Looking for the best i3 laptop or one of the best laptops available at an affordable price? Look no further than the Lenovo IdeaPad S340! This device only costs $599, but it offers 128GB of internal storage, 8GB of RAM, an HD 15.6” display, the Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU, & comes pre-installed with Windows 10.
Why We Like It – Lenovo IdeaPad S340
In this Lenovo IdeaPad S340 review, we’ll find out what makes this device a worthwhile investment. It might not be an excellent choice for heavy gaming, but this laptop offers more than enough power for casual users with its 8GB of DDR4 RAM, 128GB SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620, and Intel Core i3-8145U processor.
- Anti-Glare Full HD Display
- Up to 8.5 Hours of Battery Life
- Has Dolby Audio Technology
- Not Offered With An Intel Core i5 Processor or an AMD Ryzen CPU
- Viewing Angles Are Poor on the TN Panel Model
- Limited Internal Storage
Power & Performance
It may not be a powerhouse, but the IdeaPad still offers decent specs. It has the Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU & uses an Intel Core i3-8145U processor, which provides great performance for school/office use or adequate performance for light gaming. You can run older games on this laptop at low settings, but don’t expect it to run anything in “High” – the system simply lacks the power of a dedicated gaming laptop. However, if you only plan on watching Youtube or chatting via Zoom, then you won’t experience any issues while using this laptop.
Related: If you like this laptop, you might be interested in our Lenovo Ideapad S150 FHD review.
Battery
The S340 offers up to 8.5 hours of battery life per charge. This isn’t bad, but you may run out of battery if you have a long day at the office. Five hours of use is a more realistic expectation. Based on this information, this model appears to have the 3 Cell Li-Ion 36Wh battery, but (if you can find it) Lenovo also offers a 3 Cell Li-Ion 52.5Wh battery as well. The 52.5Wh battery has a claimed life of 10 hours, which is more in line with what we would expect from a laptop in this price range.
Related: Also check out our Lenovo Thinkpad 11E review.
Ports & Expandability
Lenovo was definitely lacking inspiration when it came to adding connections to this laptop. The S340 only has a single HDMI input, two USB 3.1 ports, a USB C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There isn’t an additional HDMI or DisplayPort available, but Lenovo did include an SD slot for additional storage beyond the 128GB internal drive (if you need more storage space, check out our HP 15.6 laptop review!). The slot is 4-in-1, so you can plug SD/SDHC, MMC, Memory Stick, and MS Pro cards into it.
Build Quality
This laptop is encased in a plastic chassis with smooth edges all around. The 15.6” HD LED screen has 7mm bezels on the sides of the screen, which gives it a sleek & minimalistic look (if you would like a bigger screen, consider the HP 17.3 laptop instead). If your children often fold your laptop screen too far back, not to worry! The screen on the IdeaPad can actually fold back all the way until it’s flat without damaging the hinge (or the screen!). For added privacy, the S340 comes with a physical webcam cover as well.
Value
At $599, this laptop isn’t cheap, but it’s definitely more affordable than many other devices on the market (if $599 is a bit more than you’d like to spend, check out our ASUS VivoBook 15 review instead). The S340 costs $11.16 for shipping, and there isn’t any specific warranty mentioned. As usual, protection plans are available on the device ($65.99 for two years, $113.99 for four years). Scoring 4.2 out of 5-stars based on 72 ratings, most consumers seem happy with their purchase.
Lenovo IdeaPad S340 Wrap Up
If you’re looking for a mid-priced laptop that’s good for work, school, and a little bit of casual gaming, then you’ll definitely be satisfied with the Lenovo IdeaPad S340. While the customization and options available are definitely limited, the laptop is made primarily for casual users. For that market, the S340 hits the mark!
