Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i Review: A Powerful Workhorse

It’s been fairly a while since Intel introduced its Eleventh-gen laptop computer processors, full with the brand new brand design and Intel Iris Xe graphics. And but, up to now I’ve not gotten my palms on a laptop computer packing the brand new processor and iGPU. That every one modified when Lenovo despatched over the IdeaPad Slim 5i (Rs. 61,990) with all the brand new goodies that Intel made, and a bunch of sometimes Lenovo stuff. So, when you’re out there for a brand new work laptop computer that doesn’t break the financial institution or your again, and also you’re contemplating the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, right here’s our overview of the laptop computer.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i Evaluation

Specs

As is common with our critiques, let’s take a fast have a look at the specs of this laptop computer earlier than diving into the overview.

Design and Construct

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i doesn’t appear to be chopping any corners on the design and construct facet. The laptop computer comes with a sometimes Lenovo design language, which I like. Meaning it has a lid with no obnoxiously massive branding, only a small Lenovo tag on the left edge. The laptop computer itself is slim, and feels effectively constructed to the contact.

The slimness isn’t a shock although. In spite of everything, it’s proper there within the identify. Nevertheless, I do respect laptops that aren’t too cumbersome for no good motive, and it’s good to see most work laptops getting a thinner profile as of late.

When you open up the lid as effectively, the IdeaPad Slim 5i continues to impress. There’s a big 15.6-inch show right here (extra on that later) surrounded by skinny bezels which make the laptop computer look good. There’s a webcam up high, and I actually love Lenovo’s built-in privateness shutter you could slide over the webcam to cowl it up. It’s these little issues that make a tool really feel effectively thought out.

Lenovo has used a darkish color throughout this laptop computer, which in my view appears to be like very nice. The lid is definitely the lightest color on the laptop computer, the bezels are black and the keyboard is a pleasant darkish gray that appears wonderful. It’s additionally actually nice to the contact. It seems rubberized, although I don’t assume it really is, however the very best factor is I don’t see any bizarre fingerprints getting on this floor with regular use.

On the edges, you get the standard ports (extra on these later as effectively), together with an influence enter and an LED indicator that lights up while you’re charging the laptop computer.

General, Lenovo has knocked it out of the park with the design and construct of this laptop computer. It’s completely understated whereas not being utterly invisible to the attention. That is actually a laptop computer that may match proper in at work, in board conferences, and anyplace else you resolve to take it.

Show

Shifting on to the show, the IdeaPad Slim 5i comes with a 15.6-inch IPS show with a Full HD decision. You additionally get a 14-inch choice if you’d like a barely smaller laptop computer, however Lenovo despatched the larger one over to us.

It’s a giant show, which is nice, and it does get brilliant sufficient. Though the matte anti-glare end makes it look barely much less brilliant; however that’s true for each laptop computer with a matte display, and I respect anti-glare shows much more now that I’m sitting at residence with lighting that wasn’t arrange based on precise work setups.

It’s sharp, and when you’re utilizing it purely for work (which is the meant use case right here), this show received’t allow you to down despite the fact that I’m used to a a lot greater decision show on my MacBook Professional. What I imply by that’s that textual content appears to be like crisp and clear on this display, in contrast to another shows the place you’ll be able to see tough edges and pixels.

This right here can be a strong show for consuming media content material. I used it fairly a bit to stream Netflix and Prime Video exhibits and it’s fairly nice for mainly all the things.

Efficiency

More often than not I discover myself reviewing gaming laptops, which makes benchmarking and testing simpler than standard. You’ll be able to merely play video games and notice the efficiency. Nevertheless, work laptops are barely extra difficult due to the sheer varieties of work hundreds you’ll be able to put them beneath.

Even right here at Beebom, we’ve individuals enhancing movies on Ultimate Reduce Professional, making movement graphics with After Results, writing articles, designing graphics for social media, and much more. Clearly, I can’t put this laptop computer via 4K video enhancing duties. What I did do, was use it as my each day driver for some time, which implies the standard duties that I do.

That features a ton of Edge tabs with Photoshop operating within the background, together with quite a lot of typing, scrolling, enhancing screenshots and shifting them round. In doing all of that, this laptop computer doesn’t even break a sweat. It’s really actually good at dealing with multi-tasking as effectively, and it doesn’t get too heat. All of these are good issues.

Clearly, I additionally ran a few benchmarks to get some standardised take a look at numbers on the market so that you can see as effectively. As standard, I used 3D Mark and PC Mark to check it out and listed below are the outcomes. In 3D Mark Time Spy the laptop computer scores 1091 factors and in PC Mark 10 it scores 4543.

So there you go, if you wish to examine this laptop computer’s artificial efficiency to different laptops, use these numbers and see for your self what works higher for you.

Keyboard and Trackpad

Lenovo has had nice keyboards for some time now. I keep in mind reviewing the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i and I actually cherished that keyboard. This one is simply nearly as good. The keys are effectively spaced out which implies you don’t really feel cramped whereas typing, and the important thing journey and response is fairly nice.

I have to notice, nevertheless, that this keyboard feels only a tad much less tactile than the one on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i. It’s not a difficulty, and it doesn’t really feel mushy by any means, however there’s a distinction and you’ll really feel it.

I additionally respect Lenovo giving us a full-size keyboard on this laptop computer as effectively, much like the IdeaPad Gaming 3i and laptops just like the Legion Y540. Each laptops that I actually cherished the keyboards on.

The keyboard is backlit, in case you’re questioning. You should utilize Fn + spacebar to toggle the brightness ranges or to show the backlight off if you wish to.

The one factor I don’t like about this keyboard is the compact arrow key structure. I’m so used to Lenovo providing full measurement arrow keys (on each the laptops I discussed above), that this simply feels disappointing. Additionally, it’s no secret that compact arrow keys simply… suck.

Other than that one ache level, I actually like typing on this laptop computer.

Then there’s the trackpad. Whereas I don’t perceive why the trackpad is a lot to the left on most Lenovo laptops, it’s only a private difficulty that I’ve. Aside from that although, it is a good trackpad.

It’s large enough, although not enormous, and it feels fairly responsive as effectively. You additionally get help for Home windows gestures and the trackpad space is certainly large enough to comfortably use gestures on.

I don’t have lots else to say about this trackpad, however yeah, you received’t want a mouse with this laptop computer except you’re so used to utilizing a mouse that it feels bizarre not having one with you.

Ports and Connectivity

When it comes to ports and I/O, this laptop computer is someplace between not sufficient ports and so many ports you don’t know what to do with them. Whether or not that makes it an ideal number of ports is one thing we are able to talk about in depth one other time (it’s not).

Nevertheless, you do get the essential ports you’d want with this laptop computer. There are two USB Kind-A ports, a USB Kind-C port, HDMI, SD card reader and a headphone/mic combo.

The Kind-C port right here helps energy supply, which I really like, as a result of it may well cost up units sooner, however I might have favored one other USB Kind-C port right here only for additional enlargement if wanted.

For connectivity, Lenovo is providing Bluetooth 5.1 and WiFi 6. So your laptop computer is prepared for you if you’re switching to (or have already got) WiFi 6 enabled routers in your community. I don’t.

Battery

Lastly, the battery. That is the place most laptops are inclined to falter, don’t they? Particularly work laptops as a result of they do want to supply good battery life in contrast to gaming laptops which can be often related to energy anyway for higher efficiency in video games.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i comes with a 57Wh battery although and that’s really enormous. That’s the identical battery you’ll discover contained in the Legion Y540 which is a gaming laptop computer with an RTX 2060 and a Core i7 processor. Besides the IdeaPad Slim 5i doesn’t have to energy a hungry devoted GPU. To not point out the Eleventh-gen processor is extra energy environment friendly than ever.

What all which means is that the battery life on this laptop computer is fairly good. Lenovo claims 11 hours of battery life, which sounds pretty ok, however in my utilization I used to be getting someplace round 9 to 10 hours relying on what I used to be utilizing the laptop computer for. In the event you’re purely searching the net and watching a few YouTube movies, you’re going to get someplace round 10 hours of use out of this laptop computer.

Whereas that quantity is first rate, and it ought to be typically sufficient to final your workday with out plugging it in, I nonetheless carried the charger alongside on a regular basis simply in case, and you need to in all probability try this as effectively.

Professionals and Cons

Professionals:

• Nice design
• Wonderful efficiency
• Good battery life

Cons:

• Compact arrow keys are bizarre
• Keyboard isn’t as tactile as different Lenovo laptops

Ought to You Purchase the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i?

On the finish of the day, the query is whether or not you can purchase the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i? Effectively, in case your workflow is all about paperwork, writing, searching the net and lightweight Photoshop utilization, this laptop computer is ideal for all of that. It’s not too heavy, which makes it straightforward to hold to work and again, and it appears to be like and feels fairly premium which is nice for its price ticket of Rs. 61,990.

Clearly, there are different laptops you’ll be able to take into account in the identical bracket, together with the Mi Pocket book Horizon Version (Rs. 59,999). Then again if you wish to play video games as effectively, you’ll be able to try the IdeaPad Gaming 3 (Rs. 65,990). Additionally, when you’re prepared to increase your price range, the Asus ZenBook 14 is a strong laptop computer for Rs. 77,499 as effectively.