Lenovo Slim 9i review: Ultra-awesome OLED ultraportable

Price When Reviewed

$2,140

Best Prices Today: Lenovo Slim 9i (2022)

$2139.99

Luxuries abound on the Lenovo Slim 9i, a premium, 14-inch ultraportable. Let’s begin with the attractive 4K OLED show protected by the graceful and shiny lid created from an iPhone-like 3D glass. The all-aluminum chassis is skinny but inflexible and options rounded edges that make carrying and utilizing the laptop computer eminently comfy. The broad hinge permits for one-finger opening of the laptop computer, clean display changes, and wobble-free positioning. The webcam goes to 1080p and has IR capabilities for straightforward, safe logins. Even the audio output, sometimes disappointing in a laptop computer, is impressively highly effective and dynamic. 

The hits preserve coming if you peer contained in the Slim 9i. It contains a speedy 12th-gen processor and an ample quantity of RAM for regular and robust efficiency. Its value places the Slim 9i squarely within the premium ultraportable class, however when you have the cash to throw at a high-end ultraportable for work or house use, the Slim 9i has the muscle for multitasking Windows use and the seems to show heads and begin conversations. Even its common battery life and restricted port choice can not stop the Slim 9i from profitable at Editors’ Choice as considered one of our favourite ultraportables we’ve seen this 12 months.

Lenovo Slim 9i specs and options

As configured, our Lenovo Slim 9i check system is promoting for $2,140 direct from Lenovo and options the next specs: 

• CPU: Intel Core i7-1280P
• Memory: 32GB
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
• Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 3840 x 2400, OLED
• Webcam: 1080p IR digital camera with shutter change
• Connectivity: 3 x USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 assist, combo audio jack.
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
• Biometrics: IR facial recognition
• Battery capability: 75 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Measured weight: 3.0 kilos (laptop computer), 0.56 kilos (AC adapter)
• Price: $2,140

The Slim 9i is a premium laptop computer that begins at a lofty $2,070. For that sum, it offers an Intel Core i7-1280P CPU, an ample 32GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 14-inch OLED contact show with a 16:10 facet ratio and 3840×2400 decision. The solely {hardware} improve obtainable is doubling the storage to a 1TB SSD. Our check system options the SSD improve, which provides $70 to the value for a complete of $2,140. Lenovo often rotates reductions on its web site, and the Slim 9i will be discovered promoting for as little as $1,760 for the baseline config and $1,819 for our 1TB check mannequin.

Design

If the Slim 9i had a digital camera lens or two mounted within the nook of its 3D glass lid, you may mistake it for an enormous iPhone. The glass protecting lends a feel and look of luxurious proper off the bat. Pearl white in colour with a clean, shiny end, the Slim 9’s lid and clear strains make it appear like a tool from Apple’s design staff. In one other unspoken, Apple-like transfer, a small, silver Lenovo badge tucked alongside the sting of the lid is the one decoration to be discovered on the highest of the laptop computer. The Slim 9i boasts a refined look, and the phantasm isn’t misplaced if you decide up or open the laptop computer.

The clean floor of the lid blends seamlessly into the rounded aspect edges of the system. The rounded edges present a smooth really feel, one which isn’t interrupted by sharp corners. The hinge runs practically edge to edge and permits for straightforward, one-finger opening of the show. The hinge affords clean changes of the show but is robust sufficient to maintain it firmly rooted in place. It has the right quantity of resistance.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

True to its title, that is one slim laptop computer at solely 0.6 inches thick. It’s a skinny laptop computer that appears even thinner than it’s due to the rounded edges. It weighs three kilos, which is about common for a 14-inch laptop computer and heftier than some ultralight 14-inch fashions we’ve seen not too long ago. It’s a few half pound heavier than the LG Gram 14 and Lenovo’s personal ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. It’s additionally barely heavier than the HP Pavilion Plus 14 that’s just below three kilos. 

Three kilos isn’t a chore to hold on a day by day commute, nevertheless, and given the stable, inflexible really feel of the all-metal chassis, I wouldn’t look to shed any weight. And serving to with the general journey weight is the Slim 9i’s tiny charger that weighs solely a hair greater than half a pound.

The inside of the laptop computer is silver — silver keyboard deck with silver keys and a silver backside panel. The aspect edges are a brilliant chrome to supply some distinction. Speaking of distinction, the silver keys with grey key symbols provide much less distinction than a conventional black keyboard with white symbols. It’s a latest laptop computer development that the Slim 9i follows, and one during which could make it unnecessarily tough to see the important thing symbols in sure lighting conditions, normally in brilliant gentle or a darkish room. I’m pleased to report that the darkish grey key symbols provide sufficient distinction that making out the important thing symbols isn’t a difficulty with the Slim 9i. Plus, there’s two-level keyboard backlighting to assist out in darkish environs.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The keyboard affords broad, flat keys and shallow journey. I felt quick typing on the Slim 9i; the roomy keys had been straightforward to hit and resulted in only a few typos throughout my checks. I notably loved the extra-wide keys — Tab, Shift, Enter, Backspace — on both aspect of the keyboard in addition to the massive arrow keys within the lower-right nook. The up- and down-arrow keys are half-height however wider than most half-height arrow keys that they had been straightforward to entry with out hitting the opposite by mistake.

The touchpad is big and responsive. It precisely recorded my pinches and swipes and different mouse gestures, however I want its palm rejection was a bit stronger as a result of I might typically by chance misplace the cursor when typing. I additionally want the journey of the touchpad’s click on mechanism was a bit shallower. Performing a click on on the Slim 9i’s touchpad definitely isn’t a chore, however the click on response feels a bit sluggish in contrast with the quick, shallow keys of the keyboard.  

Display and audio system

An OLED show is a requisite for any premium laptop computer, and the Slim 9i serves up such a panel and does so with a superb 3840×2400 decision. That’s a 4K decision with a 16:10 facet ratio. The image it produces is excellent, with sharp edges, absolute black ranges, and vivid colours. The 16:10 display ratio makes the show really feel roomier than its 14-inch measurement. There’s extra room from high to backside than a widescreen 16:9 show so you possibly can match extra on the display and are required to scroll much less by way of lengthy paperwork and net pages. The taller ratio makes a distinction on bigger 16-inch fashions, however much more so on a 14-inch laptop computer that may really feel cramped.

The decision is nearly overkill for this measurement of panel. The picture is stellar, however a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) decision would additionally look razor-sharp on a 14-inch 16:10 show and may let the laptop computer run longer. Powering the show is the only greatest draw on battery sources, and the extra pixels a show has, the extra energy is required.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

A 1080p webcam isn’t simply required on premium laptops but in addition on mainstream laptops at this cut-off date. With the quantity of video conferencing finished right now with distant and hybrid work schedules, a 1080 digital camera permits you to seem a lot clearer on video calls than the 720p cams of yore. The Slim 9i contains a 1080p webcam in a notch within the display bezel above the show. To be clear, the notch doesn’t intervene with the show — it’s just a bit bump-out on the display bezel. The cam produces a crisp, well-balanced image with correct colours and pores and skin tones. It’s additionally an IR digital camera, which suggests it will probably use your face for safe logins. There’s additionally a webcam kill change on the laptop computer’s proper edge to guard your privateness if you aren’t utilizing the digital camera.

I’m by no means ready to be wowed by a laptop computer’s audio output since practically each laptop computer produces tinny, underwhelming sound. So, what a shock it was once I fired up the Slim 9i and watched Goose’s efficiency with Trey Anatasio at Radio City Music Hall on YouTube. The sound from the Slim 9i’s audio system was shockingly dynamic. The Slim 9i options not two however 4 audio system — a pair of 2-watt audio system and a pair of 3-watt audio system tuned by Bowers and Wilkins. Two of the audio system hearth upward from speaker grills that flank the keyboard, whereas the opposite two hearth downward from every fringe of the underside panel. I heard separation between the high- and mid-tones, from Peter’s keys and Rick’s and Trey’s chic guitar work. Percussion from Ben and Jeff sounded snappy, and Trevor’s bass was distinct on the low-end even when it was extra heard than felt. A stable bass response is missing, however even having some semblance of a bass response in a compact, 14-inch laptop computer is appreciated. The sound begins to lose its readability if you get above 75% on the quantity slider, however even at that degree there’s sufficient output to fill a small room.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The port choice is minimal. You get a complete of three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 assist and a headphone jack. The trio of Thunderbolt 4 ports ought to cowl most of your wants, and Lenovo consists of an adapter within the field that provides USB-A, HDMI, and (for some cause) VGA connectivity.

Performance

Our Slim 9i check system options an Intel Core i7-1280 processor, 32GB of RAM, built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics, and a 1TB SSD. The Core i7-1280P is a member of Intel’s Alder Lake P collection of 28-watt cellular chips. The Core i7-1280P options Intel’s new hybrid structure with efficiency and effectivity cores; it has six efficiency cores, eight effectivity cores, and a complete of 20 processing threads. The P collection is the 28-watt center youngster between Intel’s high-powered, 45-watt H collection and the extra environment friendly 15-watt U collection.

We in contrast the Slim 9i’s efficiency to that of a pair of laptops — the Acer Swift 5 and Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 — that characteristic the Core i7-1260P chip, which is clocked barely decrease with two fewer efficiency cores and 4 fewer processing threads than the Slim 9i’s Core i7-1280P chip. We additionally included the Core i7-12700H-based HP Pavilion Plus 14 and a pair of methods with 11th-gen Core i7 processors within the Acer Swift 3X and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9. Rounding out the charts are two laptops with AMD Ryzen 7 5000 collection chips, the Dell Inspiron 14 7000 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Carbon.

Our first benchmark is PCMark 10, which measures efficiency on on a regular basis computing work together with workplace productiveness duties, net looking, and video chats. The Slim 9i carried out admirably, ending second to one of many AMD-based machines and barely forward of each laptops with the same Core i7-1260P chip. It’s notable that the 2 11th-gen Core i7-based laptops had been a step behind the 12th-gen Intel-based methods, which exhibits the positive factors you get with Intel’s newest silicon.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Our HandBrake benchmark checks how a laptop computer is ready to deal with crushing CPU masses over a prolonged interval—on this case, transcoding a 30GB MKV file to a format appropriate for Android tablets utilizing HandBrake, the free video encoding utility. The Slim 9i accomplished the check briefly order, taking longer than solely the HP Pavilion Plus 14, which contains a higher-powered however much less environment friendly Core i7 H-series processor.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Next up is Cinebench, one other CPU-intensive check however one which renders a fancy 2D scene over a brief time period. Again, we see the Slim 9i delivering a robust consequence, ending behind solely the HP Pavilion Plus 14.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

This group of laptops with built-in GPUs is not going to increase the eyebrow of any gamer, however we ran 3DMark’s Time Spy check to get a way of the capabilities of Intel’s built-in Iris Xe graphics and AMD’s built-in Radeon graphics. The Slim 9i was the one laptop computer of the bunch to high the two,000 mark however nonetheless lacks the 3D muscle wanted to drive AAA titles.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

To check a laptop computer’s battery life, we loop a 4K video utilizing Windows 11’s Movies & TV app, with the laptop computer set to Airplane mode and earbuds plugged in. We set the display brightness at a comparatively brilliant 250 nits to 260 nits, which is an efficient brightness for watching a film in an workplace with the lights on. The Slim 9i lasted practically 12 hours on our battery drain check, which is greater than sufficient runtime to get you thru most workdays and a powerful determine contemplating the 4K show that drains battery sources sooner than a lower-resolution show would. That stated, its runtime remains to be an hour or two shorter than competing fashions.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Conclusion

If you might have $2,000 or so to throw at an ultraportable, the Slim 9i most definitely deserves a spot in your shortlist. It offers all the pieces on a luxurious purchaser’s checklist: a good looking and skinny but rugged design highlighted by a 3D glass lid that protects a high-resolution OLED show that’s powered by the most recent Intel silicon and an ample 32GB of RAM. Its common battery life remains to be lengthy sufficient to final by way of even the longest workdays and is offset by extra sights together with a roomy and cozy keyboard and touchpad, a 1080p webcam, and jarringly sturdy audio output from the laptop computer’s 4 audio system. The Lenovo Slim 9i is considered one of our favourite ultraportables of 2022 and simply earns an Editors’ Choice award for its luxurious design, attractive OLED show, and robust efficiency.