Lenovo has expanded the Yoga model past 2-in-1 laptops lately, and the most recent entry into the household is the ultraportable Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (begins at $1,199.99). The aptly named “Slim” laptop computer has a thin, gentle design, a sturdy aluminum construct, and a killer OLED show. Nonetheless, it is not with out quirks attributable to its Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, which itself struggled to compete with different Snapdragon fashions we have reviewed however lasted for properly greater than a workday on a cost. With considered one of Lenovo’s first-rate keyboards and touchpads onboard in a incredible chassis, the Slim 7x will discover its followers, even when it is not the chief in its class.Configurations: The Solely Method Is UpLenovo sells just a few configurable choices for the Yoga Slim 7x, with probably the most important variations round reminiscence and storage.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
Our evaluation unit, the identical mannequin bought at Finest Purchase, is supplied with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) processor, 16GB of reminiscence, and a 512GB SSD for storage. It sells for $1,199.99.
Since 1982, PCMag has examined and rated 1000’s of merchandise that will help you make higher shopping for selections. See how we take a look at.
If you wish to spend a bit more cash in your laptop computer for further multitasking and storage, you’ll be able to bump the RAM to 32GB ($69) and the SSD to 1TB ($45). You can even swap out the usual Home windows 11 House for the Professional model ($28). The costliest and well-equipped configuration will run you about $1,340.
Design: Slim & SturdyWe cannot discuss in regards to the Yoga Slim 7x with out discussing the title. At the start, regardless of bearing the Yoga title, the Slim 7x isn’t a 2-in-1 laptop computer. As of 2020, with the introduction of the unique Lenovo Yoga Slim and the Lenovo Yoga AIO all-in-one desktop, the Yoga title has expanded past convertible 2-in-1 fashions, including each conventional clamshell laptops and all-in-one desktops to the household. It is not apparent, however that is life in company branding.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
Second, when Lenovo calls this mannequin “Slim,” it is not wishful pondering. Measuring simply 0.5 inch thick, it is one of many slimmer ultraportables in the marketplace. It is also extraordinarily gentle, weighing simply 2.8 kilos. A 14-inch laptop computer that is not simply ultraportable in weight, this is among the lightest laptops of its display dimension we have reviewed. Its sturdy aluminum chassis isn’t solely smooth, but it surely’s examined to satisfy military-grade requirements (MIL-STD 810H) and rated to outlive the pains of on a regular basis life.The 14.5-inch OLED touch-screen show with 3K (2,944-by-1,840-pixel) decision is equally spectacular. With vibrant coloration and a 90Hz refresh charge, it seems wonderful in any state of affairs, offering clean movement, snappy responsiveness, and crisp distinction. Whether or not watching movies or working in spreadsheets, the readability and excessive refresh charge make the whole lot clear and fluid.OLED screens are perfect for HDR content material because of the per-pixel illumination they supply, and this one takes that additional with as much as 1,000 nits of brightness for HDR highlights. And, for individuals who demand high-quality coloration, the show additionally delivers 100% DCI-P3 coloration protection. In testing, the Yoga Slim 7x had one of the best show we have seen on any lately launched Snapdragon-powered laptops, even in contrast with OLED-equipped methods just like the Microsoft Floor Professional.The accompanying webcam is located within the protruding communications bar above the show. Recording at 1080p, the webcam has an digital shutter however a separate swap for turning the digicam on and off as a substitute of a software program toggle or a devoted perform key. It additionally has an IR sensor for Home windows Good day facial recognition, letting you signal on securely with simply your face. When utilizing the webcam, the image high quality is normally clear, with first rate coloration copy and wonderful dynamic vary, however typically the main points are a bit out of focus. The digicam additionally advantages from Home windows Studio Results, a handful of background AI-powered enhancements that tweak and enhance the picture. It is exhausting to know precisely how a lot these options assist or hinder since they run mechanically within the background.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
The backlit keyboard is surprisingly snug for a compact laptop computer, particularly one so conspicuously skinny and light-weight. The keys additionally characteristic dish-shaped keycaps, and with 1.5mm of journey, the typing really feel is sort of much like Lenovo’s celebrated enterprise laptop computer keyboards, albeit with out the crimson TrackPoint nub within the middle.As an alternative, the laptop computer has a 5.3-inch touchpad with a clean glass floor and a responsive tactile click on to every faucet. It does not have haptic suggestions, however the buttonless glass floor does the trick simply wonderful.Befitting its title, the laptop computer’s port choice can also be slim. And by “slim,” I imply you will not discover HDMI, USB-A ports, or perhaps a headphone jack. As an alternative, you may get a trio of USB-C ports, supporting 40Gbps information, energy for charging, and help for exterior shows. You’ll be able to all the time use a docking station or a USB-C hub to get these different connections, however it can imply planning forward and toting alongside one other accent.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
On the right-hand facet of the chassis, you may additionally discover the shutter management for the webcam and an influence button for turning on the laptop computer.As anticipated, the laptop computer’s wi-fi connectivity does not skimp. It consists of Wi-Fi 7 networking with a 2×2 configuration and Bluetooth 5.4 performance, which is important for headphones and different peripherals.Attending to the Guts: How Snapdragon Works on WindowsThe Yoga Slim 7x is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, a 12-core CPU with an extra Qualcomm Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU). These Qualcomm chips have gained a substantial presence in laptops this yr. Microsoft initially used Qualcomm completely to energy its Copilot+ PCs, counting on the accompanying NPU {hardware} to energy some on-device AI capabilities.However that shift from Intel and AMD to Qualcomm additionally means a pivot from x86 structure to Arm64, the structure Qualcomm makes use of for its processing {hardware}. That change requires both a brand new model of any app made to run natively on Arm or emulation via Microsoft Prism, the most recent of the corporate’s emulation instruments used to flesh out help for software program by no means constructed for an Arm-based surroundings.The excellent news is that the emulation largely works. Most apps you need and want to make use of recurrently will work wonderful on this laptop computer, although you’ll typically wish to spend the time looking for the Arm-native model of an app. It is because the truth of emulation is that it is by no means 100% the identical high quality, and it does not work 100% of the time. Living proof, our testing protocols depend on applications that work with out problem on most Home windows machines however cannot even run on Arm methods.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
However the greatest purpose to dive into Snapdragon and Home windows on Arm is the inclusion of a number of AI-driven options as a part of Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC initiative. That features options like real-time captioning and AI translation of media and video calls, Home windows Studio Results sprucing up webcam photos mechanically, generative AI drawing with Cocreator in Paint, and eventually, the Recall reminiscence search device.The underside line right here is that Snapdragon (and Arm generally) remains to be a newcomer to the mainstream Home windows world and an unproven one at that. The scenario is healthier than ever, and most customers could make the swap with out worrying about it, because of native apps and good-enough emulation. However extra demanding and technical customers will doubtless discover this alteration irritating. Arm-native app downloads aren’t normally the default for Home windows machines, making downloading applications an expertise crammed with false begins or at the very least looking, and the occasional gaps in emulation and compatibility can result in useless ends at inopportune moments.Testing the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x: Aggressive However Not DominantBecause we have seen so many Qualcomm-powered laptops, I in contrast the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x with different Snapdragon X-equipped methods. That is partly to match like methods but in addition to keep away from the gaps in information that come up when evaluating Home windows on Arm methods with x86-based ones.On this case, I appeared particularly on the HP OmniBook X 14 ($1,049.99 as examined), which makes use of the identical Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) processor. Then I threw within the Dell XPS 13 (9345) ($999.99 as examined), the 13-inch Microsoft Floor Laptop computer (2024) ($1,999.99 as examined), and the Microsoft Floor Professional (2024) ($1,499.99 as examined) pill, which all use the marginally higher-power Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80-100) chip.
Productiveness & Content material Creation Assessments As I discussed earlier, operating Home windows on Arm has some compatibility points. Consequently, we could not run our main productiveness or workplace software benchmark, UL’s PCMark 10. Regardless of it being Arm-compatible, we could not get UL’s Procyon Pc Imaginative and prescient to run on the Yoga Slim 7x, both, leaving us with out our main AI efficiency and NPU analysis take a look at.Nonetheless, our three different CPU exams ran simply wonderful. We begin with the video enhancing device HandBrake 1.8 to transcode or convert a 12-minute clip from 4K to 1080p decision. This easy real-world job illustrates how properly the processor performs CPU-intensive work, with shorter occasions indicating quicker efficiency.One other CPU take a look at we run, Cinebench 2024, makes use of Maxon’s Cinema 4D engine to render a fancy scene, letting us stress-test each single- and multi-core efficiency. Increased scores are higher.We additionally use a 3rd Arm-friendly app, Primate Labs’ Geekbench 6.3 Professional, which serves as a basic productiveness take a look at, simulating well-liked apps starting from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine studying. Once more, increased scores are higher.
Our first result’s HandBrake 1.8, the place the Yoga Slim 7x fell behind each different Snapdragon competitor we have examined. Nonetheless, in numerous exams, like Cinebench 2024, its multi-core rating truly edged forward of the competitors. In Geekbench 6.3, multi-core productiveness efficiency settled into a snug center place, forward of the Microsoft Floor Professional and the HP OmniBook X 14 however behind the Microsoft Floor Laptop computer and the Dell XPS 13 (9345). These exams inform the story of a laptop computer that is aggressive however not class-leading, which, compared with some laptops costing tons of extra, is an honest consequence.Graphics TestsWe problem every laptop computer’s graphics with a quartet of Arm-compatible animations or gaming simulations from UL’s 3DMark take a look at suite. Wild Life Limitless (1440p) and Limitless Excessive (4K) use the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds. Metal Nomad’s common and Gentle subtests deal with APIs extra generally used for sport growth, like Steel and DirectX 12, to evaluate gaming geometry and particle results.As a result of the built-in Qualcomm Adreno graphics aren’t meant for contemporary gaming, we skipped our traditional gaming exams this time round.
The Yoga Slim 7x’s graphics efficiency was blended in contrast with the opposite Qualcomm-based laptops we have reviewed. In some exams, it landed consistent with rivals, as seen in 3DMark Wild Life Excessive and Metal Nomad. That needs to be enough for makes use of like media streaming and workplace work, however all these will fall far behind any system with a discrete GPU. That is extra affirmation of what the Slim 7x and Snapdragon X are able to—video streaming and light-weight media enhancing—slightly than a comparative evaluation.Battery & Show Assessments We take a look at every laptop computer and pill’s battery life by taking part in a domestically saved 720p video file (the open-source Blender film Tears of Metal) with show brightness at 50% and audio quantity at 100%. We be certain that the battery is absolutely charged earlier than the take a look at, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off.To gauge show efficiency, we additionally use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and its Home windows software program to measure a laptop computer display’s coloration saturation—what proportion of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 coloration gamuts or palettes the show can present—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per sq. meter).
Battery life is one space the place Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips stand out, and the Yoga Slim 7x isn’t any exception. Although it is not the endurance winner in our comparability, it is nonetheless long-lived. With greater than 20 hours of juice on a single cost, this terribly slim and moveable laptop computer is a real all-day performer, letting you allow the charger at house.The OLED show additionally stands out, even in contrast with the OLED-equipped Microsoft Floor Professional, because of a panel that gives increased decision, quicker refresh charges, and very good coloration high quality, together with 100% coloration copy of each sRGB and DCI-P3 coloration areas. Brightness was additionally fairly excessive for an OLED (the self-emissive expertise normally comes up quick in contrast with backlit rivals), but it surely’s removed from best-in-class.Verdict: Succesful & Transportable, However With CaveatsThe Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x presents a compelling tackle the Snapdragon X laptop computer, pairing the Home windows on Arm expertise with a smooth, light-weight design, a vivid OLED show, and true all-day battery life. Throw within the AI options and superior wi-fi functionality, and the Slim 7x is a compelling alternative for an ultraportable, supplied you are able to enterprise past the snug world of x86 machines.However the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x isn’t with out faults. Its port choice is restricted (if simply addressed through equipment), it lacks a headphone jack, and the problems of Home windows on Arm that hampered our testing may very well be indicative of roadblocks to some customers. General, the outcome is a wonderful Qualcomm-powered laptop computer that necessitates a grain of salt. For on a regular basis use and portability, it is incredible, however discerning customers may not be prepared for Home windows on Arm.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (Snapdragon)
Professionals
Undeniably slim, gentle, and rugged aluminum construct
Extra vivid high-res OLED show than competitors
Snug keyboard and touchpad
Prolonged 20-hour battery life
View
Extra
Cons
Blended general efficiency
Home windows on Arm compatibility caveats
Restricted ports and no headphone jack
The Backside Line
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is a slick ultraportable laptop computer with a vibrant OLED display and 20 hours of battery life. Whereas Home windows on Arm app compatibility makes us cautious, it is undoubtedly a well-made gadget.
Like What You are Studying?
Join Lab Report back to get the most recent evaluations and high product recommendation delivered proper to your inbox.
This text could comprise promoting, offers, or affiliate hyperlinks. Subscribing to a e-newsletter signifies your consent to our Phrases of Use and Privateness Coverage. Chances are you’ll unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
About Brian Westover
Lead Analyst, {Hardware}
If you happen to’re after laptop computer shopping for recommendation, I’m your man. From PC evaluations to Starlink testing, I’ve obtained greater than a decade of expertise reviewing PCs and expertise merchandise. I obtained my begin with PCMag however have additionally written for Tom’s Information and LaptopMag.com, and a number of other different tech retailers. With a deal with private computing (Home windows, macOS, and ChromeOS), Starlink satellite tv for pc web, and generative AI productiveness instruments, I am knowledgeable tech nerd and an influence person via and thru.
Learn Brian’s full bio
Learn the most recent from Brian Westover
