The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i generally costs a bit less and offers you a balance of performance for general use and intensive tasks like engineering or 3D/machine learning, with good battery life, a bright screen, and lighter weight, which makes it more portable. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5, while slightly heavier with a larger battery capacity, is geared more towards gaming with higher graphics performance, has a higher screen refresh rate, and RGB keyboard lighting, but may be less suitable for color-sensitive work due to its lower color accuracy. Both are similarly priced and capable, but the best choice depends on whether you prioritize portability and general use (IdeaPad Pro 5i) or gaming and graphics-intensive tasks (Legion Slim 5). 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 Pro 5i
Good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness that makes it easy to view in various conditions. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5, while suitable for general use, may not have the same level of brightness or resolution. For engineering and design tasks where accurate color representation is crucial, both models provide a range of colors, but the IdeaPad Pro 5i may offer a wider color gamut making it more suitable, whereas for gaming and 3D applications, neither model excels due to their limited refresh rates, which can hinder smooth motion and responsiveness.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both good for general use.
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
7.4/10
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is suitable for gaming and 3D applications due to its Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 120Hz, which allow for smooth visual performance. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5, on the other hand, is equipped with a superior Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and an even higher refresh rate of 144Hz, providing enhanced gaming and 3D experiences with more responsive graphics and reduced motion blur.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
8.0/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, with its high-resolution screen and powerful Intel i7 processor paired with a mid-tier Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, excels in engineering and design tasks that demand both visual clarity and computational performance. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, despite its lesser screen resolution, includes a slightly more capable Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, which together provide the necessary power for engineering software, with the added benefit of enhanced gaming capability due to the stronger graphics unit.
Content Creation
7.7/10
7.5/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.7/10
7.4/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$950
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $950 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 costs $1,000.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 compare to other laptops
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
"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 Pro 5i or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
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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