Is there a better alternative?

We’ve reviewed a couple of 14-inch laptops that compete with the IdeaPad, and one very relevant option is the Asus ZenBook 14 UX433. It’s also very small thanks to even tinier bezels, and while it’s not as thin as the IdeaPad, it provides better performance – especially if you buy the version with the MX150 GPU. It’s also much less expensive, at $1,200 for a Core i7-8565U, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD and a Full HD display. You’ll pay $100 or so more for the faster graphics.

　　Next up is the Asus ZenBook S13. It, too, features spectacularly tiny bezels and a very small chassis. It’s not quite as thin as the IdeaPad S940, but it’s also faster and doesn’t suffer from the same kind of thermal throttling. It also comes standard with the MX150, meaning it’ll provide better gaming and creativity app performance in basically the same footprint. And, it’s similarly priced at $1,400 including a larger 512GB SSD but with a Full HD display – that affords it much better battery life.

　　Finally, you could consider the IdeaPad S940’s business cousin, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. It, too, is a pricey laptop $1,682 for a similar configuration. It’s also not as small or as thin, but it’s very light with a better keyboard. It also sports the iconic ThinkPad design, if that’s something that appeals to you.

　　

How long will it last?

The IdeaPad S940 is very well built and provides some confidence that it will keep up with the usual productivity-worker wear and tear. It also enjoys up-to-date components, including Thunderbolt 3 connectivity that will keep up with new peripherals. The 1-year warranty is disappointing, as usual.

　　

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you’re looking for an extremely small 14-inch laptop with a very nice display. But beware the performance and battery life tradeoffs.