Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x review: the best value for money?

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is a real bargain for the performance. Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations. The smallest version has 512 GB and 16 GB of RAM. The MacBook Air of comparable size costs €1,759 RRP. My test unit has 1 TB of storage and 32 GB of RAM.

Dimensions and battery

The Yoga Slim 7x is only 1.29 cm thin and weighs 1.28 kg, which is really light for 14.5 inches. The Huawei MateBook X Pro weighs 980 g, about 300 g less, and the 14-inch MacBook Air at 1.55 kg weighs considerably more. The battery has 70 Wh and really lasts a long time, and only video editing drains it quickly.

There are three performance modes:

• Balanced: the best ratio of performance to battery life
• Best power efficiency: somewhat limited performance, for Outlook or Word on the go
• Best performance: the battery drains quickly, suitable when the device is plugged in

Cooling and performance

The fan surprised me most: so far I haven’t heard it even once, not even in performance mode or while downloading updates. Only with my ear up against the device did I hear a low, faint hum. On other Windows laptops, the random loud kicking in always annoyed me. That makes the device feel considerably more premium. The reasons are the above-average large cooling grille on the back and the Snapdragon X Elite, which is powerful and energy-efficient.

The processor and the NPU are optimized for AI tasks. You can edit 4K videos with ease. With Microsoft Office, browsing and downloads, the device is absurdly fast. It is a Copilot+ PC with the Copilot Plus key on the keyboard. I covered the features in a video of their own. I use the built-in Copilot in the Edge browser almost daily, for example to compare device x with device y. My tip: always fact-check AI answers.

Keyboard, touchpad and speakers

The keys have an unusual shape, a travel of 1.5 mm and a subtle blue backlight, which creates a nice 3D effect. I really like the key feel, and it’s nicely muted. The touchpad is large and centered, but it clicks louder and brighter. I mostly use a mouse anyway.

The speakers to the left and right of the keyboard fire upward, get loud without sounding tinny, and are enough for videos and movies. I would have liked a bit more volume.

Display

The 14.5-inch OLED has 3K resolution (240 ppi) and up to 1,000 nits. The bezels are incredibly thin, including the bottom one. The display is quite reflective, though, and working with direct sun behind you gets harder. The refresh rate is only 90 Hz, while the Galaxy Book4 Edge has 120 Hz. You don’t notice that when reading and surfing, but it matters for gamers.

• Camera: Full HD, in a notch that curves upward. It doesn’t steal any space from the screen and helps you open the device with one hand.
• Touch: I won’t bring another laptop into the house without a touch display, because I sign documents with it several times a week.
• Opening angle: only about 170°. When unpacking, because of the name “Yoga,” I thought it would fold back 360°, and I was stopped abruptly. It didn’t hurt the hinge, which holds at any angle.

Ports and unlocking

There are only three USB-C ports, no USB-A, no HDMI and no headphone jack. There is, however, a switch to turn the camera on and off. The power button is on the side, and there is no fingerprint sensor. You unlock with a PIN or with Windows Hello using your face, which works outstandingly well even from different angles.

Verdict

With a lovely display, slim design and the power of the Snapdragon X Elite, Lenovo has put together a great overall package. It is affordable enough for standard applications and strong enough for video editing. An absolute bargain for the performance and more than recommendable.