Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x Review: The Best Laptop Under $1,000

But one positive with the 15.3-inch screen is that Lenovo didn’t try to overwhelm the number pad. No. No. Just a standard keyboard layout with a centered touchpad and enough room for your wrists. And yet, it doesn’t feel like a very large laptop. The width and depth dimensions are nearly identical to the 15-inch MacBook Air, and it’s only 0.16 inches thick. This is definitely a backpackable and travel-worthy device.

And this is where remaining agreements are surprisingly few and far between. One of the first things I test with a budget laptop is the touchpad. Cheap Windows laptops have extremely poor touchpads, and this is one of the critical parts of the laptop that may not be described in the specifications. I’m happy to report that the IdeaPad Slim 5x has a better tracking surface than other laptops at this price. The performance is far better than the HP OmniBook 3 or OmniBook 5. It’s definitely more responsive than the Asus VivoBook 14. I’d say it’s more or less on par with last year’s Dell 14 Plus, although that laptop has increased in price in recent months. The clicking sound is my only real complaint about the IdeaPad Slim 5x’s touchpad. it’s too loud. I’d take a responsive surface over a quieter click any day, but if you work in an office with coworkers, they might be annoyed by it.

Photograph: Luke Larson

I was also surprised by how good the speaker sounded. They didn’t blow me away, but compared to the average set of speakers on an average Windows laptop at this price, they’re impressive. Of course, the 13-inch MacBook Air also undoubtedly looks fuller and bassier, but these are at least serviceable. The webcam doesn’t perform that well. It’s really only good enough in good lighting.

it only gets better

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus is no M5 killer—that’s for sure. Despite the improvements in GPU this time around, the Apple M5 is still in another league. But Qualcomm is closing the gap with CPU performance, even if the M5 remains the undisputed champion. I would say this is a big deal in a laptop designed with performance in mind, but here, it’s not that big an issue. You’re not buying $850 to become a full-time video creator, AI junkie, or eSports gamer. The IdeaPad Slim 5x excels at what it’s designed for.

My typical workflow involves a full load of work apps, dozens of browser tabs, and maybe some music and video streaming simultaneously. The X2 Plus left no stone unturned. I came away convinced that there is more performance than most people will need. This is especially impressive considering the X2 Plus is a step down from the more powerful X2 Elite (or X2 Elite Enhanced), which was partly how Qualcomm and Lenovo were able to lower the price.

The display is also one aspect of this laptop that surprised me. It’s brighter and more colorful than most laptops at this price, and the addition of a touchscreen is useful. Although I don’t usually like matte screens, the IdeaPad Slim 5x’s more subtle anti-glare coating made this display feel premium and clear without heavy reflections.