Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD) review – Powerful CPU and Stunning OLED but There is Room for Improvement
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD) is the bigger version of the IdeaPad Slim 5 Gen 9 (14″ AMD). Both devices are pretty similar and of course, the main differences are the display options, the keyboard, and the cooling. By the way, the laptop that we are about to show you today is also known as IdeaPad Slim 5 16AHP9. Just like the smaller sibling, the 16-incher relies on 45W AMD Zen 4 Hawk Point-HS processors and AMD 760M or 780M for graphics. Again, the RAM is soldered and you get a lot of USB ports.
This Lenovo machine is offered with four display models – three 60Hz 1200p IPS units (one of them is a touchscreen) and the top dog is a 2048×1280 OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR support. We pick a notebook with the latter and this thing is impressive in terms of color coverage.
The connectivity is fine for the class (Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2) as well as the security options which include Pluton TPM 2.0, a self-healing BIOS, and a privacy shutter. The fingerprint reader and the IR Web camera are optional features.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-ideapad-slim-5-16ahp9/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16AHP9) - Specs
- HDD/SSD
- up to 2048GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2242 M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 32GB
- OS
- Windows 11 Home, Windows 11 Pro, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Home, No OS, Windows 11
- Battery
- 57Wh
- Body material
- Plastic / Polycarbonate, Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 356 x 251 x 16.9 - 17.9 mm (14.02" x 9.88" x 0.67")
- Weight
- 1.79 kg (3.9 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Sleep and Charge
- 2x USB Type-C
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- 1.4b
- Card reader
- microSD (microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC)
- Ethernet LAN
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Bluetooth
- 5.3
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- optional
- Web camera
- FHD IR with privacy shutter, fixed focus, with ToF sensor
- Backlit keyboard
- optional
- Microphone
- Dual Microphone Array
- Speakers
- 2x 2W Stereo Speakers, Dolby Audio
- Optical drive
All Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16AHP9) configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/ideapad-s-series-netbooks/ideapad-slim-5-16ahp9/downloads
What’s in the box?
Inside the box, you’ll find a bit of paperwork and a 65W or 100W USB Type-C charger. Some machines are bundled with the optional Lenovo WL310 Bluetooth Silent Mouse.
Design and construction
The similarities between the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD) and the 14-inch version are visible to the naked eye. The design language is clear and modern. This fella can be found in Abyss blue or Cloud grey color with an anodized finish. The surface of our grey notebook doesn’t pick up smudges with ease which is nice to see. The device can be found in two versions – with a metal lid and plastic base or as an all-aluminum notebook. The iterations with plastic bodies are slightly thicker and a bit lighter (17.9 mm and 1.79 kg starting weight) than the fully metal models (16.9 mm and 1.82 kg).
The lid can be opened with a single hand up to around 45 degrees. After that, you have to use both hands to fully open the laptop. The lid rigidity is decent, especially in a closed position. The base is more solid, we observed a slight flex in the zone below the Arrow keys but that only happens when we push down hard the chassis on purpose.
Yes, the bezels around the display are as narrow as possible which leads to a more modern look.
The hump on the top eases the lid opening but it also houses a 1080p or an optional IR Web camera with the same resolution. The privacy shutter is a standard feature.
The two speakers are hidden below the long grill on top of the keyboard. The latter is comfortable for work but the backlight is optional. The unit offers a dedicated Copilot shortcut and a NumPad. The key travel is nice but not the best and the feedback is definitely clicky. The optional fingerprint reader is placed right below the small Up” and “Down” Arrow keys.
The decently smooth touchpad with a Mylar surface offers acceptable accuracy.
Turning over the laptop reveals three rubber feet and a long two-row ventilation grill. The hot air is guided via a vent on the back. This means a bit of heat makes its way to the display when the processor is heavily stressed.
Ports
On the left, you can see a 5 Gbps USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, an HDMI 1.4b connector (for up to 1080p 60Hz external displays), one more 5 Gbps USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, and an Audio combo jack. The two USB Type-Cs support Power Delivery 3.0, and DisplayPort 1.4 output (for up to 4K 60Hz external displays). On the right, there are two 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) ports (the former has an Always On function) and a MicroSD card slot.
Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD) is equipped with an OLED panel, model number LEN160 2K (LEN8ABC). It comes with a 120Hz refresh rate. Its diagonal is 16.0″ (40.6 cm), and the resolution – 2048 х 1280p. Additionally, the screen ratio is 16:10, the pixel density – 151 ppi, and their pitch – 0.17 x 0.17 mm. The screen can be considered Retina when viewed from at least 58 cm (this is based on the pixel density and the typical viewing distance at which individual pixels cannot be distinguished by the human eye).
Viewing angles are good. We offer images at different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
On a black background, white fill at 8% of the screen area, the maximum measured brightness in HDR On mode is 612 nits (cd/m2) and 405 cd/m2 on a white screen. The maximum measured brightness in SDR mode is 403 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 401 nits (cd/m2) average across the surface with a maximum deviation of just 3%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness is 6250K.
In the illustration below you can see how the display performs from a uniformity perspective. It’s measured for operational brightness levels (approximately 180 nits). Values of dE2000 over 4.0 should not occur, and this parameter is one of the first you should check if you intend to use the laptop for color-sensitive work (a maximum tolerance of 2.0 ). The contrast ratio of OLED panels is practically infinite, due to their ability to turn off black pixels entirely.
To make sure we are on the same page, we would like to give you a little introduction to the sRGB color gamut and the Adobe RGB. To start, there’s the CIE 1976 Uniform Chromaticity Diagram that represents the visible specter of colors by the human eye, giving you a better perception of the color gamut coverage and the color accuracy.
Inside the black triangle, you will see the standard color gamut (sRGB) that is being used by millions of people on HDTV and on the web. As for the Adobe RGB, this is used in professional cameras, monitors, etc for printing. Basically, colors inside the black triangle are used by everyone and this is the essential part of the color quality and color accuracy of a mainstream notebook.
Still, we’ve included other color spaces like the famous DCI-P3 standard used by movie studios, as well as the digital UHD Rec.2020 standard. Rec.2020, however, is still a thing of the future and it’s difficult for today’s displays to cover that well. We’ve also included the so-called Michael Pointer gamut, or Pointer’s gamut, which represents the colors that naturally occur around us every day.
The yellow dotted line shows Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD) ‘s color gamut coverage.
Its display covers 100% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976 and 100% of DCI-P3, ensuring a super vibrant and attractive picture.
Our “Design and Gaming” profile delivers optimal color temperature at 180 cd/m2 luminance (Illuminant white point – D65), sRGB encoding curve.
We tested the accuracy of the display with 24 commonly used colors like light and dark human skin, blue sky, green grass, orange, etc. You can check out the results at factory condition and also, with the “Design and Gaming” profile.
Below you can compare the scores of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD) with the default settings (HDR off), and with the “Gaming and Web design” profile (right), compared to Display P3 color space. The factory settings are very good.
The next figure shows how well the display is able to reproduce really dark parts of an image, which is essential when watching movies or playing games in low ambient light (HDR off).
The left side of the image represents the display with stock settings, while the right one is enhanced with the “Gaming and Web Design” profile activated. On the horizontal axis, you will find the grayscale, and on the vertical axis – the luminance of the display. On the two graphs below you can easily check for yourself how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display, the calibration, the viewing angle, and the surrounding light conditions.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is an easy way to control monitor brightness. When you lower the brightness, the light intensity of the backlight is not lowered, but instead turned off and on by the electronics with a frequency indistinguishable to the human eye. In these light impulses, the light/no-light time ratio varies, while brightness remains unchanged, which is harmful to your eyes. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD)’s display uses PWM up to 65 nits. Above that, we see pulsations with a limited amplitude. This makes the panel relatively comfortable to use in this aspect.
Health Impact: Blue light emissions
Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates PWM but also reduces the harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate. If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.
Health Impact: Screen Reflectance
Glossy-coated displays can be inconvenient in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the screen reflection level for each laptop when the display is turned off and the measurement angle is set at 60°.
The reflectance of the Lenovo’s screen is 136 GU.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Sound
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD)’s Dolby Audio speakers produce a sound of very good quality. Its low, mid, and high tones have no deviations from clarity.
Buy our profiles
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD) configurations with 16.0″ LEN160 2K (LEN8ABC) (2048 х 1280) OLED.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Office Work
Office Work should be used mostly by users who spend most of the time looking at pieces of text, tables or just surfing. This profile aims to deliver better distinctness and clarity by keeping a flat gamma curve (2.20), native color temperature and perceptually accurate colors.
Design and Gaming
This profile is aimed at designers who work with colors professionally, and for games and movies as well. Design and Gaming takes display panels to their limits, making them as accurate as possible in the sRGB IEC61966-2-1 standard for Web and HDTV, at white point D65.
Health-Guard
Health-Guard eliminates the harmful Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) and reduces the negative Blue Light which affects our eyes and body. Since it’s custom tailored for every panel, it manages to keep the colors perceptually accurate. Health-Guard simulates paper so the pressure on the eyes is greatly reduced.
Get all 3 profiles with 33% discount
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Best performance” preset applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Also, the “Performance” preset is selected in the Lenovo Vantage app and the “UMA Frame Buffer Size” is set to 4GB in the BIOS.
The “Ultra Quiet Mode” is also turned off.
CPU options
This notebook is offered with AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS or Ryzen 7 8845HS.
Our laptop has a Ryzen 7 chip.
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
GPU options
Depending on the processor you can rely on an AMD Radeon 760M or Radeon 780M iGPU.
In our case, that’s the 780M iGPU.
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16AHP9) GPU variants
Here you can see an approximate comparison between the GPUs that can be found in the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16AHP9) models on the market. This way you can decide for yourself which Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16AHP9) model is the best bang for your buck.
Note: The chart shows the cheapest different GPU configurations so you should check what the other specifications of these laptops are by clicking on the laptop’s name / GPU.
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
Results are from the 3DMark: Fire Strike (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the 3DMark: Wild Life (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Unigine Superposition benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Gaming tests
| CS:GO | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) | HD 1080p, MAX (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average FPS | 205 fps | 189 fps | 101 fps |
| DOTA 2 | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Normal (Check settings) | HD 1080p, High (Check settings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average FPS | 92 fps | 80 fps | 70 fps |
Storage performance
The SSD of this laptop is a 1TB WD PC SN740 SDDPMQD-1T00-1101. Below you can see some benchmarks of the Gen 4 drive. It reaches 74°C during benchmarking but the temperatures under normal usage are way lower.
[eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT Your Laptop
You can make your laptop Faster. LaptopMedia has tested thousands of models in the last 15 years, and we have yet to see a notebook that couldn't be made more powerful through modifications.
That's why we decided to bundle everything we know about how to achieve this in an Easy-to-Follow, Step-by-Step, and Laboratory-Tested, all in one project.
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[eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT Your Laptop
🛠️ GPU Modifications: vBIOS, Overclocking, Undervolting
⚙️ Building Fast/Reliable RAID configuration
💻 Hardware upgrade tips for best results
🖼 Display enhancing
💾 OS Optimization for best performance
Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life
Max CPU load
In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.
Average core frequency (base frequency + X); CPU temp.
| AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (45W TDP) | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD) | 4.03 GHz @ 76°C @ 57W | 3.74 GHz @ 82°C @ 47W | 3.40 GHz @ 85°C @ 39W |
| Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-42) | 4.97 GHz @ 52°C @ 74W | 4.96 GHz @ 58°C @ 73W | 4.89 GHz @ 65°C @ 74W |
| Acer Nitro 14 (AN14-41) | 4.84 GHz @ 88°C @ 98W | 4.74 GHz @ 91°C @ 90W | 4.67 GHz @ 98°C @ 89W |
| Acer Nitro V 16 (ANV16-41) | 4.78 GHz @ 70°C @ 64W | 4.64 GHz @ 67°C @ 54W | 4.51 GHz @ 74°C @ 54W |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 5 (16″, Gen 9) | 4.78 GHz @ 92°C @ 123W | 4.73 GHz @ 100°C @ 119W | 4.59 GHz @ 100°C @ 88W |
The base clock of the 45W Ryzen 7 8845HS is 3.80 GHz. The same chip inside the IdeaPad Slim 5 can sustain higher frequencies in short and (almost) in medium loads. In the long run, the result is 3.40 GHz which isn’t bad for a sub-17 mm thick laptop.
Comfort during full load
The noise that is coming from the two fans when the CPU is loaded at max in “Performance” mode is average.
You can lower the noise by turning on the “Ultra Quiet Mode” in the BIOS.
When the CPU is stressed for a long time with 3D rendering, the WASD section heats up to around 55°C. At least for us, this zone doesn’t feel scorching hot to the touch but yes, it’s close to the limit. We also measured 51°C between the back vent and the hinge cover.
If you select the “Adaptive Power” mode, you can expect a bit less aggressive fan speed and slightly hindered CPU clocks compared to the “Performance” preset.
Performance mode
Adaptive Power modeBattery
Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Best Power Efficiency setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The 57Wh battery pack lasts for around 9 hours of video playback. To achieve that, you have to apply the “Best Power Efficiency” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and select the “Battery Saver” mode in the Lenovo Vantage app.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
To gain access to the internals, you have to undo nine Torx-head screws. Pop the back with a lever tool behind the hinge cover in the zones close to the top two corners. Pry the sides and the front. Then, fully pry the back with a thin plastic tool.
Here’s how the bottom panel looks on the inside.
Our notebook has the optional 57Wh battery. The default one is a 47Wh model and you can opt for a 76Wh unit. To remove it, pull out the connector from the motherboard and undo the 4 Phillips-head screws that secure the battery to the base. The capacity is enough for around 9 hours of video playback.
Part of the cooling and the SSD are covered with a Mylar film and you have to peel it.
Sadly, the RAM here is soldered. Still, you can order this machine with up to 32GB of LPDDR5x-6400MHz memory in dual-channel mode which should be enough for most people. Storage-wise, you get just one M.2 slot compatible with 2242 Gen 4 SSDs. The NVMe is additionally cooled by a thermal pad underneath. The Wi-Fi card is on the left of the cooling.
The thermal system looks decent for an iGPU-only notebook. It comprises two fans, a pair of heat pipes, one long top-mounted heat sink, and a large heat spreader.
Verdict
Most of the things that we said about the IdeaPad Slim 5 Gen 9 (14″ AMD) also apply to the IdeaPad Slim 5 (16″ AMD). This is a well-built 16-inch machine that offers impressively powerful CPU options for such a thin profile. We bought a laptop with the Ryzen 7 8845HS which is the top chip model for this Lenovo series. Let’s start with the good news. During max processor loads, the two fans are audible but not noisy and the processor can maintain decent clocks in short and medium stress. When the AMD chip is pushed hard for a long time, the clocks here are below the official base ones and the WASD section reaches 55°C. On the bright side, this machine always feels responsive and the SSD is also fast.
The optional OLED panel (LEN160 2K (LEN8ABC)) boasts a 120 Hz refresh rate, infinite contrast ratio, and full DCI-P3 coverage. The panel can be used for professional photo and video editing since its color accuracy becomes good when our “Design and Gaming” profile is applied.
The upgradability is poor – soldered RAM and just one M.2 slot for 2242 SSDs. If you want your notebook to be a bit more future-proof, ordering it with 32GB of memory seems like a logical choice. At first sight, the port selection is superb – four USB ports and a MicroSD reader. Unfortunately, you get just 5 Gbps connectors. The battery life is adequate – 9 hours of video playback with the optional 57Wh unit. For longer autonomous life, get the 76Wh battery model.
The 16-inch IdeaPad Slim 5 is a big but light machine with powerful Zen 4 CPUs, an optional color-accurate OLED panel, and a nice keyboard.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-ideapad-slim-5-16ahp9/
Pros
- Optional fingerprint reader and IR Web camera
- Thin, light, and solid aluminum chassis
- Infinite contrast ratio + 120Hz refresh rate (LEN8ABC)
- Wide viewing angles + 403 nits max brightness (LEN8ABC)
- 100% sRGB and DCI-P3 coverage (LEN8ABC)
- MicroSD card slot and 4x USB ports
- Feels snappy for work
- Long battery life
- The fan isn’t noisy during long full CPU loads
- Comfortable keyboard with a NumPad
- Quality speakers
- Snappy iGPU
- 45W Zen 4 CPU options
Cons
- Soldered memory and just one M.2 slot
- PWM usage (LEN8ABC)
- All ports are rated at 5 Gbps
- The Ryzen 7 8845HS struggles to reach its base clock in long loads
Author: Nikolay Palaozov
Author: eng. Kroum NikolovHead of Engineering at LaptopMedia.com, inventor and innovator with 40+ years of experience in electronics and high technology.TOP 100 GAMING LAPTOPS
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Здравей те,
Ще поддържа ли външен дисплей
С резолюция 2560 1440 qhd 180hz?