Lenovo Yoga A940 all-in-one computer review
Last Updated on by Daniel Lawrence
Basically, Lenovo Yoga A940 is a powerful PC geared toward creative professionals – much like the Apple iMac and Microsoft Surface Studio 2.
In both cases, you get powerful performance, stylish designs, and a powerful all-in-one PC. The iMac had been the all-in-one machine of choice for creatives for years, but Microsoft’s Surface Studio turned that around. There was now an alternative to iMacs for Windows users.
In the Lenovo Yoga A940, another Windows 10 device, Lenovo hopes to compete against both – but how do they compare? Here are the results.
SPEC SHEET
CPU: 3.2GHz Intel Core i7-8700 (hex-core; 12MB cache; up to 4.6GHz Turbo Boost)
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 560X (4GB GDDR5); Intel UHD Graphics 630
RAM: 16GB DDR4
Screen: 27-inch IPS touchscreen, 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160), 100% Adobe RGB with Dolby Vision
Storage: 1TB SSD (PCIe)
Ports: Intel Thunderbolt USB-C, USB 3.1, 3-in-1 card reader, Audio jack, LAN, HDMI, 4 x USB 3.0
Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
Camera: 1080p
Weight: 32 pounds (9.56kg)
Size: 25 x 18.3 x 9.6 inches (635.7 x 467 x 244 mm; W x D x H)
Design
In all-in-ones, the monitor is essentially a computer with a monitor built into it, but unlike many all-in-one PCs, where the computer is concealed behind the screen, Lenovo’s Yoga A940’s PC is actually built into the base of the stand.
As a result, the screen can be much thinner, and – like the Surface Studio – you can also draw using the included stylus. The ability to adjust the screen to work comfortably on the iMac is a welcome addition to those who have previously been frustrated by its inflexibility. Digital artists may be able to pull down the screen and angle it as if it were a canvas.
Displaying a 4K resolution with 100% Adobe RGB support and Dolby Vision, the 27-inch screen has a 4K resolution and a 4K display. Adobe RGB support is crucial to professionals such as digital artists and photographers who require accurate colors on the screen.
While the bezels are quite thick around the screen, it doesn’t detract from the brilliant display. Its top bezel contains a webcam that can be used to sign in with Windows Hello – simply point it at the webcam and you’re logged in. Additionally, there are front-facing Dolby Atmos speakers along the top, giving the user a more immersive audio experience, especially when watching movies.
It is interesting that Dolby Atmos speakers have been used for watching movies rather than for productivity. As a media-playing PC, the Lenovo Yoga A940 is extremely powerful thanks to its 4K HDR screen – but if you simply consume media with it, you won’t get the most out of it.
When it comes to editing 4K video and mixing high-quality soundtracks – including Dolby Atmos – the Lenovo Yoga A940 excels right out of the box, however, if you’re serious about music and audio production, you’ll probably want external speakers.
The hidden USB ports on either side of the screen are a nice touch. The included content creation dial can be plugged in when the magnetic cover is removed. With the dial plugged in, the settings app can be launched and you can use it to alter the volume, scroll through pages, zoom in and out, open programs, and zoom in and out.
The add-on is nicely made and uses comfortably. The Lenovo Yoga A940 can be plugged into either side, depending on if the user is left or right-handed, so it can be useful in certain applications.
Right beside the button is a small menu. Our first assumption was that this would turn on our PC, however, it does not. Lenovo claims the LED lights underneath the display allow you to work in low-light conditions by illuminating them. Our recommendation is to use a desk lamp when working late at night.
The PC has a similar design to the iMac, with the main body of the PC built into the screen. It isn’t as minimalistic as the iMac, but it does have its charm. PCs are more appropriate for offices than iMacs.
The Thunderbolt 3 ports, USB 3.1, three-in-one card reader, and audio jack are also more generous than Apple’s all-in-one. Photographers will certainly appreciate the three-in-one card reader.
There are four USB 3.0 ports, a LAN port, and an HDMI port at the rear, as well as a proprietary power port. Prosumers will certainly find a large number of ports very useful, allowing them to plug in their devices without having to deal with dongles and adapters.
An additional wireless charging mat is also included as part of the Lenovo Yoga A940. It was another thoughtful addition – placing a Samsung Note 9 on it allowed the Lenovo Yoga A940 to quickly charge the phone wirelessly. An indentation allows you to store the included stylus.
Wireless mouse and keyboard are also included with the Lenovo Yoga A940. The current ones are perfectly fine and do the job, but you may want to replace them with more ergonomic options since they are pretty basic.
The wireless mat cannot charge either device although both are wireless. This is a bit of a missed opportunity. Despite its built-in rechargeable battery, you have to plug the keyboard into a computer via USB to charge it. The mouse, on the other hand, uses regular AAA batteries.
Generally, the Lenovo Yoga A940 is more functional than the iMacs, with less visual flair, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The fact that it’s a productivity machine means that it has some genuinely useful features that many professionals will appreciate. In particular, it has a wireless charging mat. Those extra features might have been missed if Lenovo had taken Apple’s path of prioritizing aesthetics over productivity.
Performance
Our Lenovo Yoga A940 review unit had a Core i7-8700 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and an AMD Radeon RX 560X GPU. Those aren’t the most advanced and powerful components in a PC, and they can’t handle the most difficult workstation applications – but they can handle a few games as well.
Although the Intel Core i7-8700 is a six-core CPU that was launched at the end of 2017 and has a base frequency of 3.2GHz and a turbo frequency of 4.60GHz, there are more capable processors out there, which have been released in recent years.
We recommend getting a Lenovo Yoga A940 with a more recent CPU, such as the 9th generation Intel Core i7-9700 eight-core CPU that is available in Australia, since you’ll see big improvements in performance.
Essentially a mid-range graphics card (GPU), the AMD Radeon RX 560X comes with 4GB of GDDR5. Furthermore, it is more of a consumer GPU than a professional one, which means it is better suited for gaming than heavy workloads. Video editors and 3D modelers may struggle with the GPU, but for those who do not require a lot of graphical grunts, this won’t be an issue.
We find it a bit disappointing that Lenovo has provided the Yoga A940 with a gorgeous screen but hasn’t provided the GPU. The Lenovo Yoga A940 cannot compete with the iMac, which comes with an AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, AMD’s professional series GPU.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s a poor performer. As a whole, it runs Windows 10 and a wide range of applications well. The stylus included makes it easy to draw and sketch, and the ability to angle the screen comfortably is a great plus for artists. All-in-one workstations aren’t always the most powerful or the most expensive, but this one has a lot of nice features and isn’t expensive despite its midrange specs.
Interestingly, we did notice that the screen appeared to have lines in direct sunlight. The effect is somewhat distracting and ruins what should otherwise be an excellent display.
| Pros | Cons |
| Stylus included | Stock situation and different configurations are confusing |
| 4K screen | Older components |
| Some nice features | |
| Affordable |
Conclusions
With its competitive price and some creative design aspects, the Lenovo Yoga A940 is a good alternative to the iMac and Surface Studio 2. Lenovo didn’t just copy Apple or Microsoft when it created its all-in-one PC, but also blazed its own trail.
Lenovo Yoga A940 is a PC that can really help the workflow of creatives because of its 4K HDR screen (but not in direct sunlight), its ability to be angled, and the included dial.
There’s nothing bad about the addition of the wireless charger, but the design is somewhat less slick than that of the iMac.
Lenovo Yoga A940, however, is not a complete success due to a few missed opportunities. Using the mouse and keyboard isn’t very comfortable, and the wireless charging pad doesn’t seem to be a great way to recharge the mouse and stylus when not in use – that could have been a valuable feature.
Also disappointing is the low specification. The Yoga A940 would have been a much more competitive device if Lenovo had stocked it with enterprise-level hardware. This resulted in cheaper, but also less powerful, components, and limited performance.
If you are not a fan of the iMac or Surface Studio but are attracted to Lenovo Yoga A940, there are enough reasons to seriously consider it. In addition, if Lenovo fixes the bugs, the next-generation device could be very special.
