Lenovo Yoga C940 (15-inch) review: The desktop replacement I've been waiting for – CNET

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Sarah Tew/CNET

The 15.6-inch Lenovo Yoga C940 is the middle ground between ultraportable two-in-ones and the larger screens and faster performance of desktop replacement laptops. Its slim body makes it more portable than older 15.6-inch notebooks and, while it’s around 4.4 pounds (2 kg), it’s still lighter on your lap and in your bag, too. With the bigger display, though, you’ve got more room to work than with a small two-in-one like the 13.3-inch HP’s Spectre x360, but without losing the flexibility of the design. And the C940’s six-core processor and discrete graphics lets you do things you simply can’t with a smaller two-in-one.

Like

  • Slim and stylish for a desktop replacement.
  • Excellent performance for work and entertainment.

Don’t Like

  • Disappointing port assortment given its size.
  • Memory can’t be upgraded post-purchase.

Since it’s a premium two-in-one filled with higher-end components, the 15-inch C940 isn’t inexpensive, starting around $1,400. The one I reviewed is currently available from Best Buy at that price, but seems to regularly sell for $1,540. If you don’t need the two-in-one flexibility or you care about performance more than design, there are certainly other options. But, if it sounds appealing to have something akin to a small all-in-one desktop that’s also a laptop, a large sketchpad or digital whiteboard and a gaming PC, the Yoga C940 is worth the price. 

Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH

Lenovo Yoga C940-15IRH
Price as reviewed $1,540
Display size/resolution 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 touch display
CPU 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H
Memory 16GB DD4 RAM 2,667MHz
Graphics Nvidia GTX 1650 with Max-Q Design
Storage 512GB SSD
Networking 802.11AX (2 x 2) Wi-Fi 6 & Bluetooth 5.0
Operating system Windows 10 Home 64-bit version 1903

A modern desktop replacement

With a two-in-one this size, one of my favorite ways to use it is in stand mode with the keyboard faced down and the display forward. Attach a keyboard and mouse and you’ve got what’s essentially an all-in-one desktop with a 15.6-inch display. The C940 has two Thunderbolt 3 ports and one USB-A port, which means you’ll likely need a dock or adapter if you want to add an external display or two to your setup. It’s disappointing there’s no HDMI out, Ethernet or SD card slot.

Don’t want to attach a keyboard and mouse? The C940’s are just fine to use full time. The backlit keyboard has enough travel and feedback to make touch typing comfortable, though some might find it mushy compared to the company’s ThinkPad keyboards like the X1 Yoga’s. Lenovo squeezed in a number pad and media controls, too. The precision touchpad is smooth and responsive with a defined click to it. 

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The included active pen is small but stores in the body. 


Sarah Tew/CNET

The display is good, too, though it could stand to be calibrated out of the box for better color. At 400 nits, it’s bright enough to help you see past mild reflections, but working outside will still have you adjusting your viewing angle. Like last year’s 14-inch C930, this display is pen-enabled, and Lenovo includes an active pen that charges in its own garage built into the body’s right side. It’s small, so you’ll probably want to spring for a full-size pen if you plan to write or draw for long periods of time. 

Considering the screen size and overall weight, the 15-inch C940 is awkward to use as a handheld tablet. That said, it’s absolutely fine to use on a table or lap, and I appreciated having the extra room for notes and sketches. Also, put in tent mode, you’ve got a lot of room to use it as a digital whiteboard or give a presentation. 

Another feature carried over from the C930 is the soundbar hinge. Regardless of the position you’re using the screen in, you get clear audio. However, they do sound a bit thin if you don’t turn on the Dolby Atmos app. With it you can quickly tune the audio for whatever you’re listening to — music, movie, game, voice — or you can set up three personal profiles or set it to Dynamic and let the software do the guesswork. You’ll still want good headphones or external speakers for thumping bass, but for general listening to music or watching videos, this setup works really well. 

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Sarah Tew/CNET

Performance for everything

This C940’s combination of a six-core processor and lower-end midrange discrete graphics can handle productivity tasks to photo and video editing. And yes, it’s perfectly capable of gaming at medium to high settings depending on the title. You will want to make sure you get as much RAM as you can afford, though, as it’s soldered on and can’t be increased later. If you’re going to skimp, do it on storage since that can be upgraded easily enough. 

The fact that you get this performance in a slim two-in-one is pretty great, but it does occasionally require the fans to go full blast to keep things cool. They aren’t particularly loud, but won’t miss them. However, if you want, Lenovo’s included Vantage software lets you or the laptop decide how to cool. 

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Sarah Tew/CNET

With the discrete graphics, the C940 requires a larger power brick than other Yogas that use integrated graphics. (This system also can’t be charged via USB-C, by the way.) Battery life was actually longer than I expected, getting 9 hours, 44 minutes on our streaming video test. With general use, I could get about 6 to 7 hours of use, but your mileage will vary depending on what you’re doing and you’ll definitely want to plug in for anything demanding like gaming. And there is a Rapid Charge feature you can turn on to get the battery up to 80 percent in an hour. 

If you’ve been on the fence about getting a two-in-one or sticking with a traditional clamshell laptop, the 15-inch Lenovo Yoga C940 strikes a happy medium. Also, thanks to its discrete graphics, it’s an excellent compromise for those who want something that’s a productivity and entertainment machine that also includes PC gaming. 

Geekbench 4 (multicore)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (Intel)

HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Cinebench R15 CPU (multicore)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (Intel)

HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

PCMark 10 Pro Edition

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (Intel)

HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Video playback battery drain test (streaming minutes)

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (Intel)

HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Far Cry 5 (fps)

HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (fps)

HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Fire Strike Ultra

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (Intel)

HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Time Spy

HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

System configurations

Lenovo Yoga C940 Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H; 16GB DDR4 RAM 2,667MHz; 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 with Max-Q design; 512GB SSD
Acer Nitro 5 AN517 Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.6GHz Intel Core i5-9300; 8GB DDR4 RAM 2,667MHz; 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650; 512GB SSD
Dell XPS 15 (OLED) Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 2.4GHz Intel Core i9-9980HK; 32GB DDR4 RAM 2,667MHz; 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650; 1TB SSD
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (Intel) Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (64-bit); 1.3GHz Intel Core i7-1065G7; 16GB DDR4 RAM 4.27GHz; 128MB Intel Iris Plus Graphics; 256GB SSD
HP Spectre x360 15 (OLED) Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8565U; 16GB DDR4 RAM 2,666MHz; 2048MB Nvidia GeForce MX150; 1TB SSHD
source: cnet.com