Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro review

FLEXIBLE PERFORMER
The Yoga 2 Pro didn’t disappoint when it came to processing performance either, and its 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U processor and 4GB of RAM powered the laptop to an admirable overall score of 46 in our multimedia benchmarks. This is exactly the score we expect to see from this type of processor, and the benchmark results show that the Yoga 2 Pro’s slim, sealed chassis doesn’t suffer from overheating like other Ultrabooks such as the Core i7-based Sony Vaio Pro 13, which also scored 46 despite having a technically better processor.

The Yoga 2 Pro’s Intel HD Graphics 4400 graphics processor can just about play 3D games, but you’ll have to compromise on graphics quality settings and the latest, most graphically challenging games will prove too much for it. The Yoga Pro 2 managed to output an average frame rate of 19.9fps in our Dirt Showdown benchmark with graphics quality set to High and the resolution set to 1,280×720. However, this increased to a much smoother average frame rate of 35.1fps when we set graphics quality to Low. The Yoga 2 Pro even managed to produce a respectable average frame rate of 29.1fps with graphics quality set to Low and no anti-aliasing at a resolution of 1,920×1,080. Sadly, 3D gaming is out of the question at the Yoga 2 Pro’s native 3,200×1,800 resolution, as the laptop failed our Dirt Showdown benchmark at that resolution, even with graphics quality set to Low and no anti-aliasing.

For us, the only real disappointment with the Yoga 2 Pro, apart from Windows 8’s poor resolution scaling, was average battery life. It lasted 7 hours and 17 minutes in our light use test with the screen set to half brightness, which is roughly the same as the original Yoga 13’s battery life. This would have been a great length of time for a laptop released in 2013, but we’ve seen other recently released Haswell-based Ultrabooks last for up to 11 hours. This makes the Yoga 2 Pro seem a little less attractive if you need to an ultra-portable laptop to take on the road.

Like its predecessor, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro isn’t perfect, but its novel hinge and impressive display certainly go a long way to make up for its flaws. At just under £1,000, it’s also roughly £250 less than other 3,200×1,800 resolution laptops such as the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus. The Yoga 2 Pro’s price also gives it a huge edge over other, similarly priced Ultrabooks with lower 1,920×1,080 resolutions. If you want a fun two-in-one device with a gorgeously detailed screen, the Yoga 2 Pro is the convertible laptop for you.