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Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11: Two-minute review
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is an ultra-thin laptop with a strong spec that makes it more than capable for workday use.
It looks smart, thanks to its minimalist form. All sides are flat, and the Cosmic Blue colorway is subtle yet helps to distinguish it in this largely monochromatic sector.
The build quality is excellent. The body is as premium as it comes, feeling very solid but also light and smooth to the touch. In fact, it could probably lay claim to having one of the best laptop constructions around right now. Allied to that lightness is its thinness, which is quite remarkable, although the thick rear foot underneath somewhat negates this aspect, which is a shame. What’s more, these truncated dimensions mean that you get three ports, all of which are USB-C.
With the new Snapdragon X2 Elite chip equipped, the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is a capable all-round performer. It handles multiple browser tabs and 4K streaming with ease, as well as basic productivity. While it’s not necessarily aimed at gamers and lacks a dedicated GPU, it’s even capable of some light gaming; it managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 in a playable state, although don’t expect top-tier performance. Heat and fan noise are generated when such workloads are conducted, but neither is too disruptive.
Another advantage of the X2 Elite chip is the improved efficiency. This is evident in the battery life of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11, which is one of its most impressive aspects. It lasted close to a full day when I ran a movie on a continuous loop, which ranks among the best in class. It’s also quick to charge, taking about two hours to do so.
The 2.8K display in my review unit was sharp, bright, and vivid, although it was prone to showing reflections at times. For the most part, though, these were only apparent in the most unfavorable of lighting conditions.
The keyboard is fairly easy to use, thanks to the ergonomic keycaps and their spacing. However, presses are a little heavier than you might expect, so this can take some getting used to if you’ve come from a board that requires a light touch. The touchpad is large and smooth, which makes for easy navigation, while taps and clicks are responsive and provide good feedback.
The Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 commands a reasonably high price tag, but considering its spec and quality, it makes for good value compared to some of its less premium-feeling rivals. It might lack the ports and graphical performance of other laptops, but it’s a fine choice if portability and build quality are among your top priorities.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Price & availability
- Starts from $999.99 / £945 / AU$1,999
- Available now in one colorway
- Reasonably expensive for the spec
The Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 starts from $999.99 / £945 / AU$1,999 and is available now in one color: Cosmic Blue. This base spec features a Snapdragon X2 Plus X2P-42-100, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and WUXGA display. This isn’t exactly cheap, and costs escalate quickly as you move up the model range. The top-spec unit, which features 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 2.8K display, costs $2,299.99 (about £1,700 / AU$3,300).
If you’re looking for another thin and light laptop, then the HP OmniBook 7 is a very strong alternative. I was very impressed with its performance when I reviewed it, and its only missteps are the port placements and slightly harsh keyboard. It’s base model is slightly cheaper than the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11’s in the US, and significantly so in the UK.
There’s also the Asus Zenbook A14, which is incredibly thin and light, and has one of the best battery lifespans around. However, it lacks the build quality and display brightness of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11, yet it’s significantly more expensive when comparing like-for-like models.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Specs
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Base spec |
Max spec |
|
Price |
$999.99 / £945 / AU$1,999 |
$2,299.99 (about £1,700 / AU$3,300) |
|
CPU |
Snapdragon X2 Plus X2P-42-100 Processor (4.04 GHz) |
Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E-80-100 Processor (4.70 GHz) |
|
Graphics |
Integrated |
Integrated |
|
RAM |
16GB LPDDR5X |
32GB LPDDR5X |
|
Display |
14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200), OLED, Glare, HDR 500 True Black, 100% DCI-P3, 400 nits, 60Hz |
14-inch 2.8K WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800), OLED, Glare, HDR 1000 True Black, 100% DCI-P3, 500 nits, PureSight Pro, 120Hz |
|
Storage |
512GB SSD M.2 PCIe Gen4 |
1TB SSD M.2 PCIe Gen4 |
|
Ports and Connectivity |
3x USB-C (USB4 40Gbps); Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
3x USB-C (USB4 40Gbps); Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Battery |
70Wh |
70Wh |
|
Weight |
2.6lbs (1.2kg) |
2.6lbs (1.2kg) |
|
Dimensions |
12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches / 312 x 221 x 14mm |
12.3 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches / 312 x 221 x 14mm |
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Design
- Extremely thin
- Premium materials
- Lacks ports
The minimalist design of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is appealing, while the dark Cosmic Blue colorway rescues the unit from looking dull. The rounded sides and corners help to soften its appearance. Most sides are flat, with no extraneous bulges, save for the central camera bezel that extends beyond the rest of the lid. However, the overhang this creates actually helps you to open the lid, which is a thoughtful touch.
The body is one of the best I’ve seen in a laptop. It looks and feels premium, rivaling what the best MacBooks have to offer. It’s incredibly smooth and seems very durable. There’s some flex to the base and the lid, but they’re remarkably solid when you consider just how light the whole unit is. The lid is also very stable when open, and adjustments are smooth and easy to make.
Just as impressive is the thinness of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11. It’s certainly one of the thinnest 14-inch laptops I’ve seen, although it’s a shame the bulky bar underneath, which acts as the rear foot, somewhat undermines this aspect. This is no doubt to improve airflow from the underside vent, which is more exposed than many others.
To achieve this thinness, port selection has been compromised. There are only three ports, all of which are USB-C, which means you’ll need plenty of adapters (or a hub) if you’re going to be connecting lots of peripherals. The saving grace is that all ports have 40Gbps transfer rates, support the Power Delivery standard, and can be used to charge the laptop itself. They’re also split across both sides of the unit, which improves practicality.
On the right you’ll also find the power button and a button for disabling the webcam, which might disappoint those hoping for a physical privacy shutter.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Performance
- Capable everyday performance
- Light gaming possible
- Keys are a little heavy
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 benchmarks
3DMark: Night Raid: 40,637; Fire Strike: 7,911; Steel Nomad: 1,051; Solar Bay: 21,754; Solar Bay Unlimited: 22,518; Solar Bay Extreme: 2,491; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 2,526
Geekbench 6.5: Multicore: 20,362; Single-core: 3,815
Cinebench R23: Multi Core: 13,071; Cinebench R24: Single Core: 90; Multi Core: 723
Crossmark: Overall: 1,896; Productivity: 1,703; Creativity: 2,171; Responsiveness: 1,742
Passmark Overall: 7,821.2; CPU: 30,341.4; 2D Graphics: 594.2; 3D Graphics: 6,632.9; Memory: 3,429.5; Disk: 51,620.7
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 5,214MB/s; Write: 4,947MB/s
HandBrake 4K to 1080p: 63.68fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p, Medium: 43fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1800p, Ultra: 11fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 23 hours and 30 minutes
For everyday use, the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is certainly fast enough. It handled many of the tasks I threw at it with aplomb, from basic productivity to 4K streaming. With the 32GB of RAM in my unit, it also handled multi-tab web browsing with ease.
No doubt a lot of this performance comes from the new Snapdragon X2 Elite chip inside the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11. Qualcomm claims this chip is a stronger performer than Intel equivalents, and based on our testing this appears to be true. For instance, it beat the Geekbench Single Core benchmark score of the HP OmniBook 7, with its Intel Core 5 220H, by over a thousand points, and doubled its Multi Core score.
When it comes to gaming, the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 was less competent, but that’s hardly a surprise — it’s not really aimed at wooing gamers, given it doesn’t have a dedicated GPU. However, I still managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 in a playable state, albeit with ray tracing disabled and resolution scaling set to Balanced. It wasn’t exactly a smooth experience, so it’s not likely to be for you if you’re in the market for a dedicated gaming laptop, but if you want a productivity powerhouse with just a little casual gaming on the side, it should suffice.
As expected, the fans can be heard whirring away in such cases, but the noise isn’t too disruptive. Heat is also generated, and temperatures can get quite high in places, although thankfully these hotspots are confined to the top and underside of the base.
The display in my review unit was crisp, thanks to its 2880 x 1800 resolution, and the high levels of brightness ensure content is viewable in most conditions. There were times when reflections showed on screen, but only when the lighting in my environment was particularly unsuitable.
The keys in the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 adopt Lenovo’s trademark shape, which are very ergonomic. The generous spacing between them also makes for a forgiving typing experience. However, they’re a little heavier and travel further than you might expect, which might throw off those who prefer a light and snappy response. The touchpad is suitably large and incredibly smooth, making it conducive to cursor navigation. Taps are responsive without being overly sensitive, and clicks are easy to perform and provide plenty of feedback.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Battery life
The battery life of the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is very impressive. No doubt that aforementioned new Snapdragon chip plays a major part here, due to its improved efficiency. It managed to last just under 24 hours in our movie playback test, putting it ahead of many other laptops in this sector. This may be partly due to that aforementioned chipset, which Snapdragon claims brings improved efficiency. Charging is a quick affair, too, as it took about two hours to fully replenish.
However, there are those that can match and even outlast it, such as the HP OmniBook 7, which managed 26 hours in the same test. And then there’s the Asus Zenbook A14, which managed a staggering 28 hours and 25 minutes.
- Battery life score: 4.5 / 5
Should I buy the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11?
Scorecard
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|
Value |
It seems expensive, but when you consider its design and spec, it’s reasonable. |
4 / 5 |
|
Design |
I couldn’t help but marvel at its thin and premium design. The port selection is disappointing, though. |
4 / 5 |
|
Performance |
Great for everyday tasks, and it can even handle light gaming. The display is vivid if a little reflective, and it can get hot under load. |
4 / 5 |
|
Battery life |
Among the best in class, it really can last a full day. It’s quick to charge, too. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Total Score |
The Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 is great if you need a thin yet powerful Windows machine that lasts all day unplugged. A few areas are less impressive, but it’s still a good value proposition. |
4 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 review: Also consider
How I tested the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11
- Tested for several days
- Used for a variety of tasks
- Plentiful laptop experience
I tested the Yoga Slim 7x Gen 11 for several days, during which time I used it for a variety of tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming.
I also ran our series of benchmark tests, designed to assess every aspect of a laptop’s performance. I also ran a movie on a continuous loop to test the battery life.
I’ve been using laptops for decades, and have reviewed a large number of them, from small budget models to large gaming machines.
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lewis.maddison@futurenet.com (Lewis Maddison)
