Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i Review: Lenovo’s IdeaPad Slim 5i is indeed a hidden gem in the realm of laptops for business professionals. While HP and Dell are more commonly known brands, the IdeaPad range from Lenovo offers a compelling option worth considering. The new IdeaPad Slim 5i stands out as an elegant notebook with a durable chassis, making it a reliable choice for on-the-go professionals.
One of the key highlights of the IdeaPad Slim 5i is its powerful processor, which ensures smooth performance for multitasking and handling demanding applications. Additionally, the laptop boasts a stunning display that enhances visual clarity and overall user experience, whether you’re working on spreadsheets or enjoying multimedia content.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i Review 2024
Before making a purchase decision, it’s advisable to delve deeper into the features and specifications of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i to determine if it aligns with your specific requirements and preferences. Conducting thorough research and reading reviews can help you assess whether this laptop meets your professional needs and budget constraints effectively.
Priced at under Rs 65K, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i provides excellent value for money compared to other premium business laptops in the market. Its combination of performance, design, and affordability makes it an attractive option for individuals looking to invest in a reliable work companion.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i Review Details
| Article Name | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i Review |
| Category | Tech Reviews |
| Official Website | Click Here |
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Design
The IdeaPad Slim 5i boasts an uncomplicated and modest design, akin to the majority of business laptops on the market. The model I examined is presented in an understated silver hue, ideal for professional settings. Its cover lacks intricate details, showcasing solely the brand’s logo. Consequently, this laptop will blend in discreetly and not draw unwarranted notice, which is particularly beneficial for individuals dealing with intrusive supervisors.
Putting jokes aside, the laptop appears sophisticated and stylish. It is also durable and boasts a MIL-STD-810H rating, which is great for those prone to accidents. Moreover, the laptop’s metal construction helps prevent scratches compared to rival models with plastic components. The hinge provides good stability, and the screen remains steady when adjusted.
I was pleasantly impressed by the hinge’s sturdiness when using the IdeaPad Slim 5i in a cab, as it kept the laptop lid stable. Despite the use of premium materials, the laptop remains lightweight at 1.46 kg, making it easy to carry around. The 14-inch display adds to its portability, ensuring it doesn’t occupy much space in your backpack.
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Display And Audio
Undoubtedly, the standout feature of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is its impressive IPS screen. Measuring 14 inches, the panel boasts a 16:10 aspect ratio and a WUXGA resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, providing ample vertical screen space for comfortable typing and reading articles or emails.
The screen’s brightness can reach 300 nits, and I never found it necessary to increase the brightness above 50 percent. Viewing the panel from an angle reveals no color shift, and it produces vibrant colors with good contrast. However, it only covers 45 percent of the NTSC color gamut, so it may not be suitable for color-accurate tasks such as photo color grading.
I have one main concern about the laptop’s screen, which is its 60Hz refresh rate. Although it’s difficult to pinpoint a specific manufacturer since most business and thin-and-light laptops still feature 60Hz screens, it is about time that well-known laptop brands such as Lenovo introduce high refresh rate (HRR) displays to their business notebooks. Conversely, I was satisfied with the audio quality from the laptop’s speakers. The top-firing speakers can reach a satisfactory volume, although the bass may lack depth, the overall audio output is neither shrill nor hollow.
Ports And Security
The IdeaPad Slim 5i has limited ports, offering two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and two USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 ports. If you typically connect your laptop to a docking station and use an external mouse and keyboard, you may encounter difficulties if you need an additional Type-A port for a flash drive.
The inclusion of a full-sized HDMI slot in the laptop is a notable feature, as it allows for easy connectivity to external displays or monitors. Alongside this, the presence of a 3.5mm combo jack and a microSD card reader adds to the versatility of the device, catering to various user needs. Moreover, the laptop supports Windows Hello authentication features, offering users a convenient and secure way to access their accounts.
Although lacking a fingerprint sensor, the laptop compensates with an integrated IR camera for seamless login through facial recognition. The effectiveness of the camera even in low-light settings enhances user experience. Additionally, the privacy shutter for the camera provides added security and peace of mind, particularly beneficial for individuals engaging in frequent video calls who wish to maintain their privacy. When it comes to the bundled 1080p camera, it should be adequate for the majority of users. Although it lacks AI features found in newer ASUS Vivobooks, it provides a decent 1080p@30FPS output.
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Keyboard And Trackpad
I will be direct – I am not fond of the IdeaPad Slim 5i’s keyboard. Although the keyboard area was roomy and provided enough space for my wrists, the keys felt soft and adhesive. On a positive note, the backlit keyboard offers three brightness settings: Auto, Low, and High.
Additionally, you can turn off the backlight to save battery power. The trackpad on a sub-Rs 70K laptop is among the top performers. Its surface is smooth, and the left and right click buttons provide excellent tactility and clickiness.
Performance And Software
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i runs on Intel’s Core i5-13420H processor with four P-cores and four E-cores, supporting up to 12 threads for demanding tasks. However, it lacks a dedicated GPU and features 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM at 5,200MHz and a 1TB NVMe SSD for memory and storage. Despite not matching the power of my gaming devices, the IdeaPad Slim 5i smoothly managed all applications like Slack, AirTable, and Asana without any performance lag.
I have a bad habit of leaving Chrome tabs open. This did not affect the IdeaPad Slim 5i’s performance. I was able to easily navigate through various apps and numerous tabs without any issues. I conduct several benchmarks for our tech-savvy readers, and the IdeaPad Slim 5i performed well. Scoring 5,148 and 4,459 points in the PCMark 10 and PCMark 10 Extended tests. It also achieved scores of 439 and 96 points in Cinebench R24’s multi-core and single-core tests, respectively.
The laptop perform comparably to a MacBook with an M1 processor on the Cinebench test. Its built-in NVMe drive also delivered impressive speeds of 5,271MB/s for sequential read and 4,841MB/s for sequential write. However, its gaming performance is rather restricted, offering playable FPS only on certain titles at the lowest graphics settings, such as Valorant and Counter-Strike 2.
The laptop effectively managed its temperature, and I didn’t feel the base becoming excessively hot during use. On the downside, the battery life varied, providing approximately 5.5 hours of screen time. Nonetheless, the company includes a compact travel adapter that can charge the laptop up to 80 percent in just over an hour, helping to address the battery concern. Although the IdeaPad Slim 5i is impressive, it is burdened with excessive pre-installed software that requires a significant amount of time to remove. Additionally, the laptop’s upgrade options are limited as you can only replace the Wi-Fi card and NVMe drive, not the RAM.
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Conclusion
Lenovo’s IdeaPad Slim 5i is a laptop that doesn’t aim to revolutionize the industry but rather builds upon existing market trends to provide a dependable package that meets most requirements. The device excels in performance, boasts a sturdy and stylish design, and features a crisp display. While the battery life could be improve, and the keyboard’s tactile feedback may not be exceptional, these are minor drawbacks compared to its overall performance. If you can overlook these aspects, the IdeaPad Slim 5i promises to be a reliable choice for users seeking a well-rounded laptop experience.
Pros:
- Sharp, vibrant display
- Capable performer
- Robust and elegant build
- Sturdy hinge that mitigates display wobble
- Competitively priced
Cons:
- Mushy keyboard
- No room for upgradeability
- So-so battery life