Lenovo Yoga 530, we've tested it

The Lenovo Yoga 530 is not a particularly slim laptop but it does meet the ultrabook standard

Are you looking for a versatile laptop, with a good price and features to match? The Lenovo Yoga 530 is an excellent candidate. Designed for users who want a touchscreen ultrabook without spending a lot of money. Its starting price, at 540 euros, its screen rotatable up to 360 degrees or the option of using a stylus are some of its strengths. Plus, at its highest settings you can boost its performance with an NVIDIA graphics card and Intel Core i5 processors. I have had the opportunity to tinker with him for a few days, these are my impressions.

Lenovo Yoga 530 Datasheet

The Yoga 530 has several different configurations of Intel Core processors

Average performance for day to day

Everything must be said, the Lenovo Yoga 530 is not a model designed for users who are looking for a cucumber - it must be borne in mind that its most powerful configuration is not sold at the moment in Spain. It is far from equipment like the Lenovo Yoga 920 at the power level. However, it maintains a fairly remarkable performance and holds the type very well on a day-to-day basis. If you normally use office applications, surf the net or watch video, this team more than delivers. In addition, it also performs well in heavier applications, although it is not its main objective.

On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that this model experiences important differences depending on the configuration with which you get it. Among other things, in the section of the screen. The simplest configuration opts for a panel with HD resolution, while the most powerful configurations make the leap to Full HD (this is my case). Without a doubt, a leap that can be important if you are looking to watch video and movies. The panel is matte, something that is very appreciated to minimize reflections, and that is not usual in consumer equipment. Some spectacularity and appeal may be lost, but in return you will have a more comfortable viewing experience. By the way, it seems to me that the brightness level of the screen is more than remarkable.

In the configuration that I have tested, the processor chosen is the Intel Core i7-8550U , with four cores and a speed of 1.8 GHz. This speed can be taken up to 4 GHz in the moments of greatest need. Keep in mind that it is a configuration that is currently not for sale in Spain. The most powerful model is the one with an Intel Core i5-8250U processor. Also quad-core and with a speed of 16 GHz (it can be taken up to 3.4 GHz with Turbo Boost).

As for the RAM, it can be 4, 8 or 16 GB (currently from the official page you can only go up to 8 GB).

Front view of Lenovo Yoga 530

14-inch screen and moderate weight

We have gone through the screen before, and it went without saying that this panel has a size of 14 inches. It is a medium format, which personally seems ideal on a laptop. Especially when you want to give it a regular use to watch movies or series, but you don't want it to be cumbersome to handle or take anywhere.

As is usual with Yoga equipment, its screen is a true contortionist . Thanks to its two side hinges, it can be rotated up to 360 degrees and placed in all kinds of positions. This versatility is attractive and multiplies the available options. Of course, I still find it difficult to see the usefulness of a 14-inch tablet (with its weight and size it is unwieldy). If I see more output to other intermediate positions such as the store mode or the reverse screen to navigate with your finger. The hinges are firm and it can hold the type in any posture.

Lenovo Yoga 530 Gallery

This panel is surrounded by rather thin upper and side frames , although it cannot be said that they are typical of an infinity screen. The lower frame is somewhat thicker, and gives the impression that the space could have been better used.

It must be said that the Lenovo Yoga 530 is not a particularly light ultrabook, although it remains at a fairly manageable 1.6 kilos figure . Its full dimensions are 328mm x 229mm x 17.6mm. That is, it is somewhat thicker than what Lenovo has accustomed us to in models like the Yoga 920, which stands at 14 millimeters. Is this difference much noticeable? The truth is that visually yes, but in day-to-day use it is not noticeable.

Returning to the screen, the company has wanted to give more versatility to the options of this panel through an accessory. We are talking about the stylus , a very specific complement designed for designers or users who want to make sketches and manual writing on the computer. The recognition of the pencil has seemed quite fine.

View of the left side of the laptop keyboard

The keyboard, that pending account

I have to admit it. The keyboards of Lenovo laptops do not quite convince me . Not that the typing experience is bad, but at least the Lenovo Yoga 530 is missing a bit more height . But above all, the problem is in the decision that has been made regarding the enter key. This is quite long but narrow and is glued to the cedilla key. The problem is that until you get used to it, it is usual to press the other key by mistake and have to go back.

As usual at this point, it is a matter of taste and habit. What I did like is that the keyboard is backlit. This helps us to work with the keyboard in low-light environments, such as when traveling in the seat of a car or on the train. Or in a dark room.

The enter key on the keyboard is quite narrow and elongated, and is too stuck with the cedilla

Really fast internal memory

One of the aspects that has surprised us the most is the internal memory. Without being a top team within Lenovo's catalog, the company wanted to reinforce a key point in the overall performance of the team. Its internal memory is of the PCIe SSD type , with three different capacities depending on the chosen configuration. The most basic has 128 GB of space. It can be somewhat limited if we want to work with several applications or store multimedia files. The other two configurations are 256GB and 512GB.

The tests I have carried out leave no room for doubt. This memory is capable of sequential reading of up to 2600 MB / s . Of course, its write speed drops a lot towards more modest figures of 623 MB / s.

Lenovo Yoga 530 Internal Memory Power Test Results

Complete connections

One of the sections that are most sacrificed when making an ultrabook is the physical connections. Fortunately, this is not the case with the Lenovo Yoga 530. This laptop is not one of the thinnest on the market, but that allows it to include a good number of connections. Starting with its two USB 3.0 type ports. It also includes a USB Type-C port. It is the connector that is becoming the standard in mobile phones, and increasingly in laptops. Among its main advantages is its reversible format or the higher data transfer speed (double that of full-size USB 3.0).

It also incorporates an HDMI port to view content on a monitor or TV. The only connector that we miss here is an Ethernet port, which would allow us to connect to the Internet via cable. Instead, it supports the WiFi AC protocol. With this protocol you can navigate with greater stability and speed. Of course, for this we have to have a router that is also compatible.

Connections are completed with Bluetooth to connect devices without cables and a 4-in-1 card reader.

Detail of one of the hinges of the Lenovo Yoga 530

Price and reviews

The Lenovo Yoga 530 is a laptop that covers a wide range of options. Its most basic configuration is designed for users looking for a reliable and versatile laptop, thanks to its touch screen capable of rotating up to 360 degrees. Of course, with HD resolution and a limited technical set. This configuration starts at 550 euros, a very competitive price for a model of this type that brings it close to many pockets.

However, as the price rises, this model is capable of becoming a first-class machine, with a Full HD screen, very fast 512 GB memory and latest generation Intel Core processors . Of course, in no case does it reach the level of the top Lenovo computers. The most powerful configuration that is sold in Spain is placed at 1,050 euros.

In short, we are facing a model that summarizes very well some of the virtues that have made Lenovo the first manufacturer of computers (fighting for the crown with HP). It is a well-built model, robust but without being heavy, which follows the tradition of the Yoga of offering a rotating touch screen. I'm not a big fan of tablet-like positions on such a large 14-inch model, but I do know that this flexibility to position the computer in any position is appreciated.

Perhaps what I liked the least about the equipment is its keyboard, with the keys somewhat low and that decision to -almost- merge the enter key with the cedilla. But for the rest, a laptop that is worth taking into account if you are looking for a model with good performance that does not escape from 1,000 euros (or even a cheap laptop for 500 euros).