The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is a good fit if you're looking for a more affordable and portable device for general use with decent battery life and satisfactory performance for daily tasks like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption. On the other hand, if you're looking for high performance for intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, and don't mind a heavier device with shorter battery life and a higher price tag, the Lenovo Legion 9i with its powerful processor and graphics card would be a better option. The Legion 9i also has a larger, higher-resolution display with superior color accuracy, making it suitable for creative professionals who need high-quality visuals. 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 9i
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent 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
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
340.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, with its Intel i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, is good for general use due to its balance of performance and portability including a lighter weight and longer battery life. However, the Lenovo Legion 9i steps up in general use performance with a more powerful Intel i9 processor, double the RAM, and a higher quality screen, albeit at the cost of reduced portability and battery life due to its heavier build and more power-intensive components.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
9.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
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 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard 1080p IPS screen, offers enough for casual gaming and 3D tasks, while the Lenovo Legion 9i excels with a much more powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a higher resolution Mini LED display that also features a higher refresh rate, providing a superior experience for demanding gaming and detailed 3D work.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
9.6/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good for engineering and design use because it offers solid CPU and GPU performance for less-demanding tasks, with its Intel i7 processor and integrated graphics, and its screen quality is decent with good resolution and color coverage.
Content Creation
7.7/10
8.7/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i 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
7.5/10
8.3/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i 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
6.9/10
9.7/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize a bright, high-resolution display for daily tasks and value intricate visuals for engineering and design work, the Lenovo Legion 9i is top-tier with its color accuracy and range. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Legion 9i falls short due to its inadequate refresh rate. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i offers a satisfactory display for everyday use and design tasks but doesn't match the Legion in color representation or provide the smooth visuals needed for high-end gaming.
Battery
11.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
16.0in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$3,420
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a price of $899 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
"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."
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i or the Lenovo Legion 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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
134,295
Recommendations made
29,098
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.