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Lenovo’s slim-bezel IdeaPad S540 with MX250 graphics takes on Dell’s XPS 13

Arif Bacchus
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Following the reveal of a refreshed ThinkPad lineup, Lenovo is also introducing new versions of its consumer-focused IdeaPad devices. A model of particular interest is the new IdeaPad S540. It takes on Dell’s XPS 13 laptop with a sleek, slim-bezel look, but with the addition of Nvidia’s GeForce MX250 graphics.

Available later this October for $1,000, the new all-aluminum S540 takes on under the hood options for up to Intel’s latest 10th-gen Comet Lake Core i7-10710U processor, or AMD’s Ryzen 7. It also weighs in at roughly 2.7 pounds and is 0.58 inches on its side. That is the same weight as the XPS 13’s 2.8 pounds, but thicker compared to the XPS 13’s 0.46 inches.

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Putting it ahead of the XPS 13 standard FHD panel, the IdeaPad S540 sports a 13.3-inch QHD display with 2560 x 1600 resolution as standard. Elsewhere, the device will feature options for 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM. As for the PCIe solid-state drive storage, options come in at either 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB.

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Another noteworthy feature on the S540 not found on the XPS 13 is what Lenovo is calling “Q-Control.” This A.I.-powered feature uses machine learning and can adjust the temperature and thermals of the laptop accordingly.

“When enabled, Q-Control uses machine learning to monitor the tasks running in the background and your device’s thermal attributes to control its fans and optimize a longer battery life on its own. For example, movie watchers will appreciate the lower power mode with a quieter fan, while content creators will enjoy the turbo-boosting mode for a quicker computing response,” said Lenovo.

With colors, the S540 will come in three different options — “Ice Blue,” “Light Silver” and “Frost White.” Standard across all models will be two USB-C ports, as well as 1 USB-A port. Other connectivity options include the options for 2 x 2 802.11 Ax WiFi, or 1 x 1 802.11 AC Wi-Fi.  Support for Bluetooth 5.0 and a Windows Hello Camera is standard.

Lenovo is promising for up to 16 hours of battery life on the S540, but notes that users can get a full charge in just two hours. The S540 will join other laptops and desktops introduced today, including the S340, Chromebook S340, Chromebook C340, and IdeaCentre A540.

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Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus
Computing Writer
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
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