Comparison Test: Lenovo Z710 I7: 4700MQ 740M vs. 4702MQ 745m

Only after I have here related to the review 4702MQ 745m (with 16GB and non-Windows) ordered, for which I ultimately decided.

Both versions cost z.Zt. the same, EUR 899, - (April 2014).

My comparative review:

Greatest priority had with me the processing power, only secondarily the graphics performance. Work properly (in the sense of touch a lot) I do not want the thing. Mainly music making (Ableton), Internet, watching movies, the weekend times Gaming, rarely edit photos and videos. That is about all applications that are relevant to me.

My first decision was made in favor of 4700MQ 740M. Because: According processor benchmarks on the internet the 4700MQ should be about 10% more power than the 4702MQ bring. I also wanted to save me the manual installation of Win 8 and the possibly associated hassles. GPU performance of 740M should loudly Internet benchmarks be more than 10% lower than that of the 745m, which was fine for me because I wanted Gaming secondary.

After I got delivered the Z710 as 4700MQ 740M, I did update to Win 8.1, though ran smoothly, but: Duration approximately 3 hours with tens Neuboots. Thus, it is not done: It must namely more diverse Win 8.1 driver downloaded from the Lenovo site and be installed.
In this respect, the pre-installed Windows on the 4700MQ 740M anything but an all-inclusive package for Installationsphobiker.

Then tried Geekbench on the 4700MQ 740M: Total ordinary CPU power equivalent, as described on the internet. Then GPU Benchmarks tried X3 Terran Conflict Rolling Demo and FurMark: And since I was quite disappointed by the graphics performance in both tests. FurMark jerky as hell with 6 frames in 1080p test. Too slow for my taste. In various forums for the 740M researched while I found out that the built-in Lenovo Z710 740M is connected only with 64 bits to the GPU memory (read about GPU-Z), which throttles the GPU performance of 740M unduly.

So I did not want to settle for me, so ich 2 weeks later the 4702MQ 745m (with 16GB, WITHOUT Windows) have ordered, Win 8.1 OEM (EUR 79, -) additionally concerned at Amazon.
Unwrapped, Win 8.1 fresh install, ran smoothly and lasted about 40 minutes; the update I could save so this time. After Win 8.1 driver installed by Lenovo, also ran smoothly. From housing, ports, keyboard and the screen are both Z710 forth by the way the same, I could compare them side by side, yes. However, the power supply of 4702MQ is (from the spatial dimensions) smaller than that of 4700MQ, which is probably due to the lower TDP of 4702MQ and thus at lower watt consumption (?).

After repeatedly let Geekbench run on the new 4702MQ 745m and I hardly believed my eyes, because the results of 4702MQ reached always 97-99% performance 4700MQ so despite 200MHz lower clock rate of 4702MQ her performance was almost identical to the 4700MQ ! The fact that the benchmarks in the power of about 10% less power to speak of 4702MQ, so I could not objectify, at least not with the test Geekbench, which tests the many different functions of the processing speed.
Then let multiple GPU benchmarks X3 Terran Conflict Rolling Demo and FurMark run and I experienced that the 745m in both tests an average of 80% more power than the 740M brings! FurMark ran with 11 frames in 1080p test (GPU, however, was also warmer). Read with GPU-Z you can see that the 745m is connected with 128 bits of the GPU memory.

Therefore, if someone, like me, between Lenovo Z710 I7: 4700MQ 740M vs. 4702MQ 745m varies, resulted my strong buy recommendation for 4702MQ 745m variant in the following summary:

[4702MQ 745m vs. 4700MQ 740M] Pros:
+ Processor performance 4702MQ almost identical (compliance: 98%) with the (supposedly faster) 4700MQ
+ Essential (approximately + 80%) faster GPU performance of 745m than 740M
+ 16 GB of RAM instead of 8GB RAM
+ Reinstalling Win 8.1, I found less annoying than the hour-long update the preinstalled Win 8.0 on Win 8.1.
+ No Uninstall Try-Wares and Try-Apps necessary
+ 4702MQ consumes less power (lower TDP) and has a handlichereres power supply as the 4700MQ

[4702MQ 745m vs. 4700MQ 740M] Cons:
- Win 8.1 must be bought separately corresponds z.Zt. More price of 79, -

The Z710 I7 4700MQ 740M I returned then.

And now the real star rating for the Z710 I7 4702MQ 745m, which I have kept:

Pros:
+ Fast CPU
+ Good GPU
+ Good HD, thanks to hybrid technology
+ Win 8.1 boot within 9 seconds (That gave me a "wow" feeling)
+ Device is not uncomfortably warm, like some competitive products
+ Quiet machine (in idle fan is audible only with special attention)
+ 4 USB ports. That was important for me as I plug 4 devices at the same times for music production with Ableton (many devices of competitors have only 3 USB ports).

Cons:
- The notebook is my fourth since 1998. And the keyboard is the worst that I have ever experienced on a notebook. The keyboard gives way in the middle by about 2-3 millimeters. The keys are also extremely flat.
- Glare display with all the known disadvantages that brings glare with it. In addition, the font in 1080p can be a neat contrast, such as missing in the Apple Displays (okay, another league).

For glare display, there's no withdrawal; because like it or not tolerate glare, you should know before ordering.

For the keyboard I give (only) 1 point deduction. "Only" because before I would not work properly with the unit, but will write at most times ne mail. If I had allowed myself the device in order to write a diploma or master's thesis, I would definitely return there again.

But as an entertainment device (which according to it. Lenovo is supposed to be primarily yes) convinced me the Lenovo Z710 as good and beautiful tuned notebook, so 4 stars.