Disclosure: I received this device as a review unit from Lenovo. All opinions are my own, no one from Lenovo is receiving copy approval before this review is posted.
Configuration tested: Intel i5-1135G7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD.
The Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga checks all the boxes for an affordable and attractive convertible laptop with a handsome design, powerful performance, a plethora of ports, and a built-in stylus - all in an affordable package. Let's take a deeper look.
Specs and Configurations
The ThinkBook Yoga can be configured with either an Intel i5-1135G7 (base frequency of 2.4GHz and a max frequency of 4.2 GHz) or an Intel i7-1165G7 (base frequency of 2.8GHz and a max frequency of 4.7GHz).
The memory is user-upgradable, something that is very unique to the ThinkBook Yoga as most thin and light convertibles in its class can't be upgraded after the fact. 8GB of memory is soldered and up to 32GB of memory can be added via a DDR4 slot for a maximum of 40GB of memory!
In terms of storage upgradability, there are two M.2 slots: an M.2 2242 slot and an M.2 2280 slot. The primary slot (either M.2 2242 or 2280) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 and the secondary slot supports up to PCIe 3.0 x2.
The memory is user-upgradable, something that is very unique to the ThinkBook Yoga as most thin and light convertibles in its class can't be upgraded after the fact. 8GB of memory is soldered and up to 32GB of memory can be added via a DDR4 slot for a maximum of 40GB of memory!
In terms of storage upgradability, there are two M.2 slots: an M.2 2242 slot and an M.2 2280 slot. The primary slot (either M.2 2242 or 2280) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 and the secondary slot supports up to PCIe 3.0 x2.
Design and Build
The case is made of anodizing sandblasted aluminum, resulting in a sleek and durable design. There are two flavors the ThinkBook Yoga can be configured with: a classic Mineral gray (left) or a colorful Abyss blue (right). Both colors feature a two-tone design with the bottom third of the cover sporting a matte finish with the ThinkBook logo. I think the design looks quite stunning and stands out from other mono-colored laptops on the market.
While the ThinkBook doesn't have the MIL-STD spec certification like many ThinkPads do, the chassis is very sturdy and there is minimal keyboard or display flex thanks to the aluminum build.
The ThinkBook Yoga has a 14-inch FHD display, and with its near-edgeless display bezels, the ThinkBook sports a relatively small footprint at 12.60 by 8.62 by 0.67 inches (320 x 216 x 16.9 mm). This form factor is equivalent to some 13-inch laptops with larger bezels. The laptop comes in at 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg), which is average for its class.
As a 2-in-1 convertible, the ThinkBook Yoga can flip a full 360 degrees into a tablet. When laying flat on a table in tablet mode, the keyboard doesn't make contact with the table since they are slightly recessed into the chassis. In addition, a rubber bumper near the hinges props the laptop slightly up to avoid making contact with the keys. Note that the keyboard and trackpad are disabled in tablet mode, but the recessed keyboard and rubber bumpers protect the keys from scratching against a table in tablet mode.
The ThinkBook Yoga has a 14-inch FHD display, and with its near-edgeless display bezels, the ThinkBook sports a relatively small footprint at 12.60 by 8.62 by 0.67 inches (320 x 216 x 16.9 mm). This form factor is equivalent to some 13-inch laptops with larger bezels. The laptop comes in at 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg), which is average for its class.
As a 2-in-1 convertible, the ThinkBook Yoga can flip a full 360 degrees into a tablet. When laying flat on a table in tablet mode, the keyboard doesn't make contact with the table since they are slightly recessed into the chassis. In addition, a rubber bumper near the hinges props the laptop slightly up to avoid making contact with the keys. Note that the keyboard and trackpad are disabled in tablet mode, but the recessed keyboard and rubber bumpers protect the keys from scratching against a table in tablet mode.
One unique feature of the ThinkBook is the ridge near the webcam of the device. This is quite a clever design that makes opening the laptop much easier since the ridge provides an area for my finger to easily lift the lid with one hand.
There are a plethora of ports on the ThinkBook - perfect for a business user who doesn't want to rummage around for dongles to connect accessories. On the left, there is a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, an HDMI port, a USB 3.2 Type-A Always on port, and a headphone/microphone jack. On the right, there is a Kensington Nano Security slot, another USB 3.2 Type-A port, a MicroSD card reader (which is quite uncommon in laptops this class), and a garaged pen.
Speaking of the pen, the pen is 4.5-inch long and offers 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity. It automatically recharges when placed in its little silo so that's another hassle you won't have to worry about. The pen is great for quick note-taking and sketching, though it is a little thinner than other integrated pens on ThinkPad Yogas.
Lenovo's included Smart Note software can be configured to enable lock-screen notes, a handy feature that allows you to pull out the pen in sleep mode to take notes.
Security
As a Think product, security is an important factor for consumers and the ThinkBook Yoga doesn't fall short in this department. The power button doubles as a fingerprint reader and was extremely quick in my testing.
There is also a physical shutter over the 720p webcam like many Think products. While there is no IR camera on the ThinkBook, the Glance by Mirametrix software suite was still pre-installed on my machine, which uses the camera to provide security features when plugged into a monitor.
Performance
My review unit has an Intel i5 processor and 16GB of memory which I found to be extremely capable in handling day-to-day tasks such as web browsing, video streaming, document editing, and even light engineering simulation software.
Lenovo's Vantage software offers different performance options to balance battery life and performance. For example, running the Geekbench 5.4.1 benchmark on "Intelligent Cooling" mode, the ThinkBook scored 1104 and 2306 on the Single-Core and Multi-Core tests respectively, and 10862 on the OpenCL test. The same test on "Extreme Performance" mode resulted in 1304 and 4413 on the Single-Core and Multi-Core tests respectively and 12777 on the OpenCL test.
Lenovo's Vantage software offers different performance options to balance battery life and performance. For example, running the Geekbench 5.4.1 benchmark on "Intelligent Cooling" mode, the ThinkBook scored 1104 and 2306 on the Single-Core and Multi-Core tests respectively, and 10862 on the OpenCL test. The same test on "Extreme Performance" mode resulted in 1304 and 4413 on the Single-Core and Multi-Core tests respectively and 12777 on the OpenCL test.
Running Cinebench r23 on "Extreme Performance" mode, the ThinkBook scored 1233 and 4579 on the single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.
On "Extreme Performance" mode, the CPU wattage hovered around 24 W during benchmarks whereas, on "Intelligent cooling" mode, the CPU wattage stayed at around 12 W.
The entire length of the laptop's bottom is covered in vents for the CPU fan's intake and heatsink dissipation. Even during benchmarks where the CPU peaked at 90 degrees Celsius, the ThinkBook never got too hot to touch.
Hot air is exhausted out towards the hinges of the laptop and is the only place that gets hot during extensive use.
Trackpad and Keyboard
The ThinkBook has a rather large trackpad that feels smooth to the touch and does a good job at palm rejection. Unlike its ThinkPad siblings, there is no TrackPoint on ThinkBook products. The keyboard is a standard Lenovo keyboard with special function keys and compact-sized up and down arrow buttons. The ThinkBook Yoga has less key travel and tactile feedback than similar ThinkPads in its class (such as the ThinkPad X1 Yoga), but it is still a decent keyboard nonetheless.
Display
The 14-inch 1920 by 1080 300-nit display is decent for most use cases with rich colors and crisp texts. It does get hard to see outdoors as the glossy glass screen is prone to reflections and the 300-nit display doesn't quite get bright enough to drone out glare from the sun.
Speakers
The downward-firing speakers are tuned with Dolby software and sound quite good for a laptop this size. The audio is crisp and clear and there is a decent amount of bass. Within Lenovo Vantage are several options to configure the Dolby audio software - I found that Music mode was the best overall mode for all use cases.
Take a listen at an audio test at 40% volume and Music mode:
Battery
The 60Wh battery is rated for 8.4 hours per Lenovo's MobileMark 2018 test, and the laptop was able to last 8 hours with 17 percent left in my general usage test of web browsing and document editing.
Odds and Ends
Lenovo's pre-installed Vantage software allows for a lot of customization and provides a lot of valuable information about the laptop's status. For example, microphone settings can be configured to reflect whether the laptop's microphone focuses on one voice or many voices. A feature called Super resolution digitally enhances videos in poor resolution (though this feature does tax the battery life). A feature called Intelligent gaming boost allows you to close unnecessary apps when turned on for gaming. A particularly handy feature is Flip to start, which turns on the computer as soon as you open the computer lid, saving the time needed to press the power button. There are many other productivity and security options on Vantage (albeit some of which require a subscription) that are available as well.
The webcam is a standard 720p resolution, which is average in its class and does fine in video calls. The microphone is also average - fine for video calling but nothing to write home about.
Included in the box is a 65W charger, which is capable of giving the laptop 80% juice in one hour.
Servicing and upgrading the ThinkBook is quite simple - the bottom case is held on by M2 Torx screws and several clips along the side.
The webcam is a standard 720p resolution, which is average in its class and does fine in video calls. The microphone is also average - fine for video calling but nothing to write home about.
Included in the box is a 65W charger, which is capable of giving the laptop 80% juice in one hour.
Servicing and upgrading the ThinkBook is quite simple - the bottom case is held on by M2 Torx screws and several clips along the side.
Conclusions
The Lenovo ThinkPad 14s Yoga packs a bunch in an affordable package. While it might not have all the bells and whistles of its ThinkPad brother, it is a phenomenal all-rounder convertible laptop that is feature packed and stylish.
Click here to learn more about the ThinkBook 14s Yoga.
Click here to learn more about the ThinkBook 14s Yoga.
RSS Feed
