A Terrifically Transportable Premium Affair

Key Takeaways

• The Lenovo Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8 laptop computer provides a chic design, highly effective efficiency, and spectacular work instruments, together with a quad microphone array and a 5MP webcam.
• With options like Lenovo’s X Energy Efficiency, Intel Evo i7 CPU, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, this laptop computer delivers wonderful multitasking capabilities and informal gaming expertise.
• Whereas the audio system lack bass and the reminiscence is soldered, the laptop computer’s mini-LED show gives stunning colour distinction, and the 5MP digicam and quad mic array ship high-quality audio and video recording capabilities.

Excessive-powered slim laptops are a dime a dozen, however they don’t seem to be all equal. The Lenovo Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8 is the proper reminder that greatness in a small package deal will not be an not possible ask. With a 5MP digicam, a quad mic array, and a NIVIDA GPU, this machine is a stable contender you should not overlook.

After reviewing the Lenovo Slim Professional 9i 16 Gen 8 laptop computer, the Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8 was acquainted. General, I discovered the 14-inch model carried out higher than the bigger contender when it comes to day by day duties and battery life. However this wasn’t my first “slim” Lenovo rodeo, nor do I anticipate it to be my final. I reviewed the Lenovo Slim 9i 14-inch Gen 7 laptop computer in 2022 and was impressed with its energy—however the Slim Professional 9i skips the extra primary slim specs for professional specs. Wrapped up in a luxe “Storm Grey” chassis, the Professional 9i 14 steps it up with an Intel Evo i7 CPU, an NVIDIA GPU, Lenovo’s “X Energy” efficiency, a wise built-in digicam and quad mic system, and a candy Mini-LED display that does not really feel like OLED’s cheaper cousin (although it’s). On the flip aspect, you may not love the speaker system’s bass and the soldered reminiscence, however should you can overlook these small flaws, you may love what this laptop computer has to supply.

Slick Appears to be like: The Lenovo Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8’s Design

In comparison with the Lenovo Slim 9i 14-inch Gen 7’s 3D glass design, this Slim Professional 9i has a special look. It is barely chunky for a slim laptop computer however nonetheless gentle and skinny sufficient to warrant the identify. The highest cowl has a “Lenovo” emblem within the top-right nook and a mirrored bevel element labeled “5MP f 2.0 Quad Mic Array.”

Above the 14-inch Mini-LED show is the bevel with the built-in digicam, and the 4 microphones are on both aspect of the lens. The keyboard is a conventional 10-keyless backlit affair with two up-firing audio system on both aspect and a touchpad beneath, with one other glossy Lenovo emblem within the backside proper nook. In the meantime, the down-firing audio system are on the underside corners of the machine. There’s additionally a big vent system on the underside of the laptop computer with the “Lenovo X Energy” emblem.

Ports: You Have Choices

I did not have to fret about having room to plug something in when utilizing the Slim Professional 9i. The laptop computer’s left aspect has an HDMI port, two USB-C ports, and a full SD card reader, whereas the correct aspect has the facility button, two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack, and an E-privacy digicam shutter.

The Keyboard, Trackpad, and Touchscreen

The Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8’s keyboard provides loads of comfort with its Perform button shortcuts and vibrant backlighting. With a keyboard journey of 1.5mm, there was a pleasant give whereas I typed, however not a lot looseness that my fingers by accident hit any neighboring keys. There was additionally a pleasantly gentle and clicky sound should you’re into that.

And like most of Lenovo’s laptop computer choices, the Slim Professional 9i has a delicate, sizable trackpad (3.15 x 5.31in, to be precise). The touchpad made it straightforward for me to navigate the online and applications like Adobe Photoshop and video editor Microsoft Clipchamp and not using a Bluetooth mouse.

Just like the touchpad, I loved the touchscreen’s responsiveness after I used my finger to navigate via tabs and applications, edit photographs, and doodle. I even utilized the contact keyboard, which labored like a appeal.

Uncertain easy methods to allow the contact keyboard on Home windows 11 to make use of your laptop computer like a pill? Proper-click the taskbar and head to “Taskbar Settings.” Then, set your contact keyboard to “At all times” and faucet the contact keyboard icon in your taskbar to launch it.

The Mini-LED Show: Lovely Shade Distinction

Whereas I desire OLED, the mini-LED show on the Slim Professional 9i displayed stunning colour and distinction—notably within the blacks, grays, and vibrant shades. In my time with the machine, I streamed loads of reveals through Netflix and a few motion pictures, like “The Matrix Resurrections” on Tubi. Even in murky scenes, the blacks have been sharp, and the colours have been crystal clear. I noticed no muddiness when streaming, gaming, or searching YouTube movies of wildlife and idyllic locales.

At 3K, any medium I engaged with appeared incredible. The one downfall is that the ultra-glossy display made it straightforward to catch a glare within the daytime, so I wanted to angle it down or shut the drapes when it was too vibrant.

Efficiency: The Cream of the Crop

Whereas utilizing the Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8, I labored on varied initiatives and was by no means let down. With an Intel Evo i7 GPU (and its 14 cores and 20 threads), multitasking was not an issue. The variety of browser tabs I saved open without delay was legendary—generally as many as 30. That did not faze the Slim Professional 9i, nor did my leaving round 20 tabs open whereas working a YouTube video and Spotify concurrently as I jumped backwards and forwards from enhancing photographs in Photoshop to writing in Microsoft Phrase. At most, I seen a mere second of a stutter when working a number of applications with excessive CPU necessities, whether or not in “Balanced” or “Efficiency” mode.

Notably, Lenovo’s “X Energy” efficiency made it straightforward to cost whereas utilizing the laptop computer as a result of it was noticeably cooler to the contact than many different Lenovo laptops I’ve reviewed, such because the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 8. Even whereas charging, the keyboard stayed comfortably heat and by no means strayed into uncomfortable territory.

Gaming: A Informal Gamer’s Delight

Though I may not advocate the Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8 for aggressive gaming, informal to reasonable players will discover the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU and the Intel Evo i7 CPU the last word companions for stable gaming enjoyable. I performed every little thing from the vampire survival recreation “Redfall” to the journey stealth title “A Plague Story: Requiem” and located the Slim Professional 9i might deal with nearly something. However for the precision wanted for aggressive shooters, I might advocate going with a gaming laptop computer above an everyday PC.

In “Forza Horizon 5,” my benchmark take a look at confirmed a median latency of 33.6ms—which is kind of good. Nonetheless, the advised settings for me have been low, which is perhaps disappointing to gaming fans who need to crank up the shadows and texture for a extra immersive expertise. Nonetheless, with the flexibility to extend your refresh price as much as 165Hz (moderately than the usual 60Hz) and lovely graphics (even on a low setting), I used to be impressed with the muscle this machine might put out for my gaming ventures.

Different titles that carried out nice have been “Atomic Coronary heart,” “Life Is Unusual: True Colours,” and “Bramble: The Mountain King.”

Immersive Sounds and Sights: The Digicam, Microphones, and Audio system

The 5MP digicam is likely one of the greatest built-in webcams I’ve seen. When video chatting with my writing group on Zoom or testing my webcam for an necessary assembly, I used to be impressed with the crispness of the seize. The default settings have a little bit of excessive saturation, however as soon as I turned it down, the stability of colour was good.

Whereas the speaker system on the Slim Professional 9i is best than many others, there’s not sufficient bass to present it an “A” grade. Nonetheless, I bought some important quantity out of the quad-speaker system, and the Dolby Entry app helped enhance my audio when it was feeling flat. Regardless of the sunshine bass, I jammed out to indie dream pop crooner Wild Nothing and a few soul classics and felt glad. Audio for streaming and gaming was additionally ample—however should you’re a real audiophile, you would possibly need to spend money on a greater speaker.

The quad mic array is likely one of the largest promoting factors of this laptop computer for working professionals as a result of it may do a beautiful job of recording your sound and minimizing distractions. That being mentioned, the microphone system might clip at larger volumes. Once I recorded myself singing, plenty of the audio was clipped. I had no points with on a regular basis speech volumes, nevertheless.

The automated noise cancellation labored in my favor to eradicate air con noise and my canine growling, however recording myself with noisy café ambiance wasn’t as seamless. Heavy noises made it into my recordings, however the mics nonetheless remoted my voice properly sufficient to make me audible.

Microphone Take a look at on the Lenovo Slim Professional 9i 14 in a Quiet Surroundings

Microphone Take a look at on the Lenovo Slim Professional 9i 14 in a Noisy Surroundings

Battery and Charging: Comes and Goes Quick

With the Evo CPU, battery life is extra environment friendly than it is perhaps with an Intel Core. On common, I bought about 5 hours of use out of a full cost with the brightness round 80 to 95% (besides whereas gaming). The drain price was 0.33% per minute, or 19.8% per hour.

Charging was swift, too. With the 140W charger, I averaged a acquire of 6.94% per minute or 56.4% per hour. The Achille’s heel is gaming, which left the Slim Professional 9i with a 1 to 1.32% drain per minute, or about 60 to 79.2% battery loss per hour.

Ought to You Purchase The Lenovo Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8 Laptop computer?

The Lenovo Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8 is a brilliant purchase for anybody who needs the newest Intel i7 Evo CPU mixed with unimaginable work instruments and a few stable graphics.

Nonetheless, in case your precedence is unimaginable gaming, audio system, and upgradeable reminiscence, you would possibly need to attempt the Razer Blade 18, which has a terrific speaker system and provides upgradeable reminiscence and storage for a major finances improve.

You should buy the Lenovo Slim Professional 9i 14 Gen 8 immediately beginning at $1869.99.