Why This Midrange Lenovo Laptop Is The One I Recommend To Most People

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15-inch

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The IdeaPad Slim 3i is connected waste astatine Costco for $669.
• It's an affordable 15-inch laptop pinch a full-size keyboard and bully action of ports.
• The artillery isn't spectacular, and its show is lackluster.

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Lenovo's IdeaPad Slim 3i is an affordable, versatile laptop pinch a competent group of hardware for students aliases professionals. It's sewage a full-size keyboard (something that's not each that common for a 15-inch), a bully action of I/O, and a lightweight build successful a acheronian bluish colorway. 

However, nan $500-$999 value scope is progressively crowded pinch immoderate awesome laptops, making title fierce and forcing comparisons crossed manufacturers (while highlighting creation aliases characteristic flaws). 

Also: The champion 15-inch laptops: Expert tested and reviewed

The IdeaPad Slim 3i avoids immoderate overt flaws of this sort, but mightiness beryllium overshadowed by competitors pinch much compelling features. Still, connected marque nickname alone, Lenovo's IdeaPad lineup consists of reliable, versatile machines, and nan Slim 3i is nary exception. 

The laptop comes pinch an Intel Core Ultra 5 210H processor, 16GB of non-upgradable DDR5 5600 RAM, and a 1TB M.2 QLC SSD. The integrated Intel GPU is capable for mundane tasks and ray gaming, but not overmuch much than that. Overall, there's not a batch of customization here, but nan hardware is capable for mundane activity aliases location use. 

It besides has conscionable capable ports. You get 2 USB-A slots, 1 USB-C pinch powerfulness delivery, an HDMI, an SD paper reader, and a headphone jack. The paper scholar is an absorbing prime here, since this laptop isn't precisely primed for moving pinch ample video files, but it does spend immoderate further usage cases. 

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

Despite nan laptop's coagulated build, 1 of nan first things that gives distant its value constituent is nan display. It's not bad, but nan heavy bezels, max 300 nits of brightness, and matte IPS surface don't precisely shriek premium. It is simply a touchscreen, though, and nan 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) solution gets nan occupation done. 

The surface exhibits immoderate effects you mightiness spot connected likewise priced LCDs, for illustration nan dimming and brightening that occurs erstwhile swapping windows, aliases erstwhile going from an app successful acheronian mode to 1 that's overmuch brighter, for illustration a Google Doc, for example.

Also: Finally, a 16-inch Windows laptop that I wouldn't mind putting distant my MacBook Pro for

The full-size keyboard is simply a affirmative point, successful my opinion. If you want entree to a number pad and admit Lenovo's signature design, it doesn't disappoint here. Key recreation is satisfying enough, and though nan integrative keys themselves are soft and deficiency immoderate benignant of texture, they still consciousness good. 

Another mini point I really like: nan ample rubber stopper connected nan bottommost of this laptop makes for 1 of nan astir unchangeable laptops I've ever used, staying perfectly stationary connected immoderate aboveground it's on. Normal usage of nan laptop results successful fundamentally nary surface wobble whatsoever.

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET

In position of performance, nan IdeaPad Slim 3i gets nan occupation done for basal tasks but mightiness stutter pinch much demanding workflows. Program installations tin return a fewer minutes, and moving tons of tabs mightiness consequence successful immoderate slowdowns. During my testing, for example, location was immoderate capacity dip while multitasking during a video call. 

It's imaginable to do immoderate gaming connected this laptop, arsenic agelong arsenic you're not moving thing excessively demanding. The Intel Core Ultra 5 210H processor will beryllium good for thing connected nan debased extremity arsenic good arsenic unreality gaming done Nvidia GeForce Now, but it's not designed for top-tier titles.

Also: Why my favourite MacBook Pro replacement is this Windows laptop pinch a striking design

Similarly, nan artillery connected nan IdeaPad Slim 3i isn't bad, but I can't thief but comparison it to its competitors pinch amended longevity, particularly those pinch amended capacity (like nan MacBook Air M2), aliases lighter shape factors (like nan Asus Zenbook A14), some astatine comparable value points. 

During my testing, I sewage a small complete 9 hours during our online streaming trial astatine half brightness complete Wi-Fi. In regular, sustained usage during nan workday, it didn't rather make it done nan afloat day, pinch nan artillery tapping retired conscionable earlier nan eight-hour mark. I should note, however, that you could perchance get much retired of nan laptop pinch amended powerfulness guidance -- I was moving astatine max brightness nan full day. 

ZDNET's buying advice

I'd urge nan Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i to consumers who for illustration Lenovo laptops and want an inexpensive, 15-inch instrumentality for mundane tasks. With its full-size keyboard, larboard selections, and approachable value point, it's particularly bully for students.

Also: How to clear nan cache connected your Windows 11 PC (and why it greatly improves performance)

The value constituent it sits in, however, is progressively competitive, pinch competing laptops that are much awesome than nan IdeaPad Slim 3i. The antecedently mentioned Asus Zenbook A14 is conscionable a fewer 100 bucks more, lighter, and faster, pinch an OLED show and marathon battery. 

Similarly, pinch MacBooks seeing immoderate steep value points this twelvemonth crossed nan board, nan 15-inch MacBook Air M4 -- Apple's latest and top lightweight Mac -- is only astir $300 more.