The Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is a more budget-friendly option that is also lightweight and offers decent battery life, suitable for general use and light engineering work; it has a unique feature of being highly customizable and repairable. However, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, while more expensive, provides superior performance in demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software due to its more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card. It also boasts a higher quality display with better brightness and a higher resolution touchscreen, making it more suitable for professional content creation and intensive workloads but at the cost of reduced portability. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Framework Laptop 13 (2023)
Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
General Use
7.5/10
8.5/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
472.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for general use, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is good for gaming and AI, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is only fair.
The Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is limited in gaming and 3D applications due to its integrated Iris Xe graphics and standard IPS display with a lower refresh rate, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i excels with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and high-refresh Mini LED screen, offering much better gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for engineering and design, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.5/10
8.5/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for content creation, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.6/10
8.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for software development, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
7.4/10
9.6/10
13.5in
SIZE
14.5in
2256 x 1504
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
472.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a better screen than the Framework Laptop 13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Framework Laptop 13 provides a sharp and bright display suitable for everyday tasks and allows for solid color reproduction that benefits engineering and design work, but its standard refresh rate limits its appeal for high-frame-rate gaming or 3D work. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i stands out with exceptional color accuracy and a high-resolution screen, making it excellent for both general use and professional design tasks where color fidelity and detail are paramount. However, like the Framework, it falls short for gaming and 3D purposes due to its lower refresh rate, despite its superior resolution and panel technology.
Battery
7.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Framework Laptop 13 has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Good
13.5in
SIZE
14.5in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Framework Laptop 13 (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,079
$1,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Framework Laptop 13 (2023) has a price of $1,079 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i costs $1,600.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Slim Pro 9i to have very good build quality, while the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
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How the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i compare to other laptops
"If you’re thinking of investing in your first Framework, now is the time. The kinks and rough edges have all been smoothed out and this is a very nice machine with a bright, upgradable future. The only reason I can think of to wait is the AMD model, which I’ll be sure to test as soon as I can get my hands on one."
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Get a great deal on the Framework Laptop 13 (2023) or the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
About Framework
Framework is a new American laptop manufacturer, specializing in modular and repairable laptops with the goals of promoting longevity and reducing electronic waste. They are a strong proponent of the right to repair movement. Framework laptops have replaceable RAM, storage, ports, keyboards, display bezels, mainboards, and more, making them a great choice for repairability-oriented individuals.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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