Case and connectivity – Lenovo C340 with USB Type-C
The top of the base unit is made of metal; the remaining components are made of plastic. Most of the case has a silver-gray tone (platinum). Only the display frame is black. The convertible is well built and doesn’t reveal any serious stability flaws. However, the base unit should be a bit more rigid for our taste. In order to get to the innards, the bottom cover needs to be removed.
The three USB ports (2x Type-A, 1x Type-C) operate according to the USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard. The Type-C USB port doesn’t support the functions for Power Delivery 3.0 or DisplayPort over USB Type-C. In addition, there’s an HDMI port.
The built-in SD memory card reader doesn’t fully accommodate SD cards; they stick out a good 16 mm (~0.63 in). Moreover, it is one of the faster representatives of its kind. Copying large blocks of data achieves a maximum transfer rate of 83 MB/s. The transfer of 250 JPG image files (each of around 5 MB) is completed at a speed of 70.6 MB/s. We test memory card readers using a reference card (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II).
The Wi-Fi module supports the fast ac standard. The transfer speeds measured under optimal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices close by, short distance between laptop and server PC) are mediocre.
Input devices – The IdeaPad features keyboard backlighting
Lenovo has equipped the C340-15IWL with a backlit chiclet keyboard (two brightness levels). The flat, smooth keys provide a short travel and a clear pressure point. The resistance provided by the keys is pleasing. While typing, the keyboard gives in a little, but this didn’t prove to be bothersome. All in all, Lenovo delivers a successful keyboard here that has proven its suitability for everyday use.
The multitouch-capable ClickPad takes up an area of about 10.5 x 7 cm (~4.13 x 2.76 in). The smooth pad surface makes gliding easy for the fingers. It has a short travel and a clear pressure point.
The touchscreen supports 10 touch points and responds quickly to inputs. It can be operated with both the fingers and the Lenovo Active Pen 2, which can be purchased separately.
The IdeaPad’s 15.6-inch touchscreen display works at a native resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. While it provides a good contrast (1,612:1), the brightness (251.4 cd/m²) is too low. We consider a value beyond 300 cd/m² to be good.
The screen flickers at brightness levels of 90% and below. Due to the low frequency of 352 Hz, sensitive users can experience headaches and/or eye problems.
Processor
The IdeaPad is powered by a Core i5-8265U quad-core processor (Whiskey Lake). The CPU operates at a base speed of 1.6 GHz. Turbo can be used to increase it to 3.7 GHz (all four cores), 3.8 GHz (two cores) and 3.9 GHz (one core), respectively.
The processor works through the multithread tests of the Cinebench benchmarks at 3.7 GHz for several seconds. The clock speed then drops slowly and gradually to 3.2 to 3.3 GHz. The single-thread tests are processed at 3.7 to 3.9 GHz. This behavior is observed both on battery power and when plugged in.
| Screen Size | 14 inches |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920×1080 pixels |
| Processor | 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Hard Drive | Solid State Drive |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 8 hours |
| Brand | Lenovo |
| Item Model Number | IP C340-14IWL |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Item Weight | 1.65 Kg |
| Item Dimensions L x W x H | 22.9 x 32.8 x 1.8 cm |
| Colour | Platinum Grey |
| Processor Brand | Intel |
| Processor Count | 1 |
| Flash Memory Size | 256 GB |
| Power Source | battery |
| Batteries: | 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included) |
