In this review, I will be giving detailed explanations of the specifications of both the Lenovo Yoga 720 and 730. In addition to that, I will examine their performances against each other in specific areas. These areas include the design, processor, memory, graphics, storage, and battery. Also, I will include benchmark test results based on the laptops’ performances, where necessary and available. After reading through this review, you should have an understanding of the overall performance of both laptops.
Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730: My Initial Thoughts
Lenovo’s Yoga laptops have long been the company’s most innovative laptop series. As the name ‘Yoga’ suggests, they are flexible laptops with a hinge mechanism that can rotate 360 degrees.
Hence, the Lenovo Yoga 720 and 730 are called ‘convertible’ laptops, which means they have both the features of a laptop and a tablet. While the Yoga 720 was released far back in 2012, the 730 is a more recent upgrade released in 2018. Just by seeing how sequential their names are, one would be naturally curious if these laptops are very similar. Another question will be if either of these laptops is a worthy addition to the 2-in-1 laptop market. Fortunately, this comparison will answer those questions and more. So, do well to read on.
Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730 Design, Dimensions, And Weight Comparison
When we talk about looks, both the Lenovo Yoga 720 and 730 are well-built machines that look and feel reliable. With the smooth aluminum body, you can get these laptops in platinum silver, copper, or iron grey. The Lenovo Yoga 720 and 730 both look good, although, at first glance, you will not be blown away. Irrespective of that, lovers of simple laptop designs will still appreciate the look. An additional advantage of this simple look is how it soothes both formal and informal occasions. Right on the lid, Lenovo chose a less dramatic look for both laptops. You will barely know this is a Lenovo product because all you’ll find on the lid is a simple “Yoga” text logo at the top left corner. On lifting the lid, you encounter the huge 15.6″ inch FHD/4K UHD edgeless display and six-row illuminated keyboard. Just before I touch on these features, I definitely cannot ignore the hinges of these laptops. To enhance flexibility, Lenovo designed both laptops in such a way that their hinges can rotate 360 degrees. This means that both the Yoga 720 and 730 are convertible laptops that can be used in tent, tablet, stand, and laptop mode. Away from hinges, both the Yoga 720 and 730 displays are surrounded by glossy black bezels. The top and side bezels are slim, but the bottom bezel appears chunky. Right on the top bezels, there is obviously the 720p webcam which captures clear images and can be used for video calls. Moving over to display, for a convertible laptop, you would naturally expect that both the Yoga 720 and 730 are touchscreen enabled – thankfully, they are. As for performance, the touchscreen is easy to use and properly responds to multi-touch gestures. Without a doubt, using either of these laptops inside or outside of the office environment will not be a problem. Still on display features, Lenovo made it possible to choose between two display types. To be exact, you can get the Yoga 720 and 730 with either FHD (1920 x 1080) or 4K UHD (3480 x 2160) resolution displays. While both display types are vibrant and clear, there are still some noticeable differences. Specifically, the 4K UHD display has a more life-like picture quality, so you can expect more details than the FHD display. As for color accuracy, both display types are IPS-enabled so expect that colors will pop. If you didn’t know, IPS stands for In-plane switching, and it’s a display technology that contributes to enhancing color accuracy. In addition to that, viewing angles are also at their best. Thus, you should not expect anything less from these Yoga laptops. Hence, you can view the 720 and 730’s displays clearly from different angles and with great accuracy. However, one downside that I feel Lenovo could have done better is the brightness levels. Whether you go for the FHD or 4K display, all you’ll get is an average of about 350 nits of brightness. You might be wondering, “What does this mean?”. Well, nits are simply the measurement for brightness levels, and let’s just say 300 nits is around average. Consequently, the Yoga 720 and 730 are average in screen brightness. As a result, be prepared to strain your eyes a bit if you end up using these laptops in direct sunlight. An additional expectation one would have for a touchscreen is a stylus pen. Well, Lenovo made sure to include that but with varying levels of availability. To make more sense, the Yoga 730 has a Lenovo Active Pen 2 included in the box. For the 720, on the other hand, the Active Pen 2 is optional, which means if you need it, you’ll have to pay extra. Perhaps this is one reason why the 730 has a higher price tag than the 720. Comparatively, the Active Pen of both the 720 and 730 are relatively thicker than the Surface Pro and Samsung stylus pens. Nonetheless, either pen of the 720 or 730 is easy to use and precise whether you intend to write or sketch with them. Having highlighted the display features, I will move over to the deck area of these laptops. To start with, you will get to know these are Lenovo Yoga series due to the bold “Yoga” grey branded print on the laptop’s deck. Starting with the keyboard, time and time again, Lenovo has been known for its impressive keyboard, especially with ThinkPads. For the Yoga as well, both the 720 and 730 provide a great typing experience. With the moderate-sized keys, the keys travel of the Yoga 720 is 1.2mm. For clarity, key travel is the distance of the keys into the chassis and back when typing. The key travel of the Yoga 730 is slightly different, though, at 1.1mm. Your next likely question is, “what exactly is a good key travel?” Ideally, longer key travel is always more beneficial; something around 1.5mm is a good one. While both laptops do not meet the 1.5mm mark, we can call their key travel average, which still contributes to a good typing experience. Additionally, as expected for modern laptops, the keyboard of the Yoga 720 and 730 are backlit. This helps to further enhance the typing experience when typing in a low-light environment. Right below the keyboard of the 720 and 730 (as you would expect) is the touchpad. Both laptops feature smooth, fair-sized touchpads that get the job done enjoyably. These touchpads are not as large as what you’ll find in Apple laptops or the Dell XPS series, but they are still very usable. Multitouch gestures also work fine on them. On a slightly different note, there is an additional feature on the deck area of these Yoga laptops. More specifically, I am referring to the fingerprint scanner located below the arrow keys. Having this fingerprint at your disposal makes it easy to place some form of security on your laptop. Rather than having to input a password all the time, you can simply unlock either the Yoga 720 or 730 with your thumb. Away from the fingerprint sensor and keyboard, I’ll digress into ports and dimensions. In terms of ports, the Yoga 720 and 730 have all the necessary ports. Starting with the Yoga 720, there are two USB-C ports; one is for power delivery and Thunderbolt 3, while the other is a standard USB-C port for fast file transfer. In addition to that, there is a headphone jack on the left side of the laptop. As for the right side of the Yoga 720, all you’ll find there is a USB 3 Type-A port and the laptop’s power button. Unfortunately, the laptop lacks an HDMI and Ethernet port. Moving over to the Yoga 730, this laptop is not so different from the 720. To be exact, there are two USB Type-C ports and a headphone jack on the left. While on the right, there are two USB 3.1 ports and a Type-C Thunderbolt port, along with a full-sized HDMI output. In the aspect of dimensions and weight, the Lenovo Yoga 720 and 730 are very similar. Starting with the former, the Yoga 720 measures 364 x 242 x 19.9 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 2000 g. The Lenovo Yoga 730, however, measures 360 x 249 x 16.95 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 1890g. This is a fair level of thinness, considering their 15-inch size. Although if you intend to use either of these laptops in tablet mode for a long time, your hands will ache. All the same, both the Yoga 720 and 730 are laptops that can serve as mobile workstations. To close the curtains in this section, it is fair to say there are few differences between these two laptops in terms of design. In fact, it is almost as though Lenovo avoided putting too much effort into the newer model. All the same, we will find out in subsequent sections if there is any major difference. To round off this section of the comparison makes, I believe these laptops are worth an even score of eight out of ten.
Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730 Processor (CPU) Performance Comparison
The processor is one of the many hardware features you need to get right when getting a laptop. From one series to another, Lenovo has been doing well in producing mobile workstations with capable processors. Starting off, the Lenovo Yoga 720 comes packed with a quad-core Intel Core i7-7700HQ. This processor has a 6 MB cache, while its base and boost frequency is at 2.80 GHz and 3.80 GHz, respectively. For the Lenovo Yoga 730, you will get a quad-core Intel Core i7-8550U processor. This processor has an 8 MB cache, while its base and boost frequency is at 1.80 GHz and 4.0 GHz, respectively. Judging by their specs, the Lenovo Yoga 720’s processor should be able to handle simple and difficult computing tasks. The same can also be said for the Yoga 730’s processor. However, by looking deeper into their processor specifications, the Yoga 730 seems to have higher figures than the 720. However, we cannot use that as a yardstick to measure one laptop’s performance over the other. As a matter of fact, one sure way to measure processor performance is by using benchmarks. There are quite a number of benchmark tools out there, but for this comparison, GeekBench 4 will be my go-to. To properly reiterate, the GeekBench does the function of analyzing processor performance. It successfully does this by putting a computer system under some work pressure with the aim of knowing just how much the processor can handle. Now that you know what the GeekBench is, I’ll roll out the test score. Like pretty much every other test out there, the higher the score, the better the performance. According to our findings, the Yoga 720 did well with a score of 12000 points. By a wide margin, the Yoga 730 outperforms with a score of about 14500 points. With the wide disparity between these two, it is only ideal that the Yoga 730 scores higher in rating. Thus, I will rate the 720 an eight while the 730 wins this processor section of this review with a rating of nine.
Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730 Memory (RAM) Performance Comparison
When it comes to memory, the default configuration of the Lenovo Yoga 720 comes with 8 GB DDR4 RAM. Thanks to the fact that this laptop has two slots, you can upgrade to a maximum capacity of 24 GB. However, one of the RAM slots of the Yoga 720 is soldered to the laptop’s motherboard. Consequently, it is only a single RAM slot that is actually upgradable – the other cannot be easily replaced. Similar to the 720, the Yoga 730 also has two RAM slots with only one upgradable, and it comes with either 8GB or 16GB DDR4 RAM. The variation in onboard memory depends on the particular model you purchase. However, the supported maximum memory capacity of the 730 is 16 GB which makes it less than its other sibling – the 720. Ideally, a good-performing laptop has about 8 GB of RAM. Hence, with 8 GB RAM, it is expected that Yoga 720 and 730 will perform well during multitasking and productivity work. To paint a more practical image, these laptops can comfortably handle about 20 tabs running simultaneously on Google Chrome. These web tabs may include YouTube video streaming, Google docs, and audio streaming websites like Boomplay. Plus or minus, upgrading the memory of either laptop to something more will most likely provide better performance. To further buttress memory performance, there is a benchmark test tool that aims to analyze a laptop’s memory. With the wide range of such tools out there, our focus in this comparison is the PCMark 8. Specifically, the PCMark simulates common computing tasks like editing documents, video calling, and general web surfing. The essence of that is to give you an idea of how best these laptops can multitask. Notably, like typically every test out there, the PCMark presents its score in numeric value. Also, a high score equates to good performance. From the test, the Yoga 720 achieved a score of about 3100 points, while the Yoga 730 achieved about 3300 points. It is interesting to see both laptops scoring slightly differently, even with the same 8 GB RAM size. Nonetheless, it is evident who takes the lead in this section. Hence, despite having limited expandable memory, the Yoga 730 deserves an eight in this section. While for the Yoga 720, I will rate it a seven in this section of this Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730 comparison.
Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730 Storage Options And Performance Comparison
Nobody wants to ever get it wrong when it comes to storage, and thankfully, Lenovo is not one to disappoint either. To start with, both the Lenovo Yoga 720 and 730 come with PCIe SSD storage types. Depending on the model you purchase, you can get the Yoga 720 and 730 with 256 or 512 GB of SSD storage. In addition to that, Lenovo made it possible to upgrade either of these laptops up to 1 TB. The upgradability of this storage is possible because the storage drive is replaceable. Usually, laptops (including Lenovo) have an SD card slot as a secondary storage option, especially for external devices. However, both the Yoga 720 and 730 do not have an SD card slot. Irrespective of that, 1 TB of storage should be sufficient for your large files. Speaking of storing large files, it is pleasing to see these Yoga laptops having an SSD storage type. If you didn’t know, SSD (solid-state drive) is a faster and more reliable storage type than HDD (hard disk drive). As a result, you can be sure of faster transfer speeds on the SSD. Thankfully, we were able to discover what transfer speed is really like on these laptops. Basically, when transferring a 4.97 GB file, the Yoga 720 takes about 20 seconds to get that done at a rate of 320 MB/s. More impressively, the Yoga 730 transfers the same 4.97 GB file in a faster time of about 13 seconds at a rate of 390 MB/s. If this is not fast, I don’t know what is! Just by looking at these figures, you definitely know you would not have to spend precious time on file transfers. In addition to file transfer speed, there is another approach to determining how healthy a storage drive is. To be more exact, I am referring to storage benchmark test tools, and a major one is CrystalDiskMark. The main function of this CrystalDiskMark test is to evaluate the read and write speed of a storage drive. By read speed, I am referring to how long it takes to open a file, Meanwhile, write speed is how long it takes to save a file on a computer. Now that you know what read and write speed means, let’s talk about the test result itself. According to the CrystalDiskMark test, the Yoga 720 has a read speed of about 3000 MB/s while its write speed is about 1600 MB/s. For the Yoga 730, it achieves a read speed of about 3300 MB/s while its write speed is about 1800 MB/s. From the look of things, the Yoga 730 is ahead yet again in this aspect, as a higher “MB/s” value equates to faster read/write speed. In addition to having a faster read and write speed, we cannot also forget that the 730 also has a high transfer speed. Judging by these two results, we cannot deny the Yoga 730 its ideal position. Thus, I will rate the Yoga 720 an eight while the Yoga 730 takes a nine in this section of the comparison.
Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730 Graphics Card Performance Comparison
The Lenovo brand is well-known for producing work laptops, but they do have good graphics features. Just as you must have noticed so far, the Yoga 720 and 730 share very similar features, and the graphics are no exception. To give more perspective, let’s delve into specifications. Starting with the Yoga 720, this laptop comes with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card. This is a dedicated graphics card with a dedicated VRAM (video RAM) of 2 GB GDDR5. Furthermore, this GPU has a base and boost frequency of 1290 MHz and 1392 MHz, respectively. Now you may be wondering what a dedicated GPU is. Well, graphics cards are of two types – integrated and dedicated. An integrated graphics card is one that depends on the system’s memory when performing graphics tasks. In contrast, a dedicated graphics card is one that has its own memory and thus does not rely strongly on the system’s memory. Having established that, it’s time to return what is left of the specifications. For the Yoga 730, this laptop also comes with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card. This GPU, however, has a higher VRAM of 4 GB GDDR5. Also, the base frequency of this graphics card is 1290 MHz and 1392 MHz, respectively. Typically, having a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card means that both laptops will be able to handle some title AAA games. Still, you cannot categorize the Yoga 720 and 730 as gaming laptops but are fit for most graphics work. Therefore, video and photo editors can get their jobs done with either of these laptops. While this statement paints a general picture, you probably want more insights as to what graphics performance is like on these laptops. Thankfully, there is yet another benchmark test tool that serves the purpose of analyzing graphics performance. The particular tool I am referring to is the 3DMark. The 3DMark gets the job done by running modern PC games with the aim of analyzing just how well that PC can handle graphics tasks. Just like most tests, a higher score on the test equals better performance. According to the 3DMark test results, the Lenovo Yoga 720 achieved about 6300 points, while the 730 scored 5200 points. Apparently, having a higher VRAM does not make the Yoga 730 a super performer compared to the Yoga 720. For a more practical meaning of this test, we discovered how some games are likely to perform on these laptops. Knowing this gives you more perspective on what graphics and gaming performance look like on these laptops. Firstly, when playing BioShock Infinite, expect the Yoga 730 to perform at around 48 fps (frames per second) on an ultra-high setting. For the Yoga 720, though, this same game is playable at around 60 fps also on the ultra-high settings. Another game worth mentioning is Rise of The Tomb Raider. This game plays at about 39 fps on high settings when using the Yoga 720. While for the Yoga 730, this same game is playable at about 37 fps, also on high settings. For obvious reasons, the Yoga 720 is worth a rating of eight, while the 730 is worth a seven in this section of the comparison.
Lenovo 720 vs 730 Yoga Battery Life And Performance Comparison
For a laptop series targeted at creatives and business professionals, the 720 and 730 have good batteries. To be more specific, I will roll out the battery specifications of both laptops. First off, the Lenovo Yoga 720 is packed with a 4-cell Li-Ion battery. According to Lenovo, this battery lasts differently depending on the display type you opt for. More precisely, this battery lasts about 10.5 hours with an FHD display and 9 hours with a 4K UHD display. This disparity in battery life is also the same for the Yoga 730. According to Lenovo, the 3-Cell 51.5Wh battery of the Yoga 730 lasts up to 9 hours with the 4K UHD display. Meanwhile, with the FHD display, it is expected to last about 11 hours. Being the manufacturer, Lenovo may be trusted for these battery claims. However, to be more assured, we went ahead to verify these claims using a real-life battery test. From our findings, the Yoga 720 lasts about 8 and 9 hours with the 4K UHD and FHD display, respectively. However, the Yoga 730 lasts about 6 hours and 30 minutes with the 4K UHD display and 8 hours with the FHD display. It is particularly important to note that these battery lives are solely based on how long they last on continuous browsing. By and large, it is apparent that the display resolution type determines how long your battery will last. Thus, if you end up going for any of these laptops, be sure to put that into consideration. Irrespective of that, the Yoga 720 sits at the top as regards the battery. Having said that, the Yoga 720 and 730 are best rated nine and eight, respectively.
Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730: Our Rating Summary
Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730: My Final Thoughts
Conclusively, there you have it. Despite being a successor to the Yoga 720, the 730 still does not meet up to the 720 in some aspects. However, we cannot deny how evident the 730 outperforms the 720. With very little difference between both laptops, it is difficult to be definite. Apparently, storage, memory, and processor performance are the strong points of the Yoga 730. While for the Yoga 720, graphics and battery are its strong points. As for design, both laptops meet at a midpoint. I hope you found this Lenovo Yoga 720 vs 730 comparison review helpful. If you found the comparison helpful, kindly share your thoughts with us at Itechguides Community Forum. You could also provide feedback or ask questions relating to this comparison review at Itechguides Community Forum. Our team and some community member will be delighted to respond to you as quickly as possible. Finally, for more laptop comparison reviews, visit our Laptop Comparison Reviews page. You may also find our Laptop Specs page very helpful.
Reference And Further Reading
