Lenovo’s Yoga 530 is a 14″ convertible that comes in many guises. The manufacturer makes cheap versions with dual-core processors, but there are also more expensive variants with faster quad-cores. For example, the variant with the Intel Core i5-8250U costs just under 800 euros, while you you can get a variant with a Pentium 4415U for about 530 euros.
For 500 euros you can also opt for a model with an AMD Ryzen 3 2200U dual core and there is a variant with a Ryzen 5 2500U quad core that costs 700 euros. This makes them cheaper than the Intel variants and on paper they have an integrated GPU with more computing power. We brought in two Ryzen variants to see how they score in practice.
In this article, we discuss the performance of the Ryzen laptops compared to the Intel versions and compare the battery life. Except for the processors, the AMD versions of the Yoga 530 convertibles are the same as the Intel processor models. We previously published a review of an Intel version and in it you can read about the other aspects of the convertible, such as the housing, keyboard and screen.
Hardware and Performance
There are many versions of the Lenovo Yoga 530 in the Pricewatch and new models regularly disappear to be replaced by variants with a slightly different type number. This is partly due to all the so-called exclusive versions. Large webshops will receive a model with its own type number, which makes it difficult to compare with other stores.
For example, the model we tested in July, a version with a Core i5 processor and MX130 GPU for 799 euros, has already disappeared. Currently there is only a version with Core i5 for sale without that Nvidia GPU, for the same price. The table below shows two AMD variants and two Intel variants, which correspond in terms of specifications and price and are readily available at the time of writing.
| Yoga 530-14ARR (81H9001PMH) | Yoga 530-14ARR (81H9001NMH) | Yoga 530-14IKB (81EK00HWMH) | Yoga 530-14IKB (81EK00EMMH) | |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 2500U | AMD Ryzen 3 2200U | Intel Core i5-8250U | Intel Pentium 4415U |
| cores/threads | 4/8 | 2/4 | 4/8 | 2/4 |
| GPU | Vegan 8 | Vegan 3 | UHD 620 | UHD 610 |
| Ram | 8GB ddr4 | 4GB ddr4 | 8GB ddr4 | 4GB ddr4 |
| SSD | 256GB | 128GB | 256GB | 128GB |
| Battery | 45Wh | 45Wh | 45Wh | 45Wh |
| Price | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
CPU Benchmarks
In the benchmarks below we compare the Yoga 530 with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 with the variants with AMD Ryzen 3 and Ryzen 5. The direct counterpart of the Ryzen 3 variant is actually the version with Intel Pentium 4415U, but we do not yet have a Yoga 530 tested with that processor. We did test a Yoga 520 version with that CPU, so we include it in the benchmarks. Although this is a slightly older model, the processor performance in the Yoga 530 will be similar.
In Cinebench, Intel’s Core i5 and i7 are slightly faster than the Ryzen 5 when it comes to single-core performance. The Ryzen 3 narrowly beats the Intel Pentium. When all cores are put to work, the AMD quad-core is slightly faster than the Intel counterparts and the Ryzen 3 also comes out on top here. The results of the PCMark Home benchmark, which simulates simple workloads such as browsing, photo editing and video chatting, show a similar picture. The Ryzen 3 ranks slightly higher than the Pentium and the Ryzen 5 is comparable to the Intel quadcores.
GPU benchmarks
When it comes to CPU performance, the AMD and Intel versions are not much different. The integrated Vega GPU of the Ryzen processors, especially that of the Ryzen 5, offers more advantage on paper than the igpu of the Intel processors. With 3DMark we look at the performance. The Ryzen 5 laptop also uses two 4GB DDR4-2666 strips in dual channel. The Vega GPU is therefore not limited by single-channel memory.
In 3DMark Cloud Gate, a somewhat older DirectX 10 benchmark that runs at a resolution of 1280×720 pixels, the Ryzen 5 is much faster than the Intel Core i5 and Core i7. In the Graphics benchmark, which only looks at the GPU performance, the Vega 8 is more than 77 percent faster than the Intel UHD 620. The Vega 3 in the Ryzen 3 is also faster than the Intel GPU of the Pentium 4415U. but the difference is much smaller at about 18 percent.
In Fire Strike and Time Spy, benchmarks using DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 respectively, with resolutions of 1920×1080 pixels and 2560×1440 pixels, the Ryzen 5’s Vega 8 also scores significantly better than the Intel UHD 620. In Time Spy, however, the lead is somewhat less, but still about 47 percent. The Ryzen 3 also shows more performance gains in Fire Strike than in the older Cloud Gate benchmark, with a difference of over 43 percent.
In terms of graphics, the AMD processors are therefore significantly better than their Intel counterparts. In particular, the Vega 8 GPU of the Ryzen 5 shows a significant speed gain. However, that does not mean that you can play the latest games smoothly. To put the graphic performance in perspective, we show scores of more laptops with a separate GPU below.
In the Cloud Gate benchmark, the Vega 8 GPU can still keep up with the MX150, but Nvidia’s entry-level model is already running further in the more modern benchmarks Fire Strike and Time Spy. The performance of the integrated GPUs does not come close to the GTX 1050 video card, which can be found in gaming laptops from around eight hundred euros.
Battery life
Looking at the specs, the AMD and Intel models should be evenly matched when it comes to battery life. The processors of both brands have a tdp of 15 watts and the battery capacity is also the same at 45Wh. With our browsing test we look at how it works in practice.
The Intel variants clearly score better when it comes to battery life. The version with the Ryzen 5 quadcore only lasts five hours in the browsing test, while the version with Intel Core i5 can browse for eight hours. The Yoga 530 with Ryzen 3 does a bit better with six hours, but also has to acknowledge its superiority in the version with Intel Pentium 4415U. In addition, the Yoga 520 has a smaller battery than the Yoga 530. Perhaps the battery life of the Yoga 530 with Pentium is even longer.
This means that the battery life remains a weak point of the Ryzen processors compared to the Intel counterparts. We’ve noticed this before in other reviews of Ryzen laptops, such as the Acer Swift 3 , the HP Envy x360 , and the Lenovo IdeaPad 720S . The results of the Lenovo Yogas confirm our previous findings.
Conclusion
Using Lenovo’s Yoga 530 convertible, we can compare how AMD Ryzen processors in laptops perform compared to their Intel counterparts. We have benchmarked both versions with Intel CPUs and variants with AMD CPUs. In terms of CPU performance, the difference is small. The Ryzen 5 gives up slightly to the Core i5 when it comes to single-core performance, but overtakes the i5-8250U in benchmarks like Cinebench when all cores are put to work. The Ryzen 3 is slightly faster than the Pentium 4415U in all cases.
In graphic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 is significantly ahead of the Core i5. With its Vega 8 GPU, the AMD version has significantly more graphics processing power than the Intel HD 620 GPU. The Vega 3 GPU of the Ryzen 3 is also somewhat faster than the Intel HD 610 GPU of the Pentium, but the scores are so low that it is questionable whether this difference is relevant. The Vega 8 of the Ryzen 5 GPU has also yet to acknowledge its superior in Nvidia’s MX150 and does not come close to the GTX 1050 from entry-level gaming laptops.
The battery life is the big Achilles heel of the Ryzen laptops. The Intel counterparts last two to three hours longer in our browsing test, which is a significant difference. If you want to work without a plug for a long time, an Intel variant is a better choice.
It gets interesting when we look at the prices. The Yoga 530 with Ryzen 5 costs 700 euros, while the Intel version with Core i5 currently costs 800 euros. The AMD variant offers equal CPU performance and better GPU performance for significantly less money, but you have to accept the shorter battery life. The price difference is less with the Ryzen 3 variant; you save 30 euros compared to the Pentium version. For that you get slightly better performance, but a less good battery life.