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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize a lightweight and compact laptop with longer battery life, the IdeaPad Slim 7i is a better choice, especially for general use and portability. However, if your tasks include more intensive engineering, 3D work, machine learning, or gaming, the Legion 5 with its higher-performance graphics card and processor would be more suitable despite being heavier and having a shorter battery life. Both laptops offer similar storage and memory, but you'll notice the Legion 5 has a higher-resolution screen with a faster refresh rate, which is great for gaming and multimedia, at the expense of some battery life compared to the Slim 7i. 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 7i
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 15"
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.9
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a fair performance for gaming and 3D tasks due to its integrated graphics and a basic refresh rate, whereas the Lenovo Legion 5 15" excels with a high-end Nvidia GPU and a superior screen refresh rate, enabling more fluid visuals and better handling of fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.2
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is considered very good for engineering and design use because it has a more powerful GPU, a high-resolution screen with a higher refresh rate which is vital for detailed design work and rapid iteration, and additional RAM slots for future upgrades. While the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is also good for these tasks with a capable CPU, integrated graphics, and good screen quality, it falls short of the Legion's superior performance and expandability, although it offers better portability and less operating noise.
Screen Quality
6.9
8.0
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 15" for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, with its high resolution and brightness, makes it a great option for general productivity tasks and viewing content. For engineering and design, its color accuracy across various gamuts provides reliable color representation, crucial for precision work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rate of the Slim 7i's display may not deliver the smooth visuals preferred in fast-paced environments, whereas the Lenovo Legion 5 has a higher refresh rate, making it better suited for gaming and 3D, despite its similar performance in other areas.
Battery
11.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has 4 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$899
$999
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a price of $899 and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" costs $999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
340.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Legion 5 15" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is well-suited for general use due to its lightweight design, reasonable battery life, and quality IPS display, making it highly portable while offering solid performance with its Intel i7 processor and ample RAM. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 15" packs a more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and advanced Nvidia graphics, suited for more demanding tasks and gaming, but this comes at the cost of heavier weight and reduced battery life, making it less portable but more capable for performance-intensive applications.
Content Creation
7.7
7.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Legion 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
7.5
7.3
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Legion 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.
Build Quality
7.8
7.6
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Legion 5 15" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i | Lenovo Legion 5 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$899 | $999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2020 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.2'' x 0.59'' | 14.1'' x 10.3'' x 0.95'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.99 lbs | 5.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.62" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.2" | 10.33" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1165G7 | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60.7 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 340 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
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 | N/A | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Ted Needleman
| January 2022
"Among Lenovo's multiple laptop brands, the IdeaPad family is decidedly the one designed for consumers: people who want decent performance at a reasonable price. Consider, then, this laptop a paragon for the pickier members of that crowd. With a 14-inch touch-enabled display, a comfortable keyboard, an Evo-certified Intel Core i7 11th Generation CPU, and the latest Windows 11 operating system, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro ultraportable ($1,199 as tested) is a slick mainstream machine at a bit of a premium price, and quite capable for everyday tasks."
Lenovo Legion 5 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2021
"The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an affordable gaming laptop with a lot of power. The new AMD processor Ryzen 7 5800H offers plenty of performance and it is also very efficient. The combination with the fast 130W version of the GeForce RTX 3060 ensures high gaming performance. We also like the fast 165 Hz display with the 1080p resolution. The automatic graphics switching causes some problems with stutters, which are very annoying. If you do not need long battery runtimes, you should definitely deactivate the hybrid graphics mode in Lenovo's Vantage app. The Legion 5 15 is never silent."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i or the Lenovo Legion 5 15"
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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