Ninkear S14 – specifications
Ninkear is a relatively new player on the market, but it has ambitions to be present there, not only with price, but also with quality. The tested unit was equipped with an AMD – Ryzen 5 7535HS processor based on the Zen 3+ architecture, which may seem a bit old, but it should serve its purpose. We have 6 cores and support for 12 threads, which should be enough, especially since the maximum clock reaches up to 4.6 GHz. The test model was also equipped with 16 GB of (soldered) LPDDR5 RAM, a 1 TB SSD drive and a 60 Hz IPS screen with a diagonal of 14 inches (2240 x 1400 pixels). Additionally, we have a 60 Wh battery, a casing made of an aluminum alloy and plastic, and a good set of ports. We have 1x USB-A, 3x USB-C, an HDMI port and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Another plus is the backlit keyboard and built-in fingerprint reader. The price is the most impressive, currently around PLN 2,350.
| Ninkear S14 | |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, 6 cores/12 threads, 4.6 GHz |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR5, Quad-channel |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 660M, 1900MHz |
| SSD | 1TB SSD |
| Other | 1080pR camera Backlit keyboard Fingerprint reader |
| Screen | 14 inches, 2240 x 1400 pixels, IPS, 16:10, 60 Hz |
| WLAN | Realtek 8851BE (WiFi 6), BT |
| Operating system | Windows 11 Pro 64bit |
| Battery | 60 Wh |
| Ports | 1x USB-A 3.0 1x USB-C 3.0 1x HDMI 2.1 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen2 (Display Port, PD) 1x audio port |
| Dimensions | 312 x 222 x 15 mm |
| Libra | 1.08 kg |
| Price | ~2,350 PLN (March 2024) |
Ninkear S14 – design
The first impression Ninkear makes is not the best. The entire computer is very light due to the materials used, but it does not feel solid. The top flap is covered with a thin aluminum sheet, but the interior is plastic. The whole thing is appropriately stiff, but you can feel from the very beginning that it is a cheap computer. The flap hinge is solid and makes a positive impression.
From the bottom, the Ninkear S14 looks ordinary. A large strip of ventilation slots allows you to maintain the appropriate temperature in combination with a cooling system equipped with one fan. The speakers are hidden in the side cutouts and are almost invisible. Unfortunately, they are not of the highest quality, they play flat and it is difficult to find bass in them. I recommend equipping yourself with headphones rather than giving yourself the dubious pleasure of using them ;-).
Despite the small thickness of the casing, the keyboard installed in this computer has a built-in backlight adjustable in two levels. The key travel is clear, but there is something unpleasant about it. One has the impression that they are not mounted rigidly enough. The keyboard layout itself is very convenient. The power button is located at the top of the housing, but it does not have a built-in fingerprint reader. This was moved to the touchpad in the form of a protruding square. He is not the most sensitive, but he copes well. The touchpad itself also does its job, it has a large surface, good sensitivity and a quite pleasant click, which is not so obvious in cheap devices.
The number of expansion ports is more than satisfactory for such a cheap design. On the left side we have HDMI and 2 USB-C ports in the 3.2 standard with Display Port and Power Delivery support. On the right there is room for a USB Type A port, another USB-C port (without DP) and a headphone jack. The USB-C sockets on the left are also used to charge the computer, and the included charger offers a power of 65 W. It is small, so it can easily fit in any bag.
The video call camera mounted above the screen has a resolution of 1080p and offers a pretty decent image in good lighting conditions. In addition to the charger and cable, the computer set also includes stickers. Some of them allow you to change the keyboard layout, and the second one can be stuck on a flap, desk or simply put in a drawer ;-). It’s a pity that the stickers for the keys are black and don’t really match the computer, especially since it’s not a set for all the buttons, so some of them would be in the standard silver color.
Ninkear S14 – screen
The IPS display with a refresh rate of 60 Hz and a resolution of 2240 x 1400 pixels makes quite a good impression. The backlight leaves something to be desired, especially on the left, but its average value of around 350 nits seems to be sufficient. It may cause some problems in sunny rooms, but the matrix is matte, so at least there is no problem with reflections.
The measured static contrast is just over 1300:1, so it is a rather standard result for an IPS matrix. After calibration, we also have very good color reproduction and 96% coverage of the sRGB color palette. These are not stunning results, but you have to look at everything from a price perspective, and then you are ready to accept such concessions.
Ninkear S14 – performance
The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS processor is quite a mystery. Zen 3 cores are quite an old technology, so they are not optimistic, but on the other hand, there are 6 of them and they can work up to 4.6 GHz. Under heavy load, the clock of all cores tends to oscillate around 3.1 GHz due to energy limits, but if necessary, one core easily reaches its maximum clock speed. It’s hard to have high expectations for the AMD Radeon 660M graphics system, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Performance results look average, which is what we would expect. The capabilities of one core are at the level of processors from a good 3 years ago, hence the performance of one core lags behind top systems. It looks slightly better when it comes to multi-core performance, especially compared to older Intel processors, but it falls far short of the top systems. The most important thing, however, is the fact that in everyday use you do not feel these shortcomings, and you must remember that this computer consumes a maximum of 60 W of energy, and even then only for a moment.
Gaming performance
Radeon 660M is not a performance king. You won’t be able to play games like Cyberpunk 2077, even on low details, because the animation will not be smooth enough. Unfortunately, you have to stick to much older titles, and even then you can’t go crazy with the settings. This is definitely not a gaming PC.
Ninkear S14 – SSD drive
The 1 TB SSD used is only compatible with the PCIe 3.0 standard, which affects its performance. The maximum reading speed is only 3.5 GB/s, and writing reaches about 2.2 GB/s, which does not impress anyone today. It’s still much better than HDD, but this SSD model is certainly not a performance king. On the other hand, with PCIe 3.0 on board, there was little point in installing something much better here. There is only room for one disk in the case. Moreover, the bandwidth of the PCIe 3.0 interface also affects the performance of the WiFi card, which allows for transfers of a maximum of 550 Mbps, or 55 MB/s.
Ninkear S14 – battery
The 60 Wh battery is quite a large cell and one of the greatest advantages of this computer. The Ryzen 5 7535HS processor can be economical and this is visible in the operating time. In web browsing mode with a screen brightness of about 160 nits, it will easily last over 8 hours. If you run a movie, the running time will decrease only slightly. Under gaming load, we have just over 1.5 hours of work, which must also be considered a good result. The charging speed is also good – from 0 to 100% it takes about 2 hours, but after just one hour we will have over 60% of the battery capacity. Charging takes place with a maximum power of 40 W.
Reader test (screen brightness 160 nits, WiFi on) – 8h 19 minutes
Film test (screen brightness 160 nits, WiFi on) – 8 hours 2 minutes
Gaming test (screen brightness 160 nits, 3DMark) – 1 hour 38 minutes
Ninkear S14 – energy consumption, temperatures, noise
The power consumption of the tested notebook can be surprisingly low. With a screen brightness of around 160 nits at rest, the computer needs approximately 6-7 W. The maximum load on the processor means that the energy consumption increases to a maximum of 45 W, but after a while it drops and stabilizes around 40 W. The highest energy consumption is with the active GPU, when it increases up to around 60 W, but here it also quickly stabilizes at a lower level of around 40 W.
The temperatures of the processor and the entire computer are quite pleasant. The case does not heat up significantly, it mainly does so in the upper part, closer to the right edge, where there is a heat sink. Processor temperatures can temporarily reach a maximum of 87 degrees Celsius, which is a very good result. It is also worth noting that cooling even at maximum load is not that noticeable. It is audible, but it stands out rather positively from the competition. During typical internet and office work, it is very quiet and this is a big advantage of this laptop.
Ninkear S14 – summary
The Ninkear S14 is an intriguing computer. On the one hand, considering its price, it is hard to expect much from it. On the other hand, Ninkear claims on its website that they focus on producing durable and well-designed devices. And although I haven’t checked the durability, I can’t fault the design too much. Yes, the casing does not make a great impression, but the hinge works very well and the flap can be lifted with one hand without tearing the bottom casing off the desk. The cooling system is also very well designed, runs relatively quietly and can handle the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS processor without any problems. The screen may not be top-of-the-range, but it is worth appreciating the high resolution that increases the working space.
If I had to complain about something, it would definitely be the keyboard, which seems to be poorly put together. It seems that its skeleton is very delicate and that makes it difficult for me to write on it. I have a similarly low opinion of speakers, but this is nothing unusual in this price segment. The 60Wh battery seems sufficient, as does the set of ports. Unfortunately, you can comment on the performance, but the main “merit” is the rather old processor. Let’s be honest, you had to save on something, because the amount you will spend on this computer does not come from nothing. Another disadvantage is the lack of expansion options due to soldered RAM and the lack of an additional disk slot.
This computer is simply an interesting, one-off proposition. If it is no longer sufficient for you, you simply need to replace it with something newer. However, as the first device for a teenager or even a student, it is quite a sensible proposition.
Ninkear S14 review
Approximate price: ~PLN 2,350
