Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Performance-wise, the Lenovo Yoga 720 demolishes everything in its path. Because it uses an H series processor instead of the usual U series, the HP Spectre x360 15 and Samsung Notebook 9 Pro didn’t stand a chance in our benchmarks.
Even with half the RAM, the Lenovo Yoga 720 model we were sent experienced better results than the HP Spectre x360 in every test. And, with the exception of the Geekbench 4 single-core, PCMark 8 Home and TechRadar movie tests, it significantly outperformed the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro as well.
Here’s how the Lenovo Yoga 720 (15-inch) performed in our suite of benchmark tests
3DMark Sky Diver: 15,375; Time Spy: 1,763; Fire Strike: 5,401
Cinebench CPU: 584 points; Graphics: 73 fps
Geekbench 4 Single-Core: 4,244; Multi-Core: 12,388
PCMark 8 (Home Test): 3,077 points
PCMark 8 Battery Life: 4 hours and 35 minutes
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 7 hours and 7 minutes
This system won’t be able to run, say, Nier: Automata at a stable 1080p and 60 fps with the graphics settings cranked all the way up, nor is it intended to. But, with its specs, you can expect to run modern triple-A games at medium settings and at a standard HD (1,366 x 768) resolution, as recommended by Nvidia’s GeForce Experience software.
We did, however, spend some time taking BioShock Remastered for a test drive on the Lenovo Yoga 720; a game that, while nothing more than a slight makeover to a game that came out 10 years ago, runs flawlessly with all the graphics settings (including the resolution) cranked up.
So, if you plan on using the Lenovo Yoga 720 for light – or legacy – gaming, it’s a surprisingly worthy candidate.
Battery life
Despite coming out short in our movie test, wherein the film Guardians of the Galaxy is looped until the computer dies, compared to the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro, the Lenovo Yoga 720 has a strong battery life as well.
At 7 hours and 7 minutes, it clearly bested the HP Spectre x360 15 (5 hours and 31 minutes), even with its higher voltage requirements. And, though it didn’t touch the 8 hours and 23 minutes achieved by the Samsung Notebook 9 Pro, it wasn’t too far from the “up to 9 hours” promised by Lenovo itself, a rarity in the laptop space.
We liked
The Lenovo Yoga 720 is a phenomenal balance of everything you could ever want from a 2-in-1 laptop. What with the gorgeous and cozy design, its uncharacteristically sturdy hinge and awe-inspiring combination of processing power and graphics performance, it puts the competition to shame in many ways.
We disliked
However, in other ways, it feels like a blast from the past, and not in a good way. The proprietary charging is reminiscent of a laptop that’s much older than this one, plus it’s tied to one of those weighty power bricks that should go away forever in favor of USB-C. This is contradicted by the lack of artifacts we actually want like, say, an HDMI port or an SD card slot.
Lastly, like the 13-inch Lenovo Yoga 720 before it, the speakers are down-firing, which makes for an average listening experience depending on how the laptop is situated. Unfortunately, most 2-in-1 laptops seem to be better off with headphones.
Final verdict
You may think 15 inches is too big for a hybrid, but the Lenovo Yoga 720 be the laptop to convince you otherwise. Not too heavy or too massive in its dimensions, this laptop is well-rounded notwithstanding a few minor gripes. If your aim is to get the most power from your 2-in-1 without compromising on battery life, the Lenovo Yoga 720 might be your best bet.
Even without a full array of ports, you can get everything done that you need to with this 15-inch laptop-meets-tablet. That includes binge-watching Netflix and playing games. It’s not particularly the “best” at any one specific task, but rather the Lenovo Yoga 720 is a multi-faceted powerhouse – and one that flips 360 degrees whenever you need it to.
