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Lenovo Slim 7i (2023)
High-performance ultrabook
$773 $1180 Save $407
The Lenovo Slim 7i (2023) is one of the best laptop releases of the year. It brings some much-appreciated upgrades to this established line of ultraportable business laptops, namely a 13th generation Intel processor and a gorgeous new 2.8K display.
Pros
- Gorgeous 14-inch 2.8K display
- Powerful i7-1360P CPU
- Great battery life
Cons
- Soldered RAM is not upgradeable
- Weak integrated graphics
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Source: Lenovo
Lenovo Slim Pro 7
Slim creator laptop
$900 $1200 Save $300
The Slim Pro 7 is a compact and powerful new Lenovo laptop, with a Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU and GeForce RTX 3050 graphics that offers up some serious competition in the creator laptop space.
Pros
- Stunning 14.5-inch 2.5K display
- Powerful RTX 3050 GPU
- Great battery life
Cons
- Soldered RAM is not upgradeable
- Slower single-core processing
Although they are both candidates for one of the year’s best Lenovo laptops and look similar on paper, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 and the Lenovo Slim 7i (2023) are not cut from the same cloth. In fact, one is an ultraportable creative laptop, and the other is a high-performance ultrabook, respectively. If you’re trying to decide which of these two is best for your needs, then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive into the details that set these laptops apart.
Lenovo Slim 7i vs Slim Pro 7: Price, availability, and specs
The Slim 7i was released in April 2023, while the Slim Pro 7 was released in August 2023, and both offer roughly the same performance for the same price. This means that they will both appeal to users who are after a slim, high-performance productivity machine.
The Slim 7i is available through Lenovo and other major electronics retailers, although you’ll get the most configuration options and deals directly from Lenovo. The base version with an i5-1340P CPU and a 1TB M.2 SSD has an MSRP of $1,180, while the i7-1360P CPU version with a 512GB M.2 SSD starts at $1,232 MSRP. The Slim Pro 7 is available at the same major retailers with varying sale prices as well. It launched with an MSRP of $1,450 for the version with the 1TB M.2 SSD and $1,400 for the version with a 512GB M.2 SSD. There is also a version of the Slim Pro 7 that appears to have the same specs with a 3K display, but it does not seem to be available yet.
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Lenovo Slim 7i (2023) Lenovo Slim Pro 7 Operating System Windows 11 Windows 11 Home CPU 13th-generation Intel Core i5-1340P or i7-1360P AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS or AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS GPU Intel Iris Xe Graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6GB Storage Upt to 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4 SSD 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD Battery 60Wh or 65Wh battery 73Wh Display (Size, Resolution) 14-inch 2.2K (2240×1400) IPS, 60Hz, 300 nits of brightness or 2.8K (2880×1800) IPS touchscreen, 120Hz, with 400 nits of brightness 14.5-inch IPS, 2560×1600 resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, 100% sRGB, touch Speakers 2x 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, Dual noise-canceling microphones Four 2W speakers with Dolby Atmos Memory 16GB LPDDR5 5200MHz, not upgradable 16GB LPDDR5 6400MHz dual-channel, not upgradable Ports 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack 1x USB4 40Gbps, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack Network Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 6E 2×2 + Bluetooth 5.1 Weight Starting at 2.88 pounds (1.31kg) 1.59kg (3.5 lbs) Price Starting at $1,180 Starting at $1,199 (MSRP)
Lenovo Slim 7i vs Slim Pro 7: Design
Considering that both of these laptops have almost identical dimensions, they’re both similarly portable. The Slim 7i is 0.6 inches thick and weighs 3.2 pounds, while the Slim Pro 7 is also 0.6 inches thick and is only slightly heavier at 3.5 pounds. The chassis of both devices meet MIL-STD 810H standards for durability. The Slim 7i has an aluminum frame that comes in a new color called Misty Grey. The Slim Pro 7 has an aluminum frame that comes in Storm Grey, which is similar to Misty Grey but a bit darker.
One design aspect that does set these two laptops apart, however, is port selection. The Slim 7i has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port. The Slim Pro 7 has one USB-C 4.0 Gen 1 port, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, and one HDMI 2.1. They both sport a 1080p FHD webcam with a microphone and a privacy shutter.
Lenovo Slim 7i vs Slim Pro 7: Display
The display category is another area where these two laptops are nearly identical. They’re approximately the same size (the Slim 7i is 14 inches and the Slim Pro 7 is 14.5), both have IPS touchscreens, and both support 100% sRGB for great color accuracy. But the beauty is in the details.
The Slim 7i wins out slightly in the framerate department with its max 120Hz refresh rate. The Slim Pro 7 isn’t far behind, though, sporting a respectable 90Hz refresh rate. The Slim 7i also has a slightly higher resolution of 2.8K (2880×1880) compared to the 2.5K (2560×1600) resolution of the Slim Pro 7. Plus, the Slim 7i has a slightly higher brightness rating of 400 nits compared to the Slim Pro 7’s 350 nits.
Overall, the Slim 7i’s higher max refresh rate and higher pixel density give it the edge for those who want a laptop for more intense tasks, like graphic design work or gaming.
Lenovo Slim 7i vs Slim Pro 7: Performance
The most powerful version of the Slim 7i is powered by a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-1360P processor, while the most powerful Slim Pro 7 model is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor. Both are octa-core processors, but the i7-1360P has a slight advantage in both multi-core and single-core benchmarks. Below are some benchmarks we’ve gathered for these laptops, with the Yoga 9i Intel Core i7-1360P standing in for the Slim 7i model with the same CPU. The Yoga 9i figures should mostly match the Slim 7i, but the two laptops may have different cooling solutions, which could cause some slight variance. (Benchmarks aren’t completely reflective of real-world use, but they can tell us what to expect.)
| Lenovo Slim Pro 7 Ryzen 7 7735HS, RTX 3050 6GB | Lenovo Slim Pro 7 Ryzen 7 7840HS, RTX 3050 6GB | Lenovo Slim 7i Intel Core i5-1340P | Lenovo Yoga 9i Intel Core i7-1360P | |
| PCMark 10 | 6,804 | — | — | 6,115 |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 4,686 | — | — | 1,748 |
| Geekbench 5 (single/multi) | 1,561 / 8,808 | — | — | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single/multi) | 1,986 / 8,889 | 2,503 / 11,388 | 1,995 / 8,207 | 2,464 / 10,859 |
| Cinebench R23 (single/multi) | 1,533 / 12,188 | — | — | 1,810 / 7,869 |
It is also worth noting that the Ryzen 7 7840HS has a slightly higher TDP rating (35W versus the i7-1360P’s 28W). But even with this discrepancy, the Slim 7i has a slight edge in terms of raw processing power.
On the GPU side of things, the Slim Pro 7 holds a clear advantage when it comes to gaming and 3D rendering thanks to its Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU. This is an older but still fairly beefy laptop GPU that is miles ahead of the Slim 7i’s integrated Intel Iris Xe on all fronts.
If you plan to run games or graphically-intensive creative software, the Slim Pro 7 takes the cake. However, if you only plan to run normal productivity software, the Slim 7i has the upper edge. Just don’t expect either laptop to handle modern AAA titles on max settings. That’s a task better suited for a top-tier gaming laptop.
Lenovo Slim 7i vs Slim Pro 7: Battery life
The Lenovo Slim 7i sports either a 60Wh or 65Wh battery, depending on the model you choose. According to Lenovo, the model with the largest battery should get about 11.4 hours when performing the MobileMark 2018 benchmark at 200 nits. This is fairly similar to the results that Lenovo clocked for the battery life of the Slim Pro 7. It last about 11.03 hours running the MobileMark 2018 benchmark at 200 nits, which is surprisingly close considering it sports a larger 73Wh battery.
Granted, benchmarks can only tell you so much about a laptop’s real-world performance. When we reviewed the Slim Pro 7 earlier this year, we got between 4–7 hours of battery life from real-life use, averaging to about five hours with brightness set to 40% and battery saver kicking in at 20% battery. This is a much more realistic expectation compared to lab benchmarking. But because both Lenovo laptops scored closely on the benchmark, it would be fair to estimate that their battery lives are overall comparable.
Lenovo Slim 7i vs Slim Pro 7: Which is right for you?
It is hard to declare an outright winner between the Slim 7i and the Slim Pro 7 since they are each meant to serve different user demographics. On top of that, they are fairly comparable in terms of portability, battery, and price, making it an even closer call. However, the Slim Pro 7’s combined CPU and GPU performance lend it to far more tasks than the productivity-oriented specs of the Slim 7i, just barely giving it the win in our book. It’s much better for creative work and gaming while only having a slightly slower processor. Ultimately, the Slim Pro 7 just does more for the same price point.
Source: Lenovo
Lenovo Slim Pro 7
Editor’s Choice
$900 $1200 Save $300
The 14.5-inch Lenovo Slim Pro 7 is a highly capable creator laptop that is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU. It is highly portable and suitable for gaming, content creation, and simply getting stuff done.
If you don’t plan to do any creative work or gaming, the merits of the Slim 7i (2023) may make for a more attractive overall package. Its display has a higher refresh rate and pixel density on its beautiful IPS touchscreen, plus its CPU performance is unmatched. Additionally, this laptop still boasts a respectably slim form factor and solid battery life.
Lenovo Slim 7i (2023)
Good alternative
$773 $1180 Save $407
The 14-inch Lenovo Slim 7i (2023) brings some substantial upgrades to the Slim 7i line, making it one of the most powerful ultrabooks in the Lenovo lineup. Between its i7-1360P CPU, its gorgeous 2.8K touchscreen display, and its slim form factor, it is a solid backup choice for non-creatives.