The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is a budget-friendly option with good general use performance and a touch screen, but it has a less powerful integrated GPU which is not suited for intensive gaming or complex 3D and machine learning tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim 7 16" is priced higher, but offers superior performance for engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning, thanks to its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and more RAM. It also features a higher resolution, a larger screen with better color accuracy, and a significantly higher refresh rate. The Slim 7 16" is slightly heavier and has a slightly lower battery life than the IdeaPad 5 15", but these trade-offs come with a considerable performance boost for specific, more demanding use cases. 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 5 15"
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim 7 16
Good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Good speakers
Key differences
Engineering and Design
6.7/10
7.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is fair for engineering and design due to its standard CPU and GPU, which are suitable for moderate workloads, and its screen, while clear, doesn't offer the sharpness or color coverage that more professional work might require. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim 7 16" is rated good for these tasks because it has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, a dedicated GPU for more demanding graphics tasks, and a higher resolution display with better color accuracy, making it superior for intensive engineering and design applications, albeit at a slightly increased weight and size that affects portability.
Screen Quality
6.5/10
8.3/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
341.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 has a screen that provides sufficient resolution and brightness for typical tasks like browsing and watching videos, but it may lack the advanced color coverage needed for precise engineering and design work. The Lenovo Slim 7 excels in color accuracy, offering a wide color gamut that benefits professional graphic work, making it a better fit for those in engineering and design fields who prioritize color fidelity. However, both laptops fall short for 3D gaming due to lower refresh rates, which can result in less smooth visuals during fast-paced games that require quick screen updates.
Battery
11.0 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has 11 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has 9.5 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.
Cost
$690
$1,440
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a price of $690 and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 costs $1,440.
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is suited for general use due to a capable AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and 8GB of RAM for smooth multitasking, coupled with a satisfactory IPS screen and a comparably lighter weight enhancing portability; its long battery life facilitates extended unplugged usage. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim 7 16" also fits general use admirably with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor, double the RAM for better performance, a higher resolution display with better color coverage for a sharper image, and speakers of higher quality, although it's slightly heavier and offers a shorter battery life, likely due to its more performance-centric specifications.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a less powerful integrated GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, making it less ideal for high-performance gaming and 3D applications; whereas, the Lenovo Slim 7 16 includes a dedicated Nvidia GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which significantly improves gaming and 3D performance despite being somewhat more expensive and less portable.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" 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
7.3/10
7.6/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo Slim 7 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.8/10
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is convincing due to its long battery life. The device scores points especially with its large battery and long battery runtimes combined with its low consumption. The CPU and GPU perform in the test as one would expect, and in line with what was familiar from the somewhat smaller 14-inch sister model, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14."
"At $1,011, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro is a real bargain among full-sized laptops, with a handsome 16-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio touch screen, a speedy CPU, a comfortable keyboard, ample memory, and a roomy solid-state drive. It's not a blazing gaming rig or mobile workstation, but it doesn't pretend to be. Its biggest negative is that it may be hard to find—during our review, it sold out and was marked "Temporarily Unavailable" on Lenovo's site."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" or the Lenovo Slim 7 16
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
132,495
Recommendations made
28,708
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.