© Manuel Castejon for Lemon Squeezer
While ARM architectures (Apple and Qualcomm) are all the rage and AMD is proving particularly competitive in this generation, Intel is managing to hold its ground thanks to its new Lunar Lake chips. Its ambitious goal is accompanied by specific missions: to offer increased battery life and integrate Microsoft's new AI functions thanks to its NPU.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Gen 9 Aura Edition (which I will no longer call by its full name in this test) is an excellent representative of this new generation of PCs. I used it as my main machine for about ten days to give you a full review of this Yoga Slim 7i designed for productivity.
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Gen 9 is available from 1,499 euros with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. The price varies depending on the configuration to go up to 1,799 euros.
The version tested here is equipped with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage at a price of 1,699 euros.
The simple and efficient design
Plain gray chassis, Lenovo logo on the hood, small protrusion above the screen… The design of the Yoga Slim 7i is not the definition of fun, very far from the RGB elements of gaming PCs or the design of some other laptops like the Asus Zenbook S14.
© Manuel Castejon for Lemon Squeezer
However, it is indeed in the positive points that this design with exemplary simplicity can be classified. The aluminum coating and the matte finish suit it perfectly. Also, its edges and corners are rounded in order to make its grip pleasant in all cases. If you have already held an iPhone 6 in your hands, you already have a good idea of the sensation obtained. Obviously, the Yoga Slim 7i is larger than a phone with its dimensions of 1.39 cm x 34.38 cm x 23.54 cm, but its weight of 1.46 kg is contained for a 15-inch machine.
© Manuel Castejon for Lemon Squeezer
The notch, which Lenovo, unlike Apple, decided to extend outwards and not into the screen, does two things. The first is to integrate the webcam and infrared sensors needed for Windows Hello secure facial recognition. The second is to make it easier to open the cover. While it is easy to grab, it is inconceivable to open it with one hand as the computer is so light and the hinge is so solid. A blessing in disguise (and even two).
The keyboard and trackpad
When choosing a laptop, the keyboard and trackpad deserve special attention since they are the ones you will be using all day long. In the case of this model, Lenovo has taken special care of it.
© Manuel Castejon for Presse-citron
The keys, with their convex shape, always fall perfectly under the fingers and the rebound is pleasant, with the possible exception of the space key that seemed to me “soft”. Nothing too annoying though, typing comfort is not affected. On the other hand, having sensitive eyes since laser surgery, the backlight leakage under the keys bothered me a little.
The trackpad is a good size and the glide is good enough to use multitasking gestures without the slightest snag. To quibble, I would say that Lenovo could have made it flush with the bottom edge of the chassis in order to enlarge the scroll area. I would also quibble by saying that the click is perhaps a little more pronounced, and therefore noisier, than with some competitors. But overall it remains very positive on a daily basis. Rest assured: you will not prevent your spouse from sleeping by using it next to him.
© Manuel Castejon for Presse-citron
Silent productivity
The model I used to write these lines is equipped with an Intel Lunar Lake processor (still on the x86 architecture) in its 258V version, i.e. compatible with 32 GB of RAM (unlike the 256V limited to 16 GB, the only difference between the two ). The least we can say is that Intel has worked hard to offer good performance with efficient consumption management. Enough to compete with the competition, which has been particularly fierce in recent years (thanks Apple).
The Yoga Slim 7i is therefore designed for nomadic workers who will need computing power in the long term. I will spare you the indigestible benchmark results and instead give you some concrete examples of my use cases.
© MC for Presse-citron
On a daily basis, the Yoga Slim 7i was mainly used for web browsing, the number one use on a PC, relatively little gourmand. However, multiplying the tabs can already show the limits of a processor. Here, without much surprise however, it is an exercise that does not scare Lunar Lake at all, especially since it is accompanied by 32 GB of RAM.
The same goes for photo processing. Developing a RAW or multiplying layers in suitable software (Photoshop, Lightroom, Affinity, etc.) is done with perfect ease. Not being into video processing or computer-assisted music, I didn't actually touch the limits of this PC in my daily use.
Better yet: I barely heard the fan start up. All my tasks were carried out in complete peace and quiet, to my great delight, I must admit. I had to launch benchmarks or games to start hearing the ventilation. But even in this situation, I was surprised by the softness of the hiss and the relative warmth given off.
A very good autonomy
Very efficient, the Yoga Slim 7i also manages to last over time. Over a working day, with mainly web use, but also a bit of video streaming, music in the background and a few demanding applications from time to time to push it to its limits, I didn't need to plug it in along the way.
It easily lasts ten hours away from the socket with the screen set to around 60% brightness. A very convincing result that allowed me to finish a full day of work with 30 to 40% battery remaining. This is all the more remarkable for an Intel processor, even if you can find better from Apple or Qualcomm.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Its 70 Wh battery recharges via USB-C with its 65 W charger or any compatible power supply. It should be noted that its two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports (both Power Delivery, but also USB 4 and DisplayPort).
Connectivity (and connectivity ?)
Overall, this is a PC that is geared towards the future, equipped with the latest standards. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 are, for example, there.
© Manuel Castejon for Lemon Squeezer
© Manuel Castejon for Presse-citron
On the connectivity side, in addition to the two Thunderbolt 4, There's also HDMI 2.1 (many opt for 2.0 to save a few dollars on design), a headphone port, and USB-A. Standard for an ultraportable, but perhaps a bit light for a productivity PC, especially since it lacks an important element: the SD card reader (or at least microSD).
Good speakers
On either side of the keyboard are speaker grilles, reminiscent of the MacBook Pro. These two 2 W speakers have the advantage of being quite powerful and not being muffled under the shell. We could ask for more clarity in the bass, better differentiation of frequencies or clearer treble, but we are still at the top of the range. Those who do audio processing will use headphones anyway.
The glossy screen
The screen is unfortunately one of the main flaws of the Yoga Slim 7i. Its 2,880 x 1,800 pixel glass IPS panel with a refresh rate of 120 Hz has the particularity of being extremely reflective. On bright content or in suitable environments, everything is fine, but as soon as the image darkens, it's another story.
© Manuel Castejon for Presse-citron
The problem jumped out at me when I started a movie and the backlight leaks started found reflected on the black bands horizontal, making viewing unpleasant. Of course, you can cut this light source with a simple keyboard shortcut, but we would have preferred not to have to go through that.
Limited Gaming
Despite its price, the Yoga Slim 7i doesn't have a dedicated graphics chip and is therefore not a gaming PC. It would be unfair to blame a fish for not climbing trees, but it's still a point worth making.
© MC for Presse-citron
Be aware that Intel's iGPU, the Bow 140V, found on small portable consoles like the MSI Claw 8 AI+, a sign that he still has some power. On indie games like Hades II, no worries: even with the graphics pushed to the maximum, the game runs between 100 and 120 FPS without blinking. 3D titles can also get by if they are not too demanding: Satisfactory on average benefits from a very decent 90 FPS.
On the other hand, as soon as we turn to titles with more worked effects, we touch the limits of an integrated GPU. God of War Ragnarök for example, with all settings at low, runs between 30 and 40 FPS, but suffers from some visual bugs and occasional slowdowns.
If you're used to playing on console, you should be able to recover without too much trouble. The very recent Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle was unplayable, with textures not all loading, regardless of the configuration.
Even in the menus, we quickly notice the problem
If we can put this down to the youth of the game and hope that an update will fix the problem, we can see here the limits that will pose a problem in the future in terms of gaming.
The absence fingerprint reader
To identify yourself with Windows Hello, there are currently two common possibilities: fingerprint reading or facial recognition. Here, Lenovo has chosen the latter and does not integrate a fingerprint sensor at all.
You might say that this is more than enough and that it suits you, but I must admit that it is not to my taste. In this month of December, I am usually bundled up, the hood of my hoodie up to my forehead and my scarf pulled up to my nose, which has forced me on several occasions to escape from my cocoon of warmth to turn on my PC without having to enter my password.
Copilot and bloatware
In addition to the hardware, I was also disappointed by the software. We find Windows 11 at the controls, accompanied by Copilot, one of the promises of Microsoft and Intel. This is not Lenovo's fault, but Copilot is still too limited in France to date and the dedicated key on the keyboard replaces the right CTRL, which is very practical for sending messages in certain private messaging services. We can modify its behavior, but the choice remains limited, so it is a bet on the future.
When you first turn it on, you will find some unwanted software that will not hesitate to remind you of itself through notifications encouraging you to take advantage of a McAfee or Dropbox offer that you could do without. Even Vantage, the software specific to Lenovo, which allows you to monitor the status of your PC and update drivers, is promoting a function to lock your computer remotely at more than 30 euros per year or an “automatic repair” weekly for 44 euros per year.
With its Lunar Lake processor, the Yoga Slim 7i succeeds in the productivity challenge by developing performances that meet expectations, without ever getting too hot. Better still, it manages to go the distance with its very good battery life.
At its price, you will have to ask yourself a few questions, especially since it is positioned against the excellent 15-inch MacBook Air M3. Despite its somewhat disappointing screen, it nevertheless has certain advantages over the latter, such as its 32 GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage or a wider catalog of compatible games.
If you are allergic to macOS, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i is undoubtedly an excellent choice.
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