Lenovo has been one of the first computer and laptop manufacturers to make a push towards the trendy ‘unibody’ design, dropping replaceable batteries, HDDs and even expandability in favour of an all-in-one style for their laptops.
With the release of Apple’s Macbook Air they had to sit up and take notice that not everyone wants a hulking great machine in order to get desktop power.
Table of Contents
Lenovo Yoga C930 Review
Design & Build Quality
Starting with the build quality, Lenovo manages to keep this machine. It’s feeling solid whilst retaining its lightweight properties. Weighing only 1.37 kg (3.02 lbs) it is certainly one of the lightest 15 inch machines on today.
Yet still packs some pretty nice specs inside. One of the features which allows Lenovo to keep it so thin is its lack of ports on the machine itself. With only a USB-C 3.1 port and headphone jack on the left hand side.
There are certainly some limitations over what you can attach. The right side has two additional USB 3 ports (for charging other devices), full size HDMI and an SD card slot for expanding storage or using existing memory cards.
While not really included in your typical specs list anywhere we were happy that Lenovo have opted to keep a full size keyboard despite fitting everything within such a compact footprint. This made typing on the Yoga C930 very pleasant as opposed to seemingly shrunken keys on smaller machines.
Keyboard & Touchpad
This makes the Yoga C930 a very good option for those who are looking to do some serious work. As well as home or student use, although it is not without its limitations.
The aforementioned lack of ports limits what you can connect along with the already ‘pre-loaded 16GB RAM. Which doesn’t give you much wiggle room if you want to install a few more Apps.
This can be easily expanded by popping off the plastic bottom panel (which is held on by magnets) and adding in a compatible SSD (256GB max).
Overall though this machine packs enough power between its 8th Gen i7 processor and NVIDIA GTX 1050 graphics card to get your through most daily tasks and even some light gaming.
Speakers, Screen & Sound Quality
Moving onto the screen and sound quality you can certainly see why Lenovo has opted for a very thin bezel.
The Full HD 1920 x 1080 IPS panel is nice to look at with great color accuracy and depth to black levels. Which comes mainly down to Lenovo’s own private technology they use on their screens which they call ‘NanoEdge Display’.
This basically means that instead of the more standard 16:9 aspect ratio we are used to seeing this machine has a unique display.
That cuts out the wasted space in order to make it smaller than traditional laptops while providing the same experience as one would have with a larger screen.
An interesting addition for those who want to do some word processing on the commute but not have to lug a 17 inch notebook around.
Performance & Benchmarks
The main purpose of this machine is quite obviously going to be geared towards its portability. For such a thin and light machine it packs quite the performance punch, especially when you consider how little power it uses.
During our usual battery benchmark test we were able to get just shy of 5 hours. With moderate usage which included web browsing, watching Netflix and other bits and pieces which are typical for most users.
During casual use we easily managed 6-7 hours before needing to plug back into the wall which was pretty impressive given how powerful this machine is.
It can also be used as a best gaming laptop if you’re a gaming enthusiast.
Conclusion
When it comes to portability the Lenovo Yoga C930 is a near perfect machine. Weighing in at just 1.37 kg (3 lbs) this is a power packed machine. Which fits your pocket and isn’t heavy enough to tire you out when on the go for extended periods of time.
Battery life too will last around 6 hours or more so. It’s certainly good enough for students who need something that can handle class work. As well as casual gaming or browsing in between lectures.
It has some nice features such as the NanoEdge display and excellent keyboard layout.
But lacks a few things mainly in terms of connectivity with only two USB ports limiting. What you can connect alongside the lack of MicroSD slot which is frustrating.
Overall, it’s a very good machine but the cost of nearly $1500USD might put some people off.
RATING: 7.5/10
So there you have it folks that conclude our review of the Lenovo Yoga C930.
Which will hopefully shine some light on whether this is right for you or not. If you are looking for such a machine and want something portable yet powerful in its own right then it certainly is worthy of consideration.
Also read: best gadgets.