Lenovo Slim 7i
An general spectacular machine with a sturdy construct, clicky keyboard, beneficiant port spec, and a sufficiently good show. What it wants is a bump in CPU energy, although. At $1000, its benchmark outcomes aren’t very thrilling.
Execs
Strong, sturdy construct
Slim profile
Keyboard is sweet and snappy
Pretty good show
GPU efficiency is surprisingly good
Cons
Not precisely light-weight
Trackpad feels flimsy
CPU efficiency is simply okay
The Lenovo Slim 7i is a machine that gives premium options at an reasonably priced value level in a notebook-type glossy and slim physique. Affordability and flexibility are purported to be this laptop computer’s two most important promoting factors.
Whereas its midrange standing places it within the reasonably priced class, its processor doesn’t present the facility that will make me advocate it on the value level it’s at present supplied at—$1000. It impresses in just about all different areas however would should be supplied for cheaper to be well worth the funding.
Lenovo Slim 7i Design
Very slim and fairly stable however not light-weight
Measuring simply 0.59 inches thick, the Slim 7i does justice to its identify. It’s even 0.01 inches slimmer than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1, which we praised for being extraordinarily slim.
Nevertheless, it isn’t as mild as you’d need an ultra-slim laptop computer to be. I obtained excited once I noticed ‘slim’ within the identify and assumed it might compete in opposition to a few of the slimmest machines available on the market. However, weighing 3.06 lbs, that wasn’t the case. An actual light-weight laptop computer needs to be a minimum of below three kilos. The ThinkPad X1 boasts a 2.8-pound physique, and the distinction in weight as I held each of those laptops concurrently was perceptible.
I’ll say that its physique feels fairly sturdy. The all-aluminum physique exudes sturdiness and feels higher than the plastic physique on the ThinkPad X1. It’s a give-and-take state of affairs; the give would is the bump in weight, and the take is a sturdy, dependable construct. Lenovo claims the Slim 7i provides a military-grade design that passes the MIL-STD 810H certification and Lenovo’s personal in-house reliability checks. I’m unable to check this declare, however I do know I’d really feel fairly comfy stowing away this laptop computer in my suitcase for journey.
A metallic physique additionally appears to be like higher than a plastic one. I just like the Luna Gray colour and the matte exterior. It provides off a clear, premium look. If we’re speaking design, $1000 is cheap for a well-made machine like this.
Lenovo Slim 7i Keyboard and Trackpad
Tight keyboard, not-so-tight trackpad
Taking a number of Monkeytype typing checks on each the Slim 7i and my private laptop computer, MacBook Air, and performing extraordinarily poorly on the Slim 7i, I spotted that adjusting to its onerous, tight keys would take a while. Don’t get me flawed; they’re not dangerous in any respect. They’re simply the tight ones that take some time to get used to. In truth, I like their snappy, loud, tactile really feel and really favor it. The 1.5mm journey additionally feels nice as a result of I’m so used to the lower than 1mm journey on my MacBook Air. There aren’t any backlight brightness choices on the keyboard, simply on or off.
I like how nicely the keyboard is sized. There’s loads of room for each key; not even the punctuation or arrow keys are trimmed. Even with such a generously sized, spacious keyboard, there’s room on each side for upward-firing Dolby Atmos speaker grilles.
You’ve most likely heard of the new Copilot key that new Home windows keyboards are getting. The Slim 7i additionally sports activities one; you should use it to entry AI rapidly—Copilot—in your on a regular basis actions. Urgent it immediately launches a chatbot on the facet with a area for asking no matter you need and a few prompts that will help you get began.
The trackpad is sort of the alternative of the keyboard on this laptop computer. It’s method too free and feels as if it’s been overused to the purpose of being completely depressed. If you will get previous its overly free really feel, you would possibly like how nicely it responds to you. The journey distance is spectacular, and its general really feel is fairly bouncy. It feels as if an enormous spring inside passionately returns your click on again to you.
Lenovo Slim 7i Efficiency
Core Extremely 7 isn’t very extremely
Intel lately renamed its conventional “i” collection to Core and Core Extremely. Core Extremely targets the premium section, whereas Core is for mainstream customers. The Slim 7i sports activities the 14th Gen Intel Core Extremely 7 155H processor together with built-in Intel Arc graphics. You get Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and PCIe 5.0. The configuration despatched to us options 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD.
Like each single factor that’s been launched currently, this laptop computer additionally provides sure AI options. Its Core Extremely processor is split into three separate engines: CPU, GPU, and NPU. The NPU is accountable for dealing with complicated mathematical computations required for AI-related duties. Particularly made for capabilities similar to object detection and pure language processing, it’s being marketed as the subsequent large factor. Lenovo guarantees that the NPU on the Slim 7i permits for top efficiency whereas consuming as little energy as potential.
GPU testing on this laptop computer impressed me despite the fact that I wasn’t anticipating a lot contemplating it doesn’t have a devoted graphics card. I ran my ordinary Heaven Unigine GPU benchmark and obtained wonderful outcomes. It scored a median FPS of 61 and hit a max FPS of 145. The core i5 on the HP Envy Move, with 21 and 47 FPS (common and max, respectively), was put to disgrace with these scores.
I can’t say the identical concerning the CPU outcomes. The Core Extremely 7 has persistently been underwhelming. I obtained a 2100 on the single-core Geekbench CPU check. This isn’t a lot increased than the 2064 that I obtained on the i5 Envy Transfer. Whereas this laptop computer is marketed as an on a regular basis machine for mild utilization, I nonetheless anticipated extra from it, particularly contemplating how a lot the Core Extremely 7 processor is being touted. Additionally, contemplating its $1000 value places it within the midrange class, it’s truthful to count on extra energy from it.
There’s an IR sensor proper subsequent to the FHD 1080p digital camera, making it simpler and quicker to log in. It additionally means you’ll save battery as a result of it is going to detect your presence and switch the show off as quickly as you progress away from it. You additionally get a bodily privateness shutter with a swap on the facet of the laptop computer with all of the ports.
The port spec is fairly good. On the precise, there’s a USB 3.2 Sort-A port, a 3.5mm jack, an influence button, and a privateness shutter swap. The left facet options an HDMI 2.1 port and two USB Sort-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 tech. Other than not-so-common ports like ethernet and Kensington lock, the Slim 7i covers just about each want.
The battery life is kind of common. It can final you round eight hours on a full cost. However the recharging is fast. It went from being lifeless to 33% charged in simply 20 minutes.
Lenovo Slim 7i Show
Who doesn’t love a touchscreen?
There are two show choices on the Slim 7i: contact and non-touch. We have been despatched the configuration with the glass touch-screen show. You get a 14-inch OLED show with a WUXGA (1920×1200) decision and a 16:10 side ratio. Like most different fashionable laptops, this one’s additionally TUV Rheinland Low Blue Mild licensed, which implies it is going to be straightforward in your eyes.
Each show choices include Dolby Imaginative and prescient tech, which Lenovo claims makes the viewing expertise extra immersive and lifelike. I do assume that the show is fairly sharp and options wealthy colours, however calling it lifelike could be a little bit of an overstatement, in my view. It didn’t stun me the best way the ThinkPad X1’s show did. The brightness on the Slim 7i maxes at 400 nits, and the refresh charge at 60Hz.
Lenovo Slim 7i Verdict
Other than some horsepower, the Slim 7i doesn’t notably lack something. Positive, its trackpad may have been a bit tighter, and a few grams may have misplaced its weight, however none of those are dealbreakers. What’s really a disappointment is the below-average CPU efficiency regardless of a number of claims of the Core Extremely 7 being an excellent aggressive chip. For $1000, I wouldn’t advocate the Slim 7i except its value is considerably slashed—which could be very typical of Lenovo— by which case, it won’t be such a foul possibility if all you need out of it’s fundamental on a regular basis duties.