The brand new Lenovo Slim 7i Professional X is a wonderful addition to Lenovo’s skinny & mild shopper laptop computer line-up as a result of it packs a giant punch, because of its Intel twelfth technology H-Collection CPU paired with a discrete NVIDIA GPU. They makes the Slim 7i Professional X (i stands for Intel) a really enticing laptop computer for Inventive customers who search an ultra-compact laptop computer.
Any shopper who likes to have nice multimedia and gaming experiences in a excessive mobility kind also needs to contemplate this laptop computer. As extra seemingly mundane duties reminiscent of videoconferencing can profit from AI computing, discrete GPUs have a big benefit in additional domains outdoors gaming.
Lenovo Slim 7i Professional X Specs Highlights
Our particular assessment unit has the next configuration: Intel Core i7-12700H (14 cores), 16GB RAM (2x8GB, soldered, 6000Mhz), 512GB SSD, NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics processor. It’s attainable to have 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
On the time of publishing, the worth is estimated to be round $1,499. Lenovo.com generally has deep reductions and offers, so it’s price checking there when purchasing.
CPU choices
| Intel Core i7-12700H (2.3 GHz, 14 Cores, 24M Cache) |
| Intel Core i7-12650H (2.3 GHz, 10 Cores, 24M Cache) |
| Intel Core i5-12500H (2.5 GHz, 12 Cores, 18M Cache) |
GPU Choices
| NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM |
| Intel Iris Xe |
Industrial Design
The Slim 7i Professional X’s design is consumer-oriented and appears edgy because of a skinny profile with rounded corners paying homage to smartphones and tablets. That’s just like the Lenovo Slim 9i 14 we just lately reviewed. The all-metal chassis is extraordinarily inflexible when closed, and the thin show minimally wobbles.
The matte floor is proof against fingerprints, and now we have not observed any blemishes after a number of weeks, however we didn’t attempt to scratch it on function both. Total, it’s clear and, extra importantly, stays clear. Our mannequin has a Silver end, but it surely’s additionally attainable to get a neat Darkish Gray.
The ability button is on the proper aspect, and I admire the presence of a Energy LED mild and the truth that this button doesn’t sit flush with the chassis. Generally it’s laborious to search out the facility button at nighttime (airplane with lights off, darkish keynote room, and many others.), so it’s a pleasant element. There’s additionally a webcam ON/OFF close to the Energy button for many who extremely worth privateness.
Its weight of 3.19 Lbs (1.45 kg) makes it skinny & mild, and it appears like a premium product with some heft when you may have it in your hand.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The Slim i7 Professional X has an infinite trackpad for many who use probably the most advanced gestures or need excessive trackpad precision and superior ergonomics. It looks like it’s probably the most outsized Lenovo trackpad I’ve seen on their 14” laptops.
The keyboard is nearly unchanged from earlier Yoga laptops, and whereas there are at all times tiny variations, the general high quality and really feel stay similar. The tactile suggestions and key journey depth are agreeable. The small UP/Down arrow keys are the one factor I might foyer to vary as I’m a heavy typer and use them to navigate paperwork extensively.
Ports
For such a small laptop computer, the assortment of ports is excellent, with a full-size USB and HDMI 2.1 ports, that are workhorses for anybody. For ultra-connectivity, the 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports are unbelievable and allow high-speed docking that I’ve come to make use of each at residence and work. It’s simply too handy to plug your laptop computer right into a single USB-C port and use it with a desktop-like array of peripherals.
| HDMI 2.1 (2.1 on NVIDIA GPU) |
| 2x Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) |
| 1x USB-A |
| 3.5mm audio |
| Webcam privateness shutter slider |
Sound
Due to the two x 2W Harman Audio system licensed for Dolby Atmos Audio, this laptop computer delivers an excellent sound high quality with excessive quantity, clear voices, and no distortion. It’s not the very best audio we’ve heard for a skinny and lightweight, but it surely’s clearly among the many finest choices you may get. It will likely be nice for leisure, shopper demos, or group convention calls.
Show
All three show choices function a 14.5” 3K (3072 x 1920) 120Hz show, and I feel that’s an important selection as 1080p is a bit low-PPI (OK for gaming), and 4K is overkill and battery-hungry. Earlier than you ask: sure, you may open the show with one hand, and it opens to just about 180 levels to -almost- lay flat.
All of the choices function the identical specs and efficiency: IPS LCD, 400 NITs brightness, Delta-E decrease than 1.0 (good colours), 100% sRGB shade gamut, NVIDIA G-SYNC, Dolby Imaginative and prescient licensed, and TUV low blue mild. These are excessive show specs, and there’s nothing to complain about, particularly at shopper costs.
The first distinction between the shows is that one is a touch-screen with a glass floor (shiny end). One other has a shiny end however no contact. Lastly, there’s one with out the glass floor, and I can solely assume it has a matte end, however I’ve not seen it in individual.
The discrete GPU paired with the NVIDIA G-Sync 120Hz show makes this laptop computer very succesful for video games, particularly if you happen to’re enjoying one thing that doesn’t use the most recent graphics (Raytracing and many others.) and will due to this fact max out the FPS. NVIDIA’s DLSS will assist fairly a bit with that.
Webcam
Lenovo has included a 1080p FHD webcam with an IR (infrared) sensor and twin microphones. The IR sensor is nice for unlocking your PC with Home windows Good day as an alternative of typing an extended, very safe password. I haven’t seen a fingerprint reader, so facial recognition could be your only option on this case.
Efficiency
A discrete graphics processor makes an enormous distinction within the graphics benchmarks. The Intel Core i7-12700H CPU affords superior efficiency over CPUs just like the Intel i7-1260P typically present in office-productivity laptops like one of many new Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen10 we beforehand examined.
The NVIDIA RTX 3050 cell GPU assist this laptop computer ship a world-class Velocity/Weight efficiency ratio. By the way in which, that is an NVIDIA Studio-certified laptop computer.
As such, the Slim 7i Professional X may very well be thought of a really compact, high-performance workstation for Inventive fans and professionals who want excessive mobility. That reality is strengthened by the superb show choices and 32GB which can be the proper selection for imagery work.
Our analysis exhibits that most individuals are concerned with evaluating the Intel-powered Slim 7i Professional X and the AMD-powered Slim 7 Professional X, so we embrace these numbers right here, together with knowledge from the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen10 and the Lenovo Slim 9i 14.
We additionally see wonderful outcomes when efficiency via the lens of value and weight, which additional validate the ultra-mobility workstation route. Even the SSD disk velocity is on par with Enterprise merchandise relatively than similar to Client laptops.
All the outcomes are precisely what one would anticipate from the varied configuration variations. The one factor that shocked us a bit was the divergence between the Cinebench R23 and Geekbench 5 CPU benchmarks between the Intel and AMD model of the Slim 7/7i Professional X laptops.
They counsel that the Intel CPU is usually wonderful, however in case you are a heavy Cinebench person, you may need to contemplate the AMD laptop computer as an alternative.
Regardless of its slim design, the chassis stayed cool throughout the exams. The floor’s temperature hovers round 44C (111.3F), the temperature at which issues really feel sizzling to the pores and skin. Moreover, this laptop computer will not be practically as loud as Gaming laptops, and that’s a substantial benefit when exhibiting some work to a shopper, for instance.
Battery Life
The 70Wh battery capability is bigger than most skinny & mild of comparable measurement. Nonetheless, the additional capability can also be required to assist a extra performant and power-hungry system. That’s why the laptop computer comes with a 100W PSU, which isn’t removed from the utmost supported by a USB-C connector.
It is best to get about 6 to 7 hours of workplace work, represented by a benchmark like PCMark 10 Fashionable Workplace. Nonetheless, if you wish to squeeze extra longevity, you may scale back the show refresh fee from 120Hz right down to 60Hz and get 15%-20% extra.
Much less performant skinny & mild 14” laptops can get 11-14h of battery life, however bear in mind, they typically function a lot slower CPUs and GPUs together with 1080p shows, so it’s not comparable.In actuality, few folks would spend that size of time on something aside from watching movies. Lenovo claims this laptop computer can play native (not streaming) movies for 12.5 hours.
Conclusion
Cleary designed for Creators who need ultra-mobility, the Lenovo Slim 7i Professional X (official page) delivers spectacular configuration choices and efficiency. Even the pricing is enticing, particularly if you happen to evaluate it with enterprise laptops with extra safety and IT options you may not need or want.
Some potential prospects might choose a 4K show, however I discover that choice to be a bit overkill for a 14.5” laptop computer, and I labored within the graphics trade for 12 years. It’s a matter of preferences, I suppose.
In the long run, I might even advocate the Slim 7i Professional X to individuals who will not be Inventive professionals as a result of they may use apps that would profit from a robust GPU and never even comprehend it (Zoom + NVIDIA Broadcast, for instance).
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