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Updated January 10, 2024·
Between the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and the Lenovo Legion 7, consider the following: the Slim 5i is more affordable, offers moderate performance suitable for everyday use, and is more portable with a longer battery life. The Legion 7, while more expensive, provides higher performance for 3D tasks, machine learning, and gaming, thanks to its powerful CPU and GPU. Its screen has higher resolution and color accuracy, making it better for engineering and creative work. However, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for frequent travel. 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 5i
- The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion 7.
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 7
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.8
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.0
8.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is good.
The Lenovo Legion 7 surpasses the IdeaPad Slim 5i in engineering and design due to its higher-performing AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, which offer superior processing and graphics capabilities essential for complex tasks, as well as a sharper and brighter display which is beneficial for detailed work. Despite the IdeaPad Slim 5i being lighter and thus more portable, the Legion 7's advantages in keyboard, speaker quality, and quieter operating noise add to the ergonomics and user experience necessary for intensive engineering and design work.
Content Creation
7.4
7.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
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
8.3
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
315.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The IdeaPad Slim 5i offers a balance of resolution and brightness that suits everyday tasks well, but its limited color gamut and standard refresh rate make it less ideal for precise engineering work and underwhelming for fast-paced 3D gaming. In contrast, the Legion 7's superior color accuracy and wider color gamut meet professional engineering and design needs, while its high resolution and quality panel enhance general use, although its refresh rate may not be optimal for the most fluid gaming experience. For those prioritizing engineering and productivity over gaming, the Legion 7 stands out, but gamers might seek different models focused on higher refresh rates.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and Lenovo Legion 7 both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 7 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$828
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has a price of $828 and the Lenovo Legion 7 costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
315.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i offers ample performance for day-to-day tasks, with good portability and battery life due to its lightweight design and efficient CPU, whereas the Lenovo Legion 7 provides a more robust performance with higher-quality screen resolution and a powerful GPU, suited for more demanding applications, but at the cost of the heavier build and reduced battery life. While the IdeaPad Slim 5i excels in battery life and portability, making it ideal for on-the-go usage, the Legion 7, with its gamer-focused hardware and high screen quality, is better suited for performance-intensive tasks and gaming, despite being less portable and having a shorter battery life.
Software Development
7.4
7.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i and the Lenovo Legion 7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i | Lenovo Legion 7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$828 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.17 lbs | 5.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 10.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56.6 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 315 nits | 469 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
HT Tech
Robin Sinha | February 2021
"The device is made for average work loads and if your work has a lot to do with online browsing, using apps that are not power-hungry and streaming videos. The looks are really good and the device in itself is not a heavy one. And with Intel 11th-gen Core processor, you might sail through most of your work without complaints."
Lenovo Legion 7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i or the Lenovo Legion 7
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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