Are you in search of a flexible convertible 2-in-1 laptop? If yes, read this Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i review to discover one.
Itechguides' Take on Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i
Summary
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i has a perfect combination of a good design and impressive performance. It features fast SSD storage and massive storage space. However, the speaker of this laptop is not all that impressive.
Overall
Pros
- Lightweight
- Attractive design
- Large storage space
- Impressive display with Dolby Vision
Cons
- Low speaker sound
- Few connectivity ports
- High price tag
In this review, I will give a detailed explanation of the specifications and design of the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i. Furthermore, I will talk about the laptop in areas such as storage, processor, memory, graphics, and battery life.
Not only that, I will be showing you this laptop’s benchmark test results in each section of the review. Additionally, I will be comparing Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i with other laptops in its category.
Finally, I will be rating the out of ten in each section based on its performance. Therefore, reading this article to the end will help you to discover the strengths and weaknesses of the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i.
My Initial Thoughts
These days, 2-in-1 laptops have populated the laptop markets. One reason for this is that a lot of people have been attracted to 2-in-1s due to their flexibility and convertibility.
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In this review, we will be talking about a 2-in-1 laptop from Lenovo – the Yoga Duet 7i. Lenovo released this laptop in 2020 which still makes it pretty modern in February 2022 when I wrote this review.
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i is a detachable convertible laptop that you can use in tablet, tent, stand, and laptop modes. Although these are common features among convertible 2-in-1s, there are unique features of this laptop among others.
Hence, to discover the features that distinguish this laptop from other 2-in-1 laptops, let us proceed to the following sections of this review.
Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i Design, Dimensions, and Weight Review
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i comes with an adorable and stylish look. Not only that, but this laptop also has a solid build.
As a detachable 2-in-1, you can separate the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i’s tablet from the keyboard and use it independently. One thing that makes this laptop worthy of a “solidly built” description is the metallic build of its tablet.
The metallic chassis also has a rubberized texture which makes it smooth when felt with the palm. Thankfully, the rubberized texture will prevent the laptop from easily slipping off one’s grip when held.
Behind the tablet, you will find the 5 MP Auto Focus rear camera and a ”YOGA” branding boldly written on the left side.
Meanwhile, the tablet’s chassis is not the only part built with metal, the laptop’s kickstand is also metallic built. Hence, it supports the tablet firmly on a flat surface.
The kickstand also has a ”Lenovo” branding by the right edge.
Although the tablet’s chassis and its kickstand are built with metal, the detachable keyboard has a plastic build. Meanwhile, the bottom of the keyboard is made of a fabric finish.
Impressively, the varying textures of different parts of this laptop make it look stylish.
Moving on, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i comes with a beautiful 13-inch display. This display comes with 2K WQHD (2160 x 1350 pixels) resolution.
WQHD (wide quad high definition) resolution has a better display quality than QHD resolution displays. Hence, the display offers crisp and clear graphics contents.
In addition to the display resolution, another feature that determines the display quality is display brightness. With respect to that, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i has a maximum display brightness of 450 nits.
With 450 nits of brightness, this display is sufficiently bright and convenient for outdoor usage. In addition to its impressive screen brightness, the display also has a 100% coverage of the sRGB color space.
Hence, the color performance of this display is remarkable.
Furthermore, this laptop comes with Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision helps to adjust and optimize each frame of an HDR video to the laptop’s display capabilities.
Also, like most 2-in-1 convertible laptops, this laptop is touchscreen enabled. To complete its touchscreen experience, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i ships with a stylus pen which Lenovo calls the E-color pen.
The E-color pen runs on battery and it works well for drawing and taking notes. The only complaint about this pen is that there is no provision for its safe storage.
Hence, the pen stands a risk of getting lost.
For the display bezels on the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i, they are fairly thick. However, I don’t have an issue with its thick bezel because the top bezel houses a 5MP front camera.
As I mentioned earlier, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i can be used in four different modes. To use the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i in tablet mode, all you need is the E-color pen to make screen inputs while the keyboard is detached or folded.
For the tablet mode, you can also use the kickstand to prop it up while you work.
Meanwhile, for the tent mode, you will need to attach the keyboard. However, the keyboard does not get typed on in this mode; instead, it is folded backward to form an inverted “V” for support.
When it comes to the stand mode, you also need to attach the keyboard. However, you also don’t type on the keyboard in this mode, instead, you make use of the onscreen keyboard for input.
In stand mode, the keyboard serves as a support to the screen while facing the desk. Finally, for the laptop mode, you need to attach the keyboard.
Thankfully, transitioning between these modes is seamless hence, you can switch as you deem it fit.
Like I said earlier, the keyboard is an important accessory for using the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i in laptop mode. Hence, this brings us to talk about the keyboard.
The detachable keyboard connects to the tablet by a mechanical dock. The keyboard is chiclet-styled and has spacious rectangular-shaped keys.
Speaking of the keys, they have a decent key travel that makes them comfortable for typing. For clarity, key travel is the distance it takes a key to register a stroke after you press it.
Thankfully, the keyboard is also backlit hence, you will have no trouble typing at night.
Another impressive feature of this keyboard is Bluetooth 5.0. The Bluetooth allows the keyboard to be used wirelessly and detached.
To connect the keyboard via Bluetooth, all you need to do is to flip the switch located on the top-right of the keyboard.
Moving on to the touchpad which is located below the keyboard, it is even, smooth, and supports gestures. Thankfully, the touchpad is not too large and has an accurate cursor movement.
Overall, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i has an impressive keyboard and touchpad.
Now let’s talk about the few port selections you will find on the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i. On the right-hand side, you will find a USB 3.0 port.
Meanwhile, on the left-hand side, you will find two USB 3.0 Type-C ports, a combo audio jack, and an SDcard slot. Furthermore, you will find the laptop’s speakers in the top-left and top-right corners of the tablet.
Fortunately, the speakers are decent. However, if you are expecting a loud audio sound from them, you will be disappointed.
Having talked about the design features of the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i, let us talk about the weight and dimension. It has a weight of 1170 g and a dimension of 297.4 x 205.5 x 9.19 mm (W x D x H).
For comparison, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i is lighter than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 2 which weighs 1360 g. It is also lighter than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 3 which weighs1400 g.
In conclusion, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i is a well-built laptop that supports various modes of usage for your convenience. The quality of its 2K resolution display is great and it is lightweight compared to similar 2-in-1s.
Based on these, I will be rating this Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i eight out of ten in this design review section.
Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i Processor (CPU) Performance Review
Lenovo equipped the Yoga Duet 7i with a 4 cores Intel Core i7-10510U processor. This processor has a base frequency of 1.80 GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.90 GHz.
In addition to its high clock speed, this processor also comes with an 8 MB cache memory. From the specification, this processor should be capable of handling extensive processing tasks.
However, in order to verify its performance, I will be sharing its Cinebench R15 test result. A Cinebench R15 benchmark is a test tool that evaluates a computer’s processor performance based on its single-core and multi-core tests.
It is worth noting that a single-core test evaluates the processor’s performance when it uses only one of its cores. On the other hand, a multi-core test measures the processor’s performance when using all its cores.
You should also be aware that a higher score in these tests means that the processor performs better. Therefore, in the single-core benchmark test, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i scored 182 points.
Also, in the multicore test, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i scored 681 points.
In comparison, the Lenovo Yoga C740 performed better in the single-core and multi-core tests. Specifically, in the single-core test, the Yoga C740 scored 195 points while in the multicore test, it scored 756 points.
Although the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i performed below the Yoga C740, its performance is still noteworthy. Hence, I will rate Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i a seven out of ten in this processor review section.
Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i Memory (RAM) Performance Review
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i comes with a DDR4 memory type. It ships with a 4 GB standard memory capacity, but supports up to 16 GB maximum memory capacity.
Unfortunately, this laptop has just one memory slot soldered to the motherboard. This implies that the memory is not user upgradeable.
Hence, if 4 GB of memory won’t be sufficient for your needs, you should purchase this laptop with a larger memory capacity right from the store.
Meanwhile, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i model I am reviewing ships with an 8 GB memory size. With 8 GB memory, this laptop should be able to handle a respectable level of multitasking with ease.
To be more specific, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i should be able to run 20 Chrome browsers tabs smoothly. Meanwhile, you might also be streaming YouTube videos on two of the tabs, even this should not cause a lag.
For more details about the memory performance, I will be sharing the PC Mark 10 benchmark test with you.
For clarity, a PCMark 10 benchmark is a test tool that evaluates a computer’s performance. As you might expect, a higher score in this test translates to better memory performance.
From the test, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i had a score of 3862 points. Unfortunately, this laptop’s score is slightly below the average score of 3988 points but it is not the least in the benchmark test.
In comparison, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 had a score of 4163 points which is above the Duet 7i’s score.
Considering the performance of this laptop in the benchmark test, I will be rating it an eight out of ten in this memory review section.
Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i Storage Options and Performance Review
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i features PCIe SSD storage with a maximum capacity of 1 TB. Thankfully, 1 TB is large enough to meet the storage need of most users.
Most impressively, Lenovo also made provision for external storage expansion via a microSD card reader.
In addition to its sufficient storage space, SSD storage is known for its fast speed. Hence, the SSD drive in the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i should live up to expectations.
Meanwhile, to provide you with a performance verification of the storage, I will share the laptop’s CrystalDiskMark result.
For better understanding, CrystalDiskMark is a tool that tests the performance of a storage drive. Basically, this test shows the read and write speeds of the storage.
To be clearer, a read speed determines how long it takes a laptop to open a file. Meanwhile, write speed determines how long it takes a laptop to save a file.
From the test result, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i had a read speed of 2640 MBps. It also had a write speed of 2041 MBps.
In comparison, the Dell Latitude 14 5400 had a read and write speed of 2800 MBps and 2150 MBps respectively. Obviously, the Dell Latitude 14 5400 performed better than the Yoga Duet 7i.
However, the storage performance of this laptop is far from being poor. Therefore, I will be rating the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i a nine out of ten in this storage review section.
Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i Graphics Card Performance Review
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i comes with an integrated graphics card like most laptops of its category. Specifically, it features an Intel UHD Graphics.
This graphics card has a base frequency of 300 MHz and a maximum frequency of 1150 MHz. However, being an integrated graphics card, it shares the system’s memory with the CPU.
Hence, this laptop is not powerful enough for playing graphics-intensive games. However, it should be able to handle less graphics-demanding games and applications.
For instance, this laptop should be able to play The witcher (2015) at 8.8 fps on low settings. Also, this laptop will play Far Cry 5 (2018) at 6 fps on a low setting as well.
Furthermore, to show more performance of this GPU, I will be sharing its 3D Mark result. A 3D Mark test evaluates the computer graphics performance capability when handling real-world activities.
Meanwhile, a higher score in this test denotes better performance. In that regard, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i scored 1657 points.
In comparison, the Dell Latitude 7200 scored 1802 points which is higher than the Yoga Duet 7i’s score.
Considering the Yoga Duet 7i performance in the benchmark test, I will be rating it six out of ten.
Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i Battery Life Performance Review
The laptop features a 41 Wh Li-Polymer battery. Lenovo advertised this laptop with a 12 hours 3 minutes battery life from video playback.
To confirm the certainty of the advertised battery life, I will share a battery test performed by tomshardware.com. Based on the test, this laptop lasted for 12 hours 36 minutes in a video playback test.
Impressively, that battery performance exceeds Lenovo’s claim.
Most impressively, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i’s performance also exceeds the Lenovo Yoga C940’s despite having a smaller battery capacity. Specifically, the Lenovo Yoga C940 has a larger battery capacity of 51.5Wh and it lasted 11 hours 50 seconds in the same test.
Putting the battery performance into consideration, I will be rating the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i a nine out of ten.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i has a 41Wh battery which Lenovo advertised with a battery life of 12 hours. Thankfully, this claim is not far from the truth.
This is so because the battery delivered a battery life of 12 hours 36 minutes in a video playback test performed by tomshardware.com.
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i comes with an integrated graphics card. Hence, it is not powerful enough to play graphics-intensive games on high settings.
However, if you are only interested in light gaming, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i should be capable of that.
Yes, the tablet can be detached from the keyboard and be used independently.
Yes, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i’s keyboard is Bluetooth-enabled. Hence, it is possible to use the keyboard wireless while detached.
The Lenovo E Color Pen is a stylus pen that ships with the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i. It has up to 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity.
Therefore, it is suitable for writing and drawing and even feels like a real pen.
My Final Thoughts
The Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i is a well-built laptop that supports various modes of usage for your convenience. Moreover, the quality of its 2K resolution display is great and it is lightweight compared to similar 2-in-1s.
Not only that, but its detachable Bluetooth keyboard is also easy to use. However, this Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i comes with a high price tag compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet.
Specifically, at the time I wrote this review in February 2022, the Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i starts at $1,299. However, it gives the dividends of its high price in its performance.
Hence, I will be recommending this Lenovo Yoga Duet 7i for office workers, students, and any other person who is impressed by its performance.
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