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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is a budget-friendly choice with moderate performance suitable for general use, featuring a larger screen, sufficient for daily tasks like web browsing and office work. If you prioritize a bigger display and longer battery life for regular activities without straining your wallet, this may be the laptop for you. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is designed for higher performance, thanks to its more powerful processor and graphics card, making it an excellent pick for engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks. It also has a superior build quality, a higher resolution touchscreen display with a wider color gamut and higher brightness, a backlit keyboard, and extra features like facial recognition and ray-tracing capable graphics. However, these premium features and capabilities come with an increased cost. If you need a laptop for intensive workloads and demand the highest-quality display and build, the Slim Pro 9i is the better choice, as long as you're comfortable with the higher price point. 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 Slim 3
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is adequate for general use with moderate CPU performance, sufficient RAM for basic tasks, and average screen quality, but its portability and battery life are not standout features. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i offers superior CPU performance, plenty of RAM for multitasking, an excellent display, and combines this with great portability and long battery life, justifying its distinction as very good for general use.
Gaming and AI
5.9
7.6
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is better for gaming and 3D due to its Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card which delivers more power for graphical tasks and higher screen refresh rate, creating smoother visuals, compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 which has an integrated Vega 6 GPU and a standard refresh rate, suiting less demanding gaming needs.
Engineering and Design
6.1
8.9
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is fair for engineering and design because it has a standard processor, less RAM, and an integrated GPU which limit its performance, whereas its screen quality is moderate with lower color accuracy and brightness. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i excels in these tasks due to its powerful processor, substantial RAM, dedicated high-performance GPU, and a superior screen with higher resolution, color accuracy, and brightness, despite it being slightly less portable and potentially noisier under load.
Content Creation
7.2
8.5
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0 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 Slim 3 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
7.1
8.3
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
6.4
9.6
15.6in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i's superior panel type, higher resolution, and greater brightness will provide a crisp and vivid user experience, while the IdeaPad Slim 3's display, though adequate, lacks those high-end features. For engineering and design tasks, the Slim Pro 9i excels with a wide color gamut offering more accurate colors, essential for detailed work, but the IdeaPad's color representation is more limited, impacting precision. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can hinder the smoothness of fast-paced visuals and affect overall visual performance.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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.
Build Quality
6.5
8.0
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$390
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a price of $390 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.5in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 | Lenovo Slim Pro 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$390 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | 12.9'' x 9.6'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.52 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 12.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.25" | 9.64" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | Intel i7-13705H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 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 | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3072 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 618 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 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 | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
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 Slim 3 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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