Lenovo IdeaPad 120S-11IAP 81A40025US Cheap 11.6″ Laptop (Intel Celeron, 2GB Memory, 32GB eMMC Storage, Gray)
The Lenovo IdeaPad 120S-11IAP 81A40025US is a very cheap 11.6-inch mini-laptop. It’s a kind of a famous model, since it was included in Best Buy’s Black Friday ad as the cheapest laptop with a price of only $99.99 (it’s around $200 now) . This 2.9-pound “Mineral Gray” plastic ultra-portable was one of the best sellers on Black Friday. But what are the trade-offs? Small RAM size and cramped storage space of only 2GB and 32GB, respectively. Also, the included Intel Celeron N3350 processor isn’t an admirable performer. It’s rather an entry-level processor, good only for the basic computing tasks like web surfing, video playback, and some Office-style productivity apps. 2GB of RAM will enable you to multi-task with only a couple of non-demanding programs running simultaneously. For any serious multi-tasking 2GB is too small. As for storage, the included 32GB eMMC Flash memory-based drive will enable you to store a limited amount of data. Windows 10 installation takes up around half of that space, so you’ll end up with around 15GB of free space for your files. For storage expansion, you can use the notebook’s built-in microSD card reader in which you can install a memory card and store files on it.
The display resolution isn’t exceptionally sharp with a pixel count of 1366 x 768. But, that’s not too bad for image sharpness on the IdeaPad 120S-11IAP 81A40025US, since the 11.6″ display is among the smallest on the notebook market. The screen is based on TN technolgy, with narrower viewing angles than on the IPS screen. Touch input isn’t supported.
Lenovo estimates that the IdeaPad 120S-11IAP 81A40025US can provide a battery life of “up to 8 hours”. That could be a realistic estimation, because the laptop’s processor and other components are quite power-efficient. Another positive thing about the included Intel Celeron N3350 is that it runs cool and enables fanless design of the device.
Rounding off the specs, the 120S-11IAP 81A40025US features a non-backlit chiclet-style keyboard, a big touchpad, stereo speakers, a web camera, 802.11AC Wi-Fi wireless, two USB 3.0 ports and a USB-C port, an HDMI video out, combo mic/headphones jack, and the aforementioned microSD card slot.
Specifications of the 120S-11IAP 81A40025US
Here are the specs of the 120S-11IAP 81A40025US with descriptions of its features. For comparison against other laptops, you can use the "Compare Specs" button.
Brand | Lenovo |
---|---|
Laptop Type | Ultraportable (small laptop) The light weight and small dimensions make this ultraportable laptop easy to carry around or travel with. |
Screen Size | 11.6-inch This is a very small display size, given the most frequently used laptop screen size is 15.6". |
Screen Resolution | 1366x768 pixels HD This is an entry-level screen resolution, oftentimes found on budget laptops. It doesn't deliver picture sharpness and space on the screen like the Full HD or higher resolution laptop displays do. |
Touchscreen | No This laptop doesn't support touchscreen input. |
Other Display Specs | TN type Displays based on the old TN technology lack wide viewing angles you can find on IPS screens. The colors may look washed out or inverted at certain viewing angles. |
Processor (CPU) | Intel Celeron N3350 (able to complete everyday tasks, but can be sluggish) |
Graphics (GPU) | Intel HD integrated graphics of low-end CPUs (only for the lightest gaming) |
System Memory (RAM) Size | 2GB RAM 2GB RAM size is rare nowadays and makes laptops with it almost unusable due to the low capacity. The recommended size is at least 8GB. |
Data Storage | 32GB SSD A barely usable capacity. |
DVD Optical Drive | None |
Keyboard & Input | Non-backlit keyboard without dedicated number pad The keyboard has no backlit keys and no separate numeric pad you can usually find on the right side of the keyboard on many laptop models. Touchpad with click buttons built into the surface The left and right click buttons are built into the surface of the touchpad, as opposed to separate physical buttons. |
Speakers & Audio | Stereo speakers As usual, the device features a pair of built-in stereo speakers. Combo microphone and headphones audio jack This laptop has the ordinary 3.5mm combo audio jack that supports both headphone output and microphone input simultaneously. |
Camera | Front-facing web camera Laptops usually feature a frontal webcam located on the display bezel. This laptop is no exception. |
Wi-Fi Wireless | 802.11AC The 802.11AC is the previous-generation wireless networking standard. It's also known as Wi-Fi 5. 802.11AC is succeeded by 802.11AX Wi-Fi 6 with data transfer speed and multi-device connectivity improvements. |
Ethernet Network Port | No This laptop has no Ethernet LAN port for wired internet and networking connectivity. |
Mobile broadband (4G LTE) | No |
Bluetooth | Yes This laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. It enables you to connect the computer to Bluetooth mice and other Bluetooth peripherals, smartphones, and other Bluetooth-equipped devices. |
USB Ports | 1 x USB-C A compact type of USB port, commonly found in modern laptops and phones. 2 x USB 3.0 A pair of full-size USB ports. |
Video Output Ports | 1 x HDMI HDMI is a widely used digital video output port. You can find HDMI-in ports on most computer monitors and TVs. |
Media Card Reader | MicroSD card reader The laptop has a slot for MicroSD memory cards. These are small SD cards commonly used in smartphones. |
Battery | 2-Cell "Up to 8 hours" of battery life |
Weight | 2.5 pounds |
Height | 0.7" |
Width | 11.5" |
Depth | 7.9" |
Windows Version | Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Home is aimed at the regular home and office computer users. Only select business users need the Professional edition. Windows 10 Home users are eligible for a free upgrade to the latest Windows 11 Home. |
Warranty | 1-year A typical laptop warranty. |
User Reviews and Q&A on the 120S-11IAP 81A40025US
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Question
chezzy –
i cannot access u tube screen comes up with squigel and dns message comes up – please help
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Serg1571 –
but I think, you can buy it apart… mean, supposed have a slot to udate the memory? so you just buy a 4BG RAM and 500GB ssd so, jus open the laptop and install it :/
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Safiyya –
Hi as a completely non tech savvy I need a basic laptop to set exam papers ans complete reports using excel. Is this good enough.. I need something budget friendly and not too heavy as I have to move around with it all day appreciate the feedback
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Quiana –
Is this laptop good for a college student to do Microsoft Word, Powerpoints, and research at the same time?
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Danijel Z –
I think this model isn’t a good solution for doing multiple tasks at the same time, because it has very small RAM size of 2GB. For the tasks you mentioned, at least 4GB is needed if you don’t want annoying slowdowns. Also, the included Intel Celeron processor is among the slowest. For these Office apps + for instance Chrome browser (for online research), you should get a laptop with at least Intel Core i3 processor (i5 and i7 are even better) and 4 or 8 GB of RAM.
True, the Lenovo 120S-11IAP 81A40025US will be able to complete these tasks, but slowdowns will very likely occur during these activities.
Jeff –
Exactly!
Mike –
I’m looking for a budget laptop and want to use the laptop to remote into my pc at work
Based on the specs of this laptop, is it capable of remoting into a PC?
The work i would be doing remotely would be running different applications and excel
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Danijel Z –
Hi, I have used TeamViewer remote desktop software on a similar device with an Intel Celeron CPU and 2GB RAM to control another Windows PC. Everything worked just fine, without slowdowns or other issues. I haven’t tried other remote desktop client programs, but I assume they should work just fine, because they generally aren’t hardware-demanding.
What matters a lot for smoothness of remote desktop is network connection speed. That can be troublesome if you run bandwidth demanding remote desktop tasks like video editing/playback. For Excel and similar apps it doesn’t matter that much. Screen resolution might be an issue too, if you for instance want to run Full HD remote desktop on the screen of the IdeaPad 120S-11IAP 81A40025US which is up to HD. There’s an option in TeamViewer to scale the remote desktop resolution, but your picture quality might suffer.