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$699

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$449.99

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The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i is a 15.3-inch funds laptop computer that ships with simply 8GB of RAM within the configuration we reviewed. Budget laptops all the time include tradeoffs, however Lenovo made the improper ones right here. At an “estimated value” of $699 — $479 on sale on the time I used to be ending this evaluation — neither worth is sensible.

This machine has a dated CPU, a plastic chassis, and a dim show. Those are regular drawbacks on a funds laptop computer. But the 8GB of RAM will probably be an enormous drawback when utilizing Windows and fashionable apps over the subsequent few years. Other configurations provide extra RAM, however they’ll be costlier. You can spend an identical sum of money and get higher efficiency. This machine does have a touchscreen, nevertheless it’s onerous to see how helpful it’s on this laptop computer.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Specs

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i has an Intel Core 5 210H CPU, which relies on Intel’s older Raptor Lake architecture. It’s a dated structure and it’s on the slower facet. It makes use of extra energy and generates extra warmth than newer CPUs.

While Windows works with 8GB of RAM, you’re going to see some “swapping” you probably have a lot of browser tabs or purposes open. It’s going to be this laptop’s greatest bottleneck, and it isn’t regular at this worth level.

This machine does have an empty RAM slot so you may add extra reminiscence, however the common funds laptop computer purchaser isn’t going to hassle. You can spend an identical sum of money and get a laptop computer that comes with 16GB of RAM.

• Model: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15IRH10R (83Okay4000QUS)
• CPU: Intel Core 5 210H
• Memory: 8GB DDR5-4800 RAM
• Graphics/GPU:  
• NPU: None
• Display: 15.3-inch 1920×1200 IPS show with 60Hz refresh charge and touchscreen
• Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1080p webcam
• Connectivity: 1x USB Type-C (USB 5Gbps), 2x USB Type-A (USB 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x combo audio jack, 1x SD card reader, 1x energy connector
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: IR digital camera for facial recognition
• Battery capability: 60 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 13.52 x 9.43 x 0.74 inches
• Weight: 3.59 kilos
• MSRP: $699 as examined ($479 on sale at time of evaluation)

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Design and construct high quality

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i has a chassis made from plastic. This isn’t premium steel, nevertheless it feels sturdy sufficient — funds laptops have superior by leaps and bounds over the previous few years. The design in “Luna Gray” seems like many different Lenovo laptops. Lenovo has a constant design language, and it’s onerous to inform which Lenovo laptop computer is which from a distance. In different phrases, it doesn’t “look” like a funds laptop computer.

The hinge is stable and doesn’t transfer a lot as you sort, and the construct high quality is cheap for a funds machine.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Keyboard and trackpad

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i has a full-size keyboard full with a quantity pad and white backlighting. It feels comfy to sort on, and I can sort on it at excessive speeds for lengthy intervals of time.

The trackpad additionally feels good. It’s a superb dimension, and it’s responsive if you drag your finger over the floor. The click-down motion feels a tad clunky and loud, nevertheless it’s higher than many funds laptops I’ve used.

Overall, the keyboard and trackpad are strengths at this worth level. If you’re on the lookout for a laptop computer on a funds and plan to do lots of typing, this machine might be an important match if yow will discover a model with extra RAM at a reduction.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Display and audio system

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

This machine has a 15.3-inch 1920×1200 IPS show with a regular 60Hz refresh charge. The decision is cheap, however the shade accuracy is middling.

This show is dim: At as much as 300 nits of brightness, it’s about as dim as yow will discover on a contemporary laptop computer. A brighter show can be simpler to make use of in difficult lighting circumstances and produce extra vivid colours.

This machine has a touchscreen, and it’s uncommon. It has a matte anti-glare coating. Most touchscreens are shiny, shiny glass. On the one hand, it’s nice to see the anti-glare floor right here as a result of a shiny floor would end in extra reflections.

On the opposite hand, I doubt you’ll wish to use the touchscreen a lot — it simply doesn’t really feel nice to tug your finger over a standard matte laptop computer show floor as an alternative of a clean glass floor, and it’s tough to totally clear fingerprints off any such floor.

This machine has audio system that get loud sufficient, they usually don’t have any noticeable distortion. That’s fairly good for a funds laptop computer, however the audio high quality isn’t notably spectacular: It’s flat and with out a lot noticeable bass.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i has a 1080p webcam. It produced an image with an excessive amount of noise in a daylit room with out optimum lighting. It was additionally fairly pale and never notably lifelike. Lenovo does embrace a bodily webcam shutter swap, which is sweet to see.

This machine has a microphone setup that does a superb job of cancelling background noise, however the audio it picks up isn’t notably crisp. It isn’t the perfect laptop computer for video conferences, however it is going to do positive in a pinch.

This machine has an IR digital camera, so you may signal into Windows together with your face. Just open the laptop computer and Windows Hello will spot you and signal you in. Some funds laptops ship with out biometric {hardware}.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Connectivity

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i has a wide selection of ports, though they’re a bit on the decrease finish: No Thunderbolt, USB4, or HDMI 2.1.

On the left facet of this laptop computer, you’ll discover a USB Type-C port (USB 5Gbps), an HDMI 1.4 port, a combo audio jack, a USB Type-A port (USB 5Gbps), and a barrel-style energy connector port.

On the suitable facet, there’s a second USB Type-A port (additionally USB 5Gbps) and an SD card reader.

It’s good to see an affordable variety of ports, however I want Lenovo had shipped a second USB-C port reasonably than a barrel-style energy connector. You can nonetheless cost this machine with USB-C when you carry your personal charger, however you’ll want a dongle to plug multiple USB-C gadget in.

For wi-fi connectivity, this machine helps Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. It would’ve been good to see no less than Wi-Fi 6E. It’s serviceable, nevertheless it’s not notably forward-looking {hardware} when Wi-Fi 7 is already out there. It’s one other a part of the machine that feels dated.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Performance

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i delivered acceptable efficiency in day-to-day duties. Intel’s Core 5 210H is slower than fashionable CPUs, and it additionally makes use of extra energy and generates extra warmth, which suggests you’ll hear the followers spinning up extra when doing something demanding.

The worst drawback — the 8GB of RAM — doesn’t present up in these benchmarks, however it is going to drag down efficiency when you open lots of browser tabs. This represents typical PC use in 2025.

As all the time, we ran the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i by way of our standard benchmarks to see the way it performs.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

First, we run PCMark 10 to get an concept of total system efficiency. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i delivered an total PCMark 10 rating of 5,642. That’s higher than the even-slower CPU within the Acer Aspire Go 15, however that machine has a lower cost and delivers 16GB of RAM.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

Next, we run Cinebench R20. This is a closely multithreaded benchmark that focuses on total CPU efficiency. It’s a fast benchmark, so cooling underneath prolonged workloads isn’t an element. But, because it’s closely multithreaded, CPUs with extra cores have an enormous benefit.

The multithreaded rating of 3,424 exhibits how this CPU compares to different chips from Intel and AMD.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

We additionally run an encode with Handbrake. This is one other closely multithreaded benchmark, nevertheless it runs over an prolonged time. This calls for the laptop computer’s cooling kick in, and lots of laptops will throttle and decelerate underneath load.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i accomplished the encode course of in 2,053 seconds, which is greater than 34 minutes. That’s not notably spectacular, however this isn’t the type of machine you’d purchase for prolonged CPU-heavy compute duties.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

Next, we run a graphical benchmark. This isn’t a gaming laptop, nevertheless it’s nonetheless good to examine how the GPU performs. We run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU efficiency.

With an total 3DMark Time Spy rating of 1,072, this machine delivered poor built-in graphics efficiency. Laptops with fashionable {hardware}, particularly Intel’s personal Lunar Lake chips, but additionally AMD and Qualcomm {hardware}, typically have satisfactory built-in graphics you may really use to play video games.

This is a giant deal as a result of informal PC customers might wish to run a number of easy PC video games. With this type of GPU efficiency, you received’t wish to play even low-end video games on this machine.

Overall, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i was usable, nevertheless it didn’t impress in our benchmarks.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Battery life

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i has a 60 Watt-hour battery, and the selection of an Intel Core 5 210H CPU primarily based on an older structure means it’s going to be somewhat energy hungry. This isn’t a PC for lengthy battery life away from an outlet.

Foundry / Chris Hoffman

To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled till the laptop computer suspends itself. We set the display screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks, which suggests we needed to crank this laptop computer’s show brightness means up. This is a best-case state of affairs for any laptop computer since native video playback is so environment friendly, and actual battery life in day-to-day use is all the time going to be lower than this.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i lasted a mean of 582 minutes earlier than suspending itself. That’s underneath 10 hours in an idealized benchmark, which isn’t spectacular for a laptop computer in 2025. It received’t make it by way of an eight-hour workday, which is a disgrace when so many laptops at the moment are exhibiting significantly spectacular battery life.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: Conclusion

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i feels too compromised. Even being charitable and accepting the present $479 sale worth as this laptop computer’s actual worth, I can’t suggest a machine that solely has 8GB of RAM in 2025 when 16GB has develop into customary. Decisions just like the inclusion of a touchscreen are unusual. This isn’t the perfect touchscreen laptop computer, particularly with no glass floor.

You can get variations of this laptop computer with extra RAM, however they’ll be much more costly. At 16GB of RAM and with a deep sale worth, you could get some severe worth out of this machine. The core design here’s a positive funds PC. But the compromises don’t make sense at this worth.