Lenovo Slim 7i Overview: A Compact, Sturdy Midpriced Laptop computer with An OLED Display screen

[ad_1]

Professionals

Rugged, inflexible all-metal chassis

Wealthy colours and stellar distinction from OLED show

Quad audio system produce good sound

Beneficiant 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD

Cons

Show decision merely ample

So-so touchpad

No Home windows Studio Results for webcam

The Lenovo Slim 7i is a sturdy and compact laptop computer that splits the distinction between mainstream and premium. Its chief attraction is the 14-inch OLED contact show that boasts vivid colours and stellar distinction. Not like the two.8K OLED panels on equally sized laptops such because the HP Spectre x360 14 or Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2, nonetheless, the Slim 7i’s show presents a pedestrian 1,920×1,200-pixel decision. It suffices for the dimensions, however textual content is not fairly as sharp as it’s on a 2.8K OLED show. Inside, the laptop computer options an Intel Core Extremely CPU, an ample 32GB of RAM and built-in Intel Arc graphics.

The Slim 7i’s aluminum enclosure is of premium high quality and handed MIL-STD 810H assessments for ruggedness. It feels rock strong and but is skinny and light-weight. It is not fairly the head-turner because the Spectre x360 14 and lacks its superior haptic touchpad, nevertheless it additionally prices lower than the HP. On the flip facet, its construct high quality and show are superior to these of the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 and Acer Swift Go 14, every of which is barely cheaper at $1,000. The Sim 7i is an effective selection if you’re searching for a 14-inch OLED laptop computer however cannot stretch to afford the HP Spectre x360 14 and do not want its two-in-one convertibility.

Lenovo Slim 7i (14IMH9)

Value as reviewed $1,240, £1,150, AU$1,639Display measurement/decision 14-inch 1,920×1,200 OLEDCPU Intel Core Extremely 7 155HMemory 32GB DDR5 RAMGraphics Intel ArcStorage 1TB SSDPorts Thunderbolt 4 USB-C x2, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, combo audioNetworking Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 Working system Home windows 11 Dwelling 23H2Weight 3.2 lbs/1.5 kg

The Lenovo Slim 7i (mannequin 14IMH9) begins at $1,041 for a configuration that options an Intel Core Extremely 5 125H CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Our take a look at system contains a pair of upgrades to the Core Extremely 7 155H chip and 32GB of RAM and prices $1,240. The lone show possibility is a 14-inch OLED panel with a 1,920×1,200-pixel decision and contact assist.

Based on Lenovo, our take a look at configuration will likely be out there later in April at Costco for $999. At that value, the Slim 7i turns into an incredible deal. Seldom do you discover an OLED show together with that a lot reminiscence and solid-state storage wrapped in a sturdy, all-metal chassis at that value. We are going to replace this assessment with a possible bump to the general score when it hits cabinets at Costco.

The system is labeled because the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Gen 9 within the UK and Australia, regardless of missing a 360-degree hinge that will give it versatile two-in-one capabilities that the Yoga identify would counsel. It begins at £1,150 within the UK and AU$1,639 in Australia.

Matt Elliott/CNET

In labs testing, the Slim 7i’s benchmark outcomes have been in vary of the Acer Swift Go 14, Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and HP Spectre x360 14, every of which options the identical Intel Core Extremely 7 155H processor because the Slim 7i, nevertheless it by no means managed to guide the pack on any take a look at. Its graphics efficiency trailed the opposite Core Extremely laptops solely on the 3DMark Wild Life Excessive Limitless take a look at; on Time Spy and Hearth Strike Extremely it was roughly on par with the opposite laptops utilizing Intel’s built-in Arc GPU. The AMD-based Slim Professional 7 led the way in which on the graphics assessments as a result of it was the one laptop computer among the many comparability techniques to function a discrete RTX 3050 GPU. That mannequin can regularly be discovered at Greatest Purchase for lower than $1,000 and is a greater decide for creatives who will use the laptop computer for graphics work.

OLED laptops hardly ever excel within the space of battery life, and the Slim 7i is not any exception. It lasted 9 hours and 40 minutes on our on-line streaming battery drain take a look at, which ought to be ample time for many work or college days however nonetheless shorter than the runtime of competing laptops.

Compact and rugged

The Slim 7i’s total look is fairly company, with a number of boring grey, but additionally skinny and compact like fashionable company techniques: lower than 0.6-inch thick and weighing a trim 3.2 kilos, common for its measurement.

Once you decide it up you discover its premium construct. The all-aluminum chassis is inflexible, with hardly any flex that plagues lesser aluminum and plastic shells. It lacks the Spectre x360 14’s beautiful, matte-black aesthetic, however the Slim 7i does share some good design components with HP’s pricier two-in-one, together with easy, gently rounded edges and corners. They provide the laptop computer a smooth look, and the shortage of sharp corners makes it comfy to hold the laptop computer and in addition to relaxation your palms on its entrance edge when typing and mousing.

Matt Elliott/CNET

And just like the HP, the Slim 7i has an incredible show hinge that retains the show firmly in place with none wobble but nonetheless glides easily while you alter the show or shut the laptop computer. The general construct high quality is on par with the pricier HP and a notch or two above what you get with the marginally cheaper Acer Swift Go 14 or Dell Inspiron 14 Plus.

The Slim 7i appears almost equivalent to the 14.5-inch, AMD-based Lenovo Slim Professional 7 I reviewed final 12 months. And like the sooner unit, the Slim 7i presents MIL-STD 810H ruggedness for a capability to face up to drops, vibration, shock, mud and excessive temperatures. It makes the system a good selection for college students who desire a laptop computer that can face up to the scrapes and dings it’s going to virtually assuredly obtain over 4 years of standard use. And it accommodates pupil budgets on the anticipated $999 Costco price ticket.

Matt Elliott/CNET

The most effective function of the Slim 7i is its 14-inch OLED show; OLED delivers wonderful distinction due to successfully zero-nit blacks and vivid colours. Testing with a SpyderX Elite colorimeter, the show lined 100% of the sRGB and P3 shade areas and 94% of Adobe RGB. I additionally measured a peak brightness of 382 nits, which is simply shy of its 400-nit score however ought to be brilliant sufficient for many environments exterior of direct daylight exterior.

As nice as photos look on the OLED panel, textual content seems barely fuzzy and grey, missing the sharpness you get with a higher-resolution show just like the Spectre x360 14’s 2.8K OLED panel and even the two.2K IPS LCD on the Inspiron 14 Plus. It is not a deal-breaker, but when your job or schoolwork entails a number of studying, you may recognize even a bump to a 2.2K show for observing textual content for lengthy stretches.

With quad audio system, the Slim 7i is greater than only a work laptop computer. The 4 two-watt audio system produce well-rounded audio. Dialogue sounds clear and results sound life like when watching reveals and films, and I even discovered myself having fun with music playback, though I want it provided extra bass.

The keyboard has extensively spaced keys and delivers a snug and quiet typing expertise. It contains the devoted Microsoft Copilot key, which opens a panel for Microsoft’s AI assistant, changing the right-Ctrl key on the underside row. Anticipate this to change into widespread on Home windows laptops.

Matt Elliott/CNET

The excellent news is the touchpad has a glass floor that is smoother than a plastic touchpad. The unhealthy information, relying in your preferences, is that it is mechanical and never haptic. I discover the clicking response has an excessive amount of journey and sounds “clacky.” The remainder of the laptop computer feels so sturdy and inflexible, making the touchpad’s subpar click on response appear all of the extra disappointing.

The 1080p webcam delivers a pointy, pretty grain-free picture however lacks assist for Home windows Studio Results — AI-based automated framing, background blurring and noise discount plus AI-aided noise cancellation for the microphone — discovered on different Core Extremely laptops I’ve reviewed. Whereas the Lenovo Vantage app has noise cancellation options for the microphone, I discovered them to be much less efficient at eradicating or decreasing background noise than the Spectre x360 14 or Acer Swift Go 14.

The Lenovo Slim 7i has the misfortune of arriving on the heels of the HP Spectre x360 14, certainly one of my favourite laptops from the previous 12 months. And whereas it is true the HP can price lots of extra, HP’s reductions on the time of this writing drop the worth to $1,360 for a similar configuration as our Slim 7i take a look at system. That is solely $120 greater than the price of the Slim 7i and properly well worth the added price only for the HP’s higher-resolution OLED show and large, haptic touchpad. And the attraction of the Spectre x360 14 solely grows when you think about its superior design, two-in-one versatility and higher webcam, which has a high-res 9-megapixel sensor and presents Home windows Studio Results.

When the Slim 7i hits Costco for $999, nonetheless, we might want to revisit these two 14-inch OLED laptops and reassess their relative worth.

Cover our skilled take

The assessment course of for laptops, desktops, tablets and different computerlike gadgets consists of two components: efficiency testing below managed circumstances within the CNET Labs and intensive hands-on use by our skilled reviewers. This contains evaluating a tool’s aesthetics, ergonomics and options. A remaining assessment verdict is a mixture of each goal and subjective judgments.

The checklist of benchmarking software program we use modifications over time because the gadgets we take a look at evolve. An important core assessments we’re presently operating on each suitable pc embrace Primate Labs Geekbench 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Hearth Strike Extremely.

A extra detailed description of every benchmark and the way we use it may be discovered on our How We Take a look at Computer systems web page.

Cover our skilled take

Geekbench 6 (multicore)

HP Spectre x360 14 12,897Acer Swift Go 14 12,459Lenovo Slim 7i (14IMH9) 12,128MacBook Air 13 (M3) 12,063Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7440 11,996Lenovo Slim Professional 7 (14ARP8) 8,880HP Pavilion 15 (15t-eg300) 7,965