Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15 AMD Review: Features, Price & Display

The Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15 AMD is a cheap big-screen laptop that boasts a bright 15.6-inch display, a comfortable keyboard, and enough horsepower for regular productivity tasks – and even a bit more. The IdeaPad 330 line is available in three screen-size options (14, 15.6, and 17.3 inches), allowing you to configure one based on your needs. Whichever version you choose, you’re getting an affordable system with a sleek, premium design and superb connectivity options.

In this Lenovo IdeaPad 330 15 AMD review, we’re looking at the 15.6-inch model with an 8th generation Intel Core i3-8130U processor, 8GB RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and Intel UHD Graphics 620. That specs list looks like what you’d get on a regular budget notebook, but the robust construction coupled with class-leading productivity performance count for a lot. It easily earns our Editor’s Choice award for budget laptops.

Lenovo Ideapad 330 Specs

• Secondary Camrearfacing:- No

• Microphone Type:- Internal Microphone

• Sound Technologies:- Dolby Audio

• Clockspeed:- 2.0 Ghz

• Graphic Processor:- AMD Radeon Vega 8

• Processor:- AMD Ryzen 5 Quad Core 2500U

• Memory Layout:- 1×8 Gigabyte

• Ram Type:- DDR4

• Memory Slots:- 1

• Ram Speed:- 2400 Mhz

• Capacity:- 8 GB

• Display Resolution:- 1920 x 1080 Pixels

• Pixel Density:- 141 ppi

• Operating System Type:- 64-bit

• Hdd Speedrpm:- 5400 RPM

• Hdd Type:- SATA

Features:

1. Design

Measuring 0.9 by 10.2 by 14.9 inches (HWD) and weighing 4.85 pounds, the 2019 IdeaPad 330 seems compact and lightweight and can be easily carried anywhere. However, it is lighter and more portable than some of its competitors. The Acer Aspire E15 (E5-576-392H) is our top pick for affordable laptops. It weighs 5.27 pounds and has a thickness of 1.28 inches.

Its sleek platinum grey frame feels solid and readily passes for an aluminum construction while not being made of aluminum. In ultrabooks and high-end notebooks, metallic structures are becoming more prevalent. This platinum grey profile is utilized in higher-end Lenovo systems, and like other notebooks with the same material, it attracts dirt.

2. Display

The 15.6-inch 720p display on the Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15 AMD may be the only aspect of this laptop we don’t like, but it’s still bright and legible for a budget model. While competitors such as the Acer Aspire E5-576-392H (see review) provide a full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, Lenovo chose a lower-resolution (1366 x 768) TN panel, which explains why this laptop is so inexpensive.

You may need to recognize the low resolution, which is superior to other budget notebooks in the same category with washed-out displays. Initially, you will need to do some angling until you find an area that won’t wash away. We accept it for the price because it’s not the worst but not the best. To its credit, Lenovo does include an anti-glare coating on the screen, which minimizes reflections and makes it the ideal choice for a sub-HD media machine if seen from the optimal angle.

3. Weight

The Swift 1 is a 14-inch laptop that measures 12.7 x 9.0 x 0.6 inches and weighs 2.9 pounds. The Swift 1 has a larger footprint and weighs more than 3 pounds compared to other 14-inch competitors, such as the Asus VivoBook Flip 14 (12.9 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches, 3.2 pounds) and Lenovo IdeaPad 120S. (12.1 9.3 x 0.7 inches, 3.2 pounds). The Swift is, as expected, smaller and lighter than the 15.6-inch Acer Aspire E 15. (15 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches, 5 pounds).

4. Performance

This Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15 AMD model features an AMD Quad-Core Ryzen 5 2500U processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and an integrated Intel HD 620 graphics card. The Ryzen 5 is a quad-core processor built for mainstream notebooks and Chromebooks that offers more excellent performance than the AMD A12-9700P CPUs.

As previously stated, the system is configurable, so you may choose a superior CPU, graphics card, RAM quantity, and screen size when placing your order. These processors are not intended for heavy workloads but provide enough performance for regular office tasks, online apps, and light multitasking. The integrated Intel HD 620 graphics card is a superior version of its predecessor and lets you play the majority of 2015/2016 smoothly at low settings.

5. Duration of Battery Life

The Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15 AMD fails to thrive in battery life, typically a vital area for inexpensive laptops. This IdeaPad 330 is inefficient because of its disappointingly low battery life. The average battery life is approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes, which is extremely low for a modern device. The Aspire E 15 (E5-576-392H) has a remarkable battery life of 10 hours and 51 minutes per charge.

6. Storage and Ports

The Lenovo Ideapad 330 features excellent I/O port options. It also contains a Type-C connection, which is uncommon among inexpensive laptops. Overall, there are two USB 3.0 ports, a single USB 3.0 Type-C port, an HDMI port, and an SD slot. The SD card is a fantastic solution to enhance the system capacity and transfer material to SD cards. Others include a headphone jack, an Ethernet port, and a DVD drive.

Wireless communication is provided through Wi-Fi 802.11AC and Bluetooth 4.1. The system comes with a 1TB 5400RPM hard drive, so you won’t need to expand the storage unless you’re storing many files, but it’s convenient to have the choice. However, this capacity is far greater than that of most inexpensive Chromebooks. When placing your order, you can configure the system to include an SSD for storage.

7. Keyboard

The IdeaPad 330 continues Lenovo’s record of constantly producing high-quality keyboards. Although it’s not as great as a ThinkPad’s, you will still prefer using the IdeaPad 330’s keyboard. The well-proportioned, somewhat curved chiclet-style keys are clickable.

The keys’ 70 grams of actuation force contribute to their appealing weight. Although the vital travel distance falls short of our desired 1.5 millimeters, it is still better than rival smartphones’ keyboards. Although it’s yet to be necessary for low-cost laptops, things would have been better if it featured backlighting.

8. Webcam

Please refrain from using the IdeaPad 330’s built-in webcam when video chatting with someone else. Given how poor the majority of webcams we test are, this laptop’s 640 x 480 lens may be the worst you’ve ever seen.

9. Touchpad

The IdeaPad 330’s 4.1 x 2.6-inch touchpad is sensitive, and one should not find any trouble performing Windows 10 gestures like pinch-to-zoom and three-finger swipe to switch windows.

10. Heat

Even after being pushed by a 15-minute, full-screen video, the IdeaPad 330 managed to maintain a decent degree of cooling. The touchpad and keyboard reached only 81 and 83 degrees, respectively. Only the bottom of the laptop reached 96 degrees and surpassed our 95-degree comfort threshold. So, it’s not an issue.

Pricing:

The Ideapad 330 offers a wide range of pricing points and configurations. Tested for $265 was a 15.6-inch laptop with a 1366 x 768-pixel display, an Intel Celeron N4100 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB, 5,400-rpm hard drive.

A more costly IdeaPad 330 with a Core i3-8130U processor can be purchased for $299, while an AMD model (opens in a new tab) with a Ryzen 5 2500U processor, 12GB of RAM, and a 2TB HDD can be purchased for $663.

Last Words

The Lenovo IdeaPad 330-15 amd (reviewed at $265) is a fantastic alternative if you’re on a limited budget and desire a laptop for light web work. This 15.6-inch laptop has an uncommonly sturdy body and a comfortable keyboard for a low-priced device. The IdeaPad 330 includes a DVD drive, which is no longer prevalent on laptops. Sadly, a terrible display, limited battery life, and average performance diminish the experience, so we advise investing a little more in a more effective gadget, such as the Acer Aspire E 15. Before making your final decision, you can consult the Comprehensive Guide to Buying New Laptops.