YEPO 737A Laptop review

The YEPO 737A is an affordable ultrabook with outstanding qualities that I did not think possible for 180€!

Variants of 737A

My test unit is the 64 GB eMMC version and is obviously the most affordable choice.

The "64GB eMMC + 64GB SSD" option is discontinued, and replaced with a better alternative:
The 128Gb eMMC version.

YEPO 737A specification:
13.3" Screen with a resolution of 1920*1080
Intel Celeron N3450 1.1GHz, (burst freq.:2.2GHz)
6GB RAM (LPDDR3)
OS: Windows 10
2 x USB v.3.0 ports
1 x Mini HDMI
1 x audio jack
1 x DC jack
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi  2.4GHz & 5GHz
Battery: 7.4V 8000mAh (4000mAh*2)
Weight 1200g
Dimension: 318*210*13.4~6mm

Web site: http://www.szyepo.com/en/pd.jsp?id=351

Pretty much everything is better compared to its predecessor, the 737S: slimmer design, more actual components, 1080P screen, better keyboard,...

First run

Windows 10 Home Edition is pre-installed and waiting for you. The initial installation occupies 15GB, leaving around 42GB free on this 64GB device.

As expected, the version provided is still 1707, so the Fall Creator Update (v.1709) should be downloaded and installed before doing anything else.

How much more space does the FCU update take? 

After several GB and hours of "updates are getting ready", "wait for it" and "almost there, I mean it this time" and other non-sense progression bars, the Fall Creator Update was finally installed!

It roughly eats up another 8GB, even after cleaning up the windows.old folder. Quite a hit!

A good deal of this space is taken by the good old WinSxS folder. Articles from Microsoft doc and this one from howtogeek.com explains ways to reduce the size a little but do not expect miracles.

Display

The 13.3" screen is very comfortable to use, with vibrant colors, sharp 1920*1080 resolution and wide viewing angle.

It's a huge improvement compared to my old Asus Vivobook S200E with its 11.6" screen (1366x768) that I paid close to 

550€ in 2013.

Playing 4K videos is possible but subject to some expected factors (speed of the media, compression, fps, ...) and unexpected limitations that I'll detail in the sound section.

The fastest media remains the built-in eMMC.

Sound

Stereo speakers are located on each side of the casing. I was expecting resonance and vibrations but they actually sound nice to the extend of their limited volume and bass restitution. External speakers should be used for playing music in the best conditions.

...and Noise...

With no movable parts, the computer is completely silent, but there's an unfortunate situation where it makes unexpected noise when playing medias from the MicroSD card:
Any "Disk Access" to the microSD memory generates parasite noise.
Through the speakers, it's quite faint but hard to ignore with earphones.
This is more pronounced with larger videos as buffering is more frequent.

Initial Storage and extension options

The 37GB, left free by the latest Windows update, should still be enough for most of us, but, to be reasonably future proof with upcoming Windows 10 updates, the options for additional storage should be considered carefully from the beginning.

Adding a microSD card is the most straightforward way to add storage, but don't bother buying a fast SDXC UHS-3 memory card (~90MB/s R/W) as the slot does not exceed 26MB/s R/W anyway. This will already allow to relocate the largest files off the main drive by using the proper file saving location strategy.
The slot supports up to 128GB.

The M.2 SSD extension slot is located under the hood but Yepo does not provide any detail on the exact type to use.
As the M.2 standard is just a form factor with indication of its size in the "type", it's still quite easy to figure out what you need:

The SSD compartment won't take anything larger than 42mm, so the required M.2 format is Type-2242  (other Type-2260, and Type-2280 are too long).

Count around 50€~60€ for a 64GB SSD with an average transfer speed of 500MB/s (SSD can be much faster in theory but this is the speed reported for the compatible models I found).

The 128Gb eMMC version is a good option as long as it doesn't cost more than the SSD upgrade. This version varies in price, so keep an eye on it.
Read also about SSD vs Flash.

Keyboard

The keyboard has a good response and the size is ideal for fast typing. I had to get used to the location of the Power button because my old Asus S200E had its Del button located on the same top right corner, so it still happens regularly that I hit the Power button when I want to delete something.

I found the keyboard of the Yepo comparable to the Asus in terms of quality, with the advantage of having slightly larger keys.

Performance

With a Geekbench scores of 1427/4250, the 737A doubles the ratings of its predecessor, the 737S (X5-8300). It is not meant to be a heavy gamer machine but will handle everything else just fine.

The 2x4000mAh batteries provide about 4 hours of intensive use with high brightness following my observations on holidays. This can be almost doubled with lower brightness and adjusting the battery life/performance balance.

Connectivity

The 737A has 2 USB 3.0 ports: one on each side, and one Mini-HDMI output to use any modern TV or monitor as a second screen (Fn+F7). 

The Audio in/out stereo jack is on the left with the microSD slot and the 2.5mm 12V/2A jack is on the right side.

Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz / 5GHz and Bluetooth 4.0.

Accessories:

There's no Yepo branded accessories but a 5€ Sleeve or 10€ Carrying case for 13.3 laptop will do the trick. A USB-Ethernet adapter such as the one I used to speed up the Windows update download costs about 4€.

Conclusion:

With their previous model in mind (the uninspiring 737S), I wasn't sure what to think of the new YEPO 737A, but it turns out to be a surprisingly good laptop, perfectly fit to run the latest Windows 10 release.
It made me realize how obsolete my Vivobook S200E had become: significantly faster, silent (no fan and HDD noise), no heat generated, larger screen, better keyboard, better connectivity, lighter, longer battery life...

I tested the 64GB  eMMC version, which is the most affordable at 170€,  and leaves about 35GB of usable internal storage after the Fall Creator Update.

Should you buy the 128GB version?

The price of the 128GB eMMC version varies regularly from 225€ to 260€. The colour option as well as the warehouse location can make a difference in the price. It's only an interesting option if it does not exceed the price of a SSD extension, so if it's higher than 230€, just wait for a flash sale. Try also the YEPO64G coupon.

Update: I upgraded my Yepo with a 128GB SSD for 40€! Read more here.

Good:
Great 1920*1080, 13.3"display
Comfortable keyboard
Good battery autonomy
Nice design
Thin and light

Not so good:
MicroSD slot: generates parasite noise during memory access which can be heard while watching a video.
VGA webcam

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Special thanks to Kylie @ Gearbest.com
for providing me with this sample!