Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 16IRP8 laptop review: The Apple MacBook Pro 16 alternative

The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 16 G8 is a high-end laptop designed for content creation and multimedia purposes. It competes with 16-inch creator-centric models like the MSI CreatorPro Z16P , Apple MacBook Pro 16 , HP Envy 16 , or the Asus ProArt StudioBook 16 . Confusingly, the name of this model is different depending on region.

In Europe, for example, this model is known as the Yoga Pro 9i 16 whereas it is the Slim Pro 9i 16 in North America. We recommend checking out our review on the Yoga Pro 9i 16 to learn more about the physical features of this laptop. Our review configuration ships with the uncommon 13th gen Raptor Lake Core i9-13905H CPU and 100 W GeForce RTX 4050 in contrast to the Core i7-13705H and RTX 4060 on our Yoga Pro 9i 16.

Both configurations otherwise ship with the same 3. 2K (3200 x 2000) mini-LED touchscreen with full DCI-P3 colors. A 14-inch version of this model is also available called the Slim Pro 9i 14 or Yoga Pro 9i 14 .

More Lenovo reviews: Transfer rates are average for the category with our PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 UHS-II test card. Unfortunately, the card reader on the Lenovo is shallow and so the SD card would protrude by over half its length for unsafe transporting. The 5 MP sensor is of higher quality than the webcams on most other laptops where 2 MP or 1 MP are still commonplace.

Both IR and a camera kill switch are included. Mini-LED combines the benefits of cheaper IPS and more expensive OLED. It offers very fast native refresh rates of IPS with the higher maximum brightness of OLED via local dimming for more vibrant colors.

The drawback, however, is a noticeable “halo” effect when displaying a very bright object against a very dark background. Our screenshot below, for example, shows a white mouse cursor against an all-black background. The cursor would be crisp with defined edges on an OLED panel, but it instead glows on mini-LED since local dimming is not perfect.

Maximum brightness is limited to about 600 nits when displaying an all-white image. When running this HDR test , however, we’re able to measure a higher maximum brightness of 1330 nits which is in line with Lenovo’s claim of 1200 nits. Color temperature is warmer than expected when set to P3 mode.

Unlike on many MSI models, the Lenovo Vantage software does not have a slider for adjusting color temperature. Flickering is present on all brightness levels when in SDR mode. However, its frequency is relatively high at 5784 Hz and so it should not be an issue for the vast majority of users.

We set our unit to Performance mode via Windows and Extreme Performance mode via Lenovo Vantage prior to running the benchmarks below. Annoyingly, Lenovo redesigns its Vantage UI rather frequently and so all the settings are under different submenus when compared to the same software on other Lenovo laptops. The Core i9-13905H may be faster than the Core i7-13705H on paper, but the advantages are minor at best.

Multi-thread performance is almost identical between them while single-thread performance is only 5 to 10 percent faster with our Core i9. We experienced wake-from-sleep issues and even a BSOD during testing. The screen would sometimes remain blank when attempting to wake from sleep and a hard reboot would then be required to return to Windows.

LatencyMon reveals DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs of our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise excellent with just one dropped frame during a 60-second timeframe. The mobile GeForce RTX 4050 is a significant upgrade over last year’s disappointing mobile RTX 3050 series.

Raw graphics performance is about 50 to 60 percent faster than the RTX 3050 Ti to be on par with the mobile RTX 3060 . Upgrading to the RTX 4060 configuration is expected to boost performance by about 20 percent. Running on Balanced mode instead of Performance mode impacts performance slightly as shown by our Fire Strike results in the table below.

Though not technically a gaming machine, the system is more than capable of playing the latest titles even at the native QHD+ resolution. Newer and more demanding titles like Returnal can run on maximum settings, but DLSS is recommended for more tolerable frame rates. G-Sync is unfortunately not supported on the internal display.

Fan noise tends to settle in the quiet 25 to 27 dB(A) range against a silent background of 22. 7 dB(A) when running undemanding loads like browsers or video streams. When higher loads like games are introduced, however, the fans would steadily increase until reaching a maximum of 52.

6 dB(A) to be as loud as many gaming laptops. It’s worth noting that fan noise would drop considerably to just 44. 2 dB(A) when running games on Balanced mode instead of Performance mode.

The lower fan noise may therefore be worth the slight decrease in performance depending on user preferences. Surface temperatures are warmest near the center regions where hot spots can reach over 38 C and 44 C on the top and bottom, respectively. The keyboard on the Lenovo isn’t as warm as on the Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 where the center can reach 50 C when under load.

The CPU would boost to 4 GHz, 120 W, and 100 C for the first 40 seconds when initiating Prime95 stress. Since 100 C isn’t ideal, clock rates and board power draw would quickly fall to just 3. 0 to 3.

2 GHz and 85 W, respectively, in order to maintain a more reasonable core temperature of 82 C. The high Turbo Boost clock rates of the Core i9-13905H are therefore unsustainable on the Slim Pro 9i due to cooling limitations. The Nvidia GPU would stabilize at 2505 MHz, 70 C, and 72 W when running Witcher 3 on Performance mode compared to 2460 MHz, 62 C, and 56 W on Balanced mode.

GPU power draw can approach 92 W at its peak against its TGP target of 100 W. Power consumption can range from 16 W when on the minimum brightness setting with the iGPU active up to 30 W when displaying an all-white image on the maximum brightness setting with the dGPU active. It’s therefore recommended to be more mindful of the brightness settings and colors if battery life is a concern much like on OLED panels.

Power consumption when gaming is almost identical to what we recorded on the Yoga Pro 9i even though the latter offers up to 20 percent faster graphics performance. Both the RTX 4050 and RTX 4060 configurations target 100 W TGP each which would explain their similar consumption levels when the GPU is under load. Our Core i9-13905H peaks slightly higher than the Core i7-13705H when launching Prime95 before eventually settling at similar levels.

Runtimes are essentially identical to what we recorded on the Yoga Pro 9 16 at about 6. 5 hours of real-world browsing. Charging from empty to full takes about 90 minutes even with Rapid Charge enabled.

Battery charge may drop if running demanding loads even when connected to mains. During our hour-long Prime95 and FurMark test, for example, our battery charge would actually drop from 100 percent to 79 percent indicating that the model could have benefited from a higher capacity AC adapter. Certain USB-C adapters may charge the system.

Our 130 W Dell XPS 15 USB-C adapter, for example, appears to be incompatible while the 140 W Lenovo USB-C adapter would work without any issues. There are at least two configurations of the Slim Pro 9i 16 available at the moment: one with the Core i7-13705H and GeForce RTX 4060 and one with the Core i9-13905H and GeForce RTX 4050. Since the prices of both are so similar, the Core i7 with RTX 4060 option is highly recommended over the Core i9 with RTX 4050 option since the Core i7 performs almost identically to the Core i9.

Meanwhile, jumping from the RTX 4050 to the RTX 4060 provides a greater and more noticeable boost in graphics performance. The Core i7 and GeForce RTX 4060 configuration is the sweet spot for those considering the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 16. Other aspects of the model are comparable to alternatives like the HP Envy 16 or MacBook Pro 16 ranging from the wide port options to the overall fast performance, dense weight, and reasonable dimensions.

However, you won’t get the user-expandable RAM of the Envy 16 or the pre-calibrated display and longer battery life of the MacBook Pro. Lenovo is now shipping its Slim Pro 9i 16 for $2200 USD with the higher-end GeForce RTX 4060. The model is also available at Best Buy .

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