A recent trend in laptops has been the introduction of high-performance thin-and-light models, made possible by Intel’s Core Ultra series of CPUs, which offer exceptional efficiency and performance. It should come as no surprise that leading laptop manufacturers have included these CPUs in their high-end models. The new Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i is the most recent to arrive at my desk. The laptop appears to be the ideal device when examined closely. But how well do the specifications transfer into actual use? In this review, let’s investigate.
Design
I’ve examined a good number of thin-and-light notebooks, and in my opinion, the Yoga Slim 7i‘s design sets a new standard for performance. In light of this, the laptop is both fashionable and useful. When viewed from a distance, it might resemble a business notebook that is hidden in an IT department’s corner. However, up close, the laptop’s regal looks—including its all-metal frame, which feels opulent to the touch—will astound you.
Additionally, the laptop’s structure is very sturdy and doesn’t creak when you open the lid or place your hands on the keyboard deck. Pressing on the edges or in the direction of the keyboard deck’s center did not cause the chassis to bend or flex. While we’re talking about it, you should know that the laptop has also been put through its paces in terms of MIL-STD-810H testing. This should increase your confidence in the laptop’s robustness even further.
There is just one color option for the Yoga Slim 7i: Luna Grey. The color has a matte appearance and doesn’t show up many fingerprints. However, it does feel a little lifeless in comparison, particularly when compared to gadgets like the Envy 14 x360, which comes in a vibrant Navy color.
Display and Audio
Though not as crisp as some of its rivals, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i’s 1200P screen is still very good. Honestly, I think it looks sharp enough for a 14-inch canvas, considering how the pixels are arranged. Not only that, but the display itself is an OLED model. The display overturns inky blacks and colors just pop on the screen, making your movie-watching adventures much more delightful.
Narrow bezels around the screen also don’t draw attention to themselves when watching content. The 16:10 aspect ratio of the display also makes it enjoyable to read articles and browse through large PDFs. However, not everything is as it seems because the display only refreshes at 60Hz. Consequently, switching to the Yoga Slim 7i felt a little off-putting considering that HRR screens are all around me. Since then, I’ve become used to the display, although I do wish the laptop’s manufacturer had included a 90Hz or 120Hz panel.
The laptop comes with four top-firing speakers for audio. You won’t have to worry about seeing a scene again because you missed a dialogue. After all, the setup gets rather loud. The audio output sounds rich and multi-layered rather than empty and desolate, and the speakers provide a broad soundstage as well.
Ports and I/O
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i has a respectable amount of connectors considering its size. An HDMI 2.1 connector and two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports are located on the laptop’s left fascia. There is a 3.5mm combination audio jack and a USB 3.2 Type-A connection on the right side. Currently, I wish there had been an additional USB Type-A port. However, I’m willing to give the Yoga Slim 7i a break in this regard because some thin-and-light devices provide even fewer ports.
The location of the power button does irritate me a little. I always push this button, which is located beneath the 3.5mm headphone socket, every time I take up or put down my laptop on my desk. The webcam privacy shutter is positioned farther down the right side of the laptop’s spine. The privacy shutter’s button sticks outward, making it easy to feel where it is concerning you.
About that, the webcam of the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i isn’t all that great. While the 2MP sensor can capture Full HD videos, the quality of the film is not as good as that of the 5MP camera on the Envy 14 x360. The laptop also has an infrared sensor for Windows Hello login, however, it is devoid of Windows Studio functionalities like eye contact and background blur. That’s unfortunate because the majority of computers in this market come with these.
Trackpad and Keyboard
The keyboard on the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i is excellent. The keys have a 1.5 mm travel distance and concave keycaps. A backlit LED with three brightness settings—Auto, Low, and High—is another feature that it has. To save battery life, you can also completely turn off the backlit LED. It’s a pleasure to type on because the keyboard deck doesn’t flex and the keys are arranged appropriately.
Additionally, the trackpad has a smooth surface and detected all of my actions with perfect accuracy. Additionally, I could easily do multi-finger gestures using the device. Particularly in comparison to the ones on the Inspiron 14 Plus and the Envy 14 x360, it feels a little bit undersized.
Both Battery Life and Performance
Before beginning this evaluation, I was aware of the Yoga Slim 7i’s performance because I had tested several laptops featuring Intel’s Core Ultra processors. Furthermore, I can attest that the laptop performed as I had anticipated after using it for a while. In terms of specifications, the laptop has an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor.
According to the benchmark findings, the Yoga Slim 7i is an extremely powerful device that can easily perform the majority of office duties, including word processing, web surfing, and using programs like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Excel. I had more than 15 tabs open in Chrome and was utilizing Basecamp, Asana, AirTable, and other programs in addition to the browser. I had no slowness or stutters on the gadget despite that.
Additionally, the laptop has a powerful integrated Arc GPU that supports Valorant and Hades, two light-hearted games. If you adjust the graphical presets, it can even run older open-world games like GTA V, Middle Earth: Shadow of War, and Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition. We use GTA V and Valorant in our regular testing suite, both set to high settings and at the native resolution of the display. 55 FPS and more than 150 FPS, respectively, were flipped by the device in it.
Having said that, you can see how it does in other games by looking through the gallery up above. Because my objective was to consistently get at least 60 frames per second at 1080p resolution, the settings for each title may differ.
I wouldn’t advise using the laptop for prolonged gaming sessions because, regrettably, it may get very hot. Many of the laptop’s P-cores reached 90 degrees or more after thirty or so minutes of playing Middle Earth: Shadow of War. The laptop’s battery backup is also a little underwhelming. The PCMark 10 Battery (Video) test took eight hours and twenty minutes for the unit. I had expected the device to do far better here, even though it wasn’t the worst.
Verdict
In India, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i is priced at Rs 1,07,990. The laptop does a lot of things well for the price. It has a beautiful and stylish appearance, a powerful 1200P OLED display, and outstanding performance capabilities. It has a comfortable keyboard deck and is also quite durable. However, there was room for improvement in the refresh rate of the display, and I wish the laptop had a better webcam.
The laptop’s battery backup is likewise not up to par. Nevertheless, I think it finds a nice middle ground between the more potent Dell Inspiron 14 Plus (review), which lacks an OLED display, and the Core Ultra 7 155U-powered HP Envy 14 (review). Please share your thoughts about the gadget in the comments section below.
