Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Review

We are back to reviewing cheap laptops that are currently needed to support work from home and school from home activities. One of the SKUs from the Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 series that we review this time is equipped with a 10th generation Intel Core i3 CPU and already uses a 256GB NVME SSD. For more detailed specifications, please see the following table.

Specification

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 14IML05-F1ID

Intel Core i3-10110u (2-core 4-thread, up to 4.1Ghz)

4GB DDR4 (on-board)

Intel UHD Graphics

14-Inch TN HD 1366×768

256GB M.2 NVMe SSD

35Wh

1.5Kg

Design

The average entry-level laptop today already has a design that is no less cool. Likewise with this laptop. The design is plain and minimalistic. The cover has a little stripe motif so it looks more stylish. The shape is not rigid, the corners are curved, making this laptop not boring. Likewise with the inside which has the same motif as the cover. The keyboard area is made slim, so that the palm rest area is quite spacious.

The hinge part has an elongated shape. Interestingly, this hinge can be bent to a position of 180 degrees. But unfortunately, this laptop can not be opened with one hand.

For air circulation, Lenovo does not provide exhaust on the left and right, but is located on the back of the laptop. While the intake hole is at the bottom with quite a lot of holes. So make sure you place the laptop on a flat base and not dirty or dusty.

Dimension

The slim name emphasizes its slim and slim dimensions, when compared to laptops in its class. Weighing 1.5 kg, this laptop has a length of 32.71 cm and a width of 24.1 cm. Meanwhile, its thickness is about 1.99 cm. It’s still relatively thin for an entry-level laptop with a 14-inch screen.

Screen

As an entry-level laptop, the screen still uses a TN panel. Naturally, because TN panels are cheaper than IPS. Its size is 14 inches and has HD resolution. The refresh rate is standard, at 60 Hz. When we recalibrated using Spyder, the screen has a color gamut of sRGB 60%, NTSC 43%, Adobe RGB 45%, and DCI P3 45%. This specification is not suitable for professionals who require high color fidelity. While the bezel design is not thin, it still has an attractive impression.

Keyboard

This laptop has a simple keyboard with the layout of each key that is spaced quite tenuously. Besides being comfortable when used for typing, this layout also doesn’t look congested and tight. As usual, on the top side there is a Function button. The left and right arrow keys are the same size as the other keys. But specifically the up and down arrow keys are made smaller. Meanwhile, when Caps Lock is active there is an LED indicator and the Power button is not located in the keyboard area, but is in the upper right corner. This keyboard does not have a backlit so it is less comfortable when used in low light.

Touchpad

The touchpad has a plain design without a dedicated button. The size is not too big so it doesn’t take up too much of the left and right palm rest area. The runway is quite slippery and comfortable to navigate. For left and right click is also quite soft pressed. The touchpad already supports Windows precision drivers which can be used for multi gestures with support for up to four fingers.

Webcam

As if it has become a hallmark of Lenovo, the webcam has added a feature called Privacy shutter. The shape is a switch so that the webcam can be closed. The point is to avoid accidentally active webcams and also peeps from stalkers. But unfortunately, the webcam used has a very low resolution of 0.3MP only. The average laptop has a resolution of 0.9 MP. As for the quality, it’s not that good. Lots of noise and less sharp even though the room is bright enough.

I/O Port

For connectivity, it’s standard. But we like the placement of the port that is focused on the left side. While the right side there is only a card reader slot, reset hole, and audio jack. So, we will not be disturbed when using the mouse on the right side. While on the left side there is a DC-in port, HDMI, one USB 2.0, and two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports. While for wireless connectivity using WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

Battery

In terms of capacity, 35 Wh is quite small. But this is adjusted to the use of the CPU which uses an Intel Core i3 U series that is energy efficient. It was proven when we tested PCMark 10 Modern Office. The scenario we use is Power Saving mode is on, WiFi is active with internet connection turned off and brightness is set to 50%. As a result, the battery can last up to 9 hours more. So, this laptop has no problem being brought to hang out or work from anywhere. Interestingly, the 45 watt adapter also has a small size. So if you take it, it won’t be a hassle.

Storage

So that the price remains cheap but the performance is not slow, Lenovo has equipped this laptop with a 256GB SSD. The capacity is indeed not large, but you can still outsmart it with external storage. We tested the performance of this SSD using CrystalDiskMark and AS SSD, the read speed was in the 2000s MB/s range. It doesn’t use the fastest NVME SSD, but this speed is more than enough to meet everyday needs.

Upgradeability

Given that this is a cheap laptop, the upgrade option is indeed one of the things that is very limited. The 4GB ram that came with this laptop has been soldered and is not upgradable. As for the SSD, Lenovo only provides 1 M.2 SSD slot on this laptop and it is filled with a 256GB SSD. Even so, you can still upgrade the existing SSD to be bigger. Actually there is a place to put the hard disk in this laptop, but for the series we reviewed the SATA slot was not provided so it could not add an internal hard drive.

Audio

For audio matters, this laptop uses down firing stereo speakers on the right and bottom left sides of the laptop. This speaker also supports Dolby Audio so the sound is not too standard for a cheap laptop. When this feature is turned off, the speaker sounds louder. But when this feature is activated, the sound feels wider and the treble is more comfortable to hear. To activate it, you only need to open the Lenovo Vantage software. In the audio settings application, Lenovo provides several presets such as movie, music, game, and voice.

Temperature

The use of Intel Core i3 U series is intended for light use only. As a low-power dual core CPU, this laptop automatically becomes cool. We tried to test the CPU temperature by doing a stress test using Aida64 for 15 minutes at room temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. Apparently, the average temperature only ranges between 64 degrees Celsius. The temperature that can be maintained is very awake so you don’t have to worry about the temperature of this laptop.

Performance

If you look at its performance, this processor works quite well. Seen when full load condition where the clock frequency reaches 3.7 GHz. which means that it is close to its maximum clock of 4.1 GHz. For CPU-based performance, the CPU performance is capable of producing a Cinebench R15 score of 377 cb for multi-core and 165 cb for single-core. This performance is quite good because it is in accordance with the specifications and performance. With this baseline score, this laptop is quite cool to work with in mild scenarios such as office browsing or entertainment.

Next, what about gaming performance? Well, because it includes an entry-level CPU, the default GPU is automatically the same. The GPU is not capable of playing esports games comfortably. If you want to be forced, competitive games like CS:GO or Dota 2 at a left-aligned resolution only stick at 30-40 fps.

Conclusion

With a price of 6,599,000 rupiah, you already get a 10th generation Intel Core i3 processor. The performance is clearly better than the Intel Pentium class. Moreover, the Intel Core i3 that we tested was able to display maximum performance with a high clock frequency. And for modern laptops, so that the price is cheap but looks pretty cool. Plus a hinge that can be opened up to 180 degrees like an expensive laptop. Don’t be shy if you take it to the mall or cafe for work.

Storage matters that already use NVME SSDs are also a plus for us because their performance is clearly faster and booting into Windows is fast. And for a battery life of up to 9 hours, it’s not too bad either.

Meanwhile, what we don’t like is the minimal upgradeability. RAM is soldered, only one SSD and HDD slot is not provided. So you really can only get performance from what the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i has provided, or the nvme SSD upgrade is stuck.

Not to forget, besides getting the original Windows 10 Home, Lenovo also provides Microsoft Office Home Student 2021 with a lifetime license. It’s great, so there’s no need to buy separately or use pirated ones.

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