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The Lenovo Slim 7 14, initially unveiled because the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14 throughout its debut at CES 2024, exceeded my expectations for mid-range laptops. For a comparatively inexpensive, sub-$1,500 value, the Slim 7 14 boasts a slew of premium options that I’ve solely seen on costlier laptops.
This laptop computer has a beautiful OLED show, a keyboard that’s a pleasure to kind on, and efficiency capabilities that blew me away. My every day driver laptop computer, the Lenovo Yoga 9i, is costlier than this Slim 7 14 configuration, but when I had to decide on between the 2 right now, I’d select the Slim 7 14.
In fact, the right laptop computer doesn’t exist — no less than, not but. There are definitely a number of issues I’d change concerning the Slim 7 14, nevertheless it’s nonetheless an outstanding mid-range possibility that deserves a spot on our greatest laptops listing.
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Lenovo Slim 7 14 value and specs
The Slim 7 14 on this evaluate has a price ticket of $1,174 — and it is out there through Lenovo’s official web site.
Intel Core Extremely 7 155H CPU
Built-in Intel Arc graphics
32GB of RAM
1TB SSD
14-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel OLED contact show
If that is too expensive for you, there is a configuration with a much less highly effective Intel Core Extremely 5 125H CPU and fewer gigabytes of reminiscence (i.e., 16GB of RAM). This variant will set you again $1,041 at Lenovo. (For even cheaper choices, try our greatest funds laptops web page.)
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Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
Lenovo Slim 7 14
$1,041.00
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What I like about Lenovo Slim 7 14
Lenovo’s new Slim 7 14 laptop computer has a plethora of constructive options, together with probably the greatest laptop computer keyboards I’ve ever examined.
Addictive keyboard
From the primary keypress, Lenovo’s Slim 7 14 keyboard captured my coronary heart. It is satisfyingly clacky and comfy to kind on, and so enjoyably bouncy that I discovered myself wanting to make use of it greater than my every day driver laptop computer’s keyboard.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
This laptop computer’s massive, backlit keys, that includes 1.5 millimeters of journey and satisfying suggestions, make its keyboard probably the greatest I’ve ever examined.
Engaging show
The Slim 7 14 has a beautiful show, and that’s largely due to its OLED panel. With its 1920 x 1200-pixel decision (WUXGA), it’s a slight step up from 1080p. Plus, it has a 16:10 side ratio, offering extra display actual property.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
To scrutinize the show, I watched the Depraved trailer on YouTube. Elphaba’s hanging inexperienced pores and skin got here by way of vivid and completely balanced, as did the a number of pink outfits sported by Glinda and the multi-colored landscapes and creatures all through the trailer. And regardless of being vibrant and tremendous vivid at max brightness, nothing was oversaturated.
Spectacular efficiency
Once I noticed the value connected to this laptop computer, I wasn’t anticipating top-notch efficiency, however that’s precisely what I obtained.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
This configuration of the Slim 7 14 sports activities 32GB of RAM and Intel Core Extremely 7 155H processor, a 14th-generation CPU that is au courant. In different phrases, you are getting certainly one of Intel’s newest and best choices.
In my expertise, these internals translated to seamless multitasking with a ton of Chrome tabs, Spotify, and photo-editing software program.
Speaking about how nicely this laptop computer dealt with my every day duties over the previous few weeks is nice and all, however I additionally subjected the Slim 7 14 to the Geekbench 6 benchmark, an goal efficiency take a look at Mashable makes use of for all laptop computer critiques. Its multi-core rating barely dipped beneath the best rating we’ve seen this yr for Home windows laptops. Take a look at the Geekbench 6 part for particular outcomes.
Nice port choice, with one exception
For a comparatively inexpensive laptop computer, the Lenovo Slim 7 14 has a terrific number of ports. On the left facet, there are two USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) ports and an HDMI 2.1 port, which I don’t even have on my costlier every day driver laptop computer, Lenovo’s Yoga 9i.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
Trying on the proper facet, I noticed a USB-A 3.2 port, a 3.5mm headset jack, the facility button, and a webcam kill change (this allows you to shortly flip off your webcam with out the added bulk of a privateness shutter change above the webcam). There’s additionally a Lenovo Reset Restoration change that may be triggered utilizing a smartphone’s tiny SIM eject device.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
I solely want Lenovo had positioned one of many Slim 7 14’s USB-C ports on the appropriate facet for charging comfort, particularly with its charging cable being shorter than most.
Aluminum chassis resists fingerprints nicely
The Slim 7 14’s aluminum chassis is cool to the contact, sturdy, and better of all, fingerprint resistant.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
Once I tilt the closed laptop computer in daylight, I noticed a number of scattered smudges, however they’re not very seen in any other case.
I additionally love the smooth Luna Gray colorway, however that is the one colour you may get the Slim 7 14 in proper now. A number of different colour choices can be good, like Lenovo’s Abyss Blue or Oatmeal hues.
One-handed open design
With a slight lip above the webcam, the Slim 7 14 14 can simply be opened with one hand. The hinge is clean, and the underside of the laptop computer doesn’t even raise for those who don’t open it too shortly.
What’s ‘eh’ about Lenovo Slim 7 14
There are some facets of Lenovo’s Slim 7 14 14 that didn’t blow me away, however they weren’t disappointing sufficient to throw within the “dislike” class.
First rate sound high quality
Laptop computer audio system are notoriously terrible, so I used to be pleasantly stunned by the standard of the Lenovo Slim 7 14’s audio. Don’t get me mistaken, the audio isn’t implausible, nevertheless it’s definitely higher than my smartphone’s speaker setup and numerous different laptops I’ve examined previously.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
The Slim 7 14 is provided with two Dolby Atmos-tuned up-firing audio system, which already provides it a leg up in comparison with the bottom-firing audio system discovered on many laptops. To check audio high quality, I performed Ariana Grande’s “Supernatural” on Spotify adopted by Unprocessed’s “Actual ft. Polyphia’s Tim Henson & Clay Gober.”
Whereas Ariana’s vocals got here by way of superbly, the highs and lows within the music that give it a full-body, atmospheric sound had been lacking. And similar goes for “Actual,” a music that I really like to make use of whereas testing as a result of it has such nuanced highs, mids, and lows which might be typically misplaced with out higher-quality audio system.
If I didn’t have my Yoga 9i’s rotating Bowers & Wilkins soundbar to check different laptops to, I won’t have even realized the audio was missing — that’s how nice these audio system are in comparison with most different laptops.
New devoted Microsoft Copilot key
Whether or not you employ Microsoft Copilot or not, your subsequent Home windows laptop computer will in all probability include a devoted Copilot key that, probably, replaces the additional Ctrl key on the keyboard’s proper facet.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
My gripe isn’t with the Copilot characteristic itself. I truly get pleasure from utilizing Copilot to assist shortly and concisely reply questions, reword an e-mail or a textual content message, and break down advanced phrases. However when Copilot could be accessed with a simple click on within the backside proper nook of my display or a keyboard shortcut (Home windows key + C), is a devoted Copilot key mandatory?
What I dislike about Lenovo Slim 7 14
Along with the dearth of a USB-C port on the appropriate facet of this laptop computer, there have been just a few issues that irked me concerning the Slim 7 14.
Does not final lengthy on a cost
This laptop computer’s 8-hour battery life can final a full workday, however with Intel’s new Core Extremely 7 155H chip that’s presupposed to be extra environment friendly, I anticipated higher battery life. Granted, the Slim 7 14 14 does have an battery-sucking OLED show, however so does the HP Spectre x360 14, and it lasted over 3 hours longer than this laptop computer in the identical battery benchmark.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
Take a look at detailed runtimes for each Lenovo’s Slim 7 14 14 and HP’s Spectre x360 14 within the battery life part.
Brief charging cable
The Slim 7 14 14’s charging cable doesn’t have a central brick linking a thicker cable to the wall and a skinny cable to the laptop computer, which interprets to: it’s actually brief.
I stretched out the cable from the place it comes out of the wall brick to the USB-C connector, and it measured about 70 inches. In comparison with my Yoga 9i’s charging cable at 113 inches, which I’d think about to be a “conventional” charging cable size, that’s about 3.5 toes much less cable size.
Lenovo Slim 7 14 Geekbench 6 rating
On Geekbench 6, which exams for general processor efficiency, the Lenovo Slim 7 14 earned a powerful multi-core rating of 12,267.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
That is barely decrease than the 12,955 rating delivered by HP’s Spectre x360 14, essentially the most highly effective Home windows laptop computer we’ve examined in 2024 thus far, with the identical Intel Core Extremely 7 155H processor.
Lenovo Slim 7 14 battery life
To check the Lenovo Slim 7 14’s battery life, we ran the PCMark 10 Trendy Workplace benchmark with the show at max brightness. It lasted 8 hours and 11 minutes earlier than operating out of juice.
As compared, the extra highly effective HP Spectre x360 14 with a higher-res OLED show lasted a whopping 11 hours and 27 minutes when operating the identical benchmark.
Lenovo Slim 7 14 webcam
In comparison with the grainy 720p webcams discovered on many laptops, the Slim 7 14 14’s 1080p webcam offered a surprisingly crisp image.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney / Mashable
In fact, it’s solely a 1080p digital camera, and zooming in confirmed apparent blurriness and fuzz. However the edges of my face and hair had been comparatively sharp, and the webcam rendered colours fairly precisely.
Is Lenovo Slim 7 14 value it?
The one thought that caught with me all through this whole evaluate course of is, “How is that this laptop computer solely $1,240?”
I’ve seen plenty of laptops on this value vary that solely have 1080p LED shows, 8GB or 16GB of RAM, squishy keyboards, and lackluster speaker and webcam high quality. However Lenovo’s Slim 7 14 boasts a 1920 x 1200-pixel OLED show, a powerful 32GB of RAM, barely raised keys with 1.5 millimeters of journey, and a better-than-average webcam and speaker setup.
I want the battery lasted a bit longer, however an 8-hour battery life isn’t something to sneeze at, and with Speedy Cost Increase, battery life is replenished shortly. The one hang-up you’ll must get used to for those who go for the Slim 7 14 is a brief charging cable that may solely be plugged in on the laptop computer’s left facet. Apart from these minor flaws, the Lenovo Slim 7 14 is a mid-range gem.
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