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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a higher-resolution screen and more storage space, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, being a premium option, offers an OLED display and larger capacity but comes at a higher price. While the Lenovo Slim 7 16 has a lower midrange price and is also less expensive, it includes a solid performance for general use and some demanding tasks like 3D work and machine learning, thanks to its dedicated GPU. The ThinkPad Z16 has a more vibrant screen and might perform better for intensive tasks given its higher RAM, but the Slim 7 leads in portability with longer battery life and slightly lower weight. Both have a 16-inch display with a taller aspect ratio suited for productivity, but the Slim 7's higher refresh rate is beneficial for fast motion, such as in gaming or video editing. 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 Slim 7 16
- The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16.
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
500.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
9.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 boasts a higher RAM and a superior OLED screen, which is why it excels for general use, alongside its top-notch keyboard and build quality which enhance user experience. Conversely, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 has a capable processor and a high-quality IPS screen conducive to everyday tasks, its slightly lower portability score and less impressive build suggest it's better suited for more casual use.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.4
7.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good.
The Lenovo Slim 7 16, equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS processor, Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, and a high-refresh IPS display, provides a strong basis for engineering and design tasks, supported by ample RAM and a good balance between screen quality and portability. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 delivers superior performance with its higher-tier AMD Ryzen 7 6850H CPU, AMD RX 6500M GPU, and exceptional OLED screen resolution, accompanied by double the RAM, making it very suitable for more demanding engineering and design work, at the expense of slightly reduced portability and battery life.
Content Creation
7.6
8.5
7.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 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
7.6
8.2
7.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 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
8.3
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
500.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and ThinkPad Z16 both boast high-resolution displays with excellent brightness and panel types that render sharp, vibrant images for everyday tasks and professional engineering software, ensuring that details are crisp and colors are accurately represented. For engineering and design work, the ThinkPad Z16 stands out with superior color coverage, which is crucial for tasks requiring color precision, while the Slim 7 16 also offers reliable color quality but not to the same extent. However, for gaming and 3D work, both laptops fall short as their screens lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals, although their resolution and panel quality partially compensate by providing clear and detailed images.
Battery
9.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has 9.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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.
Cost
$1,440
$1,120
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has a price of $1,440 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.6
6.7
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Lenovo Slim 7 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 is outfitted with an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165, which is more favorable for smoother gaming and 3D experience, though it falls behind the ThinkPad Z16's more powerful AMD RX 6500M GPU, despite having a lower refresh rate of 60, which allows for a more robust gaming performance.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Lenovo Slim 7 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 to have very good build quality, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 has 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 Slim 7 16 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Slim 7 16 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,440 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.69'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.6 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.68" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9.5 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 500 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Slim 7 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Eric Grevstad | March 2022
"At $1,011, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro is a real bargain among full-sized laptops, with a handsome 16-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio touch screen, a speedy CPU, a comfortable keyboard, ample memory, and a roomy solid-state drive. It's not a blazing gaming rig or mobile workstation, but it doesn't pretend to be. Its biggest negative is that it may be hard to find—during our review, it sold out and was marked "Temporarily Unavailable" on Lenovo's site."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Slim 7 16 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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.
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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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About the laptop team
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