Lenovo Legion C730 Cube review - PC for gamers

Laptops, tablets, smartphones and other gadgets have gradually replaced desktop computers. It has become common to see a person on the subway with an e-book, a tablet, or on a bus with a smartphone. The modern market is teeming with applications for gadgets, including gaming ones. The developers have come up with a lot of games that can be played offline, online, alone, together, in groups. Adventure games, shooters, strategies - the beginning of the list of games that everyone plays, children and adults.

Classic PCs

Laptops are not always the right solution for the game. These portable PCs have a number of limited features. Even the most productive laptop will not replace a classic desktop computer with a separate monitor, keyboard and system unit.

The possibility of embedding and completing the upgrade in the classics is diverse and great. The failed part can be replaced with a new, more powerful and modern one. The functionality of the PC is expanded with additional settings, installing a cooling system, adding RAM, replacing drives, etc.

An experienced consultant-programmer will tell you what to look for when purchasing a PC, which company to choose for study, work or play. The model can be compact and productive at the same time, with powerful hardware that does not heat up during games and work.

Lenovo

A Chinese electronics manufacturer that has been operating since 1984, it produces top-selling computers at an affordable price. The world market is occupied by a fifth of the equipment of a well-known brand. Computers and laptops, smartphones and other Lenovo gadgets are sold out in 160 countries. High-quality assembly, ergonomic models, their design has earned the trust of customers. The company produces budget equipment along with premium PCs, models for professionals, for gamers. One of the novelties is the Lenovo Legion C730 Cube desktop computer model. Let's stop and consider the advantages and disadvantages of the model.

Modern gaming PC

Lenovo Legion C730 Cube is a desktop PC for gamers. Outwardly, the compact body of the device accommodates eighth-generation Intel processors, 16 GB of RAM, 1 TB of hard drive memory, an SSD drive, and a discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card.

Case appearance and connection ports

The computer is like a cube. The width of the case is wider than conventional stationary PCs, the height is two times lower. In this design, gray matte plastic looks stylish and unusual. An additional bonus is that any small scratch and fingerprints will be invisible.The front panel consists entirely of holes, decorative - ventilation, of the same diameter. On the bottom of the case there are separate headphone jacks, a microphone with a diameter of 3.5 mm and 2 USB 3.1 (Gen1) connectors. To the right of the holes is an illuminated Legion logo. It is made in bright white color, the backlight is constant.

At the top of the case is illuminated with RGB lighting: inside it are a video card and storage cards. You can read their specifications. They are visible through a transparent fine mesh panel covered with a black perforated sheet. The round power button is located on the right in the corner, closer to the front panel. In the center is a carrying handle with the Lenovo logo, separating one zone from another. The backlight can be adjusted and configured as desired (to light one zone or both). In the settings there are effects of a wave, flicker, the transition of one color to another when the level of heating of parts of the PC changes and the frequency of the processor changes.

The side panels come without holes. They are easily removed, providing full access to internal components.

The back side of the case is made with holes and ports. There is a lever on top to remove the side panel. There is also a label from those. characteristics. The other side panel is attached to the right with two screws. All ports are located in the middle of the cover. There are three DisplayPort, HDMI and DVI-D connectors - ports to connect displays. The rear panel is equipped with one RJ45 Ethernet connector, there is a linear audio output. Next are two USB 2.0 ports, 4 USB 3.0 ports and a hole for a power cable with a standard 450W ATX power supply. All cords can be fastened with an elastic band, which is located at the bottom of the case so that they do not interfere with the game and do not bend.Ventilation holes are located on both sides of the USB connectors.

Equipment

When purchasing a Lenovo Legion C730 Cube for an ordinary user, you can not purchase additional peripherals. The basic kit, packed in a cardboard box, contains the essentials:

• Lenovo Legion С730 Cube segment;
• power cable;
• mouse;
• corporate keyboard;
• User's Manual.

Avid gamers can purchase LenovoY Gaming branded advanced accessories and peripherals. Sold separately: headset, mechanical keyboard, special mouse and mousepad, Lenovo Y25f-10 monitor with a frequency of 144 Hz.

Brief description of the PC

The body weight is 9 kg with dimensions of 30.5x23.8x35.8 cm.

RAM device 16 GB DDR4 2666 MHz. It is possible to expand up to 32 GB.

There are two drives installed: a 128 GB M.2 PCIe SSD and a 1 TB HDD.

High-speed SSD - the drive shows the following characteristics: 1600 MB / s - read speed, 430 MB - write speed. The hard drive has a write/read speed of 180/255MB/s, respectively.

PC processor: Intel Core i5-8400, 6-core, clock frequency 2.8 GHz, its overclocking is 4.0 GHz, cache 6 MB. The configuration can be sold in different versions.

64-bit OS installed: Microsoft Windows 10.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 is a full-size dual-slot graphics card that is responsible for graphic quality. Visually, additional power can be connected to the card. The 31 cm video adapter allows you to install a more powerful component.

On the Lenovo Legion C730 Cube computer, a modern game with a high-quality resolution of 1920x1080 (FullHD) will run.

It is possible to connect wireless communications using the module: Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2x2 or wired gigabit Ethernet (Killer).

The components inside the case have standard sizes and configurations. In the future, you can expand the upgrade on any PC parameter: increase the RAM and storage memory, replace the power supply, video card, processor based on the motherboard with the Intel Z370 chipset (the processor has open access).

Setup and sound

You can customize the Legion C730 using Lenovo's native Vantage software, which is stylistically reminiscent of the Legion line of games. In the settings, you can turn on the backlight. The installed software allows you to check for updates, system status and perform real-time diagnostics.

Access to discs is conveniently located in the flip-out basket. The motherboard has a slot for installing M.2 2280 format SSD media. Despite its compactness, the case itself is thought out in such a way that it allows you to install two full-size 3.5-inch hard drives.

The sound is configured separately. Settings and presets can be downloaded in a special application. The built-in Realtek ALC233 supports Dolby Atmos.

Cooling and ventilation of components

The Legion C730 segment has a built-in cooling system located in two channels: the processor and video card are cooled separately. The maximum heating temperature of the components does not exceed 74-77°. High processor loads do not affect the performance of the PC. The unit works stably and almost silently.

The case is ventilated. The video card is blown from both sides by a cooler with a diameter of 92 mm, installed on the front side of the case and operating in the supply mode. The video card has a turbine cooling system.There are coolers on the back of the case: a cooler with a diameter of 80 mm works as a hood, a cooler with the same diameter is mounted on the processor heatsink and power supply.

The video card is ventilated by means of a turbine cooler. Using the top Intel Z370 chipset allows you to replace the CPU without restrictions.

Stress testing

Specialists conducted stress tests lasting 1-30 minutes to determine the noise level in the system and the frequency of the cores at maximum settings. Noise fluctuations were 4.9 - 42.3 dBA, the frequency of the CPU cores was kept around 3.8 GHz, without throttling. From 52 degrees in half an hour the temperature rose to 72 ... 77 degrees.

According to the test results, it was noted that the system works stably, even at the highest loads, regardless of the duration. The cooling system copes with its task at a high level, preventing components from overheating. The PC uses noisy fans that are audible and the noise level is slightly higher than usual. Due to the use of quieter fans, the price of the product will rise by an order of magnitude.

Price

As for the price on the market, for the same money you can buy gaming PCs in a regular case, with a more powerful configuration. Alternatively, you can offer GTX1070 or i7.

Key Features of Lenovo Legion C730 Cube:

• stylish interesting design;
• compact body size;
• Silent operation due to dual-channel cooling system;
• availability of interfaces (wireless and wired);
• extended upgrade options.

• high cost of the product;
• high level of fan noise during testing.

Conclusion

The powerful and productive gaming computer Lenovo Legion C730 Cube in an interesting design is most suitable for modern toys with high FullHD resolution. The PC is easily upgradeable and is able to use large modern graphics cards. You can install a compact stylish case even in the smallest room, hiding it behind a monitor.