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
587 MBit/s +104%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
450 (234min - 544max) MBit/s +56%
Walmart Motile M142
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
288 (279min - 297max) MBit/s
HP 14-dk0008ng
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
271 (234min - 285max) MBit/s -6%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320Tooltip
Walmart Motile M142; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø287 (279-297)
Walmart Motile M142; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø313 (299-323)

Maintenance

Servicing is relatively easy as it requires only a Philips screwdriver. Users have access to two M.2 slots, one DDR4 SODIMM slot, WLAN module, and the BIOS battery.

Bottom panel is secured by 6 Philips screws
Bottom panel is secured by 6 Philips screws

Accessories and Warranty

There are no extras in the box other than the paperwork and AC adapter.

The usual one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Feedback from the backlit keyboard keys is on the soft side as to be expected from a cheap laptop. On the other hand, clatter is minimal and relatively quiet. Firmer keys like on a Lenovo ThinkPad T series or the HP Spectre series would have been better.

Touchpad

The Precision-enabled clickpad is relatively large (~11.7 x 7.3 cm) for easier multi-touch inputs. Its surface is smooth with minimal sticking for easier cursor control as well. The integrated mouse clicks, however, are shallow with very weak feedback.

Standard keyboard layout with no special auxiliary keys or fingerprint readers
Standard keyboard layout with no special auxiliary keys or fingerprint readers
Clickpad is excellent for cursor control but too spongy when it comes to clicking
Clickpad is excellent for cursor control but too spongy when it comes to clicking
Main QWERTY keys are soft and relatively quiet
Main QWERTY keys are soft and relatively quiet
Up and Down arrow keys are cramped and spongy
Up and Down arrow keys are cramped and spongy

Display

The Motile M141/M142 uses the exact same Chi Mei N140HCA-EAC IPS panel as found on the competing Acer Swift 3 SF314 and Asus VivoBook 14. Thus, core characteristics like contrast ratios, colors, response times, and brightness are all very close between them. While text and images appear sharp with almost no noticeable graininess issues, colors are not as vibrant as they would be on pricier Ultrabooks like the Dell XPS or HP Spectre.

Slight uneven backlight bleeding is present along the bottom edge of our test unit.

No edge-to-edge glass options
No edge-to-edge glass options
Very narrow bezels for an inexpensive laptop
Very narrow bezels for an inexpensive laptop
Minor uneven backlight bleeding along bottom edge
Minor uneven backlight bleeding along bottom edge
Subpixel array
Subpixel array
244.8
cd/m²
257
cd/m²
250.4
cd/m²
230.1
cd/m²
240.3
cd/m²
226.4
cd/m²
212.5
cd/m²
227.6
cd/m²
211.6
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N140HCA-EAC tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 257 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 233.4 cd/m² Minimum: 12.04 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 82 %
Center on Battery: 229 cd/m²
Contrast: 890:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.22 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91, calibrated: 3.76
ΔE Greyscale 2.3 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
62.1% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
43.43% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
41.95% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.39
Walmart Motile M142
Chi Mei N140HCA-EAC, IPS, 14", 1920x1080
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Chi Mei N140HCA-EAC, IPS, 14", 1920x1080
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
LP140WF9-SPE2, IPS LED, 14", 1920x1080
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Chi Mei N140HCA-EAC, IPS, 14", 1920x1080
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
NV140FHM-N48, IPS, 14", 1920x1080
HP 14-dk0008ng
AU Optronics AUO403D, IPS, 14", 1920x1080
Display
-1%
56%
-3%
-5%
-6%
Display P3 Coverage
41.95
41.43
-1%
66
57%
40.85
-3%
40.1
-4%
39.53
-6%
sRGB Coverage
62.5
61.8
-1%
97.9
57%
61.1
-2%
59.2
-5%
59.1
-5%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
43.43
42.85
-1%
67.3
55%
42.25
-3%
41.43
-5%
40.84
-6%
Response Times
-38%
-30%
-9%
-46%
-8%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
35.2 ?(23.6, 11.6)
38 ?(20, 18)
-8%
49.6 ?(23.6, 26)
-41%
40.8 ?(22.8, 18)
-16%
39.6 ?(21.6, 18)
-13%
38 ?(18, 20)
-8%
Response Time Black / White *
25.2 ?(14.8, 10.4)
27 ?(16, 11)
-7%
30 ?(16.4, 13.6)
-19%
27.2 ?(16.4, 10.8)
-8%
32 ?(18, 14)
-27%
27 ?(15, 12)
-7%
PWM Frequency
25000 ?(34)
250 ?(10)
-99%
24510 ?(20)
-2%
352.1 ?(99)
-99%
Screen
-3%
45%
-2%
4%
16%
Brightness middle
240.3
233
-3%
384
60%
250
4%
316
32%
269
12%
Brightness
233
219
-6%
363
56%
236
1%
301
29%
257
10%
Brightness Distribution
82
75
-9%
90
10%
78
-5%
88
7%
89
9%
Black Level *
0.27
0.14
48%
0.17
37%
0.27
-0%
0.28
-4%
0.2
26%
Contrast
890
1664
87%
2259
154%
926
4%
1129
27%
1345
51%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.22
5.9
-40%
3.5
17%
5
-18%
5.3
-26%
3.68
13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
23.32
22.8
2%
5.5
76%
20.7
11%
18.5
21%
7.36
68%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.76
1
73%
4.3
-14%
4.8
-28%
4.8
-28%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.3
4.8
-109%
4.6
-100%
2.4
-4%
2.4
-4%
1.69
27%
Gamma
2.39 92%
2.06 107%
2.32 95%
2.05 107%
2.05 107%
2.49 88%
CCT
6585 99%
6589 99%
6884 94%
6697 97%
6644 98%
6406 101%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
39.9
39
-2%
62
55%
38.9
-3%
37.6
-6%
38
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
62.1
62
0%
97.7
57%
61
-2%
58.3
-6%
59
-5%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-14% / -9%
24% / 38%
-5% / -4%
-16% / -7%
1% / 9%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is narrow at just 62 percent and 40 percent of the sRGB and AdobeRGB standards, respectively, to be in line with the displays on most other budget laptops. 

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

The display is surprisingly well calibrated in spite of its limited gamut and low price. Average grayscale and color deltaE values improve just marginally from 2.3 and 4.22 to 1.8 and 3.76, respectively, after calibrating the display ourselves. This is uncommon on budget laptops where panels are almost always poorly calibrated out of the box.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
25.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14.8 ms rise
↘ 10.4 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 57 % 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
35.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23.6 ms rise
↘ 11.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 45 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 25000 Hz ≤ 34 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 25000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 34 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 25000 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 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is poor with washed out colors since the backlight is relatively dim. Maximum brightness drops ever-so-slightly if running on battery power (240 nits to 229 nits). Pricier alternatives like the Dell XPS 15 or Apple MacBook Pro 15 can be over two times brighter for easier outdoor use.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

The AMD Zen+ Ryzen 3 3300U and Ryzen 5 3500U on the current Motile series compete directly with the Intel Core i3-8145U and Core i5-8265U, respectively. The Ryzen 5 3500U in particular can even stand toe-to-toe with the Core i7-8565U as found on most of the latest flagship Ultrabooks. Meanwhile, the integrated RX Vega 8 GPU can handily outperform the common UHD Graphics 620 albeit at slightly higher power consumption levels.

There is no soldered RAM and only one SODIMM slot is available. Thus, the Motile is limited to single-channel RAM only.

LatencyMon shows no DPC latency issues even when wireless is enabled.

Processor

CPU performance is most similar to the last generation Zen Ryzen 7 2700U. It's generally comparable to both the Intel Kaby Lake-R Core i7-8550U and Whiskey Lake-U Core i7-8565U as found on pricier flagship Ultrabooks like the Asus ZenBook or Lenovo Yoga. Upgrading from the Ryzen 3 3300U SKU will bring roughly 30 percent faster multi-thread performance.

See our dedicated page on the Ryzen 5 3700U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
04590135180225270315360405450495540585630675720765810Tooltip
Walmart Motile M142 Vega 8, R5 3500U, BIWIN SSD 256 GB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø604 (598.77-639.56)
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585 Vega 10, R7 3700U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø654 (639.01-676.19)
MSI PS63 Modern 8SC GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø639 (616.5-695)
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7 Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZPZ512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø672 (632.81-836.68)
Dell Latitude 14 5495 Vega 10, R7 2700U, Intel SSDSCKKF256G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø620 (605-670)
Cinebench R20
CPU (Multi Core)
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel Core i7-10710U
2410 Points +72%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
2024 Points +45%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
1499 Points +7%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (1063 - 1540, n=15)
1436 Points +3%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1398 Points
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1392 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1294 Points -7%
Dynabook Portege A30-E-174
Intel Core i7-8550U
1138 Points -19%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
1117 Points -20%
Lenovo ThinkPad P43s-20RH001FGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
988 Points -29%
Dell Latitude 3400
Intel Core i3-8145U
657 Points -53%
CPU (Single Core)
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
465 Points +31%
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel Core i7-10710U
460 Points +29%
Dynabook Portege A30-E-174
Intel Core i7-8550U
383 Points +8%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
381 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad P43s-20RH001FGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
374 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
372 Points +4%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
356 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (317 - 372, n=15)
354 Points -1%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
351 Points -1%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
334 Points -6%
Dell Latitude 3400
Intel Core i3-8145U
296 Points -17%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel Core i7-10710U
180 Points +22%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
174 Points +18%
Dynabook Portege A30-E-174
Intel Core i7-8550U
156 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad P43s-20RH001FGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
155 Points +5%
Dell Latitude 3400
Intel Core i3-8145U
154 Points +5%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
148 Points +1%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
147 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
145 Points -1%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
143 Points -3%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (131 - 147, n=18)
142.4 Points -3%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
135 Points -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X395
AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 3300U
126 Points -14%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel Core i7-10710U
1051 Points +64%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
830 Points +30%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
672 Points +5%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
670 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
646 Points +1%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (482 - 682, n=19)
642 Points 0%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
640 Points
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
564 Points -12%
Dynabook Portege A30-E-174
Intel Core i7-8550U
494 Points -23%
Lenovo ThinkPad X395
AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 3300U
481 Points -25%
Lenovo ThinkPad P43s-20RH001FGE
Intel Core i7-8565U
452 Points -29%
Dell Latitude 3400
Intel Core i3-8145U
350 Points -45%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
147 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
640 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
42.42 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R20 CPU (Multi Core)
1398 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Single Core)
356 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks rank our Motile within single-digit percentage points of direct competitors like the Asus VivoBook, Acer Swift 3, and HP 14 despite their price differences. We experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the test unit.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Score
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4583 Points +18%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4192 Points +8%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3907 Points +1%
Walmart Motile M142
Vega 8, R5 3500U, BIWIN SSD 256 GB
3868 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3485 - 3972, n=16)
3766 Points -3%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3692 Points -5%
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
3522 Points -9%
Essentials
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
9678 Points +22%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8264 Points +4%
Walmart Motile M142
Vega 8, R5 3500U, BIWIN SSD 256 GB
7950 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7877 Points -1%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7595 Points -4%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (6690 - 8300, n=16)
7533 Points -5%
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
7050 Points -11%
Productivity
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6924 Points +14%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6654 Points +10%
Walmart Motile M142
Vega 8, R5 3500U, BIWIN SSD 256 GB
6074 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5952 Points -2%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5898 Points -3%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (5456 - 6074, n=16)
5774 Points -5%
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
5459 Points -10%
Digital Content Creation
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3900 Points +20%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3637 Points +12%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3453 Points +6%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (2989 - 3526, n=16)
3337 Points +3%
Walmart Motile M142
Vega 8, R5 3500U, BIWIN SSD 256 GB
3253 Points
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
3082 Points -5%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3050 Points -6%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4220 Points +21%
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4003 Points +14%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3316 - 4235, n=13)
3600 Points +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3566 Points +2%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3515 Points 0%
Walmart Motile M142
Vega 8, R5 3500U, BIWIN SSD 256 GB
3500 Points
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
3325 Points -5%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5158 Points +5%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4965 Points +1%
Walmart Motile M142
Vega 8, R5 3500U, BIWIN SSD 256 GB
4907 Points
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4805 Points -2%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (4436 - 5039, n=12)
4707 Points -4%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4633 Points -6%
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
4418 Points -10%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3500 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4907 points
PCMark 10 Score
3868 points
Help

Storage Devices

Two M.2 bays are available with no 2.5-inch options. Our test unit ships with an M.2 SATA III SSD from the relatively unknown manufacturer BIWIN likely in an attempt to save on costs. Performance is otherwise most similar to the budget Samsung PM871b.

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

Occupied primary M.2 slot
Occupied primary M.2 slot
Secondary M.2 slot
Secondary M.2 slot
Walmart Motile M142
BIWIN SSD 256 GB
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
HP 14-dk0008ng
Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
AS SSD
170%
278%
130%
262%
-13%
Seq Read
466.1
1466
215%
2525
442%
1633
250%
1939
316%
491.6
5%
Seq Write
451.9
1360
201%
1253
177%
906
100%
1755
288%
473.9
5%
4K Read
26.42
38.06
44%
59.1
124%
56.6
114%
61
131%
26.82
2%
4K Write
77
86
12%
134.1
74%
152
97%
138.9
80%
57.8
-25%
4K-64 Read
192.1
1008
425%
1010
426%
322.9
68%
1271
562%
244.3
27%
4K-64 Write
198.4
956
382%
1461
636%
814
310%
1330
570%
154.9
-22%
Access Time Read *
0.089
0.062
30%
0.052
42%
0.086
3%
0.04
55%
0.119
-34%
Access Time Write *
0.123
0.042
66%
0.029
76%
0.045
63%
0.028
77%
0.062
50%
Score Read
265
1193
350%
1322
399%
543
105%
1526
476%
320
21%
Score Write
321
1178
267%
1721
436%
1056
229%
1645
412%
260
-19%
Score Total
731
2981
308%
3670
402%
1863
155%
3955
441%
753
3%
Copy ISO MB/s
452.1
802
77%
2016
346%
1406
211%
1134
151%
171.1
-62%
Copy Program MB/s
267.8
205.2
-23%
542
102%
309.9
16%
350.4
31%
93.2
-65%
Copy Game MB/s
411
509
24%
1278
211%
802
95%
736
79%
140.6
-66%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
116%
225%
108%
178%
-3%
Write 4K
88.8
134.3
51%
128.4
45%
130.8
47%
157.6
77%
90.6
2%
Read 4K
35.67
43.56
22%
46.37
30%
55.1
54%
46.39
30%
33.17
-7%
Write Seq
461.9
1434
210%
1863
303%
962
108%
1214
163%
483
5%
Read Seq
536
1448
170%
2340
337%
1634
205%
1295
142%
511
-5%
Write 4K Q32T1
212
239.1
13%
451.1
113%
343.5
62%
370.7
75%
170.7
-19%
Read 4K Q32T1
228.2
327.6
44%
415.3
82%
339.7
49%
461.1
102%
235
3%
Write Seq Q32T1
476.8
1456
205%
2985
526%
984
106%
1888
296%
496.5
4%
Read Seq Q32T1
554
1734
213%
2565
363%
1858
235%
3540
539%
534
-4%
Write 4K Q8T8
451.4
1814
Read 4K Q8T8
1004
1023
Total Average (Program / Settings)
143% / 150%
252% / 259%
119% / 122%
220% / 232%
-8% / -9%

* ... smaller is better

BIWIN SSD 256 GB
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 554 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 476.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 228.2 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 212 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 536 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 461.9 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 35.67 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 88.8 MB/s

GPU Performance

3DMark benchmarks rank the RX Vega 8 within 10 to 15 percent of the GeForce MX130. Though much faster than the outdated Intel UHD Graphics 620 series by about 80 percent, raw performance is nowhere near fast enough to play most games outside of undemanding ones like Overcooked. The single-channel RAM hits hardest in this regard.

See our dedicated page on the Radeon RX Vega 8 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
MSI PS63 Modern 8SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U
48312 Points +247%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i5-8265U
23643 Points +70%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
20784 Points +49%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
18881 Points +36%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
18633 Points +34%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
18528 Points +33%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
18378 Points +32%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (7309 - 19399, n=37)
15327 Points +10%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
13919 Points
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
12166 Points -13%
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
10773 Points -23%
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
9882 Points -29%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
8947 Points -36%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
MSI PS63 Modern 8SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U
7740 Points +283%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i5-8265U
3720 Points +84%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
3144 Points +56%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
2999 Points +48%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
2874 Points +42%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
2581 Points +28%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
2433 Points +20%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
2291 Points +13%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1095 - 2901, n=41)
2224 Points +10%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
2020 Points
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1835 Points -9%
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
1339 Points -34%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1111 Points -45%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i5-8265U
78819 Points +21%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
78094 Points +20%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
72587 Points +12%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
68277 Points +5%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (59083 - 74203, n=13)
67389 Points +4%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
65039 Points
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
64952 Points 0%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
51835 Points -20%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
44243 Points -32%
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
42561 Points -35%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
MSI PS63 Modern 8SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U
2896 Points +369%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
862 Points +39%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
852 Points +38%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
833 Points +35%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
779 Points +26%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
742 Points +20%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (523 - 790, n=23)
673 Points +9%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
623 Points +1%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
618 Points
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
425 Points -31%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
330 Points -47%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
MSI PS63 Modern 8SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U
11046 Points +232%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i5-8265U
4942 Points +48%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4594 Points +38%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
4165 Points +25%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
4056 Points +22%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
3949 Points +19%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3560 Points +7%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1668 - 4317, n=44)
3447 Points +3%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
3332 Points
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
3080 Points -8%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
2734 Points -18%
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
1940 Points -42%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1597 Points -52%
1280x720 Performance Combined
MSI PS63 Modern 8SC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q, i7-8565U
8584 Points +329%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i5-8265U
4340 Points +117%
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4143 Points +107%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3707 Points +85%
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5585
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
3247 Points +62%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
2782 Points +39%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, i5-8250U
2740 Points +37%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
2698 Points +35%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1232 - 3871, n=44)
2503 Points +25%
Dell XPS 13 7390 Core i7-10710U
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
2078 Points +4%
Walmart Motile M142
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
2003 Points
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1945 Points -3%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1485 Points -26%
3DMark 11 Performance
3320 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
76281 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
10994 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1779 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
697 points
Help
lowmed.highultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 91.2 15.4

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise never becomes distracting during day-to-day browsing or streaming loads. At worst, we're able to record a fan noise of 31.1 dB(A) when under such conditions. Higher loads like games will bump fan noise to 35 dB(A) or 40.5 dB(A) which is typical of most Ultrabooks.

We can notice no electronic noise or coil whine from our test unit.

Single ~45 mm fan
Single ~45 mm fan
Just one heat pipe for the CPU
Just one heat pipe for the CPU
Walmart Motile M142
Vega 8, R5 3500U, BIWIN SSD 256 GB
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
Noise
-5%
1%
1%
-0%
-2%
off / environment *
29.1
30.4
-4%
29.3
-1%
28.8
1%
29.3
-1%
30.6
-5%
Idle Minimum *
29.1
30.4
-4%
29.3
-1%
28.8
1%
29.3
-1%
31.4
-8%
Idle Average *
29.1
30.9
-6%
29.3
-1%
28.8
1%
29.3
-1%
31.4
-8%
Idle Maximum *
29.1
30.9
-6%
29.3
-1%
29.2
-0%
29.3
-1%
31.4
-8%
Load Average *
31.1
36.3
-17%
33.3
-7%
35.2
-13%
34.4
-11%
32.5
-5%
Load Maximum *
40.5
36.6
10%
33.3
18%
35.2
13%
34.9
14%
32.5
20%
Witcher 3 ultra *
34.4

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
29.1 / 29.1 / 29.1 dB(A)
Load
31.1 / 40.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 29.1 dB(A)

Temperature

Surface temperatures are never uncomfortable on the palm rests or keyboard keys. Hot spots can become as warm as 54 C to almost 60 C when under very high loads, but these areas are thankfully toward the rear as shown by the temperature maps below.

Rear exhaust when under high processing loads
Rear exhaust when under high processing loads
AC adapter when under high processing loads
AC adapter when under high processing loads
Max. Load
 37 °C
99 F
58.4 °C
137 F
45 °C
113 F
 
 33.8 °C
93 F
43.2 °C
110 F
32 °C
90 F
 
 32.4 °C
90 F
32.8 °C
91 F
33 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 58.4 °C = 137 F
Average: 38.6 °C = 101 F
36.6 °C
98 F
53.8 °C
129 F
36 °C
97 F
30.6 °C
87 F
37.8 °C
100 F
31.6 °C
89 F
29.8 °C
86 F
32.4 °C
90 F
30.2 °C
86 F
Maximum: 53.8 °C = 129 F
Average: 35.4 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  50 °C = 122 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.6 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 31.3 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 58.4 °C / 137 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 53.8 °C / 129 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.4 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 31.3 °C / 88 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 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-4.2 °C / -7.6 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the laptop to identify for any potential throttling issues. When running Prime95, the CPU can be observed running at up to 3.3 GHz for the first few seconds until hitting a core temperature of 80 C. Thereafter, clock rates drop to a steady 2.1 GHz in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of about 81 C. Interestingly, clock rate jumps back up to 2.8 GHz when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously.

Running on battery will not limit performance. A 3DMark Cloud Gate run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 6440 and 12968 points, respectively, compared to 6335 and 13919 points when on mains.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (Tctl/Tidle °C)
System Idle -- -- 39
Prime95 Stress 2.1 -- 81
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 2.8 812 79

Speakers

Stereo speakers near front corners
Stereo speakers near front corners
Pink noise at maximum volume. Bass reproduction is poor with roll-off beginning at about 750 Hz
Pink noise at maximum volume. Bass reproduction is poor with roll-off beginning at about 750 Hz
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2041.240.72538.335.83139.137.24037.136.85036.436.96336.236.88036.335.110033.934.312532.834.516032.335.220034.54625030.95431530.657.540029.965.350029.471.5630297580028.476.710002871.8125027.765.5160027.865200027.362.6250027.463.6315026.962.840002767500026.966.8630026.863.4800026.766.61000026.755.81250026.751.11600026.644.6SPL39.880.7N3.848.7median 27.8median 63.4Delta1.37.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseWalmart Motile M142Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Walmart Motile M142 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 93% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 83% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 14% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop demands between 5 W and 13 W compared to 9 W at most from the Acer Swift 3 SF314 or Intel-powered Lenovo Yoga C940. We're able to record a maximum draw of 61.6 W when running Prime95 that eventually falls over time to as low as 46.7 W as shown by the screenshots below.

The small (~7.5 x 7.5 x 3 cm) 65 W AC adapter offers just enough juice for both running demanding applications and charging the system simultaneously.

Power consumption during 3DMark 06
Power consumption during 3DMark 06
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 61.6 W before steadily falling to 46.7 W over a period of 5 minutes
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 61.6 W before steadily falling to 46.7 W over a period of 5 minutes
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.27 / 4.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.3 / 8.6 / 13.1 Watt
Load midlight 50.6 / 61.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Walmart Motile M142
R5 3500U, Vega 8, BIWIN SSD 256 GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
R5 3500U, Vega 8, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14"
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
i5-8265U, GeForce MX250, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
HP 14-dk0008ng
R7 3700U, Vega 10, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Power Consumption
17%
19%
42%
17%
26%
Idle Minimum *
5.3
5.7
-8%
3.2
40%
2.7
49%
2.74
48%
4.8
9%
Idle Average *
8.6
7.6
12%
7
19%
4.6
47%
5.64
34%
7.1
17%
Idle Maximum *
13.1
9
31%
8.9
32%
5.2
60%
8.4
36%
7.3
44%
Load Average *
50.6
40.1
21%
47.6
6%
35.9
29%
61.3
-21%
34
33%
Load Maximum *
61.6
42.4
31%
63.1
-2%
46
25%
69.4
-13%
45
27%
Witcher 3 ultra *
49.2

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Relatively small AC adapter
Relatively small AC adapter

Expect about 7.5 hours of real-world WLAN use from the internal 47 Wh battery. While slightly shorter than what we recorded on some alternatives, runtimes are still quite long considering the low price. Recharging from empty to full capacity takes about 1.5 hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
7h 42min
Walmart Motile M142
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 47 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 60 Wh
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 72 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL
i5-8265U, GeForce MX250, 48 Wh
HP 14-dk0008ng
R7 3700U, Vega 10, 41.04 Wh
Battery Runtime
8%
38%
65%
9%
-6%
WiFi v1.3
462
497
8%
636
38%
761
65%
505
9%
432
-6%
Load
64
153
87
50
Reader / Idle
2141
1281
705

Pros

+ generally quiet under low-medium loads
+ well-calibrated display out-of-the-box
+ fast performance for the price
+ lighter than most competitors
+ easy serviceability
+ backlit keyboard
+ narrow bezels
+ 2x M.2 slots
+ inexpensive
+ USB Type-C
+ IR camera

Cons

- dim display; poor outdoor visibility
- slow 1x1 802.11ac WLAN
- single-channel RAM only
- hinges could be firmer
- narrow color space
- no USB Type-C PD
- soft key feedback
- spongy clickpad
- flexible lid

Verdict

In review: Walmart Motile M142. Test unit provided by THX
In review: Walmart Motile M142. Test unit provided by THX

The Walmart Motile M142 launched earlier this year for $700 USD to be just slightly cheaper than the competing Asus VivoBook, Acer Aspire 3, Dell Inspiron, or Lenovo IdeaPad series. It was a fair asking price since the Ryzen 5 3500U performs similarly to most Core i7 Ultrabooks but in a more affordable budget-midrange chassis.

At a sale price of $400 or $500, however, the Motile M142 becomes a steal. It's almost as fast as an Ultrabook worth twice the price while being easy to service and with a decent selection of ports. The display is better calibrated out of the box than any sub $500 laptop we've tested even though color space is still limited.

There are still a handful of cut corners to keep in mind. The dim display, slow 1x1 wireless, single-channel RAM, SATA III SSD, weak hinges, and lack of USB Type-C PD are all reflective of a budget laptop. While some of these drawbacks will be mostly unnoticeable to the target home user, the weak hinges have us concerned about the longevity of the system. Otherwise, you'd be hard pressed to find a 14-inch system that can match the Motile M142 in both performance and portability for under $500.

For tasks like web surfing, streaming, word processing, and note-taking between classes, the lightweight Walmart Motile M142 works wonders when considering its low price. It's an excellent "stopgap" laptop before deciding to invest in a longer-lasting flagship alternative.

Walmart Motile M142 - 11/21/2019 v7 (old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
70 / 98 → 71%
Keyboard
72%
Pointing Device
79%
Connectivity
45 / 80 → 57%
Weight
73 / 20-72 → 100%
Battery
78 / 95 → 82%
Display
81%
Games Performance
56 / 90 → 63%
Application Performance
81 / 90 → 90%
Temperature
85%
Noise
95 / 95 → 100%
Audio
69%
Camera
38 / 85 → 44%
Average
71%
78%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Walmart Motile M142 Laptop Review: Pretty Good for $500
Allen Ngo, 2019-11-21 (Update: 2019-11-23)