The PS5 and Xbox Series X may dominate gaming headlines this fall, but Lenovo wants to remind customers that gaming laptops are still an option.The Lenovo Legion Slim 7i is a 10th generation Intel Core i9 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, 32GB RAM, 2TB storage, and a 4K display packed into a chassis only 0.7 inches thick, making it a customizable gaming laptop.
The Legion Slim 7i is not cheap, nor is it as powerful as a full-featured gaming desktop. However, if you want one of the most powerful gaming machines on the market in a package under £4, the Slim 7i looks like a notebook to watch.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7i's initial configuration (Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 1080p display) costs $1329. Full system configurations will be available in October.
Lenovo has not revealed the exact amount it will cost to deck out the laptop with all available options, but we imagine it could be quite expensive. Lenovo's existing Legion 7i 15-inch model costs up to $4,000 and its laptop includes similar CPU, GPU, and RAM options, but it cannot be equipped with a 4K screen. In other words, if you want the Legion Slim 7i to be as powerful as possible, you will have to invest several thousand dollars.
Like most Legion notebooks, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7i comes with a full range of options, from the processor to the keyboard backlight. It would take too long to list all the possible configurations, but here are the minimum and maximum specs for all of the Legion Slim 7i's major components:
All Legion Slim 7i models have a 71 WHr battery (for up to 7.5 hours of use according to Lenovo), slate gray aluminum enclosure, fingerprint reader, 720p webcam, Intel WiFi 6 (802.11ax) chip, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and two Dolby Atmos speakers.
As for ports, there is an SD card reader, audio jack, two Thunderbolt ports, two USB ports, and a power port.
The system measures 14.0 x 9.8 x 0.7 inches and weighs just under 4.0 pounds. More powerful gear is generally a bit heavier, so the weight will likely increase as fancier hardware is added to the configuration.
Each Lenovo Slim 7i comes preloaded with software from Lenovo, Dolby, and McAfee to help tune the interface, audio, and security, respectively.
Lenovo notes a handful of other features that the Legion Slim 7i can leverage for both productivity and gaming. The system's Max-Q Dynamic Boost system manages power between the CPU and GPU more efficiently, which should help maintain battery life and performance when switching from productivity to gaming and vice versa. You can also enable DLSS 2.0, which improves frame rate and sharpness when playing games that support ray tracing.
The laptop also supports the Lenovo BoostStation eGPU, which allows the Lenovo Slim 7i to be connected to an external GPU and SSD. This is a viable option for those who need the Slim 7i for on-the-go productivity, but need more heavy-duty gaming at home.
Tom's Guide will publish a review of the Legion Slim 7i when we get our hands on one. Until then, consider saving up for a new gaming console or a high-end gaming laptop this fall.
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