Lenovo IdeaPad S540 puts up to six-core i7 in a 13-inch notebook
Lenovo's IdeaPad range is gaining a new ultraportable, with the IdeaPad S540 aiming to balance neatly in the sweet-spot between affordability and specifications. A new 13-inch notebook for IFA 2019, it's expected to arrive on store shelves just in time for the holidays.
The 13-inch screen clocks in at QHD 2560 x 1600 resolution, with the IPS panel rated for 300 nits of brightness. It's non-touch, but can be had with an optional NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics chip.
As for processors, Lenovo will have a choice of either 10th Generation Intel or AMD Ryzen 7 chips to choose between. On the Intel side, you're looking at either a Core i3-1011OU, a Core i5-1021OU, or a Core i7-1051OU. At the top end, there's a 6-core Core i7-1071OU if you need maximum power.
Memory comes in at either 8GB or 16GB, while storage is courtesy of a PCIe M.2 SSD with up to 1TB on offer. Connectivity options offer up to a WiFi 802.11ax card with 2x2 antennas, along with Bluetooth 5.0. There are two USB-C ports and a USB 3.1 Gen 1, along with an audio jack.
Battery life is expected to clock in at up to 16 hours. There's also rapid charge support for the 56.5 WHr pack: that should get you to 80-percent in an hour. A full charge will take two hours, meanwhile.
Above the display there's a 720p webcam and an IR camera with Time-of-Flight, for Windows Hello. Lenovo also finds space for two 2W speakers and a dual microphone array.
On the software side, as well as Windows 10 Home you get Lenovo's Q-Control system. That promises to use machine learning to track what tasks are running in the background and measure their impact on notebook heat. The upshot, so Lenovo promises, is quieter fan operation when all you're doing is watching video, but swifter operations and the most effective cooling when you need maximum power. If you don't want it, however, you can turn Q-Control off, of course.
Three color options will be offered: Ice Blue, Light Silver, and Frost White. All three get a backlit keyboard and a glass touchpad. The 13-inch IdeaPad S540 will start at $999.99, and Lenovo says it should go on sale in October 2019.
