Lenovo ThinkPad Helix 'Rip & Flip' Convertible Review

Futuremark 3DMark Cloud Gate Synthetic Gaming Performance

3DMark is the flagship benchmark in Futuremark’s catalog. As a result, it is a popular choice for testing all types of computers. Recognizing the technology differences between different types of PCs are significant, 3DMark has a separate test suite for each device category. The Cloud Gate test is aimed at entry-level PCs and laptops. It has two subtests: a processor-intensive physics test and two graphics tests. Cloud Gate uses a DirectX 11 engine but the graphics are designed to be compatible with DirectX 10 systems. We ran the test suite at its default 1280 x 720 resolution and at default rendering quality settings. It’s important to remember that 3DMark Cloud Gate scores aren’t comparable to scores from other categories such as 3DMark Fire Strike (gaming PCs) or Ice Storm (smartphones and tablets).

 

Because 3DMark Cloud Gate is so new, we don’t have many systems in our test bank to use for comparison. The Lenovo IdeaPad Z400 Touch is the only other system we have for comparison at the moment. The ThinkPad Helix earned a score of 2895 while the IdeaPad Z400 Touch earned a score of 3067.

Far Cry 2 DX10 Gaming Performance

Far Cry 2 uses high-quality texture, complex shaders, and dynamic lighting to create a realistic environment. Using the game’s built-in benchmark, we can get a better look at a system’s performance with DirectX 10.

 

The ThinkPad Helix achieved an average frame rate of 18.73fps in FarCry 2. This score isn’t quite as high as we would have liked to see, especially given some of the scores produced by similarly-equipped systems.