December 12, 2021Lenovo Ideacentre 720 Review: Everything You Should Know

Are you looking for a casual use desktop that is perfect for students or casual gamers? Then you’re in luck!  The Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 would be perfect for you!

But, what makes the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 great? It’s great for when you’re running a business, studying, casual gaming, not to mention, it’s very affordable for the amazing features it provides. However, just like everything good, often than not, there are a few drawbacks that you should expect. A few of the drawbacks of the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 is that the cooling system is not as advanced as the other desktops, the display unit is sold separately, and it is quite heavy and bulky. Thinking about it, these drawbacks don’t seem all that bad when you look at the other great features it has.

So, what makes the Lenovo Ideacentre 720 great and worth buying and note-taking? 

Key Features

The key features of the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 are its powerful processors, stunning graphics, connectivity to most accessories and devices, your is assistant, Cortana, lastly, you don’t need any tools if you want to add, remove, or replace anything inside.

The powerful processor is one of the things that makes this desktop awesome. The AMD Ryzen 5-1400 processor of the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 may not be extremely fast, but for a casual use PC, this processor is will definitely amaze you. Another plus about this processor is that you won’t need to break the bank just to get this mid-tier processor. 

The AMD Radeon R5 340 is a middle-class graphic coprocessor that will suit those who want to use the Lenovo IdeaCentre 729 for casual use. It provides you with stunning graphics. However, you should take note that its performance won’t be as good for heavy use such as heavy gaming.

One of Lenovo IdeaCentre 720’s proud features is its connectivity to other devices and accessories. It has 4 USB 2.0 ports and 2 USB 3.0, which is enough for the majority of casual users. 

The Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 runs on Windows 10, which will allow you to use Cortana, your personal digital assistant. Similar to Siri, Cortana can help you arrange your schedules, set reminders or alarms, set reminders, search for meanings or facts, and many more. 

Lastly, one of the highlights of the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 is its ability to be opened without any tools required. This is for when you want to remove, replace, or just simply check the inside of it. 

Performance

The IdeaCentre 720 is a powerful desktop with an efficient AMD processor and graphics coprocessor that can match up to an Intel Core processor, plus it is cheaper than the Intel Core processor. 

Intel Core has been one of the main processors both PCs and desktops have, however, throughout the years, many new brands have started to catch up to Intel Core. One of which is the brand AMD, which has created both the processor and graphic processor that the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 features. This brand provides you with an efficient and sustainable performance at a comparatively cheaper price compared to the Intel Core. 

With the AMD Ryzen 5-1400 processor and the AMD Radeon R5 340 graphic coprocessor, it makes the IdeaCentre 720 a powerful desktop perfect for users who want to experience a smooth gaming experience for moderate gaming and be able to multitask on their work. 

This desktop also has a 3.2 GHz CPU speed and 8 GB DDR4 RAM expandable to 32 GB for smoother and faster usage. 

The combination of the processor and graphics card is perfect as it offers you a powerful and stable usage for casual users. However, its only drawback when it comes to its performance is that it does not work as efficiently and fast if used for heavy gaming.  

Build and Design

Looking at the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720, it looks nice, sleek, and professional since it does not feature any unnecessary or overbearing design. It is pleasing to the eyes since it looks simple, yet it also screams professional with its black and silver-colored casing. Just by looking at the exterior, you might think that it’s made with brushed aluminum, but in reality, it is made with hard plastic. 

On the right side of the case that you can open, it features the four USB 2.0 ports, line-out, and mic connectors, and the media card reader is hidden inside it. And on the left side of the front part of the case, you can see the vertically aligned slim DVD/CD drive that is also often found on the sides of laptops. 

On the behind, you’ll see on the faceplate of the motherboard, there are line-in, line-out, and microphone ports, as well as two extra USB ports, a serial port, and an Ethernet port. An HDMI and VGA connector is also accessible, however, they are concealed by rubber covers because they are inactive due to the PC’s lack of integrated graphics. The AMD Radeon visual card in the x16 PCI-E slot has an HDMI and VGA connector. 

One of the builds’ advantages is that the slower 2.0 USB ports are at the back while the higher speed 3.0 USB ports are on the front for flash drives, hard drives, or even digital cameras for faster and accessible use.

And as mentioned previously, the last advantage of the build is the ability to remove the casing without needing any tools since you only have two thumbscrews to remove. However, you do might need a screwdriver for the first time you’ll remove the hard casing since the manufacturers ensure that they seal the thumbscrew pretty tight in the factory. But the next time you will remove it, you won’t need any more tools.

USB Ports and Connectivity

With a total of 6 USB ports, it’s surely enough for casual users. With the two 3.0 USB ports on the front, it is the perfect placement for flash drives, hard drives, and digital cameras to be plugged in, especially if you are in a hurry. And the four 2.0 USB ports at the back are also a great placement for USB keyboards and mouses to be plugged since you don’t necessarily need it to be fast nor do you remove it all the time. So, keeping them plugged in is no problem for the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720.  

Upgradability

Upgradeability is one of the cons of this PC since it is not upgradeable-friendly. Although, if you’re only looking for a laptop replacement with no intentions of removing or replacing the desktops’ components, then the IdeaCentre 720 is perfect for you. However, if you are a PC  connoisseur/enthusiast, then this PC is not for you. 

Storage

Since the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 is not upgradable-friendly, the connector runs from the motherboard to the DVD and hard drive, supplying power to them which indicates that it won’t be possible to add a SATA SSD or another hard drive unless you opt to remove the present hard drive or disable the DVD drive.  Nevertheless, adding drives is unlikely since the motherboard only has two SATA ports.

Nevertheless, you can use the open M.2 slot to install an SSD, but you’ll need to have or buy a bracket to hold it to the casing because Lenovo didn’t include one.

RAM

Even though the motherboard can support 32 GB of RAM, there are only two memory slots that are filled with 4 GB modules, equating to 8 GB modules in total. However, additional slots would have been more preferable instead of two memory slots with 4 modules each. Or they could have used one single 8 GB DIMM module for one memory slot and left extra memory slots open for any future upgrades. 

Since both two memory slots are occupied by the 4 GB modules, you’ll have to replace one or both of them if you want to upgrade your RAM, and DIMM’s are not exactly cheap, so this is another con of the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720.

But if you’re not using this PC for any heavy-duty use, then having an 8 GB RAM is already quite okay. Nevertheless, the bigger the RAM, the better.

Price

For all the other amazing features this PC includes, the price is perfect and justifiable. With its features, you can already use it for studying, running a business, doing simple tasks, and even light-moderate gaming. 

You can use this PC to play on Roblox or any other simple game if you just want to have entertainment. And in regards to entertainment, this PC is quite great for when you want to watch movies as it has a great graphic processor. 

Although its upgradability isn’t the best as compared to other PCs, the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 is perfect for those who do not want to do anything such as upgrading, replacing, or adding anything to their PC. The IdeaCentre 720 is a straightforward PC that doesn’t necessarily need any more upgrades than it needs to be.

So, overall, we think that the price is quite alright and is justified, especially since it gives you all of the things you’ll need in a PC.

Pros and Cons

Everything has its pros and cons, same goes for the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720. So now, let us weigh down its pros and cons if it’s truly worth buying.

PROS

As mentioned previously, this desktop is straightforward and easy to use. It also has great features that any casual user can appreciate and you can get all of those great features for a great price too. Plus, it looks great on a working desk with its silver and black-colored coating. 

CONS

Its upgradeability isn’t the best, but if you’re not a PC fanatic or enthusiast, then you won’t have the need to open up your PC and replace, add, or upgrade anything as most of its features are already set to be used for casual usage. However, if you are indeed a PC enthusiast, then we would suggest that you don’t choose this PC because, one, it’s hard to upgrade, two, its cooling system is outdated and you might have a hard time changing it. Lastly, its display unit is sold separately, meaning, you would have to make another purchase just to get a separate display unit.

Overall

The Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 is perfect for users who only want a straightforward PC and won’t be doing any heavy gaming. Although the Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 is not easily upgradeable, it can still be a good fit for your working or studying needs. With amazing features, a simple design, and an awesome price, we would definitely recommend you to try this desktop out. It will surely amaze you. 

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