The Gigabyte A5 is tailored for gaming and intensive tasks due to its powerful Nvidia RTX graphics, making it suitable if you're into high-performance activities like 3D rendering or machine learning. However, it's heavier and has shorter battery life, which compromises portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is sleeker, with longer battery life and a higher-resolution screen, making it better for general use and portability. Additionally, the IdeaPad costs less, making it an economical choice for everyday tasks, whereas the Gigabyte A5 demands a higher investment for its gaming capabilities. Consider your primary usage and whether you value performance over convenience and cost. 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 Gigabyte A5
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.1/10
6.3/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte A5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is only fair.
The Gigabyte A5 offers a superior gaming and 3D experience thanks to its Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which are very important for smooth and high-quality gameplay. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, is adequate for gaming but won't provide the same level of performance or visual fluidity as the A5.
Screen Quality
7.2/10
6.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
315.0 nits
The Gigabyte A5 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has a better screen for content creation.
The Gigabyte A5 stands out for general use and engineering due to its superior resolution and brightness, along with a wide color gamut that ensures accurate color representation, important for detailed design work. On the other hand, for gaming and 3D rendering, its lower refresh rate might lead to less fluid visuals, which can be detrimental to fast-paced games. While the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i offers adequate resolution and brightness for general use and engineering tasks, the same features that make the A5 less ideal for gaming—a lower refresh rate and potentially lesser color gamut—also apply to the IdeaPad, affecting its performance in both engineering design and gaming scenarios.
Battery
6.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has 8 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and Gigabyte A5 both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and Gigabyte A5 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte A5 with a more powerful CPU and dedicated graphics is well-suited for general use tasks that may require more computing power, and its larger battery supports longer unplugged use, but it is heavier, affecting portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, while also offering reliable CPU performance and adequate memory for everyday tasks, benefits from a lighter design and longer battery life, which makes it more portable, along with a higher-quality keyboard and quieter operation that enhance the user experience.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte A5 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i are both good for engineering and design.
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
7.3/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and Gigabyte A5 are both good for content creation.
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
7.0/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and Gigabyte A5 are both good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and Gigabyte A5 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$828
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i costs $828.
Give feedback
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How the Gigabyte A5 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i compare to other laptops
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
"The device is made for average work loads and if your work has a lot to do with online browsing, using apps that are not power-hungry and streaming videos. The looks are really good and the device in itself is not a heavy one. And with Intel 11th-gen Core processor, you might sail through most of your work without complaints."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A5 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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