The Gigabyte A7 offers strong performance for 3D rendering, gaming, and engineering tasks due to its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics and AMD Ryzen 7 processor but is heavier and has a relatively short battery life, which decreases portability. It also has a larger screen size which is beneficial for productivity and entertainment but makes it more cumbersome to carry. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is lighter and offers much longer battery life, making it very portable, but uses integrated Intel graphics which are less suited for gaming and intensive graphics work. It has a premium build but a smaller screen size, which might be less ideal for multitasking but aids in its 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 Gigabyte A7
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.3/10
6.2/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Gigabyte A7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is only fair.
The Gigabyte A7 is more suited for gaming and 3D applications due to its Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, which significantly outperforms the Intel Iris Xe graphics found in the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, and it also has a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz compared to the Slim 7i's 60Hz, making for smoother visuals in fast-paced games. While both laptops have comparable CPUs and screen quality, the more powerful GPU and higher refresh rate of the A7 give it an edge for these specific tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte A7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i are both good for engineering and design, though the Gigabyte A7 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte A7 with its AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU is well-equipped for demanding engineering and design tasks, offering robust processing and graphic capabilities along with a large screen, but it is less portable due to its size and weight.
Software Development
7.0/10
7.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Gigabyte A7 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is somewhat better.
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
7.3/10
6.9/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
318.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Gigabyte A7 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte A7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i both have displays with resolution and brightness that meet general use requirements comfortably, making them suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing. For engineering and design, where color accuracy is crucial, the screens of these laptops may cover a good range of color gamuts, thereby allowing for precise color work. However, for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from smoother visuals, these models lack high refresh rates, which can make fast-paced content appear less fluid.
Battery
4.5 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Gigabyte A7 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 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
Fair
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the Gigabyte A7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.8/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Gigabyte A7 both have good build quality, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Gigabyte A7 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte A7, with its AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and RTX 3060 GPU, is built for robust performance and is suitable for general use, with ample RAM, but its larger screen and higher weight make it less portable and offer limited battery life. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i with an Intel i7 CPU and integrated Iris Xe graphics provides a balance of performance and portability, has a sharp IPS screen with high brightness and color accuracy, and boasts a longer battery life, making it a convenient option for general use.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Gigabyte A7 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.
Cost
$940
$899
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gigabyte A7 has a price of $940 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i costs $899.
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How the Gigabyte A7 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i compare to other laptops
"In terms of looks, the Gigabyte A7 X1 is certainly not a trendy, slim, and ultra-mobile gaming laptop. But it does what it's supposed to do, namely bringing games smoothly onto the screen, very well. Both the processor and the GeForce RTX 3070 are able to unleash their performance without restrictions thanks to the well-ventilated case. The Gigabyte A7 X1 brings modern games smoothly onto the screen and offers excellent maintenance options."
"Among Lenovo's multiple laptop brands, the IdeaPad family is decidedly the one designed for consumers: people who want decent performance at a reasonable price. Consider, then, this laptop a paragon for the pickier members of that crowd. With a 14-inch touch-enabled display, a comfortable keyboard, an Evo-certified Intel Core i7 11th Generation CPU, and the latest Windows 11 operating system, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro ultraportable ($1,199 as tested) is a slick mainstream machine at a bit of a premium price, and quite capable for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A7 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
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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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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