Lenovo IdeaPad 320S review – affordable and compact 14-inch notebook

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Specs Sheet
Design and exterior
Keyboard and trackpad
Screen
Hardware and performance
Noise, heat and speakers
Battery life
Price and availability
Final thoughts
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By Andrei GirbeaLenovo Ideapad 320S-14IKB, last updated on February 9, 2023

Lenovo Ideapad 320S-14IKB

Summary: The IdeaPad 320S 14 is a great all-round laptop for school and everyday use. It's fairly light and compact, it gets a matte IPS screen, performs well and runs cool and quiet for a long while on each charge. Lenovo pairs all these with an affordable price tag, but there are a few things you should know before taking the plunge. Among these, the fact that the keyboard is not backlit, that the screen is rather dim and the Wi-Fi a little slow. You'll find more about these and many other particularities from the detailed article below.

Our score: 4 / 5
Price when reviewed: $699 - $899

THE GOOD

decent overall build quality and nice looks
gets a matte IPs screen
decent keyboard, great trackpad
solid specs and performance
upgradeable storage and RAM
runs quiet and cool, even with demanding loads
long battery life
affordable price

THE BAD

not as small or light as other options in its niche
the screen is somewhat dim and color inaccurate
the keyboard is not backlit and a little spongy
poor wireless performance, especially at longer ranges from the router
mediocre webcam

Table of Contents

Specs as reviewed
Design and first look
Keyboard and trackpad
Screen
Hardware, performance and upgrade options
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers and others
Battery life
Price and availability
Final thoughts

In this article we’re having a look at the 14-inch version of the Lenovo IdeaPad 320S, one of this new breed of portable laptops that put a 14-inch screen inside a smaller 13-inch body.

Lenovo plans to offer the IdeaPad 320S line in both a 14 and a 15-inch version and they will be available in stores just in time for the 2017 Back to School season (mid-August).

Aside from theform factor, the modern Intel Kaby Lake hardware inside, the 52 Wh battery, the matte IPS screen and an affordable price tag are the main selling points of the 14-inch model. On the other hand, potential customers should keep in mind this is not as light or compact as some of the other options out there and don’t get a backlit keyboard (as far as I can tell at the time of this post).

But we’ll talk about all these below, so by the end of the article you’ll know if the IdeaPad 320S 14 has what it needs to be your next, or you should look elsewhere.

Specs as reviewed

	Lenovo IdeaPad 320S-14IKB
Screen	14.0 inch, 1920 x 1080 px, IPS, matte, non-touch
Processor	Intel Kaby Lake Core i7-7500U CPU
Video	Intel HD 620 + Nividia GT 920MX 2 GB GDDR5
Memory	8 GB DDR4 (soldered)
Storage	256 GB SSD (2.5″ SATA bay) + M.2 80 mm (free on this unit)
Connectivity	Wireless AC (Intel AC 3166), Bluetooth 4.1
Ports	1x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1x USB Type-C gen 1, HDMI, mic/headphone, SD card reader
Baterry	52 Wh, 45 W power adapter
Operating system	Windows 10
Size	327 mm or 12.87” (w) x 238 mm or 9.37” (d) x 19.9 mm or 0.78” (h)
Weight	3.39 lbs (1.54 kg)
Extras	non-backlit keyboard, HD camera

Like I mentioned earlier, a 15-inch IdeaPad 320S model will also be available in the months to come, it should share most traits with the 14-inch version but get slightly faster Nvidia 940MX graphics.

Design and first look

Our test unit gets a 14-inch screen inside the overall footprint of a 13-inch machine, but one of the larger kinds of 13-inchers and not one of the more recent launches. It’s not as compact or light as some of the other similar devices we reviewed here, like the Asus Zenbook UX430, Zenbook UX410 or even the Acer Swift 3 to some extent.

Still, at 3.4 lbs and .78 of an inch thick, the IdeaPad 320S is still a computer most won’t mind carrying around. Don’t forget this is a mid-budget option and it would be unrealistic to expect to get the best build, lightest weight or most beautiful design lines in a $700 and up device, some corners had to be cut.

Regardless, the build quality is not shabby at all. The screen-half is especially strong and made of hard-plastic for the bezel around the panel and aluminum for the hood, with the matte porous texture we’ve seen on IdeaPads for a while now, one that looks nice, doesn’t show smudges, doesn’t flex and shouldn’t scratch easily either.

The main-body on the other hand is covered in plastic, with a plastic inner frame as well, which is somewhat of a compromise, as the material used for the palm-rest and interior feels a little cheap. It looks good, but the touch of it just remind me of glossy plastic surfaces, and pressing on the top-half of the keyboard causes the frame to bend quite obviously, another reminiscence of older, cheaper laptops. Not much to complain about the sides or the underbelly though, which are made from simple matte plastic.

As you’ve seen in the pictures, out test unit gets and entirely grey color scheme (Lenovo calls it Mineral Grey), which looks nice. Not sure if other color schemes will be available for this series, but you should keep an eye on the online stores, Leonovo usually have multiple schemes available for their IdeaPads.

That aside, this laptop gets an overall simple design, with few branding elements (Lenovo logo on the hood and beneath the screen, IdeaPad engraved on the palm-rest) and few lines that would catch the eye. One of those is the machine milled edge of the screen, something you don’t normally get on laptops in this segment. There are no stickers or flashy lights on the interior either, except for the Power Key which is always lit and that can be a little annoying in a dimmer room or when watching a movie in the dark. The status LEDs on the other hand are hardly visible, as they are placed on the sides.

Speaking of those, they are nicely rounded and line all the IO, with two full-size USB Type A ports, an USB Type C connector, full-size HDMI video output, a card-reader, audio jack and Kensington Lock. There’s just one USB Type A 3.0 port and the USB Type C doesn’t support Thunderbolt 3, but you didn’t expect it would anyway, did you?

As far as how the laptop feels in daily use, I can say there’s much I didn’t enjoy. Like I mentioned already, the edges are blunt and won’t cause any issue to your wrists, the front lip has a fairly low profile, the palm-rest is spacious and the laptop sits well in place on a desk thanks to its large and grippy rubber feet on the bottom. Down here you’ll also notice the speakers and air-intake cuts. The exhaust grills are placed beneath the hinge, a design we’ve seen on many other laptops, but on this one the actual gap between the cuts and the hinge is larger than on most others and that leaves extra room for the hot air to go out.

The hinge itself works smoothly and allows the screen to be lifted with a single hand, but also to go back flat to 180 degrees. For me that’s a selling point, as I don’t usually use my laptop on a desk, but on the lap or while lying on the sofa, with it resting on my thighs. I do have a small nit with the hinge though, as I feel it’s a little weak and can’t keep the screen as set when for instance grabbing and moving the laptop, but that’s a minor detail that I can easily live with.

Keyboard and trackpad

The IdeaPad 320S gets a pretty standard Lenovo keyboard, with a design and layout similar to what most other devices in this series offer. That means large 15 x 16 mm keys with a slightly rounded bottom, proper spacing and smooth finishing, but also tiny Up and Down arrow keys and the Power button integrated as the top-right key.

My only major complain about this keyboard is the lack of illumination though. Whether that’s something you can accept or not is entirely up to you, but for me it’s hard to justify getting a laptop without a backlit keyboard in the $500+ segment.

Update: Some early previews of the IdeaPad 320S series mention a backlit keyboard would be an option available for these devices. I’ll update the post if this is confirmed, but for now I’ve yet to see any picture or video evidence of it. The backlit option should get an indicator icon on the Space key, as the illumination is controlled by hitting FN+Space on the IdeaPads.

As far as the typing experience goes, I’d say its decent. The keys have a short stroke and rather spongy response, so I needed some time to get used to pressing them harder. That had a slight impact on my overall typing speed, yet not that much on my accuracy. I did scored a few missed strokes in my test, but those were mostly caused by the fact that our test unit got the European layout with the odd Left Shift and Enter keys, that I’m not accustomed to.

The trackpad on the other hand is pretty good. It’s a plastic surface with good drivers and overall smooth performance, whether we’re talking about swipes, taps or gestures, which is rather surprising for a Windows laptop, especially one in the mid class. Of course, this trackpad does rattle when tapped firmly, like all plastic surfaces do, but that’s my only potential complain here.

Screen

Lenovo went with a 14-inch matte IPS display for this notebook, a decent Chi Mei panel, yet not the great one we’ve seen on the 14-inch Zenbooks.

You’ll find more about it in the list below, but overall this panel is nor very bright or a performer in terms of color gamut either. The contrast and viewing angles are fairly good though, and even the colors, while washed out, are fairly well calibrated out of the box. You could improve them with calibration though, or by using our calibrated profile available over here.

Panel HardwareID: Chi Mei CMN14D4 (N140HCA-EAC);
Coverage: 68% sRGB, 49% NTSC, 51% AdobeRGB;
Measured gamma: 2.1;
Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 250 cd/m2 on power;
Contrast at max brightness: 760:1;
White point: 6700 K;
Black on max brightness: 0.33 cd/m2;
Average DeltaE: 1.46 uncalibrated, 0.83 calibrated.

You might notice from one of the pictures above that while the panel’s maximum brightness is of about 250 nits, which is good enough for indoor use, the brightness level at 75% is already very low, and that means you’ll pretty much have to keep this screen at between 80 and 100% brightness all the time. That could have an impact on battery life, but we’ll talk about that down below in the appropriate section.

This aside, I’ll add that I haven’t noticed any noticeable light bleeding on our sample, so the bezel is well made and doesn’t pinch the panel. I also have to mention one more time that the screen can lean back to 180 degrees, which makes it usable in all sorts of cramped spaces and situations.

Hardware, performance and upgrade options

The IdeaPad 320S will be available in multiple configurations in stores, but we got to test the higher end model that includes an Intel Core i7-7500U processor, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM, Nvidia GT 920MX graphics and a 256 GB SSD.

You’re not going to need the Core i7 processor if you want a computer for standard daily activities: browsing, text editing, movies, music, etc. The available Kaby Lake Core i5 CPU or even the Core i3 model (if you’re on a tight budget) will do just fine. The Nvidia graphics chip is not necessarily a must either; while it is faster than the included Intel HD 620 graphics, it’s still an entry-level solution that doesn’t offer much in terms of gaming performance, especially at the screen’s FHD native resolution. More about that in a bit.

The 8 GB of RAM and the SSD are important though. I wouldn’t advise buying any laptop with just 4 GB of RAM these days and if you opt for a HDD instead, it’s going to greatly slow down the everyday experience.

Both the RAM and the storage are upgradeable though. In order to get to them you’ll have to take apart the laptop’s back panel, which is hold in place by 10 Philips screws and some stubborn plastic clips, especially towards the back, around the exhaust grills. There’s nothing a plastic card or some pliers can’t deal with, just be careful not to break the plastic bits. Once inside you’ll notice the 2.5″ storage bay, the Wi-Fi chip, the battery and a metallic shield that hides a RAM slot beneath. That should take an up to 16 GB DIMM, while th 2.5″ bay can accommodate compatible drives of multiple sizes. As a heads up, this is limited to SATA 3 speeds, but there’s also an 80 mm M.2 slot, free on our unit.

This can accommodate an SSD, but Lenovo also offers the laptop with an optional 16 GB Intel Optane SSD, meant to act as SSD caching and accelerate the performance or a regular HDD, with a fraction of the cost of an SSD. More details in this article.

Performance wise, the 320S handles daily tasks easily, as well as more demanding software and games to an extent. We had a clean Windows install on our unit, but because this laptop is so new and drivers aren’t yet finalized, the Core i7-7500U did not operate to the best of its abilities on our sample, as it didn’t put the TurboBoost feature to use in benchmarks or in games.

As a result, with the CPU only running at 2.7 GHz in multitasking and high loads, we got subpar results in some synthetic tests, so take the numbers below with a lump of salt. GPU scores look about right, but CPU related scores will be improved on the final retail units.

3DMark 11: P2087;
3DMark 13: Cloud gate – 68772, Sky Driver – 5218, Fire Strike – 1536, Time Spy – 458;
PCMark 08: Home Conventional – 2836;
Geekbench 3 32-bit: Single-Core: 2892, Multi-core: 6367;
Geekbench 4 64-bit: Single-Core: 4026, Multi-core: 7660;
CineBench 11.5: OpenGL 47.65 fps, CPU 3.24 pts, CPU Single Core 1.305 pts;
CineBench R15: OpenGL 52.55 fps, CPU 293 cb, CPU Single Core 115 cb;
x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit: Pass 1 – 118.55 fps, Pass 2 – 21.99 fps.

I also added a few pics that show CPU and GPU behavior, as well as internal temperatures, in various scenarios.

The CPU bottleneck didn’t have a major impact on gaming performance either, so I added some results below, as well as a comparison with the Intel HD 620 solution, so you’ll know what to expect from the configurations without an Nvidia chip.

	Nvidia 920MX – FHD low	*Intel HD 620 – FHD low
Dirt: Autogrid	59 fps	35 fps
Bioshock Infinite	40 fps	25 fps
NFS Most Wanted	34 fps	28 fps
Tomb Raider	54 fps	40 fps

*estimations based on multiple tests of Intel Core i7-7500U / 620HD configurations.

I have to admit I’m a bit surprised by the scores of this GTX 920MX chip. It’s the newer iteration with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and actually scored close to an Nvidia 940MX with 2 GB of GDDR3, both in games and in benchmarks, with 3Dmark results within 10-15% of the higher-tier chip.

I was initially ready to dismiss this option based on my previous experience with the GDDR3 model, but it’s actually an option to consider if you aim for some decent gaming on a budget ultraportable. The thing is the 920MX chip might only be available paired with the Core i7 processor, and since this configuration will probably sell for $750-$800, you could find better performing machines out there if you’re willing to compromise on portability to some extent.

Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers and others

This laptop uses a standard cooling solution with a heatpipe that links the CPU, GPU and the radiator, cooled by a fan. The good news is this implementation does a great job at keeping both noise and temperatures low. The bad news is… well, there’s actually no bad news.

With daily tasks the fan is occasionally idle or most of the time spins slowly and pretty much entirely inaudible in a normal environment. You’ll hear it a perfectly quiet room, but not that much otherwise. Keep in mind our test unit comes with an SSD, if you opt for a configuration with a regular spinning HDD, that one is going to be noisier than the fan and you’ll surely hear it in daily use.

The fan spins faster at higher loads, but even in this case we only measured noise levels of around 40 dB, which is much better than what most other laptops deliver. As a heads-up, there’s a chance the final retail units will run a little noisier, as the CPU running at higher frequencies would translates in slightly increased temperatures and thus the need to spin a little faster. It might also translate in just a slight temperature increase though.

*Daily Use – 1080p Youtube clip in EDGE for 30 minutes
*Load – playing Need for Speed Most Wanted for 30 minutes

Connectivity wise there’s Wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.1 on this laptop. Lenovo went with a dual-band Intel 3165 chip which is slow, capable of a throughput of only up to 72 Mbps. As a result, this chip averaged transfer speeds of 45-50 Mbps in our tests when right near the router, which dropped to 10-15 Mbps, corroborated with a drop in signal strength, at 30 feet with 2 walls in between. That’s still usable with regular browsing, but not enough for multitasking or streaming higher quality content.

The Wi-Fi chip is easily accessible and replaceable though, and I suggest you do that if not satisfied with the performance of the preinstalled module.

As far as audio goes, there are two speakers on this laptop, placed on the bottom and bouncing sound from the desk, but they are surprisingly good. The sound coming out of them is both loud (up to 82 dB in our tests) and punchy, with decent mids and even some bass. I didn’t notice any obvious distortions at high volumes either, and while I could feel some vibrations in the palm rest, they weren’t strong enough to bother me in daily use. Besides this, I doubt you’ll keep those speakers at high volumes anyway, since they are loud, and at mid-levels the vibrations go away.

We kept the camera for the end here and it’s pretty bad. In fact it’s one of the worse I’ve seen in a long while. Dim light captures are grainy and dark, while in good light it overexposes badly, as you can see in the picture above.

Battery life

The 14-inch IdeaPad 320S gets a 52 Wh battery, a little above the segment’s average. On the other hand, due to the panel being so dim, you’ll have to keep it at at least 80% brightness to get to about 120 nits, but that doesn’t actually have an impact on the battery life results.

Here’s what to expect:

5.3 W (~9 h 50 min of use) – very light browsing and text editing in Google Drive, Balanced Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON;
5.4 W (~9 h 40 min of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Internet Explorer, Balanced Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON;
5.0 W (~10 h 20 min of use) – 1080p fullscreen .mkv video in the Movie app, Balanced Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON;
5.2 W (~10 h of use) – 4K fullscreen .mkv video in the Movie app, Balanced Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON;
10.5 W (~5 h of use) – heavy browsing in Edge, Balanced Mode, screen at 80%, Wi-Fi ON.

The laptop comes with a very compact 45 Wh charger and a full-recharge takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes. The wall plug is integrated withing the power brick, with non-retractable prongs.

Update: Lenovo seems to also offer the 320s with a smaller 30 Wh battery in some regions, mostly on the lower-end configurations. That one is going to last a lot less on a charge and unless you’re on a very tight budget, I’d say you shouldn’t go for a notebook with such a small battery.

Price and availability

Lenovo announced the Ideapad 320S for the Back to School season, which means it should be available worldwide by August 2017. At the time of this post (late June 2017) it’s only listed on Lenovo’s Singaporean website, with the Core i5 configuration going for about 930 SGD and the Core i7 options with Nvidia graphics for around 1020 SGD (with discounts included).

Comparing the price of other Lenovo laptops on the Singaporean website to those of the US models, we can estimate the IdeaPad 320S-14IKB should start at around $650-$700 in the US, with the higher end configurations going for about $800, or a bit more if you replace the HDD with an SSD (which you should, but it’s not a must to buy it from Lenovo, you can upgrade the unit yourself and end up cheaper). Initial reports suggested a starting price of $739 for the 14-inch IdeaPad 320S in the US, but those are list prices and I’d reckon will quickly get discounted.

We’ll update this section once we know more about this notebooks prices and availability in North America and Europe. In the meantime, follow this link for updated configurations and prices at the time you’re reading this post.

Final thoughts

There are a few 14-inch laptops built into 13-inch chassis available out there, and while the IdeaPad 320S 14 we tested here is one of them, this particular detail is not its strongest asset. At 3.4 lbs and 13 x 9 x 0.8″ in size, it can’t really compete with the slim silhouette of the Zenbook UX430, but then the Zenbook is a few hundreds of dollars more expensive.

And here’s where the IdeaPad 320S stands out: it’s affordable and offers plenty for the money. It’s built fairly well and looks nice, it gets a decent screen, keyboard and IO, modern hardware that runs cool and quiet, a big battery and punchy speakers. But aside from the size factor, there are a few other corners Lenovo cut with this device. First, and most important of all, the keyboard is not backlit. Second, while the screen gets an IPS panel, it’s a rather dim and color inaccurate option. Third, the wireless chip is pretty slow, but at least that can be replaced.

Despite these and the other minor nits mentioned in THE BAD section at the beginning, this laptop still gets a good mark and our overall recommendation because it check most important boxes and sells for a great price.

If you can live with a 3.4 lbs 14-inch laptop, a non-backlit keyboard or a rather mediocre display by today’s standards, this laptop should be on your list. If not, there are other options out there, including that Zenbook we mentioned earlier, the Zenbook UX410 series, the Asus Pro B9440 and especially the Acer Swift 3, which is just as affordable if not more, offers a backlit keyboard and unfortunately an even crappier screen (with an IPS panel though). There’s also a newer Swift 3 SF314-52 version with an updated design, but new hardware and Nvidia MX150 graphics.

That wraps up our review the Lenovo IdeaPad 320S-14IKB notebook, but the comments section below is open for discussion, so get in touch if you have anything to add or ask.

Disclaimer: Our content is reader-supported. If you buy through some of the links on our site, we may earn a commission. Terms.

Review by: Andrei Girbea
Andrei Girbea is a Writer and Editor-in-Chief here at Ultrabookreview.com. I write about mobile technology, laptops and computers in general. I've been doing it for more than 15 years now. I'm a techie with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. I mostly write reviews and thorough guides here on the site, with some occasional columns and first-impression articles.

52 Comments

The Hieu

June 28, 2017 at 1:27 am

Thanks for reviewer !
Many people say that Lenovo Latop installed spyware, that is Lenovo Services Engine (LSE). They advise shouldn't use Lenovo Laptop. Is that true ?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  June 28, 2017 at 3:11 am
  
  I'm aware of this controversy, there are many articles online about the spyware in the Lenovo laptops. Personally, I recommend formatting the drive and installing a clean Windows on any laptop, and I think that should get rid of any issues. Could sound ignorant, but I just choose no to bog my mind with such things.
  
  Reply
  - The Hieu
    
    August 11, 2017 at 5:04 am
    
    I have just bought Lenovo ideapad 320S with specs i3-7100/4gb/1TB/NoVga in Viet Nam market. It's only 500$. But, I'm very disappointed that it's only equipped 30Wh battery (3 -4 hours use), i was hoping it was 52Wh.
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    August 11, 2017 at 6:54 am
    
    Ha, that's weird, I didn't knew that's even an option. Could try to see if it's not a 52 Wh battery with a large amount of battery wear. 30 Wh is really minuscule.
  - Nick
    
    August 25, 2017 at 5:41 am
    
    In Belgium the ideapad 320s-14 is also sold with a Lithium-Polymer 2 cell, 30 WHr battery for on average 650-700 euros. It's really too little battery time to go for this model.
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    August 26, 2017 at 4:17 am
    
    Wasn't aware of that, I'll add a headsup in the battery section. Thanks.
Nikolaj

July 18, 2017 at 2:27 pm

When reading about the 320s on Lenovos website, it mentions the following: "Upgrade with an additional 16 GB Intel Optane SSD". But I can't find any models with the Intel Optane. Is it possible to buy one without Optane and then installing it myself? And if so, is it possible to install the Optane on all models or do I need to buy a specific model?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  July 18, 2017 at 2:56 pm
  
  The Optane SSD is a regular 80 mm stick that goes into the M.2 slot and acts as SSD caching, meant to boost performance for laptops with a HDD for a low price. I don't see why you couldn't add one yourself, it's just as easy as adding a regular 80 mm SSD, but I've never tried one and I can't tell what to expect in terms of performance. This article should help though: anandtech.com/show/11210/the-intel-optane-memory-ssd-review-32gb-of-kaby-lake-caching
  
  Reply
Pete Borini

July 20, 2017 at 3:04 pm

I picked this one up at Staples for $479 (normally $719) this past Sunday (7/16/17). Huge value for the $$. staples.com/office/supplies/StaplesProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogIdentifier=2&partNumber=2716358&langid=-1&cid=PS:GooglePLAs:2716358&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=2716358&KPID=2716358&cvosrc=PLA.google-SALES.Computers&cvo_crid=39506884422&cvo_campaign=176606382&gclid=CjwKCAjwqcHLBRAqEiwA-j4AyFTMXffqek8iLX-Z1xAolrJzhtAQjJGhFgNjTN-0ycg_uUkVk_CHjRoCuzcQAvD_BwE

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  July 20, 2017 at 4:06 pm
  
  Unfortunately I can't see what's this about, somehow staples.com and target.com do not load in my country or for my Internet provider, but I'll just leave the link here. $480 sound amazing, what's the configuration you got?
  
  Reply
- Pete Borini
  
  July 26, 2017 at 8:59 am
  
  Just a follow-up here. The 320s I picked up from Staples for $479 on july 16th did NOT come with a backlit keyboard. Some of the reviews mentioned that it did come with it, but I believe that feature might only be available when purchased online.
  
  Reply
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    July 26, 2017 at 11:57 am
    
    Thanks for the follow-up, much appreciated. Does it get the 1920 x 1080 px IPS screen?
Pete Borini

July 20, 2017 at 3:06 pm

Is there a guide to replacing the wireless chip in this model (the 320S)?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  July 20, 2017 at 4:08 pm
  
  No but it's very easy. Buy the chip you want (Intel 7265 and 8260 usually work very well), turn off the laptop, touch a metallic grounded object, take the back panel out , remove the Wi-Fi chip, put the new wi-fi chip instead in the exact same position, put the back panel in place and that's it. Test the existing wireless first though, perhaps it's good enough for what you need and there's no need to change it.
  
  Reply
Nikolaj

July 21, 2017 at 6:05 pm

Would you recommend the new 14" 320s or the slightly older 14" 510s with the similar specs and the 510s is a little bit cheaper. In my case the specs are i5-7200U CPU, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. The only big differences I see, is 320s has a bigger battery (52 Wh and the 510s has 45 Wh) and the 320s is smaller than the 510s (which isn't a huge problem for me). There are of cause also some minor differences. But which one would you recommend?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  July 22, 2017 at 4:21 am
  
  What's the price difference? The newer model gets the bigger battery and the possibility to use M.2 SSD storage on top of the 2.5" regular storage (not sure if that matters to you, though), but that 510s gets a backlit keyboard. Otherwise these two are very similar in terms of weight, size, screen, keyboard, IO and performance. If you're just interested in specs and value, the cheaper option wins.
  
  Reply
Kshitij

July 25, 2017 at 3:24 pm

By any chance, were you able to get your hands on a lower spec model of 320s (with 7th gen, just HDD not SSD, 8GB RAM, only integrated Intel 620Graphics not Nvidea) ?

Even if not, how much downgrade we expect from this model in terms of being able to handle low to medium gaming capabilities?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  July 26, 2017 at 2:57 am
  
  NO. The HDD takes a big toll on everyday performance. And as far as gaming goes, you can Google about Intel HD 620 and see how it performs. It can handle FHD gaming with low details with most titles, but for higher details you'll have to drop to HD resolutions
  
  Reply
John Thomas

August 8, 2017 at 8:03 am

Hi, here in India only the i5 7th gen, 4gb ram, 1 Tb HDD model is available.
Is it possible to replace the HDD with an SSD? If so how to do I choose the right one. Also is upgrading the ram possible?

Reply
JJ

August 9, 2017 at 5:32 pm

Hello Andrei,
I am comparing Apple Macbook Air 2017 with Lenovo Ideapad 320s(i3 7th generation/1 TB hdd/4gb ram).
Macbook for $820 v/s Ideapad 320s for $620.
Usage-Basic surfing,Youtube, Reading,Video calling, Office basic stuff.
Thank you.

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  August 10, 2017 at 3:17 am
  
  I would not consider the MBA in this day and age due to its crappy TN screen and I would advise buying a computer with 8 GB of RAM or at least the possibility to upgrade it. Also, for $800 you can also get 13-inch ultraportbales from Asus, Acer, Dell, etc.
  
  Reply
  - Jj
    
    August 10, 2017 at 4:58 am
    
    All the other ultra portable are above $1250 here in India. I have a budget of $800-$850 dollars.
    What would you suggest then?
    Thank you
  - Rivo
    
    April 10, 2018 at 3:50 pm
    
    This is true. Here in Indonesia, ultrabooks are priced similar to cheapest MB Pro. The cheapest ultrabooks are also just less cheaper than the cheapest MP Pro.
    
    Windows laptop makers are kidding about mid-range notebook like 320s and its older model no backlit keyboard on the newest Lenovo 320s 14IKBR i5-8250 version with nvidia mx150 but i3 version is backlit. Like one-time production on Asus S410UN (Here in Indonesia there is no more of this type, lasts only 2 months since production). I think these manufacturers are now playing with price, maybe because their mobile products are getting pricier today. My friend bought an i5 zenbook 5 years ago just $800. But now? No way will we find zenbook is priced below $1200. Lucky you Americans.
Nilay Sanghvi

August 10, 2017 at 8:16 am

Please review Lenovo ideapad 720s.

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  August 11, 2017 at 3:17 am
  
  It's coming in a day or two
  
  Reply
KH

August 10, 2017 at 3:15 pm

Hello Andrei,

How would this perform as a business laptop running Windows 10 Professional with MS Office Pro (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Outlook.

Configured as follows: I5 7200U; 12GB DDR4; 1TB HDDR; IntelHD 620; 15.6" touch screen display

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  August 11, 2017 at 3:12 am
  
  if you don't need special features like TPM, anti-theft, etc, it would do just fine for those tasks. However, I'd put an SSD inside, it's going to make a very big difference with everyday use.
  
  Reply
Hamza

August 10, 2017 at 5:09 pm

Hi. Should i get a Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2 in 1 or the Lenovo 320S? Both have the same specs.

Reply
Joni

August 15, 2017 at 11:50 am

I just ordered the i7/8GB RAM/256GB version for 1250€ in Finland. I was wondeing do you have photos without the metal case which hide the DIMM slots?

This site is reclaiming that the RAM is soldered on so you couldn't upgrade it: laptopmain.com/lenovo-ideapad-720s-disassembly-ssd-ram-upgrade-options/

I hope this is not true and I have the options to go 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM in the future if I need to upgrade.

Do you also consider that the wifi card should be replaced at first?

Reply
- Joni
  
  August 18, 2017 at 1:33 am
  
  Thanks for your reply!
  
  I'm sorry I meant to post this to the 720S, my mistake! I just opened the page from browsing history and opened wrong article. Guess these computers are so similarly looking, hah.
  
  The shield was something that video reviewers had no courage to remove, afraid that their warranty if voided or something.
  
  I found also a guide about removing the plate meanwhile.
  
  Reply
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    August 18, 2017 at 1:08 pm
    
    Removing that is shield easy, it's hold in place by a few pins that you'll have to loosen up with a flat-tip screw driver. If you did remove it on your laptop I'd appreciate if you can confirm that there's a DIMM beneath.
  - Remo
    
    September 27, 2017 at 9:07 am
    
    Hello andrei,
    How many slots are there for ram sticks?
    I just bought the i3 model with 4gb of ram and i want to possibly add another 4gb stick for dual channel for increased graphics and system performance. i can only do this if there is 2 slots. Can you confirm?
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    September 27, 2017 at 9:19 am
    
    1 slot.
Aaron

August 22, 2017 at 9:12 pm

Is the cpu replaceable in the i3 model with something such as an I 7 ?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  August 23, 2017 at 5:18 am
  
  No
  
  Reply
Pete Borini

August 26, 2017 at 7:16 am

My daughter and I found our 14" 320S for an amazing $479 back on July 16th here in the US. We bought it for her to use as her primary laptop went she went to college. We've since discovered that the configuration we bought did not include a backlit keyboard AND did not include an Ethernet port. We found an adapter that allowed us to use her college's Ethernet connection but I urge you to check the specs of the unit you buy to make absolutely sure it has the features you think it does. Every review of the 320S mentioned the backlit keyboard and the online manual clearly showed an Ethernet port. The laptop we bought at Staples contained neither.

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  August 26, 2017 at 12:52 pm
  
  My test sample did not come with a backlit keyboard, so not EVERY review :)
  
  Reply
- Felix Morath
  
  September 9, 2018 at 9:16 pm
  
  Can you please tell me which adapter it is, that works on your ethernet? We are a school and have the same problem. Thank you!
  
  Reply
Lou

September 1, 2017 at 2:52 pm

I saw that you said you guys had some custom settings for the screen. Where can I find this? Because I bought one and would like to try it out.

Reply
Michael

September 14, 2017 at 3:35 am

Hi Andrei,
Does the M2 slot use PCIe or SATA protocol? I'm looking to install an SSD as a boot drive. Thanks!

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  September 14, 2017 at 5:04 am
  
  It's SATA3 only as far as I remember
  
  Reply
  - Tom
    
    February 2, 2018 at 2:04 pm
    
    Hi all, I've just bought IP320s 14IKB model number 81bn, bought in the UK, manufactured in Nov 2017.
    
    I know it's hard to be sure they're the same with the non-logical model numbering systems these manufacturers like to confuse us with but anyway….
    
    I've just installed a PCIE m.2 and it does work in this particular machine. So mine is PCIE.
Arnold

September 14, 2017 at 1:41 pm

Hi, is it ram upgradable or soldered in 320s?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  September 14, 2017 at 2:54 pm
  
  It's upgradeable, you could have found that if you read the article :)
  
  Reply
Arnold

September 14, 2017 at 2:01 pm

Good day, I have this with i3, 4gb and 128 ssd, i would like to add HDD drive. Maybe you know what thickness is of HDD? Usual 9.5 mm, or 7mm?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  September 14, 2017 at 2:55 pm
  
  My unit came with a LiteON CV3-DE256, which is a 7 mm drive.
  
  Reply
- Geir Martin Hynne
  
  January 30, 2018 at 2:40 pm
  
  Did that work out well, to add a hdd?
  
  Reply
Lucian Iacob

March 6, 2018 at 7:37 pm

Hi Andrei,

Thank you for the review! Comprehensive and informative as always.

I would love to buy a 14” 320s for my wife in the i5-8250u/8GB/128GB config as there is a €580 offer. It would fulfill her basic needs very well. However, I would really like to pick the 52 Wh battery option though. This guy has a well specd 13.3” i5-8250u but only got a 35Wh battery (https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/868119-lenovo-ideapad-320s/).

You said higher end models get a 52 Wh battery. Would that be true for i7s only? Or even i5s as well but in 14” models ‘cause their chassis is larger? And short of running a battery report through powercfg while testing the laptop in the shop, is there any other way I can find out the battery size prior to buying? Maybe finding a datasheet in the laptop’s box, if I’m allowed to open it prior to buying the thing?

Lenovo says very little on their Irish website, where I’m based. In fact, their Ideapad 320 datasheet (not 320s, if there is any difference; they link a 320 datasheet on the 320s irish webpage) says all 320 models come with a 35 Wh battery, irrespective of screen size. That would be very disappointing.

Reply
Denise

November 8, 2020 at 4:48 pm

Hi Andrei!
I have the Ideapad 320s 14IKB 4GB SSD 128GB M2.
I saw a video in YT from a guy that just plug a Corsair MP510 240GB m.2 SSD NVMe PCIe gen 3.0 x 4.
Do you think my 320s version is able to accept that? If yes, then I don't need to do a backup of everything I have on it? Or even though, should I do it?
In case you think there is no way on just plugging some extra SSD space… do you have any recommendations? Will I have to open the SSD part to change the 128GB for one larger? What do you think about 1TB?
I'm sorry but I new with these things.

I will upgrade my RAM for a Crucial 16GB, however I'd like to upgrade my SSD too as I'm getting low space.

Thank you so much in advance!!!

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  November 9, 2020 at 11:13 am
  
  If I get this right, your laptop already has a M.2 128 GB SSD. In this case, you can either replace it with a bigger compatible model, but first clone the content on the existing SSD onto the new drive (you'll need an USB to M.2 adapter for that), or you can choose to just install windows on the fresh drive (crate an USB install drive and install Windows from it. drivers should then be applied automatically with windows updates). You'll find videos on youtube for all these procedures.
  
  There's also an easier route: just put a 2.5" SSD in the 2.5" bay. Those are fairly cheap and easy to install, just make sure to open up the laptop first to see if Lenovo have included the required connectors.
  
  Reply
Denise

November 10, 2020 at 1:59 pm

Hi Andrei! Hope you’re fine!
Thank you for the help!
Please I only need your help with these two questions:

My ideapad is the 320s 14IKB with i3 7th gen., 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM.
I will upgrade the RAM for this one that I’ll buy in Amazon:
Crucial CT16G4DFD8266 16GB Storage (DDR4, 2666 MT/s, PC4-21300, CL19, Dual Rank x 8, UDIMM, 288-Pin)
According to some reviews, this one seems to be a good cost benefit.
What do you think? Is 16GB too much? Should I consider 8GB? My laptop is freezing with black screen all the time and when GChrome can’t open more tabs as there is no memory available. =[ I late with my college assignments already.

Also when I open the laptop to upgrade that… I’ll check if there are the required connectors you mentioned and that I saw in one video on YouTube. It will be easier for me. For this option, do I still need to do a backup? I think my laptop has the required connectors but I’ll check before buying a SSD memory to upgrade. Is there any limit to upgrade in this laptop? I’m thinking in buying the 500GB as I won’t be able to buy a new laptop so soon. Please what do you think?

Thank you so much again!!

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  November 10, 2020 at 3:27 pm
  
  Hi.
  
  The unit that I had came with a SK Hynix HMA81GS6AFR8N-UH 8gb DIMM in the memory slot. That Crucial might work as well, but I'm not entirely sure that 2666 MHz option that you mentioned is 100% compatible. Perhaps look for a 2400 MHz option instead, if you can't find the 16 GB version from SK Hynix.
  
  As for the storage, no, you don't need to clone/backup if you just install a 2.5" SSD. Just make sure you're buying a 2.5" 7 mm SSD that will properly fit. Once installed, you will probably have to go to Disk Manager in Windows to initiate the new drive. You'll find details about that on Youtube.
  
  Best,
  A
  
  Reply

Lenovo IdeaPad 320S review – affordable and compact 14-inch notebook

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