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Updated January 16, 2024·
Choosing between the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 depends on your priorities. The Lenovo typically costs a bit less and offers better battery life, which may be a deciding factor if you're budget-conscious and often work on the go. On the other hand, the Surface Laptop has a higher resolution screen with a unique 3:2 aspect ratio, making it better for browsing or document work. If a sharper and more vivid display is important to you and you're okay with paying more, the Surface Laptop could be the one. Note that while Lenovo's larger battery suggests longer unplanned usage, the Surface's size and aspect ratio offer possible advantages for productivity tasks. Both laptops are lightweight and have similar processing power and memory, ensuring good performance for general use and multitasking. 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 battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Good overall display quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For both the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", their high resolution and bright displays enhance the viewing experience for general use, and their ability to reproduce a wide range of colors benefits tasks like engineering and design which rely on color accuracy. However, their screens are not well-suited for gaming and 3D applications because they lack high refresh rates that provide smoother motion and more responsive gameplay, which is essential for fast-paced interactions and detailed 3D rendering.
Battery
11.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 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.
Cost
$899
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a price of $899 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
340.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is valued for its balance of a strong CPU, sufficient RAM, and long battery life for extended general use, along with being relatively lightweight for portability; however, it has lower quality built-in speakers and less effective heat management compared to some rivals. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a higher resolution touchscreen with superior screen quality and an excellent keyboard, adding to its appeal for general use despite its shorter battery life and less efficient heat management.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.1
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are considered fair for gaming and 3D because they both have integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, which are decent for lighter gaming but not optimal for more demanding titles. Additionally, they both have screens with a 60Hz refresh rate which is suitable for casual gaming but won't provide the smoothest experience for fast-paced games that benefit from higher refresh rates.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.1
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is equipped with a capable Intel i7 processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics, supported by 16GB of RAM, making it a solid choice for engineering and design tasks that can benefit from its 14-inch IPS screen with decent color coverage.
Content Creation
7.7
7.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
7.2
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to have excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
7.8
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$899 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2020 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.2'' x 0.59'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.99 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.62" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.2" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1165G7 | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60.7 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 340 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 9/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
See more
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
See more
Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Lori Grunin | October 2022
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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