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| Schenker Connect 15 in front of a neutral background |
The world of business laptops is rarely exciting when it comes to graphics performance. These machines are built for spreadsheets, presentations, and video calls - not gaming marathons. But when two laptops with identical processors deliver wildly different results, it's worth investigating.
That's exactly what happened when Schenker Connect 15 (E26) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i went head-to-head in a gaming benchmark test, both powered by the Intel Core 5 120U processor. The results revealed something fascinating about how manufacturers tune their laptops for performance versus quiet operation.
Setting the Stage: Identical CPUs, Different Results
The Intel Core 5 120U is a Raptor Lake Refresh processor with 10 cores (2 Performance cores and 8 Efficient cores) and 12 threads. It's designed for efficiency - perfect for office environments where battery life and quiet operation matter more than raw power.
When the team at Notebookcheck reviewed the Schenker Connect 15, they noticed something peculiar. In balanced mode - the recommended power setting for daily use - the laptop delivered "disappointing 3D performance." We're talking about single-digit frame rates in modern games.
Schenker responded to this criticism, pointing the finger at the processor itself. But here's the twist: the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, running the exact same CPU and integrated graphics, performed noticeably better.
This discrepancy demanded a deeper investigation.
The Benchmark Breakdown: Performance Mode vs. Balanced Mode
To understand what was happening, the testing team ran the most important game benchmarks in performance mode, pushing the Schenker Connect 15 to its limits. The results tell a compelling story.
Overall Performance Rating
In the overall performance rating, the gap between the two laptops in balanced mode was significant:
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15IRU9: 67 points
- Schenker Connect 15 (E26) Balanced Mode: 53.2 points
- Schenker Connect 15 Performance Mode: 65.3 points
The performance mode essentially closed the gap entirely, bringing the Connect 15 within striking distance of the Lenovo. This represents a massive improvement of over 22% in overall performance rating.
Cyberpunk 2077 - The Ultimate Test
Cyberpunk 2077 remains one of the most demanding games available, making it an excellent benchmark for stressing integrated graphics.
- Schenker Connect 15 (Balanced): 7.22 fps
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: 8.52 fps (+18% vs. Connect 15 balanced)
- Schenker Connect 15 (Performance): 8.86 fps (+23% vs. Connect 15 balanced)
What's remarkable here is that the performance mode actually surpassed the Lenovo's results. The Connect 15 went from trailing behind to taking a slight lead.
Over a 30-minute extended run of Cyberpunk 2077, the consistency became clear. The Lenovo and the Schenker in performance mode delivered nearly identical average frame rates of 8.58 fps and 8.5 fps respectively, with very similar minimum and maximum values.
GTA V - Open World Performance
Grand Theft Auto V tests how laptops handle sprawling open-world environments:
- Schenker Connect 15 (Balanced): 6.81 fps
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: 9.55 fps (+40%)
- Schenker Connect 15 (Performance): 9.43 fps (+38%)
Again, performance mode nearly erased the deficit. The 1% low values (which indicate stuttering) were actually better on the Connect 15 in performance mode (7.41 fps) compared to the Lenovo (5.43 fps), suggesting smoother gameplay despite similar average frame rates.
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark
This JRPG benchmark tests sustained performance:
- Schenker Connect 15 (Balanced): 10.7 fps
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: 14.8 fps (+38%)
- Schenker Connect 15 (Performance): 15.3 fps (+43%)
The Connect 15 in performance mode once again took the lead, suggesting that Schenker's tuning can actually extract slightly better performance when given the thermal headroom.
Strange Brigade
This Vulkan-based title often runs better on integrated graphics:
- Schenker Connect 15 (Balanced): 19.9 fps
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: 22.8 fps (+15%)
- Schenker Connect 15 (Performance): 22.4 fps (+13%)
Here the performance mode didn't quite match the Lenovo, but it came incredibly close - well within the margin of measurement error.
Dota 2 Reborn
MOBA games are more CPU-dependent, which plays to the Core 5 120U's strengths:
- Schenker Connect 15 (Balanced): 38.1 fps
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: 51.9 fps (+36%)
- Schenker Connect 15 (Performance): 53.7 fps (+41%)
Performance mode delivered a commanding lead, showing that the CPU in the Schenker is perfectly capable when given sufficient power.
X-Plane 11.11 - The Outlier
This flight simulator was the one anomaly in the testing:
- Schenker Connect 15 (Balanced): 21.4 fps
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: 24.2 fps (+13%)
- Schenker Connect 15 (Performance): 19.2 fps (-10%)
Surprisingly, performance mode actually performed worse than balanced mode. This suggests either a thermal throttling issue specific to this workload, or perhaps a driver quirk that doesn't play well with the higher power limits.
The Noise Factor: The Real Trade-off
Here's where the story gets interesting. The Schenker Connect 15 is designed as a business laptop, not a gaming machine. The company's philosophy prioritizes quiet operation over raw performance.
In balanced mode, the Connect 15 produces just 33 dB of noise under load - barely a whisper. In performance mode, that rises to 39 dB, still within an acceptable range but notably louder.
By contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i runs quieter, though some competitors like the Lenovo ThinkPad X9-15 show similar noise characteristics to the Schenker when pushed.
The battery impact is also notable. The Connect 15's replaceable 55Wh battery delivers about 6.6 hours of real-world use, which is mediocre by 2026 standards, especially compared to ARM-based laptops hitting 15+ hours. But for a business laptop with this level of performance, it's acceptable.
Why This Matters for Business Users
The Schenker Connect 15 (E26) isn't trying to be a gaming laptop. It's a business machine through and through, and the benchmark results highlight a deliberate design choice: sacrifice performance for quiet operation.
Here's what the Connect 15 offers that matters more to business users than gaming frame rates:
Repairability That's Rare in 2026
Most modern laptops are glued shut, with soldered RAM and batteries that require professional replacement. The Schenker Connect 15 bucks this trend completely:
- User-replaceable battery - slides out with minimal effort
- Easy access to internals - no need to remove a dozen screws
- Standard RAM slots - upgradeable, not soldered
- Standard SSD - easy to replace or upgrade
For IT departments and sustainability-conscious businesses, this is massive. A laptop that can last 5+ years with replaceable components represents significant cost savings and reduced e-waste.
Enterprise-Grade Security Features
The built-in SmartCard reader is a feature that usually costs hundreds of dollars to add to a standard laptop. For government, healthcare, and financial services environments, this is essential.
Connectivity That Future-Proofs Your Investment
- Wi-Fi 7 (Intel BE200) - pushing speeds up to 3587 MBit/s transmit, roughly 4-7x faster than Wi-Fi 6
- Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 - 40 Gbps speeds
- Optional LTE - perfect for field work
- Gigabit Ethernet - no dongles needed
- 3x USB 3.0 Type-A ports - connect all your legacy peripherals
Display Quality for Office Work
The 15.6-inch matte display delivers 431 nits of brightness - excellent for working near windows or under fluorescent lights. The anti-glare coating means no distracting reflections.
Colors aren't spectacular (only 64.5% DCI-P3 coverage), but for spreadsheets, documents, and business charts, the screen is sharp and bright.
The Verdict: Two Different Philosophies
The benchmark comparison reveals something important about laptop design philosophy:
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i - Balanced performance out of the box, suitable for users who want decent performance without thinking about power settings.
Schenker Connect 15 - A quiet, efficient workhorse in balanced mode, with the ability to unlock significantly more performance when needed, at the cost of fan noise and battery drain.
Who Should Buy the Schenker Connect 15?
Perfect for:
- IT departments managing fleets of laptops (repairability is a major win)
- Security-conscious professionals needing SmartCard support
- Users who work in quiet environments and value silence
- Anyone tired of carrying dongles for everyday connectivity
- Sustainability-focused organizations
Not recommended for:
- Gamers or video editors (the Iris Xe graphics simply aren't powerful enough)
- Creative professionals needing accurate color reproduction
- Users requiring all-day battery life (6-7 hours is underwhelming by 2026 standards)
The Bottom Line
The benchmark test proves that the Intel Core 5 120U is capable of decent 3D performance when given proper power limits. The Schenker Connect 15 in performance mode effectively matches the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i across most gaming benchmarks, sometimes even exceeding it.
The difference is that Schenker deliberately caps performance in balanced mode to maintain whisper-quiet operation. This is a conscious design choice that prioritizes the experience of office workers over benchmark scores.
For the business user who needs a reliable, repairable, secure laptop with excellent connectivity, the Schenker Connect 15 (E26) is a compelling option. Just remember to switch to performance mode if you need that extra 20-40% GPU performance - and don't expect to play Cyberpunk 2077 at high settings on any laptop with integrated graphics.
The Schenker Connect 15 (E26) starts at approximately €965 and can be configured with LTE, additional RAM, and other business-focused options. For organizations prioritizing repairability, security, and connectivity over absolute performance, it represents excellent value in the business laptop market.
Source : Review: Schenker Connect 15