Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 review

When it comes to raw processing power, the Yoga 13 is similar to other mid- to high-end Ultrabooks. Our review sample came with a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U processor that can Turbo Boost to a clock speed of 2.6GHz when it’s within its thermal limits, and 8GB of RAM. It scored 40 overall in our multimedia benchmarks, but it didn’t cope particularly well in our multi-tasking test, scoring 34. Even so, if you’re not planning on using any heavy-duty applications that require multi-threading, the Yoga 13 will be plenty fast enough for many everyday tasks.

Sadly, the Yoga 13 isn’t so good for playing games. Its graphics are provided by its CPU’s built-in Intel HD Graphics 4000 chipset, and it failed to produce 15fps in our Dirt Showdown tests on High Quality settings at 720p. You’ll have to lower quality settings drastically if you plan on playing any modern 3D games, but less-demanding titles on the Windows 8 Store all worked perfectly.

The most impressive part of the Yoga 13 is its long battery life. We managed 7 hours and 32 minutes in our light use tests, so it’ll easily last you a working day if you’re on the move. No other convertible Ultrabook we’ve tested lasts anywhere near as long away from the mains, and its closest competitor is the Dell XPS 12 at 5 hours and 43 minutes.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 isn’t perfect, but we like its simple design, even if we’re not so keen on having its keyboard underneath our fingers all the time. Its superior battery life also makes it stand out from other hybrids, and although it’s still quite expensive for what’s otherwise a decent mid-range laptop, it’s easily one of Lenovo’s best products to date.