Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) review: a purposefully improved update
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Two-minute review
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) was praised for its outstanding performance power within a chassis that was only a bit above five pounds in our review last year. There were a few compromises made in making this one of the best gaming laptops available. For the latest iteration of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i, there are some adequate updates in both power and performance with some caveats including the uncomfortably huge packed-in power brick. Meanwhile, the gaming laptop manages to even weigh a bit lighter than its predecessor as well at a little under five pounds.
Though the Legion Slim 7i may struggle with native 4K resolutions, it shines exceptionally in the 1440p range. This means graphically intensive games ranging from Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield and the likes run wonderfully. Be mindful that those types of power pushing tasks will have the cooling system fans run noticeably louder than they already do at menial tasks like web browsing. Battery life is slightly above average and won’t last more than 7 hours which is good for a coastal trip. It also means that the gaming laptop won’t survive playing games with higher visual fidelity without the power supply.
Packed into this year’s Legion Slim 7i is a 14 core 13th gen Intel i9, 16GB DDR5 RAM, Nvidia RTX 4070 and 1TB SSD storage. There’s also an impressive audio/visual package thanks to the beautiful 16-inch 2560 X 1600 display offering a 240Hz refresh rate and great Harman speakers as well. Other carryovers from the previous version include an individually per-key lit RGB keyboard alongside generous port selection. Packed in apps like Lenovo Vantage are totally fine for customizing one’s experience but other apps like Legion Arena and WebAdviser feel like unnecessary bloatware.
Not much has improved significantly with the latest Legion Slim 7i and that’s totally fine. What has changed is that it’s incrementally more powerful and lighter which means more than anything. Simply put, this is one of the best thin and light gaming laptops released this year.
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Price & availability
How much does it cost? Starting at $1,499.99 / £1,820 / AU$2,719
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
Depending on the territory one is in, there are going to be various pricing options for the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023). In the United States, there are three configurations available alongside the ability to customizable a build. The review spec version I receive will run potential buyers around $1,749.
There are more affordable options around $1,499 that includes a 13th gen Intel i7, Nvidia RTX 4060, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD storage with ability to bump that down to 512GB SSD for around $50 less. At the highest $2,211 tier, the customizable build includes everything in the review build alongside the ability to push the RAM up to 32GB and a better 3200 x 2000 display with 165Hz refresh rate.
In the UK, there’s a £1,980 pre-build that features a 13th Gen Intel i9, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 4070, 1TB SSD storage and the 3200 x 2000 display. The other customizable configurations are split between £1,820.00 - £2,300.00 with the two similar Intel CPU, RAM, storage, GPU and display options similar to the U.S. Regardless of which of the $2,719 singular pre-built or two customizable builds between $3,089 and $3,799, they all come with the 3200 x 2000 display at 165Hz refresh rate. The pre-build comes with Intel i7, 32GB, Nvidia RTX 4060 and 1TB SSD.
The Legion Slim 7i is definitely less expensive than Razer Blade 14 or MSI Stealth GS66 while offering similar power. Within the realm of slim form gaming laptops, it’s safe to call it one of the most approachable when it comes to price.
Price score: 4.5 / 5
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Specs
My review configuration of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) sits in the middle price wise at $1749 and features a Intel i9 CPU, NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD storage and 16-inch WQXGA display with a 240Hz refresh rate.
The cheapest configuration Intel i7 CPU, NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB SSD storage and same 16-inch display that comes in the review configuration. Potential buyers with a bit more expendable cash can look toward a customizable version that’ll cost around $2,211. This comes with everything in the review configuration in addition to 32GB DDR RAM and 16-inch 3.2K display at a 165Hz refresh rate.
Outside of different choices in CPU, GPU, RAM and SSD storage, one of the most notable difference is the ability to choose between two different 16-inch displays. One being the standard WQXGA (2560 x 1600 resolution) pumping out 240Hz refresh rates and 3.2K (3200 x 2000 resolution) at a refresh rate of 165Hz. Legion has a configuration tool to create the best set-up for buyers as well.
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Design
More lightweight than ever notwithstanding power increase
Adequate port selection
Awesome RGB keyboard that’s beautifully lit
Like its predecessor, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) balances both form and function when it comes to overall design. When closed, it’s really easy to appreciate the all-metal chassis made from sandblasted aluminum and magnesium. The Legion Slim 7i provides a quality finish that doesn’t smudge yet feels like it’s noticeably tough when it comes to chassis build.
Port placement has changed slightly but feels overall familiar compared to last year’s model. In the lower rear is an HDMI port and three USB-A ports. There’s also a power port that connects to a large power brick that’s still a bit unwieldy and feels heavier than the laptop itself. For added measure, the rear ports feature light-up icons on the top of the laptop’s bottom as the display itself is offset about an inch from them. Some of the smaller changes to the port layout take place on the side, the audio jack is on the left side near the dual USB-C ports. On the left side is the SD slot for content creators and camera shutter for privacy. When closed it’s about less than an inch as well.
When opened, the Legion Slim 7i still features the power button/fingerprint scanner sitting in the middle of the Harmen speakers. The audio quality of the speakers sounds good when listening to music, gaming or watching video content. However, playing graphically intensive games will ensure the cooling fans are running at full blast. This means it’ll probably be best to have a pair of headphones handy.
The display itself is a joy to look at with beautifully bold colors, deep blacks and respectable brightness. On top of the display is a 1080p webcam that also features dual microphones as well which is solid for video conferencing and probably streaming with the right backlighting. Below that is the wonderfully lit per-key RGB keyboard that feels comfortable to use when typing documents or gaming. The trackpad below feels smooth to the touch when moving the cursor around and offers a nice tactile click when pressed in.
All of this comes in a slim package that fits well in even a backpack or briefcase. If anything, the power brick really hurts portability. Laying down or on the lap, the Legion Slim 7i doesn’t feel uncomfortable to use for long periods of time.
Design score: 4 / 5
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Performance
Can run most AAA games at native 1440p range with max settings well
Runs well with creative based software
Don’t expect to make total use of the 240Hz on visually intensive games
Cooling fans are incredibly loud
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Laptop benchmarks
Here's how the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i: Benchmarks performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 61244 ; Fire Strike: 25797; Time Spy: 12202
GeekBench 6: 2653 (single-core); 2653 (multi-core)
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition (1080p, Extreme): 49.11 fps; (1080p, High): 93.73 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 88.23fps; (1080p, Low): 125.12fps
Dirt 5 (1920x1200, Ultra): 103.90fps; (1920x1200, Low): 213.00fps
25GB File Copy: 2006.553812
Handbrake 1.6: 4:28
CrossMark: Overall: 1948 Productivity: 1908 Creativity: 2044 Responsiveness: 1794
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 7 hours 01 minute
PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Life: 59 hours
As mentioned previously, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) manages to pack more performance power in an even smaller case compared to the previous version. When it comes to general computing tasks, this gaming laptop can handle dozens of Google Chrome tabs without any slow down or stuttering and can open apps from Tidal to the Xbox app instantly. Watching 4K video and listening to hi-fi quality audio wasn’t a problem either. Considering the component specs of the Legion Slim 7i, it’s interesting how loud the cooling fans can get even while running applications that take significantly less processing power than performance pushing games.
When it comes to games, the lightweight gaming laptop can pretty much play all of the best AAA games at native 1440p with admirable frame rates. Cyberpunk 2077 managed to get 88 frames-per-second on average during benchmark tests. Adding ray-tracing into the mix bumped that down around ten which still put it above 60fps. Though Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition could only get 49fps, it’s still above 30fps which makes it still playable. Providing the highest frame rate was Dirt 5 which pushed out 103 fps at Ultra settings.
The good thing about these frame rates is that they can be improved through the use of Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling which is compatible with the games mentioned. Despite the serviceable performance, don’t expect to utilize the 240Hz refresh rate either. The only game that got in that ballpark was Dirt 5 at low settings.
Adobe Creative Suite software users will have much to celebrate with the Legion Slim 7i between gaming sessions. Photoshop didn’t run slow when playing around with 4K resolution photos and added layers. On the other side, exports on Premier Pro were pretty instant with a minute video taking somewhere in the ballpark of less than one minute.
Performance score: 4.5 / 5
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Battery
General battery life is around 7 hours
Charging to full battery takes a bit over an hour
Expectations for battery life on these types of gaming focused laptops aren’t necessarily high as most games usually top out after around an hour and similar results come with Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023).
During the PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Life test, the gaming laptop only lasted around 59 minutes. However, general battery life is fairly average for better or worse. The web surfing had the Legion Slim 7i top out at 7 hours which is good enough for a bi-coastal trip. Though it’s not ideal, it’s still better than competing lightweight gaming laptops.
Charging takes a little over an hour to get to full battery life and there are two ways to juice up the gaming laptop. The most obvious is through the port in the back that connects to the big power brick. It can also use the USB-C to recharge up to 140W which means users could use a Macbook charger but that may affect performance.
Battery score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023)?
Buy it if...
You want a gaming laptop that doesn’t weigh a lot
Large power brick aside, the Legion Slim 7i design weighs under five pounds and less than the size of a quarter when closed.
You require significant performance power
Size be damned as the gaming laptop has a powerful combo of a Intel i9, 16GB DDR5 RAM and Nvidia RTX 4070 that allows great performance across the many visually impressive AAA games.
Don't buy it if...
You want a laptop that is quieter
Even when using web browsers or music streaming apps, the cooling fans can get extremely loud.
Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023): Also consider
If the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...
How I tested the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i (2023)
I tested this over three weeks
It was used for general and creative tasks alongside gaming
Games played include Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield, Hi-Fi Rush and Forza Horizon 5
During my three weeks with the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i, most of the time was split between using Google Chrome for various tasks, gaming and using creative software. I used the laptop at both home and in office spaces. Most of the time, the Legion Slim 7i was plugged in outside of a few occasions.
To witness how far the gaming laptop could go performance wise, I tested some of the biggest demanding games on it including Forza Horizon 5, Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield and Hi-Fi Rush. I used both Adobe Photoshop and Premier to try out how well it would work for creatives.
I have spent the past several years writing dozens of features on PC Gaming for TechRadar. Pieces ranging from reviews on various components and hardware alongside editorials exploring PC Gaming culture at large.
First reviewed September 2023
