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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers a balance of cost and capability, with ample storage, solid RAM, and a high-quality processor suitable for general use and gaming. However, its larger size and slightly heavier weight affect portability. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i stands out with more storage, increased RAM, a more powerful processor, a higher-resolution touch display with better color accuracy, in a thinner and lighter package, benefiting users needing ultimate performance for tasks like 3D rendering or engineering. Both pack a similar battery size, but these features make the Slim Pro 9i more expensive. Consider the IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use and occasional gaming, but choose the Slim Pro 9i if performance and portability are essential, despite the higher 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
- The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i.
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
409.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.9
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both very good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i stands out for engineering and design use due to its superior screen quality with higher resolution and brightness, and double the RAM compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, which nonetheless offers robust performance with a high-quality CPU and GPU suitable for demanding tasks. While both laptops have capable GPUs and quality IPS displays, the Slim Pro 9i gains an edge with its Mini LED panel, but this may compromise portability and operating noise, factors in which the IdeaPad Pro 5i maintains a better balance with its slightly lower weight and better heat and noise management.
Content Creation
7.7
8.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
Software Development
7.7
8.3
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
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
7.8
9.6
16.0in
SIZE
14.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers a quality screen with adequate resolution and brightness for daily tasks but may fall short for Gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i stands out with exceptional screen clarity and color representation, crucial for precision in engineering and design work, with its high-resolution display covering extensive color gamuts. However, like the IdeaPad, it is not ideal for Gaming and 3D, where a high refresh rate is critical for fluid motion and responsiveness.
Cost
$950
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $950 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.6
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Slim Pro 9i are both suited for gaming and 3D tasks as they are equipped with Nvidia RTX 4050 GPUs which enable robust graphics performance. The IdeaPad Pro 5i has a 120Hz refresh rate making it very responsive for gaming, while the Slim Pro 9i's higher 165Hz refresh rate and better screen quality with a Mini LED display provide an even smoother and more vibrant visual experience suitable for fast-paced games and detailed 3D rendering.
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 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
16.0in
SIZE
14.5in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Slim Pro 9i to have very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i | Lenovo Slim Pro 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$950 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.75'' | 12.9'' x 9.6'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.3 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 12.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 9.64" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-13705H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3072 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 409 nits | 618 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | January 2024
"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."
Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
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PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | August 2023
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i or the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
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.
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About the laptop team
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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