Lenovo IdeaCentre Y710 Cube Review: Big Gaming Performance In A Small Package
Lenovo IdeaCentre Y710 Cube: Introduction
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Y710 Cube is a small form factor (SFF) PC aimed at hardcore gamers on the go. The toolbox-size computer packs solid desktop hardware, including an Intel Core i7-6700 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, giving it the horsepower necessary to handle most modern games. And, like a toolbox, the Y710 Cube has a handle so you can grab it and go.
Compact PCs have become increasingly more popular with gamers who want the power of a desktop system, but don’t want to lug a large PC when the need arises. They’re also popular at LAN events, for the same reasons. Gaming laptops solve the portability problem for many users, but there are plenty of gamers that want desktop performance without the bulk. For them, a system like the Digital Storm Bolt 3 or the iBuypower Revolt 2 will be appealing. This is also where the Y710 Cube fits in.
When it comes to pricing, the Y710 Cube fits a range of budgets. Lenovo is known for offering multiple versions of its systems, giving users a broad menu of hardware and pricing options. The base model starts at an attractive $849, but there’s a large difference in hardware between this system and the other models. The model we tested goes for $1,699.99.
Base model aside, the Y710 Cube features the Core i7-6700 which strikes us a reasonable processor for a midrange gaming PC. All models run Windows 10 Home 64-bit and sport the Killer Double Shot Pro technology, which features a Gigabit LAN connection and a Killer Wireless-AC 1535 network card. The differences between models generally revolve around the graphics card, system memory, and storage devices.
The Y710 Cube starts with an AMD RX 460 GPU, but it’s the only model to go the AMD route. The remaining configurations feature a GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB of memory (as our test system does) or, at the high end, a GTX 1080. Systems sporting the GTX 1080 start at $2,199.99, though Lenovo was offering online discounts worth about $350 in recent weeks. Even with the discount, that price tag is going to fall outside of plenty of budgets, so we’re interested in seeing how the more budget-friendly, GTX 1070-bearing Y710 Cube performs in our benchmarks.
Several models of the Y710 Cube feature only 8GB of DDR4 2133MHz memory. Our test system features 16GB (2x8GB), which is the most Lenovo offers for the Cube. You can get by with 8GB, of course, but we think the extra memory will convince many gamers to bump up from the lower-priced configurations.
As for the storage, Lenovo offers a range of SSDs and HDDs letting you prioritize performance, capacity, or both, but the SSDs are only SATA, which may put off users who would be willing to shell out more for faster, PCIe SSDs. Our test PC features a 128GB SSD and a 1TB hard drive. The SSD handles Windows 10 and has enough room for a few extra programs, but the bulk of a gaming library would be housed on the slower drive. Lenovo offers storage combinations up to a 256GB SSD and 2TB hard drive, so finding capacities that match your gaming library shouldn’t be a problem.
The Y710 Cube forgoes an optical drive, which isn’t surprising, as even full-size PCs often ship without optical drives at this point. It won’t be an issue for most gamers, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you have a library of older, disc-based games. With the Y710 Cube, Lenovo is leaving aging hardware in the past and focusing on the system’s support for modern tech, like VR gaming and 4K monitors. That’s a reasonable approach, particularly in a compact system, where cutting features to save space is a given.
Now that we’ve covered the Y710 Cube’s hardware, let’s dig into its unusual design…
Compact PCs have become increasingly more popular with gamers who want the power of a desktop system, but don’t want to lug a large PC when the need arises. They’re also popular at LAN events, for the same reasons. Gaming laptops solve the portability problem for many users, but there are plenty of gamers that want desktop performance without the bulk. For them, a system like the Digital Storm Bolt 3 or the iBuypower Revolt 2 will be appealing. This is also where the Y710 Cube fits in.
When it comes to pricing, the Y710 Cube fits a range of budgets. Lenovo is known for offering multiple versions of its systems, giving users a broad menu of hardware and pricing options. The base model starts at an attractive $849, but there’s a large difference in hardware between this system and the other models. The model we tested goes for $1,699.99.
 |
|
| Operating System |
Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-6700 (4-Core, 8MB Cache, 3.4GHz to 4GHz) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 |
| Memory | 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2133MHz |
| Optical Drive |
None |
| Storage | 128GB SSD 1TB HDD |
| Cooling System |
65W CPU Cooler |
| Connectivity | Gigabit Ethernet Killer Wireless AC-1535 BT 4.0 |
| Front Panel Ports |
2x USB 3.0 Audio |
| Rear Panel Ports |
2x USB 3.0 4x USB 2.0 1x PS2 1x Optical Audio Port 3x Display Ports 1x HDMI Ports 1x DVI Port |
| Power Supply |
450W 80-Plus Bronze |
| Extras | Wired Lenovo Keyboard, Mouse |
| Dimensions | 15.48 x 9.93 x 12.38 Inches |
| Weight | 16.3 Pounds (Starting Weight) |
| Warranty | 1 Year |
| Pricing | $1,699.99 (as configured) |
Base model aside, the Y710 Cube features the Core i7-6700 which strikes us a reasonable processor for a midrange gaming PC. All models run Windows 10 Home 64-bit and sport the Killer Double Shot Pro technology, which features a Gigabit LAN connection and a Killer Wireless-AC 1535 network card. The differences between models generally revolve around the graphics card, system memory, and storage devices.
The Y710 Cube starts with an AMD RX 460 GPU, but it’s the only model to go the AMD route. The remaining configurations feature a GeForce GTX 1070 with 8GB of memory (as our test system does) or, at the high end, a GTX 1080. Systems sporting the GTX 1080 start at $2,199.99, though Lenovo was offering online discounts worth about $350 in recent weeks. Even with the discount, that price tag is going to fall outside of plenty of budgets, so we’re interested in seeing how the more budget-friendly, GTX 1070-bearing Y710 Cube performs in our benchmarks.
Several models of the Y710 Cube feature only 8GB of DDR4 2133MHz memory. Our test system features 16GB (2x8GB), which is the most Lenovo offers for the Cube. You can get by with 8GB, of course, but we think the extra memory will convince many gamers to bump up from the lower-priced configurations.
As for the storage, Lenovo offers a range of SSDs and HDDs letting you prioritize performance, capacity, or both, but the SSDs are only SATA, which may put off users who would be willing to shell out more for faster, PCIe SSDs. Our test PC features a 128GB SSD and a 1TB hard drive. The SSD handles Windows 10 and has enough room for a few extra programs, but the bulk of a gaming library would be housed on the slower drive. Lenovo offers storage combinations up to a 256GB SSD and 2TB hard drive, so finding capacities that match your gaming library shouldn’t be a problem.
The Y710 Cube forgoes an optical drive, which isn’t surprising, as even full-size PCs often ship without optical drives at this point. It won’t be an issue for most gamers, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you have a library of older, disc-based games. With the Y710 Cube, Lenovo is leaving aging hardware in the past and focusing on the system’s support for modern tech, like VR gaming and 4K monitors. That’s a reasonable approach, particularly in a compact system, where cutting features to save space is a given.
Now that we’ve covered the Y710 Cube’s hardware, let’s dig into its unusual design…
