If you prioritize portability and longer battery life for everyday tasks like browsing, office work, or media consumption, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is lighter and offers a longer battery life. However, if you need more power for 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, with its dedicated Nvidia graphics card, higher refresh rate display, and better performance scores, would be a better fit even though it is heavier and has less battery life. Both have similar storage and RAM, so the choice mainly hinges on whether you value mobility or gaming and heavy-duty task capabilities more. 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 Slim 5
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is considered fair for gaming and 3D because it uses an integrated Iris Xe graphics chip and has a basic 60 Hz screen refresh rate. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is ranked good for these tasks owing to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 dedicated GPU and a higher 144 Hz screen refresh rate, offering smoother visuals and better gameplay.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
8.0/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is better suited for engineering and design than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i due to the former's higher-performing AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, both of which offer more computational power and better graphics performance, essential for demanding engineering software and design tasks that benefit from accelerated rendering and simulation. While both laptops have high-quality screens and sufficient memory, the IdeaPad Slim 7i is lighter and has a longer battery life, making it more portable and convenient for extended use without charging, albeit less capable for intensive engineering workloads.
Screen Quality
6.9/10
7.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 both have screens that provide sharp images and vibrant colors suitable for everyday tasks and engineering/design software, thanks to their adequate resolution and panel type ensuring clear visuals and good color reproduction. However, for gaming and 3D applications, they fall short as they lack the high refresh rates required for smooth motion rendering, which is crucial for a more immersive and responsive experience. While suitable for general use and detailed work in professional applications, they won’t deliver the fluidity sought by gamers and those working with fast-paced 3D graphics.
Battery
11.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has 7 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
5.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$899
$1,000
$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 Slim 5 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i offers a balance of performance for general tasks with its Intel i7 processor and ample RAM, while also being highly portable due to its light weight and strong battery life, paired with a quality screen, making it well-suited for everyday use. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, though heavier and with a shorter battery life, provides superior performance with its AMD Ryzen processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics, which along with a higher screen refresh rate, makes it a good fit for general use that may include occasional gaming or more demanding applications.
Content Creation
7.7/10
7.5/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.5/10
7.4/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.8/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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 Slim 5 compare to other laptops
"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 Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i or the Lenovo Legion Slim 5
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.
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