Lenovo IdeaPad 110: At First Glance
The Lenovo IdeaPad series is available in a variety of price ranges. However, since Lenovo’s priority has switched to its Yoga laptop series, the IdeaPad series has been representing Lenovo’s budget-conscious and affordable sector.
Laptop computers are no longer as pricey as they once were. Today, because of advancements in technology and lower manufacturing costs, a wide range of laptops are accessible in all price ranges.
Even for people who only need a notebook PC for basic tasks, there are plenty of options in the market. This is exactly the audience Lenovo is targeting with its IdeaPad 110 laptop.
Looking at the specifications, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 appears to be a reasonable option for individuals looking to buy their first-ever laptop.
However, a strong spec sheet does not always guarantee good performance. So, is the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 laptop worth spending $165.00? Read on, and decide for yourself.
Lenovo IdeaPad 110: Design, Dimension & Weight
Lenovo has done a wonderful job with the IdeaPad 110’s design. With an all-black color, textured cover, and textured palm rest, the design language appears to be quite decent for a $165.00 laptop.
Despite its plastic chassis, the laptop is sturdy and does not feel cheap. However, when you open the laptop, the display wobbles for a few seconds, indicating that the hinge mechanism is flimsy.
Lenovo utilizes a Twisted Nematic display on the IdeaPad 110 laptop. The display’s quality is quite visible in the form of shifting colors when viewed from the side or from different vertical angles.
Furthermore, because the display’s resolution is 1366 x 768, pixilation is quite noticeable on the 15.6-inch screen. It is not as awful as you think, but you will immediately notice the dithering around text if you are used to sharp display on other devices.
Also, the display’s black and white levels are inadequate. The brightness of the display makes it too reflective, however, the contrast is pretty accurate.
In addition, I think the brightness and contrast are adequate for a low-cost laptop, but they can’t compete with more powerful competitors. Moreover, the Lenovo Ideapad’s subpar brightness isn’t that much lower than the far more expensive HP Spectre x360.
With its relatively poor display brightness and contrast, the IdeaPad 110 is most suitable to be used indoors or in shaded areas. However, if you decide to use the laptop outdoors, I doubt if you would be able to see the content or images on the screen clearly.
Furthermore, you won’t have any issues with reflectivity as long as you are using office-related applications like MSWord or Excel. However, because of the reflecting nature of the display, you may be unable to see properly when watching a movie with dark scenes.
Moving on from the display, a VGA resolution webcam with an array microphone is located at the upper edge of the display. Unfortunately, like the laptop’s display, the webcam isn’t really impressive.
It takes blurry pictures with little colors and few details.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 110 features a non-backlit keyboard with well-spaced keys and a decent amount of key travel. The keyboard also features a dedicated number pad thanks to the 15.6-inch form factor.
During the review, I found the keyboard pretty decent and comfy especially for a laptop this cheap. However, the keyboard cannot be compared to the ones that can be found on more expensive Lenovo laptops.
Above the keyboard is a horizontal grille speaker. The speakers feature Dolby Audio, which enables the speaker to produces a cool, bassy sound.
The trackpad, which is rather large is located below the keyboard. It features two separate left and right-click keys, is quite pleasant to operate, and supports Windows gestures.
In terms of ports, the IdeaPad 110 has a good number of them. Only a DVD drive is provided on the right side.
On the left side of the laptop, you’ll find the power port, HDMI, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, a combo audio jack, and a LAN port. An SD card slot is situated on the front edge of the laptop.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11, as well as Bluetooth 4.0.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 110 weighs around 2200 g and has a dimension of 378 x 265 x 22.9 mm. These are suitable weights and dimensions for a low-cost laptop.
In comparison, the IdeaPad 110 is slightly heavier than its IdeaPad brother (IdeaPad 130). The Lenovo IdeaPad 130 weighs 2100 g and has a dimension of 375.6 x 253.4 x 22.7 mm.
In conclusion, the IdeaPad 110 design is pretty impressive and most importantly it is quite adequate for the laptop’s price tag. Therefore, I will rate the laptop an eight out of ten for its overall design.
Lenovo IdeaPad 110: Processor (CPU) Performance
Lenovo IdeaPad 110 comes with some decent hardware that is consistent with the price range and targeted audience. So for the processor, the IdeaPad 110 features a modest 4-core Intel Pentium N3170 CPU.
The processor has a 1.10 GHz base frequency and a maximum frequency of 1.60 GHz. It also features a cache of 4 MB.
Given that this is a Pentium-powered laptop, we did not expect much from it. As long as you work with office-related applications such as Microsoft Word or are just surfing the internet, you shouldn’t experience much lag.
To further determine the processor’s performance, I conducted a Cinebench R15 benchmark test. In the benchmark test, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110’s Intel Pentium processor scored 142 points.
Comparatively, the Acer Aspire ES1 performed slightly better than the IdeaPad 110. In the same benchmark test, the Acer Aspire’s Intel Pentium N4200 processor scored 165 points.
Finally, I will be rating the IdeaPad 110 a seven out of ten for its decent processor performance.
Lenovo IdeaPad 110: Memory (RAM) Performance
The Lenovo IdeaPad has a single DDR3 RAM slot, which can accommodate no more than 4GB of memory. Sadly, the RAM cannot be upgraded since it has been soldered to the motherboard.
So it is important to choose the correct amount of RAM when getting the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 because it cannot be changed or upgraded.
The Lenovo Ideapad 130 can perform light multitasking. It can multitask within few browser tabs and 1 or 2 applications running simultaneously.
However, if you open too many tabs in a browser, the laptop may slow down or even the browser may crash. However, the laptop can easily handle light computing tasks such as editing documents.
To further determine the laptop’s RAM performance, I conducted a PCMark benchmark test. In the benchmark test, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 scored 1835 points.
Comparatively, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 was outperformed by its fellow IdeaPad model (IdeaPad 100). In the same benchmark test, the Lenovo IdeaPad 100 scored 2720 points.
Finally, I will rate the IdeaPad 110 a six in this review because of its light multitasking capability.
Lenovo IdeaPad 110: Storage Options & Performance
The Lenovo Ideapad 110 comes with up to 1 TB 5400 RPM SATA HDD. The laptop also comes with a 4-in-1 card reader for an extra storage option.
Clearly, this laptop has sufficient storage capacity. Its storage should be enough to store plenty of data and applications.
Although I would have preferred an SSD, this laptop’s storage performance is enough for the average user.
The laptop I reviewed came with 500 GB of storage. To determine the storage transfer speed of the laptop, I conducted a CrystalDiskMark test.
According to the test, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 has a sequential read speed of 102 MB/s and a sequential write speed of 104 MB/s.
In comparison, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 has a better sequential read and write speed than the HP 250 G4. The HP 250 G4 has a sequential read speed of 101 MB/s and a sequential write speed of 99.56 MB/s.
In conclusion, I will rate the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 a seven for its decent storage options and transfer speed.
Lenovo IdeaPad 110: Graphics Card Performance
The Lenovo Ideapad 110 offers an integrated Intel HD Graphics card. This graphics card has a base GPU frequency of 400 MHz and a maximum GPU frequency of 700 MHz.
Unfortunately, there is no dedicated VRAM on the graphics card. This indicates that both the graphics card and CPU have to share the 4 GB system memory.
In addition, the GPU would not be able to run graphics-intensive applications as a result of the graphics card sharing memory with the CPU. As a result, if you require a laptop for intensive graphic purposes or high-end gaming, this laptop may not be the best choice for you.
Furthermore, CAD software will not function smoothly on this laptop. Adobe Premiere Pro, for example, would be difficult to run on the Lenovo IdeaPad 110.
To further determine the graphics card performance, I conducted a 3DMark 11 test. In the test, the laptop’s Intel HD graphics card scored 899 points.
With this graphics card, the laptop should be able to play modern games on low graphical settings. For instance, in a gaming test, the laptop was able to play GTA V and BioShock Infinite on a low graphical setting.
The laptop managed to reach 24.6 fps while playing GTA V on a low graphical setting. In addition, the laptop was also able to achieve 34.6 fps while playing BioShock Infinite on a low graphical setting.
It is important to note that while playing these games, I noticed the laptop was overheating. This is due to the fact that the graphics card isn’t powerful enough to run graphic-intensive games smoothly.
However, the graphics card will be able to play casual games such as Candy Crush with ease.
In comparison, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 performed way better than one of its closest competitors (Acer Aspire ES1-533). The Acer Aspire ES1 was only able to reach 23.7 fps while playing BioShock Infinite in a low graphical setting.
Overall, I think the IdeaPad 110’s graphics card is quite decent for a low-cost laptop. Therefore, I am rating it a seven in this review.
Lenovo Ideapad 110: Battery Life & Performance
The Lenovo Ideapad 110 comes with a 3-cell 24 Whr Li-ion battery. According to Lenovo, the battery should last up to 3 hours, which is quite poor compared to other low-cost laptops.
To validate Lenovo’s claim about its IdeaPad 110’s battery, I conducted a battery test.
According to a battery test, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes while continuously surfing the internet using a WiFi connection. However, with more demanding computing activities, it does not last very long.
For instance, playing a game or viewing a movie on this laptop will only get you approximately an hour of battery life. To be honest, this battery life isn’t great, but it is what you get for such a low price.
Unfortunately, users who intend to carry this laptop around with them must also carry the charger due to the laptop’s poor battery life.
In comparison, the HP 250 G5 has a better battery life than the IdeaPad 110. In the battery test which includes browsing the internet using a WIFI connection, the HP 250 G5 lasts about 4 hours.
Therefore, I can only rate the IdeaPad 110 a six for its bad battery performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Lenovo IdeaPad 110 is a low-cost laptop capable of doing most basic computing tasks. This laptop is capable if you are searching for an economical laptop that is useful for getting work done. It has a good number of ports, and also comes with a nice keyboard that makes typing comfortable.
There are a few possible causes for the slowness of your Lenovo IdeaPad 110 laptop. In the first instance, the laptop’s 4 GB RAM can make Windows 10 sluggish. Also, the laptop comes with an HDD instead of an SSD. HDDs are generally slower than SSDs. Finally, if you have been using the laptop for a while you may need to defragment it. Also, running CCleaner may help speed it up a bit.
No, it isn’t. The Lenovo IdeaPad 110 features a 15.6-inch HD resolution screen. However, it isn’t a touchscreen.
You should expect a two-year lifespan from Lenovo IdeaPad 110. However, a number of circumstances influence whether it will last that long. The way you handle and care for your laptop makes a big difference. Based on this logic, if you handling the laptop with care, it may even serve you longer.
In the laptop business, Lenovo has established a good reputation. They are well-known for always delivering laptops with the highest level of productivity. Lenovo sets a priority on productivity, thus they are constantly working to improve the productivity of its consumers. Both the Lenovo ThinkPads and IdeaPads series are excellent choices of Lenovo laptops you can purchase.
Conclusion
The Lenovo IdeaPad 110 is a laptop designed for first-time buyers who do not use power-hungry programs.
This laptop, which starts at $165.00 and includes a Pentium Processor, is a fantastic first laptop for students. However, heavy websites and graphic-intensive applications might make the laptop slow down, so keep that in mind.
It is, nevertheless, great for word processing, watching HD videos, listening to music, and playing casual games such as Solitaire.
I hope you found this Lenovo IdeaPad 110 review helpful?  If you found the review helpful, kindly click Yes to “Was this page Helpful?” below.
You could also share your thoughts with the “Leave a Comment” form found at the end of this page.
Finally, for more laptop reviews, visit our Laptop Reviews page. You may also find our Laptop Specs page very helpful.
