This here is the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro, also known as the IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro in some markets.
Lenovo offers this laptop in a multitude of variants that differ from region to region, to the point that it can get confusing for regular buyers to pick the variant the best suits their needs. There are both Intel and AMD models with different kinds of memories and storage, and with either LCD IPS or OLED displays. Furthermore, don’t confuse this 2021 Slim 7 Pro series with the Slim 7 from 2020 earlier 2021 , they are quite different in specs and performance.
Back to your review unit, this is the AMD Ryzen model with the 2.8K IPS display, one of the better-balanced configurations available for this series. It’s built on a full-power Ryzen 7 5800H processor with Vega graphics and 16 GB of RAM, paired with a competent thermal module and a 16:10 display. All these make up for one of the most powerful compact and lightweight laptops currently available, the kind that can easily tackle daily multitasking and demanding CPU-heavy workloads.
We’ve spent the last few weeks with a retail model of this notebook and gathered our thoughts and impressions down below, so you’ll know what to expect if you’re shopping for this series.
Specs as reviewed – Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro 14ACH5
Screen 14-inch 2.8K 2880 x 1800 px IPS, 16:10, 90 Hz, non-touch, glossy, Lenovo LEN8A90 panel2.2K IPS or 2.8K OLED options also available
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, 8C/16T (up to Ryzen 9 5900HX)Intel and Ryzen HS variants also available
Video AMD Radeon Vega 8, 8 CUs, 2.0 GHz
Memory 16 GB DDR4-3200 (soldered)LPPDR4x memory available in Intel and Ryzen HS variants
Storage 1x 1 TB SSD (Samsung PM9A1) – single M.2 2280 slot
Connectivity Wireless 6 (Realtek or Intel), Bluetooth 5.1
Ports 1x USB-A 3.1 gen1, 2x USB-C 3.1 gen2 with data, DP, charging, headphone/mic
Battery 61 Wh, 95 W USB-C charger
Size 312 mm or 12.3” (w) x 221 mm or 8.72” (d) x 16.9 mm or .67” (h)
Weight 1.38 kg (3.05 lb), .42 kg (.92 lbs) power brick, EU version
Extras white backlit keyboard, 2x 2W stereo speakers, HD webcam
There’s also a specific variant of this laptop built on Ryzen HS hardware with LPPDR4x memory and Nvidia MX450 graphics.
Furthermore, there are also Intel-based configurations of the Yoga Slim 7i Pro, built on the Tiger Lake H35 platform with Iris Xe graphics. Expect those to outmatch the AMD model in single-core CPU loads and light multitasking, as well as in workloads that could benefit from the faster Irix Xe graphics chip and some of the technological advantages of the more recent Intel platform, such as faster PCIe gen4 storage or Quick Sync support for specific video-editing software. The AMD models excel in CPU-heavy loads, though, as the Tiger Lake H35 merely offers 4C/8T processors, and not the 8C/16T available with the Ryzen 7 5800H or Ryzen 9 5900HX configurations.
Update: In the meantime, there’s an updated Yoga Slim 7 Pro X generation of this series, with improved ergonomics and more powerful specs.
Update 2: An even newer version of this laptop is available in the meantime, and here’s our coverage of the 2023 Lenovo Slim Pro 7 gen8 series .
Design and build This 2021 Yoga Slim 7 Pro is a bit narrower and taller than the 2020 Slim 7, but they’re about the same weight at roughly 1.4 kilos, and overall the design lines are similar between the two. The change is mostly because this Slim 7 Pro series gets a taller 16:10 display and needed the extra space inside for a more complex thermal design.
What we have here is the silver version of the Slim 7 Pro, and there’s also a darker-grey model available in some regions, called Slate Grey. This one does a better job at hiding smudges, but also looks a bit more boring and ordinary.
The aesthetics are standard for a recent Yoga/IdeaPad laptop, with clean pieces of metal and fairly minimal Lenovo/Yoga branding. Make sure to peel all those stickers from the arm-rest, though.
The build quality is spectacular here, with one of the sturdiest keyboard-decks in the segment and almost no flex in the lid either. I also haven’t noticed any creaky noises when using this laptop or picking it up from a corner.
Thick pieces of aluminum are used for the entire construction, with this sort of grainier rougher finishing that offers excellent grip and should resist scratches well, especially on this color. Still, to me, this kind of finishing doesn’t feel as premium as the smoother metals available on something like a MacBook Pro or even a ZenBook 14X or an Envy 14, but it should age better over time.
Lenovo implemented a sturdy hinge as well, the kind the keeps the screen in place as set-up and also allows one-handed adjustments, plus the ability to push back the display flat to 180 degrees.
Speaking of the display, that’s a 16:10 panel now with averagely sized bezels all around and a layer of protective glass. There’s an HD camera at the top, without IR or without a shutter on this variant. There is an optional IR+ Shutter camera available in some regions, but no finger-sensor in the power button, unlike on the previous Slim 7.
Furthermore, there was no longer enough space to have up-firing speakers next to the keyboard on this model, as a consequence of adopting this 16:10 format that lead to a slightly narrower chassis. Instead, the speakers are now firing from the bottom of the laptop.
The ergonomics are otherwise OK, but leave some to be desired. The rubber feet on the bottom are not very grippy and the laptop’s front lip is sharp and aggressive on the wrists, even if its effect is somewhat alleviated by this design’s slim profile.
The IO isn’t ideal, either, and overall a step-back from the previous Slim 7 series, despite this being a larger and thicker laptop. You’re only getting 2x USB-C ports here, with data, video, and charging, one USB-A, and 3.5 mm audio jack. This means you’ll need adapters for HDMI or a card-reader, etc.
I’ll also mention that the thermal design draws in fresh air from the bottom and pushes it out through vents placed under the hinge and screen. Normally, I’m not a fan of this sort of design, but it’s not that much of an issue here, as the internal cooling module does a good job at keeping everything within reasonable temperatures, and the plastic hinge cover soaks up most of the heat. We’ll touch on this further down.
All in all, this Yoga Slim 7 Pro design feels robust and built to last, but lacks some of the ergonomics and specifics that made me appreciate the Slim 7 model last year. The IO, biometrics, and speakers have been downgraded, and these might drive potential buyers away now when the competition also offers competent thin-and-light 14-inch designs with similar specs and features .
Keyboard and trackpad This Slim 7 Pro gets pretty much the same keyboard we’ve seen on the Slim 7 and recent IdeaPad 5 models, but an updated larger clickpad.
The keyboard’s layout is standard for this sort of portable Lenovo laptop, with full-sized and spaced keycaps. The half-sized Up and Down keys need some time to get used to, but everything else is where it should be. There’s no extra column of function keys on the right side, as on other 14-inch designs, and that’s why Home/End/PgUp/PgDn are only available as secondaries bound to the arrows keys.
The keycaps are plastic, slightly rounded a the bottom, and not as soft to the touch as on the upper-class Lenovo models, but still OK.
The typing experience is alright, with somewhat mushy feedback, but quiet actuations. Even the space key is very quiet here, making this excellent for typing in an office, class, or library. I know some are complaining about the spongy feedback of these Lenovo keyboards, but I find them quite alright for my typing style, and I’d expect most of you to be fine typing on this.
The keys are also backlit, with two brightness levels to choose from. These LEDs don’t get very bright and the light still creeps from underneath the keycaps, but at least they’re uniform and they do what they’re supposed to in the dark. I also like that there’s an LED indicator for Caps Lock and FnLock, as well as the fact that the illumination reactivates with a swipe over the clickpad once it times out.
The clickpad is larger than on other Yoga/Ideapad models and felt responsive and accurate with daily use during my time with this laptop. It’s still plastic, though, from what I can tell, and it is rather flimsy, as it rattles with firmer taps and the clicks are clunky and noisy.
As for biometrics, there aren’t any on this unit, but you can get IR cameras as an extra option (in select regions).
Screen The screen is one of the major selling points of this Yopa Slim 7 Pro series, as it’s a 16:10 format with high-res IPS or OLED panels. All of these are glossy on most Slim 7 Pro variants, but without touch.
What we have here is the better IPS option with 2.8K 2800 x 1800 px resolution, 90Hz refresh, 400-nits of brightness, excellent blacks and contrast, and 100% sRGB color coverage.
This is well-balanced for every use and workloads, but it’s not wide-gamut and it might not be bright enough for outdoor use or bright office environments, especially when you also have to consider the glare of the glass layer. Not a fan of this kind go glossy screens without touch support.
Here’s what we got in our tests, with a X-Rite i1 Display Pro sensor :
Panel HardwareID: Lenovo LEN8A90 (LEN140WQ+);
Coverage: 98.2% sRGB, 75.6% AdobeRGB, 78.8% DCI P3;
Measured gamma: 2.22;
Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 398.34 cd/m2 on power;
Min brightness in the middle of the screen: 1.24 cd/m2 on power;
Contrast at max brightness: 1518:1;
White point: 6200 K;
Black on max brightness: 0.26 cd/m2;
PWM: read below;
Response: 37 ms GtG.
The panel came well calibrated out of the box and proved uniform once further calibrated. We also noticed very little light bleeding around the edges.
Worth mentioning that this also gets dim on the lowest brightness settings, something to consider if you use your laptop at night, in the dark.
As per NBC’s tests (source ), PWM was used at sub 40% brightness levels at a 300Hz frequency on their unit tested around August 2021, the kind that users sensitive to flickering will notice. However, NBC also tested the Intel-variant of the Slim 7i Pro with the same panel, and that didn’t use PWM at all. We don’t have the right tools to properly test for flickering, but based on our rudimentary tests with a DSLR camera, there seems to be no flickering on this sample, so perhaps in the meantime, the PWM has been addressed with a software update.
Lenovo also offers a 2.2K 2400 x 1200 px IPS panel for this series, with only 300-nits of brightness, 60 Hz refresh, and still 100% sRGB color.
Furthermore, as of recently, there’s also a 2.8K OLED panel available for this series, with 400-nits of brightness, 90 Hz refresh, and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage. This is most likely the same Samsung panel available in a couple of other 14-inch 16:10 laptops such as the ZenBook 14X or VivoBook Pro 14X . Follow those links for more details on the OLED panel in either touch or non-touch variants. This here on the Slim 7 Pro is still the non-touch version.
Finally, Lenovo also offers a non-glare variant of the 2.8K IPS panel in the select configurations of this Slim 7 Pro built on the Ryzen HS hardware platform. Those are not available everywhere.
Hardware and performance Our test model is a mid-specced configuration of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro 14ACH5, with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 16 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, 1 TB of fast SSD storage, and Radeon Vega 8 graphics embedded into the AMD APU.
Our review unit is a retail model provided by Lenovo for this review, running on the software available as of early November 2021 (BIOS GZCN20WW, Lenovo Vantage 3.9.23.0).
Specs-wise, this generation of the Yoga Slim 7 Pro is based on the full-power 2021 AMD Ryzen 5000 H45 hardware platform, with options starting with the 6C/12T Ryzen 5 5600H processor, continuing with the 8C/16T Ryzen 7 5800H – on this unit, and going up to the 8C/16T Ryzen 7 5900HX. The system allows these to run at between 12.5 to 45 W of sustained power, between the different profiles.
Graphics are handled by the Radeon Vega chips with 8 EUs and frequencies of up to 2.0 GHz on the Vega 8 in the 5800H. The memory is DDR4-3200 on this laptop variant, soldered on the motherboard, and tops up at 16 GB.
However, there are also some Yoga Slim 7 Pro variants built on the more efficient Ryzen HS hardware platform with LPDDR4x memory (also up to 16 GB) and optional Nvidia MX450 graphics. Alongside, Lenovo also offers the Yoga Slim 7i Pro models built on Intel Tiger Lake H35 hardware with LPDDR4x memory and Iris Xe graphics. Holly molly!
The storage on our variant is a fast 1 TB Samsung drive. There’s a single M.2 2280 SSD slot on this laptop.
Accessing the components is a basic task, you just need to pop out the back panel that’s held in place by a handful of Torx screws. Careful there might be a warranty sticker on some of the screws, like on our unit here.
As far as the software goes, everything can be controlled through the Lenovo Vantage app, which offers access to the power profiles, keyboard customization options, system updates, battery settings, etc. I find this unified implementation one of the better system control apps in this segment.
There are three performance/thermal profiles to choose from, and you can switch between them by pressing Fn+Q:
Battery Saving – limits the CPU at 12.5W sustained and keeps the fans mostly idle;
Intelligent Cooling – limits the CPU at 35W sustained, and ramps that fans to 37-41 dB at head-level in sustained loads;
Extreme Performance – further bumps the CPU to 45W sustained, with the fans at around 40-41 dB.
I’ve kept my unit on Intelligent Cooling most of the time, and only switched to Extreme Performance for benchmarks and gaming. The fans rest completely silent with daily use on Intelligent Cooling, and rarely kick in with heavier multitasking, which causes the laptop to run a bit on the warmer side, but that’s a compromise worth taking for a completely silent computer .
The next part of this article goes over this laptop’s performance in demanding loads, benchmarks, and games.
We start by testing the CPU’s sustained performance by running the Cinebench R15 benchmark for 15+ times in a loop, with 2-3 seconds delay between each run, on the Performance mode.
TheRyzen 7 5800H processor in our unit peaks at 60W and then quickly stabilizes at 45 W, with clock speeds of ~3.3 GHz, temperatures of 85+ degrees Celsius, and fan-noise levels of around 40-41 dB. The CPU is power-capped limited here and ends up running at roughly 85% of its maximum theoretical performance in an un-limited implementation.
On Balanced, the system limits the fans to 37-38 dB at head-level, and the CPU stabilizes at 35W with clocks around 3.0 GHz and temperatures around 80 degrees C.
You can also opt for the Battery Saver mode, with limits the CPU to 12.5W with now idle fans and temperatures in the low-50s. In this case, the laptop delivers ~50% of the performance measured on the Extreme Performance profile.
Finally, this Yoga runs at 35W on the Extreme Performance mode when unplugged, which is excellent performance for a portable design. All these findings are detailed in the chart below.
To put these in perspective, here’s how this Ryzen 7 5800H implementation fares in this Cinebench loop test against other AMD/Intel portable laptops. This is competitive against other 8C models, even if Ryzen 9 implementations outmatch it at similar power. The Intel 4C platform is no match in this test, even at similar power levels.
We then ran the 3DMark CPU profile test, where the R7-5800H in this chassis did not score as well as I was expecting in comparison to other mobile laptops.
We then went ahead and further verified our findings with the more taxing Cinebench R23 loop test and the gruesome Prime 95.
We also ran our combined CPU+GPU stress tests on this notebook. 3DMark stress runs the same test for 20 times in a loop and looks for performance variation and degradation over time, and this unit easily passed it, which means there are no significant performance losses that might be caused by thermal throttling on this laptop.
Next, here are some benchmark results. We ran the entire suite of tests and benchmarks on the Extreme Performance profile on this Ryzen 7 5800H configuration, with the screen set on FHD resolution, for consistency with other laptops tested in the past. Here’s what we got.
3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 3481 (Graphics – 3788, Physics – 22439, Combined – 1211);3DMark 13 – Nigh Raid: 15327 (Graphics – 16725, CPU – 10403);3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 1399 (Graphics – 1225, CPU – 7200);Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 2539;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 754;Handbrake 1.3.3 (4K to 1080p encode): 38.89 average fps;PassMark10: Rating: 5656 (CPU: 21435, 3D Graphics: 2509, Disk: 28583);PCMark 10: 6270 (E – 10565, P – 9447, DCC – 6703);GeekBench 5.3.1 64-bit: Single-Core: 1485, Multi-core: 5718;CineBench R15 (best run): CPU 1908 cb, CPU Single Core 229 cb;CineBench R20 (best run): CPU 4030 cb, CPU Single Core 548 cb;CineBench R23 (best run): CPU 10266 cb, CPU Single Core 1406 cb;x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit: 41.13 fps;
And some workstation benchmarks, on the same Extreme Performance profile:
Blender 2.90 – BMW Car scene- CPU Compute: 3m 45s;Blender 2.90 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 9m 46s;SPECviewerf 2020 – 3DSMax: 16.26;SPECviewerf 2020 – Catia: 12.48;SPECviewerf 2020 – Creo: 29.52;SPECviewerf 2020 – Energy: .94;SPECviewerf 2020 – Maya: 51.35;SPECviewerf 2020 – Medical: 10;SPECviewerf 2020 – SNX: 35.62;SPECviewerf 2020 – SW: 26.13;PugetBench – Davinci Resolve: 350;V-Ray 5 Benchmark: CPU – 7856, GPU CUDA – 189.
These are good results for a mobile Ryzen 7 5800H implementation.
In multi-core tests, the CPU ends up at 80-90% of the maximum performance this chip is capable of in a full-size unlimited chassis, while in single-core tests it matches the results of any other 5800H laptop.
Compared to the 2020 Yoga Slim 7 built on the Ryzen 7 4800U platform , this ends up 10-20% faster in single and multi-core tests, with a greater difference in the longer duration tests that benefit from the higher sustained power of this model.
On the GPU side, the Radeon Vega is on par with the same chip in the previous Slim 7, and not very competitive by today’s standards. Even the Intel Riger Lake H28/H35 platforms available in this same space outscore it by 10-20%, or even more in some loads that favor the Intel architecture. Hopefully, this should change with next-gen AMD 6000 hardware and RDNA2 graphics.
If you’re after improved GPU performance in this chassis, you should look into that Ryzen HS + MX450 configuration, if available and fairly priced in your region.
We also ran a couple of DX11, DX12, and Vulkan titles on the Extreme Performance profile of this Ryzen 7 + Vega 8 configuration, at the screen’s native FHD+ resolution and at FHD 1080p, with Low/Lowest graphics settings. We tested at FHD – 1080p as well so we can compare these results with other similar platforms tested in the past. Here’s what we got:
Ryzen 7 5800H + Vega Yoga Slim 7 Pro, Yoga Slim 7 Pro, ZenBook 14X ,ZenBook 14X ,ZenBook 14 UM425 ,ZenBook 13 UM325 ,IdeaPad 5 14 ,IdeaPad Slim 7 ,
Bioshock Infinite (DX 11, Low Preset) 80 fps (59 fps – 1% low)
87 fps (59 fps – 1% low)
81 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
89 fps (38 fps – 1% low)
91 fps (71 fps – 1% low)
78 fps (54 fps – 1% low)
75 fps (54 fps – 1% low)
81 fps (58 fps – 1% low)
Dota 2 (DX 11, Best Looking Preset) 57 fps (43 fps – 1% low)
62 fps (48 fps – 1% low)
72 fps (54 fps – 1% low)
76 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
64 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
54 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
55 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
53 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
Far Cry 5 (DX 11, Low Preset, no AA) 26 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
28 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
31 fps (21 fps – 1% low)
34 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
30 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
26 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
24 fps (19 fps – 1% low)
28 fps (24 fps – 1% low)
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (DX 11, Lowest Preset) 47 fps (37 fps – 1% low)
52 fps (41 fps – 1% low)
73 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
81 fps (62 fps – 1% low)
55 fps (44 fps – 1% low)
51 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
45 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
54 fps (43 fps – 1% low)
Shadow of Tomb Raider (DX12, Lowest Preset, no AA) 34 fps (20 fps – 1% low)
37 fps (31 fps – 1% low)
41 fps (24 fps – 1% low)
45 fps (29 fps – 1% low)
41 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
33 fps (18 fps – 1% low)
32 fps (23 fps – 1% low)
38 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
Strange Brigade (Vulkan, Low Preset) 38 fps (33 fps – 1% low)
41 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
48 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
52 fps (24 fps – 1% low)
44 fps (37 fps – 1% low)
39 fps (33 fps – 1% low)
38 fps (33 fps – 1% low)
41 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (DX 11, Low Preset, Hairworks Off) 25 fps (19 fps – 1% low)
26 fps (20 fps – 1% low)
41 fps (21 fps – 1% low)
44 fps (23 fps – 1% low)
27 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
21 fps (17 fps – 1% low)
24 fps (17 fps – 1% low)
28 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
Dota 2, NFS, Witcher 3 – recorded with MSI Afterburner in game mode;
Bioshock, Far Cry 5, Middle Earth, Strange Brigade, Tomb Raider games – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities;
We’re looking at 60+ framerates in older titles, but 20-40 fps in the more recent AAA games. Demanding games are a challenge for this sort of hardware.
The logs down below show the CPU/GPU clocks and temperatures in a couple of games, on the Extreme Performance profile.
The Ryzen hardware runs somewhere in the 35-45W of power between the tested titles, with the GPU maintaining its maximum clock of 2.0 GHz all the time. As for the temperatures, we measured mid-80s C on the CPU and low-70s C on the GPU in FarCry 5 that draws 45W of constant power, and 75 C on the CPU with mid-60s C on the GPU in Witcher 3 and 35W of power.
Lifting up the laptop from the desk improves the airflow into the fans and helps lower those temperatures by 2-10 degrees, especially in the case of FarCry 5 which returns higher temps with the laptop on the desk. Using a cooling pad underneath this should make an even bigger difference in the temperatures, but none of these tricks help improve the gaming performance, as that’s already maxed out by default.
Switching over to the Intelligent Cooling profile doesn’t change anything here, resulting in the same performance, temperatures, and fan noise as on Extreme Performance.
Finally, this laptop performs quite well when unplugged, averaging 32-35W of sustained power in Witcher 3, pretty much on par with the performance delivered with the laptop plugged in. It also averages 35W is Far Cry 5, with a slight toll on the framerates in this case.
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others Lenovo went with an advanced thermal module here, the most complex we’ve seen so far on this kind of portable laptop. They use two fans and two heatpipes, which is not uncommon, but the particularity is the fact that both heatpipes cover both the CPU and GPU, which is excellent for the 45W combined output of this implementation.
As a result, the components end up running at good temperatures at max load. Sure, the fans are a little choked out, and lifting up the laptop or placing it on a cooling pad has a big impact on those internal temperatures, but you can also run demanding loads with the laptop sitting on the desk here.
The hot air is pushed into the screen with this design, but even in FarCry 5 that pushes the system to 45W sustained, the panel never goes above mid to high 30s, as the plastic bezel soaks up most of the heat. In fact, the entire chassis rests cooler than on other portable designs with even less powerful specs.
As far as the noise goes, the fans spin at 40-41 dB at head-level on the Extreme Performance and somewhere between 37-41 dB on Intelligent Cooling, based on load.
On the other hand, with daily use, this Yoga runs completely silent on both the Battery Saver or the Intelligent Cooling modes, with the fans resting idly most of the time. I haven’t noticed any coil whine or electronic noises on this unit.
*Daily Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for 30 minutes, Intelligent Cooling Mode, fans at 0-35 dB
For connectivity, there’s the latest-gen WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 with a Realtek module on this unit. It performed well with our setup and the signal and performance remained strong at 30-feet, with obstacles in between. From what I’m seeing, some Yoga Slim 7 Pro models might ship with the superior Intel AX201 wifi chips.
Audio is handled by a set of stereo speakers that fire through grills on the underside. With the rounded shape of the D-Panel, the sound bounces off the table and the grills are not easily muffled when using the computer on the lap.
The audio isn’t much here, though, with only middling volumes at 72-73 dB at head level, and middling quality with little base. I feel that these speakers are a downgrade from those implemented on the previous Slim 7 series, and even from the upfiring speakers in the IdeaPad 5 lineups .
Finally, I should mention there’s an HD camera placed at the top of the screen, OK for occasional calls, but washed out and not much in terms of quality either.
Battery life There’s a 61 Wh battery inside this Yoga Slim 7 Pro series, on par with what the competition offers in this sort of performance 14-inch notebook.
Here’s what we got on this unit, with the screen set at around 120-nits (60% brightness) and running at 90 Hz.
12.5 W (~5+ h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Intelligent + Better Battery Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;8 W (6+ h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Intelligent + Better Battery Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;7.5 W (6+ h of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Intelligent + Better Battery Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;11 W (~5-6 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Intelligent + Better Performance Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON.
Continuously using the keyboard seems to affect the battery life here, which impacted our Text Editing scenario.
Also, this unit ended up less efficient than other Ryzen models tested recently. Switching over the screen to 60 Hz (Fn+R) should help squeeze a little longer runtimes with streaming and light loads.
The laptop ships with a 95W charger that plugs in via USB-C. It’s a dual-piece design with an averagely sized brick, but long and thick cables that add up to about .42 kilos in weight. A full charge takes about 2 hours, with quick charging at the beginning.
Price and availability- Yoga Slim 7 Pro The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro is available in stores at the time of this post, but the availability and configurations vary greatly between the different regions.
Over here in Europe, this Ryzen 7 + 16 GB RAM + 1 TB SSD + 2.8K IPS configuration goes for around 1200 EUR, which is competitive for what this is. Ryzen 5 configurations with the 2.2K display can be found for under 1000 EUR in many European countries, while the OLED variants are also available in some regions and selling for a roughly 100 EUR premium over the 2.8K IPS versions.
That AMD Ryzen HS + MX450 confirmation with the matte screen seems to be available in certain parts of Asia for now, but not over here.
Furthermore, I can’t find any of these AMD Slim 7 Pro models in the UK or North America at the time of this article, but the Intel-based Yoga Slim 7i Pro models are somewhat available over there. Hopefully, the availability will change in the near future, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Lenovo decides to segment these configurations between markets.
We’ll update when we know more, and in the meantime, follow this link for updated prices and configurations in your region .
Final thoughts- Yoga Slim 7 Pro This updated Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro checks a lot of the right boxes in its niche of powerful ultra-compact laptops .
The performance in sustained loads, paired with some very well balanced power profiles, thermals, and noise levels are the primary selling point of this series over other compact notebooks with similar capabilities, and that’s mostly because of the beefy thermal module inside this design, which allows higher sustained power settings, lower temperatures, and quieter fans than on competing products.
Alongside, this Yoga Slim 7 Pro 14-inch series is also built very well, with a sturdy chassis and materials designed to last the daily hassle and age well; it also offers a big battery and several good 16:10 screen options.
On the other hand, there are some areas where this Slim 7 Pro feels like a downgrade from the previous Slim 7 series. The metals feel a little rougher and less premium to the touch, the IO has been gutted of biometrics, HDMI, or a card reader, and the speakers have been pushed to the bottom and lack in audio quality. Furthermore, the inputs aren’t quite on par with what some of the competitors offer these days.
Among those, the Asus ZenBook 14X and the HP Envy 14 come to mind as direct rivals of this series, but also the Huawei MateBook 14 as a more affordable daily driver, or the Acer Swift X 14 or the Asus VivoBook Pro 14X as even more powerful 14-inch laptops with dedicated graphics .
All in all, I still expect the Yoga Slim 7 Pro to be a solid buy in its class for those of your looking for a competent daily driver with the ability to occasionally run demanding loads. Don’t get this for gaming or any GPU loads, though, the Vega graphics isn’t much by today’s standards. You could perhaps consider the Intel variants for that, but you’re sacrificing on multi-core CPU performance there, and if you’re looking to edit photos or videos on your laptop, you should also consider the OLED variant with the wide-gamut panel over the IPS tested here.
This wraps up our review of the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro 14ACH5, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions, and feedback down below, so get in touch.
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Review by: Andrei Girbea
Andrei Girbea is a Writer and Editor-in-Chief here at Ultrabookreview.com . I write about mobile technology, laptops and computers in general. I've been doing it for more than 15 years now. I'm a techie with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. I mostly write reviews and thorough guides here on the site, with some occasional columns and first-impression articles.
Colin
November 6, 2021 at 8:59 pm
Hi Andrei !
I'm considering buying the 16" Slim 7 Pro and would like get it at the lowest possible price.
So I'm wondering what gain to expect from the Ryzen 7 5800H option over Ryzen 5 5600H, and especially from any of the GTX 1650 or RTX 3050 options over the integrated Vega Graphics.
The laptop won't be running video games but will be used for photo editing with Adobe Lightroom Classic.
I would appreciate your thoughts on this :-)
Andrei Girbea
November 8, 2021 at 11:58 am
You should look for our reviews of the configurations that you're interested in. This, for example, shows a difference between a 3050 and Vega graphics: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/51160-asus-vivobook-pro-15-m3500-review/#a5
Colin
November 18, 2021 at 12:24 am
Thanks Andrei,
I just took a look, and it seems that Vega could perform quite as well as 3050 for photo editing.
Andrei Girbea
November 18, 2021 at 10:58 am
yes, photo editing doesn't rely much on graphics.
Colin
November 6, 2021 at 10:03 pm
Bonus question : are you able to list similar laptops with built-in SD card reader (not µSD, I just can't see the reason to be of this over a full SD reader on a laptop…) ?
My ideal laptop would come with SD card reader, numpad, at least 16 GB RAM, 15" or 16" 16/10 screen 100% sRGB or better and good color calibration, Ryzen 5 or 7 processor, and AZERTY (french) keyboard !
Andrei Girbea
November 8, 2021 at 11:59 am
Added it to our to-do list. will take some time, though, there are lots of others in there
Jiri Markvart
November 9, 2021 at 3:52 pm
Hi, nice review! Would you recommend this laptop for management work? This means mainly office productivity (word, heavy excel usage, outlook, etc.) software. No photo/video editing, no gaming. My main requirements are fairly long battery life (at least 8h of office work), maximum 14" display, 16:10 ratio, ideally something more than FHD resolution. Does any other laptop (ultrabook) come to mind? I can get this one here in Czech Republic with an OLED display (Ryzen 7, 16GB ram, 1TB ssd) for under 1500 USD, which is, give or take 200 USD, my budget.
Andrei Girbea
November 9, 2021 at 4:35 pm
This should do very well, just make sure you're OK with the potential culprits of OLEDs with static interfaces (such as in excel, word, browser) and take the precautions to combat them – not use the screen at very high brightness, use full-screen mode as much as possible, activate an aggressive screensaver, etc. The Vivobook 14 and ZenBook 14 from Asus would be other options to consider, similarly powerful and with OLED, but might not be available in stores yet and might not be as competitively priced. This Yoga is very competitive in the Eastern EU markets
ARYA.
May 11, 2022 at 1:56 pm
Is it good for my study as software engineering ? Which one i7 11370H or R7 5800H ?