PROS
Class-leading performance in terms of productivity
Excellent construction
beautiful aesthetic
dazzling 4K+ OLED display
outstanding audio quality
CONS
sporadic connectivity
The keyboard is too shallow
If you've never heard of the Lenovo Slim 9i, I'd understand. The moniker doesn't particularly stick out among Lenovo's several laptop lines and subbrands.
However, in its reviewed state, it may be among the most alluring 14-inch clamshell laptops I've ever examined. This is made possible by the stunning OLED display, excellent performance, and webcam suitable for video conferences. It may not be as daring as the model from the previous year, but it satisfies every requirement for a high-end laptop in 2022.
Specification
Dell Slim 9i
12.40 inches by 8.44 inches by 0.59 inches are the dimensions.
Size: 3.02 pounds
Core i7-1280P processor
Visualization Intel Iris Xe
32GB of LPDDR5 memory
Display14-inch (16:10) WQUXGA (3,840 x 2,400) OLED
Storage512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
SSD 1TB PCIe Gen4
Touch Yes
3 USB-C ports and 1 Thunderbolt 4 port
A single 3.5mm audio jack
Wireless Bluetooth 5.2 with Wi-Fi 6E
Webcam 1080p with facial recognition infrared camera
Windows 11 as an operating system
75 watt-hours of battery
17.Price $2,070+
Costlier are cohesive designs.
For me, the coherence of a quality laptop's design, coupled with its fit and finish. what distinguishes them. Budget and even midrange laptops can be stylish, but they often lack the polish of higher-end models and have disjointed design elements.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 is probably the best illustration of this; despite its straightforward and blocky form, it all comes together to produce a pleasing look. And there's no denying that a MacBook's excellence is apparent the moment you pick it up. These qualities are also present in the Slim 9i, helped by the glass lid's literal addition of a new visual and tactile dimension.
Think about the newly rounded corners on the Slim 9i. They make the laptop exceptionally comfortable to carry and handle in addition to having a fantastic appearance. When the laptop is closed, the slanted edge of the lid provides a pleasant contrast, and the uniform colour palette throughout, devoid of any unnecessary bling, results in that coherent design I stated earlier.
Try to bend the lid, and you'll discover that there is no give, giving the impression that the lid and keyboard deck are solid pieces of metal and glass. Additionally, the hinge secures the display in place while enabling easy one-handed lid opening. Overall, it has an absolutely fine design that rivals that of the Dell XPS 15 and the MacBook Pro 14, two other really well-built computers.
Premium computers shouldn't be bulky or heavy, but they shouldn't always be the thinnest and lightest either. The Slim 9i weighs 3.02 pounds and is only 0.59 inches thick, both respectable measurements. The laptop would probably be lighter if it weren't for the glass covering.
The Slim 9i is also well proportioned in width and height thanks to narrow bezels on the top, sides, and bottom, with a somewhat wider chin at the bottom. The laptop is small and slightly dense overall, which, like the MacBook Pro 14, gives it a premium appearance.
However, the Lenovo Slim 9i's design isn't flawless. The switches lack depth, despite the keyboard's attractively sized and sculpted keycaps and generous key spacing. They're quick and light, yet as I typed, I felt like I was uncomfortably bottoming out.
The Magic Keyboard on the MacBook is shallow as well, yet it offers enough feedback to be wonderfully cosy and accurate. Better and deeper keyboards are also available in the HP Spectre and Dell XPS product lines.
Additionally, the standard connectivity found in 14-inch laptops is absent from the Slim 9i. There are just three Thunderbolt 4 compatible USB-C ports together with a 3.5mm audio connector. Typically, 14-inch laptops come with USB-A, HDMI, and an SD card reader of some kind. These are absent from this.
Modern wireless connectivity is provided by Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, but this is hampered by the absence of legacy physical connectors.
Returning to the positive, the Slim 9i's touchpad is sizable and pleasant, supports precise Windows 11 multitouch gestures, and clicks buttons with assurance but quietly. The touch screen is also appreciated.
Exceptional performance
With a 28-watt 14-core/20-thread Core i7-1280P, 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD, you can get a lot of high-end components for your $2,070, avoiding the temptation to jam in a 45-watt CPU. Other manufacturers have bowed to the pressure to varying degrees.
As a result, the Slim 9i performs superbly. The laptop competes favourably with several other 14-inch laptops in all of our tests. That includes the 14-inch devices with the 28-watt 12-core/14-thread Core i7-1260P, the smaller Dell XPS 13 Plus with the same Core i7-1280P CPU, and some laptops with the 45-watt 14-core/20-thread Core i7-12700H.
The Slim 9i can handle some creative jobs and is more than quick enough for workflows that require a lot of productivity. Although it lacks in the latter department because of its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, the performance of this ultra-thin laptop is nevertheless outstanding.
I've mentioned here both the balanced and performance settings of the Lenovo tool for tweaking the thermals for performance. Although the laptop throttled a little bit, as do all thin and light laptops with contemporary CPUs, it mostly kept competitive frequencies.
For a 4K OLED laptop, the battery life isn't too bad.
Gaming is a different matter. While the Slim 9i managed to score 1,894 on the 3DMark Time Spy test and average 22 frames per second (fps) in Fortnite at 1200p with epic graphics, it is not particularly noteworthy in terms of gaming performance. If you lower the visuals, you'll be able to play some recent games at 1080p, but not much more.
Premium features include strong performance and long battery life. The Slim 9i gets close to achieving this equilibrium thanks to its 75-watt-hour battery capacity. The ultimate luxury computers successfully balance both. In our web browsing test and the PCMark 10 Applications battery test, it performed poorly, but it performed well in our video test.
For a quick laptop with a 4K+ OLED display, these aren't awful outcomes. Your workflow, however, will be the sole factor in determining whether you obtain a full day's battery life.
Class-leading audio and visual
As of now, we have a laptop with a genuinely premium design, a truly premium performance, and a respectable battery life. The Slim 9i's multimedia quality, which these days goes beyond only the display and audio, is the last box to be examined.
Considering videoconferencing's significance in the world of hybrid workers today, we must first take into account its webcam. With a 1080p version, the Slim 9i promises and delivers greater video quality, plus it has an electronic shutter switch to turn off the webcam for increased privacy.
Windows 11 Hello passwordless login is supported and consistently effective thanks to an infrared camera. Lenovo's intelligent sensing technology, which features zero-touch login and lock, is also made possible by the IR camera. This technology puts the Slim 9i to sleep when the user leaves the area and wakes it up (and logs them in automatically) when the user returns. This function also performed as expected.
While those features are good to have, you should expect a high-quality display if you're spending $2,000 on a laptop. With a 16:10 4K+ OLED panel that is bright with wide and accurate colours and the customary OLED inky blacks, the Slim 9i delivers it in spades. It is beautiful, highly sharp, and enjoyable to use. Whatever you require from a display, the Slim 9i fulfils it.
Finally, Lenovo included four speakers—two downward-firing and two upward-firing—instead of the soundbar from the Yoga 9i Gen 7 model. The audio system, tuned by Bowers & Wilkins, had a good amount of loudness, clean mids and highs, and a hint of bass.
It has one of the better sound systems for a 14-inch laptop that I've examined, so you won't frequently feel the need for a set of headphones.
A decent laptop is available for less, but...
Undoubtedly, the Lenovo Slim 9i is pricey. However, it has a quality build that is unmatched, a lovely design, and a performance that is at the top of its class. The laptop can be used as a low-end workstation for artists as well as for the needs of the most demanding productivity users.
The keyboard is too narrow and the battery life isn't the finest, but overall, the Slim 9i is worth the price. It competes with Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 and is a step above more affordable models like the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus when it comes to 14-inch clamshell laptops.