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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro offers a higher resolution display and better color accuracy, making it a stronger choice for everyday tasks and media consumption. It's also more compact and slightly lighter, enhancing portability. However, if you need a larger screen for more extensive visual tasks or prefer a more spacious workspace, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" with its 15-inch display could be more suitable. The Surface Laptop also boasts a higher refresh rate, which can provide smoother visuals, beneficial for scrolling and general navigation. In terms of performance, the Surface Laptop 6 15" with its Intel Core Ultra 7 processor may offer better multitasking capabilities and faster performance for demanding applications, which could be important for engineering tasks or heavy multitasking. The Lenovo, with its Intel i5-11300H, will still handle general tasks well but might not match the Surface Laptop's performance under heavy workloads. Battery life is comparable, but the Lenovo might edge out slightly longer usage times, which is something to consider if you're often on the move without access to a power outlet. Both laptops have a good build quality, but the Surface Laptop is known for its premium materials and design, which could justify its higher price point for those seeking a more luxurious feel. Ultimately, choose the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro for its superior display and portability if you prioritize media consumption and general productivity. Opt for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" if you value a larger screen, potentially better performance for intensive tasks, and a premium build quality. 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 Pro
- Very good portability
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.6
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is somewhat better.
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
7.8
5.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for engineering and design, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
7.7
8.1
14.0in
SIZE
15.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro for general use, gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$799
$1,200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has a price of $799 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.7
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
8.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.4
7.8
5.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 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
7.3
7.8
5.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 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.
Battery
8.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has 8.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 9 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.
Build Quality
7.8
7.4
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro | Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | June 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.62'' | 13.4'' x 9.6'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.04 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.29" | 13.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.74" | 9.61" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-11300H | Intel Core Ultra 7 165H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8.5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60.7 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 2496 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 90Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.8/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | October 2021
"The main selling point of the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro versus a regular IdeaPad Slim 7 is its faster Core H-series CPU. In reality, the Core i7-11370H is only marginally faster than the U-series Core i7-1165G7 to the point where most users are not likely to notice the benefits. The slight performance uptick comes at the cost of slightly higher power consumption as well meaning owners will have to deal with potentially warmer temperatures or louder fans to compensate. Unless if you happen to be a power user, then the regular non-Pro model will be more than enough. Once you go 90 Hz, you can't go back."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 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.
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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