The Ideapad Slim 5 series from Lenovo are value-for-money ultrabooks with premium build quality and impressive specs. Take, the Ideapad Slim 5 16 (2023) as an example. It is a Ryzen 5 7530U powered ultrabook with a MIL-STD aluminum build. I used the 16GB RAM and 1TGB variant of the laptop for 10 days which costs NPR 104,000. And here’s my Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16 (2023) review.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 16 (2023) Specifications:
- Design & Build: All-Aluminum / Aluminum (lid) + PC-ABS (bottom)
- Display sizes: 16-inch
- Display Properties: IPS anti-glare panel, 45% NTSC, 300 nits
- Resolution: Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 16:10 aspect ratio
- Keyboard: Chiclet-style backlit keyboard
- Trackpad: Plastic multi-touch trackpad, Windows Precision drivers
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (6C / 12T, up to 4.5GHz)
- Graphics: AMD Radeon (integrated)
- RAM: 16GB DDR4-3200 RAM (soldered)
- Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
- Audio: 2 x 2W speakers, Dolby Audio
- Battery: 75Wh Li-ion
- Security: Fingerprint scanner, TPM 2.0
- Power Supply: 65W USB Type-C Adapter
- Webcam: 1080p FHD camera, Privacy shutter
- I/O: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (1x Always On), 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C (Power Delivery 3.0, DisplayPort 1.2), 1x HDMI 1.4b, 1x Card reader, 1x 3.5mm jack
- Price in Nepal: Rs. 104,000 (1TB SSD, 16GB RAM)
- Buy Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16 2023 (Ryzen 5) here
Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16 (2023) Review:
Design and Display
This cool-looking guy comes with a Military Standard body with aluminum casing all around. Just look at it, the lid looks premium, and the body is slim. Weighing 1.8 kg, daily commuting didn’t feel that heavy at all. Not to forget, the laptop gets opened with one hand, quite effortlessly.
Opening the lid, you are greeted with a 16-inch IPS display with a WUXA resolution (1920 x 1200 pixels– which has a very decent viewing angle and a 180 degrees hinge mechanism. Likewise, this 16:10 antiglare panel comes with TÜV Low Blue Light Certification, and SGS Eye Care Display Certification, which is pretty ideal for those hooking up to a screen 24×7. At the same time, the peak brightness is rated at 300nits which is okay for a laptop by the way. Talking of the color gamut, it covers 45% NTSC.
And on my usage period, I found out to be a “more than enough screen’ for work, multimedia, and content watching. So, you get sorted with everyday tasks, be it surfing the web, watching a movie, or writing some articles.
Audio and Webcam
As for the audio, you get an upward-facing stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support. For indoor usage, it’s all good while I would have loved it more if they were a bit louder.
Likewise, the laptop houses a Full HD webcam with a privacy shutter to prevent you from being snitched. The quality is just very fine and much better than 720p cameras, hence it’s good to go for your Zoom meetings or casual video calls.
Ports and Keyboard
Also, you get a pretty decent amount of port options here. There are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports on the right side along with a microSD card reader. Moving to the left, you are greeted with two USB Type-C ports which both support fast 65W PD charging.
But as usual, there is no Thunderbolt 4 support, given that it is an ultrabook with a ‘Ryzen CPU’. (Because AMD Laptops generally do not support Thunderbolt ports). Last but not least is a 3.5mm audio jack and an HDMI 1.4 port.
And talking of the keyboard, you get a 6-row keyboard, with a number pad and also the multimedia Function keys for those handy music playback controls. The typing experience is very good on this thing while the trackpad is also super responsive. And yeah, it’s a backlit one, sufficing the need for use in the dark.
Performance
Alright, let’s head toward the performance side of things. Running the show on the core of this particular Ideapad Slim 5 model is a Ryzen 5 7530U processor. This new AMD CPU is a ‘Deja Vu’ of the Ryzen 5 5625U with minimal improvements and a higher clock speed at 4.5GHz vs 4.3GHz. And following the usual norm, you don’t get discrete graphics here, hence it relies on the default AMD Radeon graphics instead.
Day to Day usage feels smooth and lag-free. I mostly used this guy for writing blogs with multiple Chrome tabs opened, Spotify, and Adobe Photoshop running in the background. And, the experience was as expected, “Super Fine”. By the way, my unit came with 16GB RAM, hence it provided me with a superb multitasking experience.
It is soldered to the system and hence, nonupgradeable. Speaking of the storage, it is a 1TB PCle Gen 4.0 SSD but, the speed is limited to a PCle Gen 3.0’s SSD due to system limitations as per Lenovo. Still, the R/W speed is fast enough for normal users.
Let’s talk about gaming now, shall I? Okay, I played CPU-intensive games like CS Go and Valorant on this guy, and the outcome was satisfactory. On low settings, I got an average of 104 fps while Valorant on similar settings got me 131 fps.
Battery and Charging
The battery life of this laptop is just awesome. It packs a 76Wh battery and I got 7 hours of screen time on normal usage with 90% brightness turned on most of the time. If you are someone who lowers their brightness to 50% or even less, expect an hour or two extra hours of battery life. And you can fill up the juice in less than two hours with the provided 65W Type-C charger. Or else, you can use any 65W PD compatible charger too.
Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16 (2023) Review: Conclusion
Having used it for more than a week, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 sufficed my daily browsing and working tasks. I absolutely loved the aluminum build with Miltary Standard certification. If you compare it to the last year’s model, there are no major improvements on the performance side, but the 76Wh battery definitely steals the show here from the 56WH of the last-gen IdeaPad Slim 5.
Those seeking for an ultrabook with the proper build quality and enough performance for casual usage, this guy stands as a considerable option at the price of NPR 104,000. Not to forget, you’re getting 1TB SSD storage and 16GB RAM at this price.
Lenovo Ideapad Slim 5 16 (2023) Review: Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Solid aluminum build with Miltary Grade Certification
- Adequate Port Options
- Amazing battery life
- Value for Money
Cons:
- The speakers could have been louder
- No Thunderbolt Port
