The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is a more budget-friendly option and offers good general use performance with adequate processing power for day-to-day tasks and casual use. It is also more portable due to its lower weight, and it offers longer battery life, making it suitable for those who are always on the go and have moderate computing needs. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is slightly more expensive but comes with more powerful components, including a high-end GPU and a faster processor, resulting in better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. It also has a higher resolution and brighter screen with better color accuracy, as well as additional gaming features like a higher refresh rate. The Legion Slim 5i is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for frequent travel. If portability and battery life are top priorities and your tasks are not demanding, the IdeaPad may suit you well. However, if you engage in more intensive tasks like gaming, 3D work, or engineering applications and you don't mind a heavier laptop with less battery life, the Legion Slim 5i would be the better choice. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
Good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for general use, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is somewhat better.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is suitable for general use with a balance of performance, portability, and battery life due to its efficient CPU, moderate weight, and decent screen, but its speakers and heat management are just fair. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, while also fit for general use, leans towards more demanding tasks with a powerful CPU, top-notch keyboard and speaker quality, and superior graphics capabilities, but is heavier and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
8.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is equipped with an integrated GPU suited for entry-level gaming and has a standard screen refresh rate, making it fair for gaming and 3D tasks. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i boasts a dedicated high-end Nvidia RTX GPU and a much higher screen refresh rate, enhancing its capability to deliver smoother and more detailed gaming and 3D experiences, thus being very good for such tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.6/10
8.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is better suited for engineering and design due to its higher performance components, such as the more powerful CPU, RAM, and GPU, and its superior screen quality which is sharper and more color-accurate than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15". While the IdeaPad offers reasonable performance for lighter tasks and is more portable, the Legion Slim 5i's emphasis on power and display capabilities makes it a preferred choice for the demanding workloads of engineering and design despite being less portable and generating more operating noise.
Content Creation
7.4/10
8.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
8.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
343.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a display that meets the basic needs for general tasks with an acceptable resolution and brightness, but it lacks the wider color gamut and high refresh rates desired for more color-sensitive work and fast-paced gaming. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i offers a higher quality display with better resolution and above-average brightness, enhancing the experience for general use, and while it provides a decent color range for engineering and design applications, gamers may find the refresh rate not sufficient for the smoothest gameplay. Ultimately, the IdeaPad is more suited for casual use and basic needs, while the Legion Slim 5i caters better to professional creatives and offers a more satisfying general viewing experience, though dedicated gamers may need to look elsewhere for optimal refresh rates.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$741
$1,055
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i costs $1,055.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
100,995
Recommendations made
21,883
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.