[REVIEW] Lenovo Ideapad S540-14API (R5-3500U, Vega 8)

[genexis_x]

1 hour ago, dizmo said:

Filled with so much info yet no pictures.

Because I don't have a good camera. Sorry about that, but future reviews will include pictures

[Drop it]

interesting...my one sreen look not 45 ntsc panel... same laptop and network card is "litte crab" also is not pm981a nvme ssd is skhynix ssd...so...they may shrink some of the part and put screen better...I guess I need buy ax200 later becuse that netword card are BS

[mr.jacopong]

Update: I bought an 8gb hyperx RAM from amazon, and i can confirm that it has hynix chip. It is 100% working and it is worth it, now I can use MATLAB without any sort of lag .

I also bought a new 45w power adapter that is so tiny that it has 0 impact in may backpack. I hope to be helpful to someone, and sorry form my bad English 

[Purvenan]

Hi guys, I have the same laptop, but bought in Europe, so as usual the price was %*&^*^ higher (about 700 usd). I have ryzen 5, 256gb ssd, and 8GB DDR4 RAM (one 4GB soldered on the board and one 4GB stick). 

 

I wanted to see if replacing the 4GB stick with a 16GB one would make a difference (primarily in terms of GPU performance). It says everywhere that I have dual-channel memory - in CPU-Z and also GPU-Z (it says the graphics memory bus is 128-bit, which could only happen if it WAS running in dual channel mode. I tested before I switched in Passmark performance test with the Memory bench and I had higher results overall with 20GB, but threaded performance was a lot lower (not 50% though). I tested graphics with Heaven from Unigine and the perf dropped from 35-36 fps to 32-33 fps, which is not as bad as I expected based on what I've seen online. 

 

Why does it say it's dual channel everywhere though? how could I overclock the GPU? Is it possible? 

 

BTW: Overall, this is a very solid laptop - well built, great performance, small bezels, etc. 

 

Thank you guys. 

Michal 

[niko3100]

Guys! I am looking to buy this laptop mainly for programming. I sold a thinkpad e495 with ryzen 3500u and found that Ryzen 3500u is an excellent CPU and the fan noise is really low.

So I just want to make sure this laptop has the same behaviour, my main concern is while doing light web browsing or watching 1080p youtube videos the fan remains off, completely off or not. I am looking for the ryzen 3700u with 12gb of ram and 512 ssd. 

Thanks in advance!

[niko3100]

Yesterday received my s540 copper with ryzen 3700u and I really like it. Fan noise is extremely low against my previous Thinkbook 13s and super happy with it. I am using in "Intelligent mode" but also I realized that in "cool and quiet" mode it also reduce fan noise and a little bit of performance but it is perfect for web browsing and youtube videos. I still need to test more games but overall the laptop is amazing for this price and setup.

[Daisukiiiii]

i got this laptop February 2020 (although its the intel spec) 

i5 10210u

mx250

12gb ram

512gb ssd

glossy/glass display(non-touch)

 

and to my surprise, it looks like they refreshed this laptop with a better display? 

according to laptopmedia, this panel is 98% sRGB

https://laptopmedia.com/screen/innolux-n140hce-en2-cmn14d5/

 

 

[genexis_x]

1 hour ago, Daisukiiiii said:

and to my surprise, it looks like they refreshed this laptop with a better display? 

according to laptopmedia, this panel is 98% sRGB

https://laptopmedia.com/screen/innolux-n140hce-en2-cmn14d5/

There is an optional high sRGB display for newer models.

[Sergeant]

On 6/8/2019 at 3:41 PM, genexis_x said:

Note: Will retest battery life soon since result is below average

Welcome to my laptop review on Lenovo Ideapad S540-14API. Main specs of the laptop are as below:

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AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Vega 8

4GB soldered+4GB slotted RAM – running 2400MHz dual channel

512GB Samsung PM981 PCIe M.2 SSD

14 inch FHD IPS matte

Realtek 8822BE WIFI

4 cell 45Wh battery

W10 Home (no fresh install, only uninstalled McAfee and Candy Crush)

2 years PremiumCare on-site warranty

 

Model 81NH000MMJ (mineral grey colour)

This model is very similar to Ideapad 530s 14 with some changes (ports, slightly thinner, cooling etc).

 

Notebookcheck review on S540 (Intel and AMD) (pay attention to battery life)

 

Product page (Malaysia): https://www.lenovo.com/my/en/laptops/ideapad/s-series/Lenovo-IdeaPad-S540-14API/p/88IPS501194

Hardware maintenance manual: https://download.lenovo.com/consumer/mobiles_pub/S540-14_hmm_201902.pdf
(note that you need a plum flower head screwdriver if you wish to disassemble the bottom cover)

 

Part 1: Build quality, input devices

Build quality is excellent as expected. The aluminium lid has only little flex when twisted (lock out at certain point). There is only little flex when pressing on the middle of the lid cover. Due to the stiff hinge, you cannot open the lid with single hand; however, wobbling effect is also minimal. The maximum lid opening angle is 180 degrees. The all-aluminium body also feels rigid. There is only little flex at the middle of keyboard and above the touchpad. Twisting the body is not possible. Bezels use plastic material instead of metal but that is totally fine. Overall, build quality of this machine feels premium.

 

The keyboard is very similar to the one in 530s 14. It has very short key travel (~1.1mm?), actuation force on the heavier side partly due to tiny bit of mushiness (~65g?). Typing feel is satisfactory – keys are firm, strokes are quiet. However, those who are used to deep key travel and light actuation force (like me) might need some time to get used to the keyboard. It has 2 stages of white backlight. Note that up and down arrow keys are halved sized.

 

The Precision clickpad is also very similar to 530s 14. It has plastic surface even though it looks like glass surface. Surface is smooth enough, though moist/sweaty fingers will experience a decrease in smoothness. Tracking is precise. The L/R clicks requires little force to be clicked on and the click sound isn’t that bad (a bit loud). There is chrome finish surrounding the clickpad.

 

There is a fingerprint reader (Goodix) at the bottom of the right arrow key which can be used for Windows Hello.

 

Part 2: Display, Audio, Battery

The display is a 14 inch 60Hz 45% NTSC IPS made by LG (LGD05EC). Since it's a low sRGB panel, colours are less vibrant, still it's better than low quality TN panels and good for everyday use. Brightness is slightly above average among low sRGB panels (30-40% is plenty for indoor usage) and contrast is good. It has thin bezels.

 

The 2 upward facing speakers have one of the best audio quality I’ve ever tested. Comes with Dolby Audio Speaker System branding and uses Synaptics driver. I tested audio quality with Dynamic profile, though game profile and music profile (for headphones - less background noise) also not bad. Volume gets loud, sound quality is rich and with some bass too. Vocals could be a little louder but it’s not a big deal. I’m impressed – even better than many bigger gaming laptops out there.

 

This laptop is equipped with a 4 cell 45Wh battery.

Notes for battery life testing: WIFI on, best battery life mode, intelligent mode (more on that later), no background app, disabled sleep / display dimming, 14% volume

 

Idle

P2 state, 1.3-1.4GHz, 3.6-4.4W (APU package power draw, not system power draw)

 

YT video, Chrome, enabled hardware acceleration

720p60, 15% brightness: ~5-5.5 hrs, ~5.5-6.5W

720p60, 28% brightness*: ~5 hrs, ~6.5-7.5W

1080p60, 28% brightness: ~4.5 hrs, ~6-8W

 

NBC website (MSI P75 review) – same Chrome settings

Idle, 28% brightness: ~8-8.5 hrs, ~4-4.75W

Continuous scrolling at reading speed, 28% brightness*: ~6.5-7 hrs, ~4.5-6.5W

Reload every 30 secs, 28% brightness: ~4.5 hrs

 

*with power saver dimming

 

You can adjust some AMD related power settings in advanced power settings, but I found out that it has no impact on battery life. Slight brightness decrease also don't seem to save much battery life.

 

Note that while at idle / in light loads, Quiet mode will make the fans run while Intelligent (auto) mode will keep the fans off. Nevertheless, it also doesn't seem to have an impact on battery life.

 

Part 3: Performance, thermals

The cooling solution consists of single medium sized heatpipe and 2 small fans (can refer to hardware maintenance manual). Note that the exhaust vents are blocked by the hinge – hot air is directed upwards (not towards display).

 

Notes for all testing below:

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Intelligent mode is used unless stated

STAPM limit – 22W (13W quiet, 24W performance), Slow limit – 25W, Fast limit – 30W

STAPM limit (battery) – 17.6W (10.4 quiet, 19.2 performance), slow 20w, fast 24w

BIOS version: AGCN18WW V1.03

Adrenalin 2019 19.5.2

W10 1809 17763.529

Vega driver: 26.20.11015.5009

BIOS reserved VRAM: 2GB

Memory timings (cas,rcd,rp,ras,rc): 17,17,17,39,56

Ambient temp is ~30C

Laptop is plugged in

Before going into the results, I want to make a brief explanation on a tool called "STAPM power". Basically it's used to set power limits while the laptop is under load. While idle, the value for STAPM power is ~3.5-4W. While under load, the value will increase gradually over time until it reaches near the current power consumption. The heavier the load, the faster it increases. As the value gets higher, you will notice very minimal (I would say ~5%) clock speed throttling (CPU/GPU/both). You will also notices that the fast limit can only sustain for a shorter period during burst load like Cinebench when STAPM power is higher. When the value is close or reaches STAPM limit (22W for Intelligent mode), power limit will drop from 25W (slow limit) to 22W and the value remains.

 

Cinebench R15 multi core ~640cb (1 run)

~3.15GHz, then ~3GHz

Max 72C (1 run), max fan noise ~36dBA

27-28W for a few secs, then stays at 25W

STAPM limit kicks in after 7 runs: ~2.85GHz, max 76C, ~587cb

Performance mode will give the same result, but it can sustain high scores longer

 

Aida64 FPU – same behaviour as CB15

 

Unigine Heaven - 900p, all low, dx11

Clock speed fluctuates: 1000+MHz most of the time

Max 74C, max fan noise ~36dBA

Max 25W

Power consumption will fluctuate – Slow limit can sustain longer compared to CPU

 

FPU+Heaven

25W: CPU ~2.2-2.4GHz, GPU ~550-600MHz, max 75C

22W: CPU ~2-2.15GHz, GPU ~500MHz, max 72C

 

L4D2 - 1080p lowest, single player with bots, Dead Center Map 1

CPU 1.2-1.4GHz, GPU 500-950MHz

Max 66C, 15-23W (stabilized STAPM power) 

~85 FPS (1 run)

 

CSGO - fullscreen 1080p lowest, Mirage map, no bots

CPU 1.3-1.4GHz, GPU 800-950MHz

Max 68C, 19-22W (stabilized STAPM power) 

~115 FPS (1 run)

 

Apex Legends - 720p lowest, training map

CPU mostly at 1.2-1.3GHz, GPU 1050-1100MHz

Max 68C, 22-24W (performance mode is used due to higher power demand)

FPS (recorded standing in front of bloodhound): Skybox 73-93 FPS, training ground 41-51 FPS, will drop a few FPS when firing

 

Fire Strike (1 run)

Score: 2178, Graphics: 2497

 

Tested Dota 2, but CPU+GPU run at low clocks for unknown reason. Tried a few settings, still doesn't fix that. Can stay at ~60 FPS but will drop in heavy actions (1080p, fastest preset)

 

Additional comments:

• Under load, the whole area above Fn keys where the exhaust vents are located will get a bit hot. Keyboard area is a little warm.
• The package temperature cools down very fast after load, indicating a good, effective cooling solution. There is still plenty cooling room for >25W heat.
• GPU is tuned such that it will get more power for higher clock speed in games (sacrificing CPU clock).
• There are 3 power modes: Quiet, Intelligent (auto) and Performance (fan will kick in faster, also allows ~39dBA max fans) - press Fn+Q to switch.
• Unfortunately, tuning via Ryzen Controller not possible. It doesn't support Ryzen 3000 series mobile APUs yet. However, I don't think you need any further tuning since the stock power limit settings are good enough.
• I highly suggest using AMD uProf for most monitoring. The results are the most accurate.

 

Part 4: Miscellaneous

• The laptop weights at ~1.5kg and has ~16mm thickness.
• It comes with 65W charger (proprietary plug)
• There is a privacy shutter built into the webcam – slide to left to cover the camera
• You can check battery capacity even when the laptop is off by pressing any key – shows up in display
• The included Realtek 8822BE WIFI card has quite stable speeds, no issues so far

Ports

L: Power, HDMI, USB C, headphone/mic

R: Full SD card slot, x2 USB 3.0 A

It seems like it doesn't support USB C charging, however I can't test that out since I don't have any USB C charger

 

Lenovo Vantage

System update: Used to update drivers

Hardware settings:

• Power – Conservation mode (battery cap while charging), rapid charge, always on USB, Vantage toolbar
• Audio / visual – Eye care mode, camera contrast+brightness+auto exposure on/off, camera privacy mode, Dolby on/off, Dolby audio mode, mic mute on/off, mic volume, optimize mic for 1 voice/normal/many voices, mic auto audio optimization
• Smart Settings – Auto adjust Dolby settings based on apps, auto mute mic based on apps
• Input – Touchpad enable/disable, Function/Fn switch, keyboard backlight

Health & Support: Hardware scan, warranty, user guide download

 

Conclusion

Premium build quality, system feels snappy and responsive, input devices are decent, audio quality is above average. Has fingerprint reader and privacy shutter which is a plus. Very good APU performance - high power limits, good thermals (only mid 70s with 25W heat).

 

What I'm disappointed the most is the battery life. The result isn't quite expected - realistically speaking, you can only get 4.5-6.5 hrs of battery life. 45Wh battery should be able to get 6-7 hrs. I suspect the culprit is the high idle power consumption. Maybe future BIOS/firmware/driver updates will make the battery life better but I can't tell for now. Anyway, I still believe that it's a step up compared to 2000 series mobile APUs. If the battery life is decent, this would be an excellent budget Ryzen laptop.

 

Pros:

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Excellent build quality

Excellent APU performance and thermals

Very good audio quality

Decent input devices

Fingerprint reader, webcam privacy shutter

IPS panel (low sRGB)

Fairly portable for a 14 inch

Fairly affordable

Cons:

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OKish battery life - not quite as expected
1 soldered RAM (1 extra slot), no 2.5 inch bay

2GB VRAM reserved for iGPU, left 6GB usable RAM for system - no way to change that

Wish it has a little more ports

Lack of USB C charging might bother some

Thanks for reading!

Have you tried adding a second SSD? I plugged a 512 GB 2242 from KingSpec but it doesn't recognize it in the BIOS

[genexis_x]

10 hours ago, Sergeant said:

512 GB 2242 from KingSpec

is it a SATA drive?