A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" typically costs less and is better suited for gaming and engineering thanks to its powerful GPU, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is lighter, has a higher resolution touchscreen with more vibrant colors, longer battery life, and is generally more expensive. It excels in tasks that benefit from a better display and a more modern processor, including general use, engineering applications, and content creation where color accuracy is key. Consider the Legion if you prioritize gaming and performance on a budget, or the Slim Pro 9i if portability, screen quality, and battery life are your top concerns. 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 Legion 5 17"
- The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i.
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.2
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
305.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is considered good for engineering and design thanks to its capable CPU and dedicated GPU, suitable for demanding tasks, although its standard screen quality and larger size make it less portable. On the other hand, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is rated excellent due to its higher RAM, more powerful GPU, supreme screen quality with higher resolution and brightness, in a much more portable form factor, despite possibly having a louder operating noise.
Content Creation
7.2
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.0
8.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.3
9.6
17.3in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
305.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both Lenovo laptops offer high-resolution screens with excellent brightness and clarity, but the Slim Pro 9i has an edge in delivering an even sharper image, making text and images more vivid. Engineering and design professionals will appreciate the Slim Pro 9i's wider color gamuts, providing more accurate color reproduction essential for detailed and color-critical work. However, gamers and 3D designers looking for smooth visuals may find both displays lacking, as their lower refresh rates are less optimal for the high-frame-rate experience required in these scenarios.
Battery
4.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 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
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.5in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$1,500
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a price of $1,200 and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i costs $1,500.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.6
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" with its Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a 144Hz screen refresh rate makes it a solid option for responsive gaming and 3D applications, but the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i steps it up with a newer Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a higher 165Hz refresh rate for even smoother visuals, alongside a superior Mini LED display which enhances overall screen quality.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 5 17" and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 17" | Lenovo Slim Pro 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | 12.9'' x 9.6'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.57 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 12.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.41" | 9.64" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i7-13705H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3072 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 305 nits | 618 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.8/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 2 | |
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 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 5 17"
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | August 2023
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 5 17" or the Lenovo Slim Pro 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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Lenovo Legion 5 17" vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
VS
Compare Lenovo Legion 5 17" vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
VS
Compare Lenovo Legion 5 17" vs. Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
VS
Compare Lenovo Slim Pro 9i vs. ASUS TUF Gaming F15
VS
Compare Lenovo Slim Pro 9i vs. ASUS TUF Dash 15
VS
Compare Lenovo Slim Pro 9i vs. ASUS Zenbook Pro 17
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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
131,895
Recommendations made
28,578
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.
Featured in
