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Updated January 10, 2024·
When choosing between the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, consider the following: The Slim Pro 9i generally costs less and offers a higher refresh rate display which is great for smooth visuals, with a robust graphics card suitable for 3D tasks and machine learning. It's also slightly lighter for better portability. On the other hand, the ThinkPad Z16 features a larger, higher-resolution OLED screen with exceptional color accuracy, better suited for color-sensitive work and a slightly longer battery life, but at a higher cost. It's also heavier, which might affect portability, and has a premium build suitable for business environments. Both laptops have substantial storage and memory, but the ThinkPad Z16 has double the storage capacity of the Slim Pro 9i. If price and portability are your main concerns, go for the Slim Pro 9i, but if you need a top-tier display and have a higher budget, the ThinkPad Z16 could be the better choice. 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 Pro 9i
- Good for gaming and AI
- Best in class overall display quality
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.6
6.7
6.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 4050 and a high screen refresh rate, making it suitable for smooth gaming and fluid 3D rendering. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 comes with an AMD RX 6500M and an OLED screen with a standard refresh rate, offering high-quality visuals with consistent color rendering for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.9
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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
9.6
8.5
14.5in
SIZE
16.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
618.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
If you prioritize watching movies, editing photos, or working with documents, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i's superior panel type, high resolution, and brightness will offer a vivid and sharp image. For engineering and design tasks, both laptops deliver with color accuracy that meets professional standards; however, the Slim Pro 9i edges out with a slightly better reproduction in critical color gamuts. On the other hand, neither is ideal for gaming or 3D work where a high refresh rate is key, and both may fall short in providing the smooth visuals required for these activities.
Cost
$1,500
$1,120
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has a price of $1,500 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.5
8.6
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
618.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i are both very good for general use.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i strikes a balance in portability and power, offering a high-quality Mini LED touchscreen and superior brightness, which, coupled with a potent CPU and ample RAM, ensures smooth multitasking for general use. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out with its larger OLED touchscreen, boasting impressive color accuracy and higher storage, alongside an efficient processor and RAM equal to the Slim Pro, all these features together with a slightly better battery life making it equally adept for productivity tasks. Both offer commendable keyboards, build, and speakers, along with satisfactory heat and noise management, factors that contribute to a robust general-use experience.
Content Creation
8.5
8.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.3
8.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very 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
6.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 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.
Portability
Good
Good
14.5in
SIZE
16.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0
8.0
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 both have very 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 Pro 9i and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Slim Pro 9i | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 9.6'' x 0.85'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.7 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.9" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.64" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13705H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3072 x 1920 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 618 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
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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."
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 Pro 9i 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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