The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is a more budget-friendly option with a robust Intel processor and decent graphics capability. It also has a high refresh rate screen and a large battery but is slightly bulkier and heavier. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" offers a more premium experience with a powerful AMD processor and a higher screen refresh rate, making it great for fast motion like gaming. The Slim 7 also comes with a larger battery capacity and is lighter, enhancing its portability. Both laptops have similar RAM, storage, and GPU, but if a lighter build and better screen for fast-moving scenes are important, and you're okay with spending more, the Slim 7 might be the better option. If cost-saving is a priority and you're fine with a heavier laptop, the Slim 5i is a solid choice. Both are geared towards gaming and may handle general use, 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks effectively. 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 Slim 5i
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16".
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16"
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Good portability
Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.0/10
8.7/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
343.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
502.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize crisp and clear images for your everyday tasks, both laptops will satisfy you with their strong panel type, resolution, and brightness. However, for engineering and design work, the Legion Slim 7 edges out with superior color coverage, essential for precision in visuals. Gamers and 3D artists, on the other hand, might find both models lacking due to a lower refresh rate important for smooth motion and fast-paced details.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,055
$1,344
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a price of $1,055 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" costs $1,344.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" provides a brighter screen, a higher contrast ratio, and a more powerful and efficient AMD processor compared to the Legion Slim 5i, enhancing its overall performance and display quality for general use. Additionally, the Legion Slim 7 is lighter and offers better battery life, making it more portable and suitable for longer use without charging, while both models have equal RAM and similar storage capabilities.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
8.2/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" and Lenovo Legion Slim 5i are both very good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" are both very good for gaming and 3D due to their powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPUs, which deliver strong graphics performance, and high-refresh-rate screens, with the Legion Slim 5i at 165Hz and the Legion Slim 7 16" at an even higher 240Hz, providing smoother visuals during fast-paced action. The screen quality is also a significant factor, and while both feature high-quality IPS panels, the Legion Slim 7 offers superior brightness, which can enhance the gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
8.6/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" and Lenovo Legion Slim 5i are both very good for engineering and design.
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.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.3/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" and Lenovo Legion Slim 5i are both very 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
7.8/10
8.0/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.6/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" and Lenovo Legion Slim 5i both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is a slim Legion notebook that is just as excellent with Nvidia & Intel. However, the Legion Slim 7i slightly sullied by lacklustre battery life. You get a slim aluminium chassis, great input devices, decent port selection, fast high-quality WQXGA display and great performance. Supporting Thunderbolt 4 is one advantage of the Intel/Nvidia model tested in this review. Moreover, this variant has slightly higher CPU performance as well as better GPU performance in certain applications (e.g. CUDA-based apps). The Lenovo Legion S7i is thin, premium and performant – but less efficient than its AMD counterpart."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i or the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16"
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
130,995
Recommendations made
28,383
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.