Lenovo IdeaPad 15.6" Slim 3i, Ryzen 5 7520U, 8GB, 512GB SSD, Artic Grey

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i is a $400 budget laptop that nails the basics. The touchscreen and 512GB SSD are the highlights, but 8GB of RAM and weak integrated graphics hold it back. It's a good buy for students and light users, not for gamers or power users.

The Ryzen 5 7520U is a capable little chip for everyday tasks. Web browsing, document editing, video streaming, all fine. But our database puts this CPU in the 30th percentile for laptops, which means it's well behind the pack. The integrated Radeon 610M is even weaker, landing in the 19th percentile. Don't expect to game on this thing. The 8GB of RAM is also a bottleneck, sitting in the 21st percentile. It'll handle a handful of browser tabs, but push it with heavy multitasking and you'll feel the squeeze. The 512GB SSD is about average for this class, which is honestly fine.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Air M4 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition, this IdeaPad looks like a toy. Those machines cost three to four times as much and absolutely crush it in performance, screen quality, and battery life. The ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 is a more interesting comparison. It costs more but gives you a real GPU and more RAM. The HP OmniBook X Flip and Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro are also in a different league entirely. The IdeaPad's only real advantage is price. It's the budget option, and it plays that role well.

At $400, this is a fair deal for what you get. The touchscreen and 512GB SSD are the standout features at this price point. Affordability lands in the 82nd percentile, which means it's priced better than most laptops in our database. But you're making trade-offs. The RAM, GPU, and port selection are all below average. If you need a basic machine for school or light office work, the value is there. If you need anything more, you'll outgrow this quickly.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i is a budget laptop that knows exactly what it is. You get a 15.6-inch 1080p touchscreen, a Ryzen 5 7520U, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD for around $400. That's a solid homework machine, not a powerhouse.

The touchscreen is a nice bonus at this price, and the 512GB SSD means you won't be juggling storage space like you would on a cheaper 128GB model. But the integrated Radeon 610M graphics and 8GB of RAM put a hard ceiling on what this thing can do.

Skip this if you need to run demanding software, edit video, or play games. The weak GPU and limited RAM will frustrate you. Also skip it if you need a portable machine for travel. The compact score is in the 38th percentile, so it's not exactly a featherweight. And if you need lots of ports for peripherals, look elsewhere. The port selection is one of the weakest we've seen in this category.

This is a solid pick for students or anyone who needs a basic Windows laptop for web browsing, writing papers, and streaming video. The touchscreen is a nice touch, and the 512GB SSD means you won't run out of space for documents and apps. But if you need to run demanding software, edit video, or play games, look elsewhere. This is a no-frills machine, and it's honest about that.