Let’s go over the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition in this review, a 15-inch thin-and-light chassis paired with a beautiful IPS touchscreen, Intel Lunar Lake hardware and a big battery.
This is designed as a versatile daily use laptop and tackles a very popular niche with devices such as the Apple MacBook Air 15, the Asus ZenBook S 16 or maybe the base-level version of the Dell XPS 16. However, with Lunar Lake, it’s not a very powerful notebook, so it’s mostly meant for casual use and less so for professional applications.
It is nonetheless an intriguing offer, especially in the Core Ultra 7 256V variant that goes on sale for as low as $999 on Lenovo’s website, $300 off the $1299 MSRP tag. Our review unit is the higher tier Core Ultra 7 258V model with 32 GB of bundled RAM, which cost $100 more. We’ll discuss the differences between the two variants in the article.
In fact, down below I’ve gathered my thoughts and impressions after using this Yoga Slim 7i over the last two weeks, so you’ll know what to expect if interested in getting one of these.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition specs
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 15ILL9 series, gen 9, late-2024 model
Screen 15.3 inch, IPS, 16:10 aspect ratio, touch, glossy,
Processor Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V, 4PC+4LPE/8T, up to 4.8 GHz
Video Intel Arc 140V, 8 Xe Cores, up to 2.05 GHz
Memory 32 GB LPDDR5-8533 (soldered)
Storage 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD (Micron MTFDKCD1T0TGE) – 1x M.2 2242 slot
Connectivity Wireless 7 (Intel BE211) 2×2, Bluetooth 5.4
Ports left: 1x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS, 1x audio jack
Battery 70 Wh, 65W USB-C charger
Size 344 mm or 13.54” (w) x 235 mm or 9.27” (d) x from 13.9 mm or 0.55” (h)
Weight 3.4 lbs (1.55 kg) + .25 (.6 lbs) for the USB-C charger and cables, EU version
Extras all-aluminum clamshell format with 180-degree hinge, dual-fan dual-radiator cooling,
Design, build quality – premium 15-inch portable chassis This Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i is about the same size and weight as a MacBook Air 15, with whom it clearly competes for potential ownership. But there are a handful of important differences between the two, some in favor of the Yoga, some in favor of the MacBook.
The build quality of this Yoga Slim chassis is surprisingly sturdy, with no flex in the main chassis or the lid, and no funny squeaky noises when picking this up and using it daily. Most slim Windows laptops aren’t as well made.
Aesthetically, Lenovo only offers this series in a dark-gray color, close to the Space Gray variant of the MacBook. Looks nice, classy, professional, and does an excellent job at hiding smudges.
Their branding is perhaps a little heavy, though, with a shinny Lenovo engraving on the lid and a shinny Yoga sign on the armrest, plus a few other stickers and markups. That Lenovo Aura Edition markup under the left ctrl key is quite subtle and beautiful, but I could like without some of the others. In comparison, the Lenovo Yoga 9i is a cleaner design.
Where this notebook shines is overall ergonomics, with grippy rubber feet, rounded edges all around, a display that can lean flat back to 180 degrees, and no lights or LEDs in the line of sight.
The hinge is quite stiff, though, so you’ll need both hands to open this up, albeit that might change over time as the mechanism wears off. There is perhaps a reasoning behind this stiffer hinge, as it was required to properly keep the screen part in place without wobbling, as this part is quite heavy in comparison to the main chassis, as a result of implementing an IPS touch panel.
I’ll also add that this laptop also offers a spacious armrest with a large touchpad in the middle and a minimalist keyboard, flanked by speakers. I prefer this approach over having a NumPad section in a device of this kind, kike Asus offer on their VivoBook S 15 Copilot+ model . Speaking of, that could be an alternative to this Yoga as well, with Snapdragon hardware, an OLED display and a lighter chassis.
Anyway, back to this Yoga, this chassis hides the cooling exhausts behind the hinge, under the display, and some of the hot air is pushed into the screen with sustained loads. But as you’ll see in the next sections, thermals are never an issue on this device, so no worries about it.
Finally, there’s the IO. Lenovo bundled plenty of ports on this thin notebook, with full-size USB-A and HDMI, an audio jack, as well as two USB-Cs. I much appreciate that they put USB-Cs on both edges, something most other portable designs don’t offer. This way you can charge the laptop on either side, according to your setup.
Oh, and for what is worth, I took a side by side picture of this Yoga Slim 7i next to a ZenBook S 16 that I had lying around, which is another alternative worth considering, especially as a premium option running Windows. I didn’t have an MBA 15 and didn’t think of taking some side by side pictures against my 13-inch MacBook Air.
Keyboard, touchpad The keyboard on this Yoga is a standard layout with gray keycaps that color match the laptop’s overall color. I generally prefer the looks of black keyboards, but this one is neat and hides finger oil very well.
The typing experience is alright overall, with good feedback and a fairly deep key stroke. It took me a while to figure out that the plastic used for the keycaps isn’t that grippy, though, and that can impact accuracy when typing. The keycaps have a small dash in them, but the plastic coating is quite slippery.
I also found this keyboard a little on the louder side, especially the Space key. But for the most part, this is an OK typer. Not quite in par with the MacBook imo, but better than on the Zenbook and VivoBook models tested recently.
These keys are backlit, with 2-level white LEDs. They’re bright and uniform, but plenty of light shines from underneath the keycaps, due to their height, and I found that annoying when using the laptop at night in a dim room.
The touchpad is glass and spacious. It works fine with swipes and taps and gestures and everything, and the physical clicks on the corners are alright as well. Palm rejection could be improved though, as I noticed a fair bit of ghost touches and taps during my time with this computer.
I’ll also mention that there’s a thick enough lip to the bottom and the top of this touchpad, which enhances the laptop’s practicality when used on the lap or on the couch, as it prevents fake touches from your clothes or other objects. That might no sound like much, but actually matters a lot, especially when compared to designs with touchpads that go all the way to the front such as the MacBook Air or the Zenbook S 16.
As for biometrics, there’s no finger sensor on this series, but there’s an IR capable camera at the top of the display. With a physical e-Shutter.
15.3-inch IPS 120Hz display, touch This Yoga is one of the very few thin-and-light modern laptops that don’t ship with an OLED panel these days, but instead get a good-quality IPS display. That alone is a major selling point of this Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition series, for a few reasons.
For starters, this panel gets brighter than an OLED, at 500+ nits. Then, it doesn’t suffer from any flickering at any brightness level. And finally, not being an OLED makes it a much more care-free option for general use. That aside, this IPS also supports 120Hz refresh rates and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, with excellent default color calibration and uniformity.
On the other hand, blacks and contrast aren’t as punchy as on an OLED, and the response time isn’t instantaneous either. Plus, there’s some light bleeding around the edges, noticeable at high brightness levels.
Despite these, I would choose this IPS over most current OLEDs, even if it’s a touch implementation with a glossy finishing that comes with a lot of glare, especially noticeable in bright environments where that right IPS would normally shine over an OLED. A matte implementation would have been nice.
Hardware and performance – Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 Our test model is a top-specced version of the 2024 Lenovo Slim 7i, code name 15ILL9, with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor and Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics, 32 GB of LPDDR5x-8500 memory, and a middling 1TB gen4 SSD.
Disclaimer: This is a retail unit offered for review by Lenovo. I tested it with the software available as of early-December 2024 (BIOS NYCN59WW, Vantage 4.2.24.0 app, Intel V32.0.101.6314 driver). The laptop has been available in stores for a few months now, so little can further change with later updates at this point.
Important: I initially tested the laptop with the iGPU driver available from Lenovo, but noticed subpar performance in tests and games, so eventually updated to the latest Intel Arc driver available on Intel’s site. This changed things, but there’s still a hiccup when it comes to gaming, which we’ll discuss in the right section below.
Spec-wise, this series is based on Intel’s Lunar Lake V hardware platform, with Core Ultra 200V processors and Arc integrated graphics.
Lunar Lake is an SoC (System on a Chip) architecture, which means the CPU, GPU, NPU, cache, RAM, connectivity, and a handful of other features are all integrated on the same chip.
The CPU on this review unit is the higher-end Core Ultra 7 258V, but a Core Ultra 7 256V is also available on most configurations. The two are similar on the CPU side, with 4 Performance Cores, 4 Low Power Efficiency Cores, and a total of 8 Threads.
The RAM is integrated into the SoC on Lunar Lake hardware, and the Core Ultra 7 258V integrates 32 GB of LPDDR5x-8533 memory, while the Ultra 7 256V comes with 16 GB onboard. That, in fact, is the single important difference between the two chips.
As far as graphics go, these Lunar Lake processors bundle Arc iGPUs with 2nd generation Xe Cores. The Core Ultra 7 258V and Ultra 7 256V get the same Arc 140v iGPU with 8 Execution Cores and clock speeds of up to 1.95 GHz.
For storage, Lenovo could only fit a M.2 2242 SSD inside this laptop. The default SSD is fine for regular use, but finding replacements for upgrades is more restrictive than with regular 2280 drives.
The SSD is the only upgradeable component, as everting else is soldered on. To get inside you need to remove the back panel, held in place by only a couple of Torx screws, all the same size. The back panel is hold in place by stiff plastic clips, so start your away around the rear, around the exhaust, and then push towards the front lip, otherwise you’ll risk breaking off some of those pins.
Inside you’ll find the motherboard and cooling module, the battery and that SSD slot. You’ll also notice the ample speakers, but also some of the space left unused towards the front of the chassis.
As far as the software goes, this Yoga gets the standard Lenovo Vantage app which allows control over the power profiles, battery and screen settings, updates, etc.
There are three performance/thermal profiles to choose from:
Performance – allows the hardware to run at 30W sustained in CPU tests and 25W in mixed loads, with the fan under 38 dBA;
Auto (Adaptive Power Mode) – runs at 25W sustained in CPU tests and 20W in mixed loads, with the fan under 35 dBA;
Battery Saver– limits the hardware at 20W sustained in CPU tests and 15W in mixed loads, to favor fan noise of sub 30 dB.
These modes are borrowed deep within the app, in the Modes section, where there’s a Power mode. Previous Vantage implementations offered much clearer control over these profiles. By default, the laptop comes on Auto, which is fine for most tasks, but the higher-power Performance mode can come in handy for heavier loads.
Here’s what to expect in terms of speeds and temperatures with daily chores such as streaming video, editing text, or browsing the web.
Productivity Performance and Benchmarks On to more demanding loads, we start by testing the CPU’s performance in the Cinebench R15 loop test.
On Performance, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor peaks at around 40W of power for brief seconds, and then stabilizes at 30W, with excellent temperatures in the mid-70s C and fan levels of sub 40 dBA. Both are impressive for a thin-and-light chassis. That’s with the laptop bumped up the desk on a stand, but even flat on the desk the temperatures won’t jump over 70s C.
The scores average around 1500 points, which isn’t much by today’s standards, but consistent for a Lunar Lake 200V implementation, as the platform lacks Hyperthreading as is not meant to excel in sustained multi-threaded processor tests such as this one.
On Auto, the CPU stabilizes around 25W of power, with the fans under 35 dBA. The temperatures are even lower, in the high 60s C. The scores drop by about 10% on average, around 1350 point.
There is an even quieter Battery Saver that keeps the fans under 30 dBA, while limiting the TDP to 20W 12W. The scores drop to around 1200 points, which is still excellent for such a quiet setting, at 80% of the top profile.
Finally, our sample performed very well on battery, stabilizing at 25W of power on Auto mode. That’s on par with the plugged-in Auto profile.
All these are illustrated in the graph below.
To put these in perspective, here’s how this Core Ultra 7 258V implementation fares against other hardware platforms available in current and past-generation thin and light laptops .
It’s no match in this multi-threaded test for other recent platforms, either from AMD, Intel or Snapdragon and it’s neatly on par with an Intel Core i7-1360P from 2-3 years ago at similar power. But keep in mind you’re not getting this platform for its performance in multi-threaded CPU loads, as this is in fact its weakest point. And while other platforms score much higher in this test, the general multitasking performance of Lunar Lake is still fine for daily use.
We then went ahead and further verified our findings with the more taxing Cinebench R23 loop test and in Blender. We measured similar behavior, power limits, fan noise and temperatures.
We then ran the 3DMark CPU profile test.
Finally, we ran our combined CPU+GPU stress tests on this notebook, on the Performance profile. 3DMark stress runs the same test for 20 times in a loop and looks for performance variation and degradation over time. This unit passed the test with the laptop flat on the desk, which means the performance is not impacted in longer-duration sustained loads as the heat builds up.
Benchmarks results and performance summary With that out of the way, let’s get to some benchmarks. We ran our standard tests with the laptop on Performance mode (25-30W sustained TDP) and the screen set at its default 2.8K resolution.
Here’s what we got.
3DMark 13 – CPU profile: max – 5863, 16 – 5789, 8 – 5841, 4 – 3836, 2 – 2218, 2123 – 1153;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 8491 (Graphics – 9523, Physics – 21387, Combined – 2126);3DMark 13 – Night Raid: 32960 (Graphics – 40978, CPU – 15631);3DMark 13 – Solar Bay: 16001.3DMark 13 – Steel Nomad Light: 3226.3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 4330 (Graphics – 4000, CPU – 8155);3DMark 13 – Intel XeSS: FSR Off – 9.01 fps, FSR On – 22.01 fps, 144.3% performance difference.
Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 2222;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 6017;
PCMark 10: 7253 (Essentials – 10590, Productivity – 10422, Digital Content Creation – 9384);GeekBench 6.2.2 64-bit: Multi-core: 11117, Single-Core: 2690;CineBench R15 (best run): CPU 1608 cb, CPU Single Core 285 cb;CineBench R20 (best run): CPU 3987 cb, CPU Single Core 727 cb;CineBench R23: CPU 10466 pts (best run), CPU 9985 pts (10 min loop test), CPU Single Core 1845 pts (best run);CineBench 2024: CPU 626 (10 min run), CPU Single Core 121 pts.
And here are some work-related benchmarks, on the same Performance profile:
Blender 3.6.5 – BMW Car scene- CPU Compute: 3m 55s ;Blender 3.6.5 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 9m 49s;
Puget Benchmark – Adobe Photoshop (26.1) – 6834;Puget Benchmark – Adobe Premiere (25.1.0) – 2885;Puget Benchmark – Davinci Resolve (19.1) – 2569;
SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax: 26.33;SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia: 21.37;SPECviewperf 2020 – Creo: 34.93;SPECviewperf 2020 – Energy: 5.36;SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya: 108.84;SPECviewperf 2020 – Medical: 11.24;SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX: 6.29;SPECviewperf 2020 – SW: 49.11;V-Ray Benchmark: CPU – 6940, CUDA – 192.
These are solid results for Lunar Lake implementation, both on the CPU and iGPU side.
The Core Ultra 7 258V can score a little higher in chassis that allow for higher sustained power, such as the Asus ExpertBook P5 reviewed recently , but for the most part this implementation scores within 5% or less of the ExpertBook.
Multi-threaded CPU scores aren’t much, but single-core performance is competitive against modern platforms, and the Arc 140V outscores other iGPUs, including older Iris Xe chips from Intel or Radeon 780M and 890M from AMD.
The Auto and Battery Saver profiles are quite versatile here as well, especially the latter at sub 30 dBA fan noise and still 75-85% of the hardware’s capabilities on the Performance profile. Definitely a solid option for light use.
Gaming Performance We also ran a couple of DX11, DX12, and Vulkan games on the Performance profile of this Intel Core Ultra 7 258V + Arc 140v configuration, at FHD+ resolution, with Low/Lowest graphics settings. I threw in a few other platforms for comparison.
Take these with a grain of salt, as the gaming settings for Performance mode on this laptop didn’t work quite as expected. Details below. If changed by later software updates, this laptop could yield 10-15% higher framerates in the tested games.
Low settings Yoga Slim 7i 2024, Yoga Pro 14 2024 ,Zenbook S 14 2024 ,Zenbook S 16 2024 ,Zenbook 14 2024, Zenbook 14 2024,
Dota 2 80 fps (49 fps – 1% low)
80 fps (50 fps – 1% low)
82 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
80 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
76 fps (44 fps – 1% low)
81 fps (58 fps – 1% low)
Far Cry 6 52 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
60 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
52 fps (38 fps – 1% low)
54 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
46 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
43 fps (28 fps – 1% low)
Horizon Forbidden West 42 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
48 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
43 fps (28 fps – 1% low)
40 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
35 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
–
Shadow of Tomb Raider 66 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
83 fps (66 fps – 1% low)
66 fps (44 fps – 1% low)
72 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
65 fps (48 fps – 1% low)
54 fps (3o fps – 1% low)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 52 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
53 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
53 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
60 fps (38 fps – 1% low)
45 fps (33 fps – 1% low)
44 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
Doom, Dota 2, Witcher 3 – recorded with MSI Afterburner in game mode;
Tomb Raider – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities.
All these games are playable here with these settings, including newer titles, as long as your expectations are realistic from this sort of thin laptop with integrated graphics.
With that out of the way, let’s go through some CPU/GPU logs.
On Performance mode, the platform stabilizes at around 25W of power with fan noise of around 35-38 dBA. However, the system tends to allocate a fair bit of power towards the CPU and thus the iGPU only runs at about 70-90% of its potential here. In comparison, other Lunar Lake laptops tested in the past allowed for full iGPU performance at similar power.
As far as internal temperatures go, the hardware mostly runs at around 65-70 degrees Celsius here, with the laptop flat on the desk. That means there’s plenty of thermal headroom for a higher power setting and improved gaming performance, perhaps with later software updates?
With the laptop raised up from the desk, internal temperatures drop by a few more degrees, but the without impacting iGPU speeds or framerates in any way.
For some reason the Auto mode allocates more to the iGPU, despite the overall TDP limit being only 20W for games on this profile. So there’s clearly something off with the power allocation between the CPU and iGPU on Performance.
And then there’s Battery Power mode, with sets a 15W power limit with much quieter fans at under 30 dBA. Despite that, the GPU speeds and framerates are quite similar to Performance mode.
Finally, there’s Performance mode with the laptop on battery power, unplugged from the wall. Somehow this Yoga performed better in this case than when plugged-in. But with the hardware running at ~25W sustained, don’t expect more than 2 hours o gameplay on a charge.
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others Lenovo went with a dual-fan dual-radiator dual-heatpipe thermal module here. The two heatpipes join over the hardware, and each connects into one of the radiators, but for some reason the one of the right is slimmer than the one of the left. Nonetheless, this is an efficient implementation.
As shown above, the cooling on this laptop keeps the components in the 60s and 70s degrees Celsius in sustained loads, which is excellent for a portable design and I’d even say unmatched by other options. That means this chassis could suport a higher-power profile that could potentially squeeze a little more extra from these Lunar Lake components. But there’s only a 5-10% extra possible over what is already offered.
As far as the noise levels go, expect 36-38 dBA on Performance, 35 dBA on Auto, and sub 30 dBA on Battery mode. These fan settings are quieter than on most other portable devices.
With daily use, the fans keep mostly idle on all profiles. They can kick in with heavier multitasking, but that rarely happens, even with the laptop plugged in. I also haven’t noticed coil winning or electronic noises on this unit.
As for external temperatures, the chassis keeps cool with light use, despite being mostly passively cooled.
External temperatures are no concern at all with demanding loads either. With the laptop flat on the desk, the keyboard area stays around 30s Celsius, with a hotter point around 40s C developing above the keyboard, over the 7 key. You’ll also notice that the hottest spot on this chassis is just under the screen, where the hot air is expelled, but still in the low 40s C, so not a concern.
*Gaming – Performance mode – playing Witcher for 30 minutes, fans at ~38 dBA
Note: The image above mentions gaming on Auto mode, but the readings were actually on Performance mode. Will updates this when I get the chance.
For connectivity, there’s only WiFi7 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 on this laptop, through a Intel BE201 module. No complaints on performance.
Audio is handled by a set of 4x speakers that occupy a fair bit of space inside the chassis. They fire through grills on the bottom panel and through the punctured grills that flank the keyboard. They sound punchy for this class, with good volumes and decent quality. They’re not quite a match in richness with the speakers on the MacBook Air or even the Zenbook S 16, but they’re above average for a portable Windows machine.
What bothered me is the way these speakers push vibrations into the chassis and you’ll feel these vibrations even at lower volumes under 50%. I kind of got used to it over time, but nonetheless, they should have done a better job isolating the speakers from the body.
Finally, there’s an FHD camera placed at the top of the screen, flanked by dual microphones. The image quality is decent in good lighting, but quite bad in dim light. There’s also IR functionality with Windows Hello support, and a privacy cover activated with the kill switch on the right edge.
Battery life – efficient runtimes There’s a 70 Wh battery inside this 2024 Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14, well-sized for this segment.
Here’s what we got in our battery life tests, with the screen’s brightness set at around 120 nits (~50 brightness) and at its default 120Hz refresh rate. I’ve also set the Windows 11 power mode to Best Power Efficiency.
6-8 W (~9-12 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Auto Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;5.5 W (12+ h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Auto Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;4.5 W (15+ h of use) – Netflix 4K fullscreen in Edge, Auto Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;8-10W (~7-10 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Auto Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;35 W (~2 h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Standard Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON.
These are excellent runtimes, on par with other Intel Lunar Lake laptops tested so far. I was perhaps expecting some positive impact from having an IPS screen and not an OLED as on most other options, but there isn’t anything notable to report.
The laptop ships with a 65W USB-C charger. It’s a dual-piece design with a fairly chunky brick for that size, as long as long cables and a USB-C plug. They add up quite a bit in the backpack compared to single-cable more compact chargers available out there from other brands. A full charge takes about 2 hours.
Price and availability At the time of this article, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is widely available in most regions.
In the US, this Intel Core Ultra 7 258V configuration tested here with with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD storage is listed at $1399 at Lenovo’s webstore and on 3rd party shops such as BestBuy, Newegg or Amazon.
Here in Europe, the same model goes for 1499 EUR in Germany/France and £1399.00 GBP in the UK.
However, there’s also a Core Ultra 7 256V version that generally sells for 100 USD/EUR/GBP less, but I’ve actually seen it as low as $999 the other day on Lenovo’s website. That’s excellent pricing for what you’re getting here.
Follow this link for updated prices and configurations in your area .
Final thoughts- Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i review This Slim 7i is a competent premium portable laptop for daily use.
It’s built really well and checks all the right boxes when it comes to ergonomics and usability, with the exception of the fairly stiff display hinge. It rivals and even outmatches alternatives such as MacBooks or Zenbooks or the XPS lineups in this regard.
This series also offers an IPS display, which is rare these days for thin-and-light Windows laptops, where most options go the OLED route. That alone should put this on some of your maps, as a good IPS such as thin one has advantages over an OLED (disadvantages as well, such as poorer blacks and contrast).
On the other hand, the typing experience is a bit odd, with the keycaps being made from a rather slippery plastic – they don’t feel cheap, but feel a little imprecise. And then there’s the audio situation, with some punchy and loud speakers implemented, but in a way that makes the whole chassis vibrate even at low volumes – resting your hands on this laptop feels weird as a result.
As for what this can do, it’s a good implementation of Intel Lunar Lake hardware and thus a decent performer with basic use and multitasking, and among the better devices of this sort for gaming. But the Performance profile didn’t work quite as expected in games on my unit – not sure if that’s an issue with this sample or a general quirk. Something to look into on Reddit and forums. At the same time, the overall CPU performance in sustained loads is lackluster for this Core Ultra 200V platform, and you’ll get better with pretty much all alternative hardware at this point. For daily use, that’s not going to matter, but for workloads and such, it will.
On that other hand, Lunar Lake is very efficient on battery power and what’s actually impressive on this laptop is how cool the internals/chassis runs, and with quiet fans. This Yoga Slim never got over 40 dBA in any test or activity on the highest-power profile, and the other modes provide a consistent experience at 30-35 dBA noise. Sure, this isn’t fanless like the MacBook, and to be fair doesn’t even feel as snappy as a MacBook with general use, but a MacBook with similar specs is going to cost a lot more.
And that brings us to the overall value proposition here. If you can snag a Ultra 7 256V configuration for around 1000 bucks, this is an option definitely worth considering. On the other hand, at the retail MSRP of $1299, the value dwindles, and then you’d better go with the 258V model anyway and $1399 – but I’d look into offers on this one as well.
That’s wraps upo my time with this Lenovo Yoga SLim 7i Aura Edition lineup. Looking for your thoughts and feedback down below in the comments section.
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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.
Altandmain
January 3, 2025 at 2:30 am
We should see a Yoga 9i refresh with Lunar Lake as well. The gap has closed with many of the Macbooks, with the outstanding Apple M4 family of SOCs.
I think that it in this case, it is probably worth it to upgrade to the higher end Yoga 9i, although pricing varies region by region. The Yoga 9i where I live isn't much more expensive and does seem to have a better audio system, webcam, etc. The other big advantage is that the Yoga has a much better display and OLED or Mini-LED options are available.
The speaker issues and poor webcam are a particularly egregious problem because these are content creator laptops. Speakers are very important for this segment, where the creators have to listen to their work (sometimes where headphones are not available).
Unless you get the 7i on a deep discount and the 9i isn't on sale where you live, I'd say the 7i isn't a major savings.