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Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x review: Big value, minor trade-offs
by Sherri L. Smith on May 27, 2026
Gas prices are through the roof. So are food costs, clothes, and of course, tech. The prices are so outrageous that every dollar has to count. So what's a budget-savvy techie supposed to do? Lenovo has a solution in the form of the IdeaPad Slim 5x, a thin-and-light laptop designed for productivity and a touch of content creation (and maybe some light gaming) all for well under $1,000.
Powered by a third-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus processor, the Slim 5x has just enough power to get your work done with plenty of longevity to get you through a full day and then some. Plus, you get a healthy smattering of ports, a great webcam, and a nice-looking 15.6-inch display.
But with bargains come compromises in the form of loud, distorted speakers and a clear performance ceiling in the face of more demanding tasks. For its price and overall functionality, though, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x is a grand slam.
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"For its price and overall functionality, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x is a grand slam." |
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Key Specs
As much as I love a totally tricked-out laptop, my heart can't help but race at an affordable baddie. The Slim 5x hits me in my sub-$1,000 feels, coming in at $849.99 on Lenovo's site. For the price, you get a 15.6-inch laptop outfitted with a 4.03 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, integrated Qualcomm Adreno X2-45 graphics, and a 1920 x 1200 touchscreen.
You can double the RAM and storage and upgrade to a 2560 x 1600 OLED touch panel, but that pushes the price to $1,329.99. Not the most expensive system on the market, but it's almost a $500 increase.
Design
With its Cloud Gray metal finish, the Slim 5x will blend right into an office setting or coffee shop. Save for the glossy inlaid Lenovo logo in the center of the lid, the IdeaPad is absent of embellishments. A small lip at the top of the lid makes opening the notebook easier, and from there you're met with more silvery goodness. The keyboard dominates the majority of the deck in a recessed area sandwiched between a pair of speakers. A massive trackpad just below leaves just enough space to rest your palms as you type.
Weighing only 3.1 pounds, the 13.4 x 9.4 x 0.61-inch laptop is lighter than some 14 and 13-inch laptops. The laptop easily slid into my backpack and was barely noticeable as I took it on several commutes throughout New York City and New Jersey.
Display and Audio
It isn't OLED, but I'll take it. The Slim 5x's 15.6-inch semi-matte, anti-glare LCD display is bright and produces surprisingly vivid color along with sharp detail. Watching the trailer for Is God Is, I saw each link in the goldenrod yellow ropes holding together the rusted front grille of the protagonists' car in the opening scene. The thick, raised, slightly off-color burn scars crisscrossing actor Mallori Johnson's face like a lattice offered a great juxtaposition to the blush pink rose patterns on her dress. Granted, the color isn't as vibrant as you'd get on an OLED panel, but for the price, this is a pretty good display.
The touch panel is agile and responsive. I appreciate the semi-matte finish as it also provides a level of fingerprint resistance. Still, I really wish Lenovo had bundled a pen, since it's a more precise experience.
When you're dealing with a more affordable system, there's bound to be some compromises. Unfortunately, the IdeaPad's two-watt speakers leave much to be desired. While they get loud, more often than not the audio sounds diffused, especially on the lows, making for hollow bass. I heard this on songs like TeaMarr and Sir's "Tick" and Kendrick Lamar's "tv off." The highs and mids aren't much better, and at maximum volume can sound tinny and distorted, as on "Move" by Tank and the Bangas featuring Lucky Daye. Even with much-needed assistance from the Dolby Audio app (and trust me, the problems get worse without it), all it can do is offer mild restraint.
Ports and Connectivity
The IdeaPad offers a healthy number of ports. I was especially happy to see the microSD card reader, as some of us don't rely on cloud storage for everything. In addition, you get a pair of USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a headset jack. The power button sits on the laptop's right, which is something you typically see on convertible laptops. The Slim 5x doesn't reside in that class of notebook.
For connectivity, the Slim 5x supports Bluetooth 5.4 and has a Wi-Fi 7 802.11be (2x2) chip.
Keyboard and Usability
The IdeaPad doesn't match up to the stellar typing experience of a ThinkPad, but that doesn't mean it's uncomfortable. On the contrary, the keys on the Slim 5x's keyboard are large with nice spacing and bright backlighting. The keys depress with a quiet click and firm spring back without bottoming out. I easily matched my 70-word-per-minute average on the MonkeyType test. The touchpad has great palm rejection with agile response to regular navigation and multipoint gestures.
Webcam
For better or worse, I love the color accuracy I got from the IdeaPad's 1080p webcam. My skin looks luminous. However, it's glaringly obvious that I'm long overdue for a hair appointment. Details could be sharper; you can barely make out the wallpaper pattern in the background. Still, this is a good webcam for video calls, especially if you slap an AI filter on it.
Performance
As an entry-level chipset, the X2 Plus processor isn't the strongest in Qualcomm's current lineup. However, the third-gen Snapdragon X2 Plus chip is no slouch, designed to prioritize efficiency over power-hungry performance. You'll find it in ultraportable and thin-and-light systems that promise solid performance and supreme endurance. Qualcomm rates the integrated NPU at 45 TOPS, which is more than enough for most productivity and AI tasks. It can even handle a bit of light gaming within reason, but these are integrated graphics. Be prepared to tweak a lot of settings, or check out a cloud gaming service like Nvidia GeForce Now.
During synthetic tests, including Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2026, results came back at acceptable levels. 3DMark gaming benchmarks were a bit dicier, with a fair number of results falling just below the threshold.
Using the laptop to work, create, and goof off a little, I found apps opened quickly and rarely experienced any slowdown, even with my menagerie of 72 open Google Chrome tabs. Editing photos in Adobe Photoshop was a breeze, as was editing video in DaVinci Resolve.
That workload did make the Slim 5x hot under the collar, though. Some of my more intensive sessions made the bottom rear of the notebook uncomfortably hot against bare skin.
Battery Life
It took me two days to run down the Slim 5x's 54.7 Wh battery. Two days of writing this review, perusing the internet, doomscrolling social media, editing photos, taking several video calls, working on various spreadsheets, trying to get my life in order, and falling down several video game rabbit holes on YouTube before I drained the battery to 10 percent. And that's with the screen cranked up to full brightness.
Verdict
After more than a decade of reviewing laptops, I admit that I can be a bells-and-whistles snob. However, I can appreciate a good deal, and that's what the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x is. For less than $900, you get a lightweight notebook capable of handling most of your productivity tasks with extra-long battery life, a surprisingly good webcam, and a lovely 15.6-inch display.
Is it the most powerful laptop in the world? No, but it's enough to get the job done and then some. True, the speakers are subpar, but you can get a pair of headphones. For what you're paying, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x offers a lot of value that will appeal to mobile professionals, students, and creative professionals alike.
[Image credit: Sherri L. Smith/Techlicious]
