DECEMBER 2019 PCWorld 81package, although we do wish Lenovo had
managed to wring a little more life out of the
S340’s battery.
PRICE AND
CONFIGURATION
Lenovo’s 15-inch S340 line includes models
ranging from $630 up to $830, although
Lenovo’s continual “instant” deals typically
shave a couple hundred or more off the
manufacturer’s list prices. Our review model
(the SKU is 81N8003SUS), for example, has a
$730 list price on Lenovo.com (go.pcworld.
com/l340), but at the time this review was
written, Lenovo’s website was selling it for
$510 after a $220 “instant” discount.
Here’s what you get for that $730—er,
$510 price tag:
CPU: Quad-core Intel Core i5-8265U
RAM: 8GB DDR4-2400 RAM
GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 620
Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 TN
display
Storage: 256GB SSD
On paper, those are some pretty decent
specs if you manage to buy the S340 at its
$510 sale price. The quad-core Whiskey
Lake processor will serve you well when it
comes to daily computing chores, and even
some CPU-intensive activities such as video
editing. The 8GB of RAM gives you some
headroom when it comes to multitasking,
while the relatively roomy solid-state drive
has enough space for Office and your go-to
programs, if not your entire media library.
The integrated graphics core is fine for light
photo editing and maybe a game of chess,
but not much more.
There is one red flag for this particular
configuration, however: the TN (twisted
nematic) display. While TN panels are fast and
responsive (gamers with split-second reflexes
love them), they’re also known for their poor
viewing angles, which means they tend to
look blown out unless you’re directly facing
them. We’ll let you know how the full-HD
display looks in real life in a moment. (Spoiler:
not great.)
If you want to save a little more cash,
there’s a $630 (or $430 on sale) model of
the S340 with the same basic specs as this
version, except it has a dual-core Intel Core
i3 processor rather than a quad-core CPU.
You could also pony up a bit more cash
(starting at $830, or $550 on sale) for an
S340 with an IPS display, or go for a version
with a cutting-edge 10th-gen Ice Lake Core
i5 processor ($710 list, which is less than the
MSRP of some of the 8th-gen models but
minus any instant savings).DESIGN
When we think of Lenovo, we generally picture
those black, boxy, all-business ThinkPads, but
the S340 manages to cut a relatively stylish
profile. Measuring 14.1 x 9.6 x 0.7 inches and
weighing in at 3.9 pounds (or 4.4 pounds if
you include the AC adapter), the S340 feels