The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 has some less-performant specs than the Slim 9i does at the high end, but the tradeoff is better battery life, a convertible design, and a lower price. There are also more configuration options to choose from, which is always a plus.
The Lenovo Slim 9i offers the best performance overall thanks to its top-of-the-line 12th Gen Core i7 and 32GB of memory, though you’ll have to deal with lower battery life and a higher price tag to get it. The device is also has a clamshell design, making it less flexible than the Yoga.
For
- Best performance
- More memory
- Gorgeous display
- Triple Thunderbolt 4 ports
Against
- More expensive
- Worse battery life
- Not convertible
Ultimately, we feel that the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 will be the better choice for most people since it has better battery life, a convertible design, and a lower price, yet still offers great specs and performance along with a wonderful display. However, don’t count the Lenovo Slim 9i out, as it can be configured with a more powerful CPU, comes with double the memory, and features triple Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Yoga 9i 14 vs. Slim 9i: Comparison and specs
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 and Slim 9i are very similar in terms of specs, although the Slim 9i does pull ahead slightly overall. The Yoga can be outfitted with Intel 12th Gen Mobile CPUs like the Core i5-1240P and the Core i7-1260P, but the Core i7-1280P found in the Slim 9i takes home the top performance crown. Both laptops also feature cutting-edge DDR5 memory, but the Slim 9i has 32GB of it while the Yoga 9i 14 is limited to 16GB. Both devices have Intel’s Iris Xe integrated graphics and options for up to a full 1TB of SSD storage space.
Display-wise, each device can be outfitted with a gorgeous WQUXGA 3840×2400 OLED panel that features Dolby Vision, HDR support, 400 nits of brightness, and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. With that said, the Yoga also allows you to choose a 1920×1200 IPS or 2.8K OLED screen, both of which will be less taxing on battery life than the WQUXGA panel.
| Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 | Lenovo Slim 9i | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Pro | |
| Processor | 12th Gen Core i5-1240P | 12th Gen Core i7-1280P |
| 12th Gen Core i7-1260P | ||
| Memory | Up to 16GB LPDDR5 5200MHz | 32GB LPDDR5 5200MHz |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe | Intel Iris Xe |
| Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe SSD Gen 4 | Up to 1TB PCIe SSD Gen 4 |
| Display | 14-inch WUXGA (1920×1200) IPS, Dolby Vision, 400 nits (touch) | 14-inch WQUXGA (3840×2400) OLED, glossy, Dolby Vision, HDR, 400 nits (touch) |
| 14-inch 2.8K (2880×1800) OLED, glossy, Dolby Vision, HDR, 400 nits (touch) | ||
| 14-inch WQUXGA (3840×2400) OLED, glossy, Dolby Vision, HDR, 400 nits (touch) | ||
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo | 3x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo |
| Audio | Bowers & Wilkins soundbar, quad speakers, dual mics | Bowers & Wilkins soundbar, quad speakers, dual mics |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Camera | FHD with IR hybrid, physical shutter | FHD with IR hybrid, physical shutter |
| Security | Fingerprint reader, Windows Hello (face) | Windows Hello (face) |
| Battery | 75Wh, up to 23 hours | 75Wh, up to 11 hours |
| Dimensions | 12.52 x 9.06 x 0.6-0.65 in. | 12.52 x 9.06 x as thin as 0.6 in. |
| 318mm x 230mm x 16.5mm | 315mm x 214.4mm x as thin as 14.9mm | |
| Weight | Starting at 3.26 pounds (1.48kg) | Starting at 3.02 pounds (1.37kg) |
| Price | Starting at $1,530 | Starting at $2,070 |
The biggest difference between the two laptops is battery life, as the Yoga can last for up to 23 hours (with the standard HD display), while the Slim 9i can only last for a maximum of 11 hours since it’s only available with the WQUXGA screen. That’s far from being a bad result — in fact, it’s quite good for a device equipped with a 12th Gen P-Series chip — but it’s worth keeping in mind if you value longevity over panel sharpness.
Both devices are incredibly similar when it comes to their sleek and durable designs, although there are a few notable differences. The Yoga is a convertible with the ability to rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing you to use it like a tablet if you want to. The Slim 9i is a clamshell and doesn’t have this capability, and it also doesn’t come with a fingerprint reader that you can use to log into Windows securely. However, it does have three Thunderbolt 4 ports compared to the Yoga’s two (though the Yoga does come with a USB-A port instead that you may prefer if you have older laptop accessories you’d like to use).
Yoga 9i 14 vs. Slim 9i: Which should you buy?
While both of these devices are unquestionably some of the best Windows laptops that money can buy, we ultimately feel that the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 is the better choice for most people. It’s true that the Lenovo Slim 9i has better overall performance thanks to its more advanced Core i7 CPU and its large 32GB of memory, but the higher price, lower battery life, and inflexible clamshell design prevent it from winning the day. Even though it’s technically less performant, the Yoga will still be more than good enough for the average user’s needs — and it doesn’t come with any of the Slim 9i’s drawbacks.
With that said, you can’t go wrong with the Lenovo Slim 9i. Despite its weaknesses, it’s nevertheless a fantastic productivity laptop that you’ll love if you want top performance and don’t mind dealing with its caveats. Since it comes with an extra Thunderbolt 4 port, it’s also the best choice for folks who plan on turning their laptop into a workstation with peripherals like Thunderbolt 4 hubs and docking stations.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 has some less-performant specs than the Slim 9i does at the high end, but the tradeoff is better battery life, a convertible design, and a lower price. There are also more configuration options to choose from, which is always a plus.
The Lenovo Slim 9i offers the best performance overall thanks to its top-of-the-line 12th Gen Core i7 and 32GB of memory, though you’ll have to deal with lower battery life and a higher price tag to get it. The device is also has a clamshell design, making it less flexible than the Yoga.
