Lenovo IdeaPad 15.6" 1i, Core i5-1335U, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Blue

The IdeaPad 1i has a best-in-class CPU for its category, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD at a budget-friendly price. The integrated graphics are weak and the battery is small, so it's strictly a productivity machine. If you need a work laptop and don't care about gaming, this is a smart buy.

That i5-1335U is the star here. Ten cores, twelve threads, up to 4.6GHz, and it tops our CPU charts for this product class. Multitasking, browser tab hoarding, Office apps, even light photo editing, this thing chews through it. The 16GB of DDR4 RAM is solid, though it sits below average in our rankings, and the 512GB NVMe SSD is quick but middle of the pack. The weak link is graphics. Intel Iris Xe is fine for streaming video and basic tasks, but it's in the bottom 15% of GPUs we've tested. Don't expect to game on this, not even casually. The 42Wh battery is also on the small side, so keep the charger nearby if you're away from an outlet for long stretches.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max or the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, the IdeaPad 1i looks outclassed on paper. Those machines have better screens, better GPUs, and far better battery life. But they also cost dramatically more. The ASUS Zenbook Duo has that second screen gimmick, and the HP ZBook and Dell Pro Max are aimed at workstation users with real GPU needs. The IdeaPad 1i isn't trying to compete with those. It's a budget productivity laptop that wins on CPU performance per dollar. If you need raw processing power for office work and don't care about gaming or display quality, this undercuts the premium options significantly.

This is where the IdeaPad 1i gets interesting. You're getting a top-tier CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, a touchscreen, and Windows 11 Pro with Office thrown in. For business users and students who live in spreadsheets and documents, that's a genuinely strong package. The trade-offs are clear: weak graphics, mediocre screen, small battery. But if those don't matter to you, this is a lot of capability for the money. Just don't expect it to do everything.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 1i is a budget-friendly workhorse that punches above its weight in raw CPU power. That 13th Gen Core i5-1335U sits at the very top of our database for processor performance in this category, which is honestly a little wild for a laptop this affordable. You get 16GB of RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and a 15.6-inch touchscreen, all wrapped in a 3.57-pound chassis that won't break your back.

But it's not all sunshine. The integrated Iris Xe graphics land near the bottom of our GPU rankings, so this thing is strictly a work machine. The 42Wh battery is small, the screen is average at best, and the port selection is fine but not exciting. Still, for office work, spreadsheets, and general productivity, this is a lot of laptop for the money.

Skip this if you need any kind of graphics horsepower. The Iris Xe GPU is one of the weakest we've seen in this category, so gamers, video editors, and 3D modelers should look elsewhere. Also skip it if battery life is a priority, the 42Wh cell won't get you through a long day away from an outlet. And if you want a vibrant, color-accurate display, the 45% NTSC panel will disappoint.

Buy this if you need a reliable Windows 11 Pro machine for work, school, or general productivity and you want the best CPU performance you can get without spending a fortune. It's ideal for spreadsheet warriors, document writers, and anyone who lives in a browser. Just know what you're getting: a work laptop, not an all-rounder.