Lenovo IdeaPad Lenovo - IdeaPad Slim 3x - Copilot+ PC - 15.3" 2k Review
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x delivers phenomenal battery life in a light package, but its weak processor makes it a hard sell for most people.
Overview
So you're looking at the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x, a 15-inch laptop that runs on a Snapdragon chip with Windows 11 ARM. It's a bit of a different beast. For around $750, you get a thin and light machine with 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 15.3-inch touchscreen. The big question people have is, 'is a Windows on ARM laptop good for everyday use?' For basic stuff like web browsing, office work, and streaming, it's designed to be just fine. It's not a powerhouse, but it promises long battery life and always-on connectivity thanks to that Qualcomm chip. If you're a student or someone who just needs a portable machine for notes and emails, this could be a solid pick.
Performance
Let's talk numbers. The Intel N300 CPU lands in the 15th percentile for performance, and the integrated Qualcomm X1 GPU is in the 36th. That tells you exactly what this is for. It's not for gaming or heavy video editing. In our benchmarks, it handled everyday tasks without much fuss, but you'll feel it slow down if you try to run too many apps at once. The 60Wh battery, paired with this efficient chip, is where it shines. You can easily get through a full workday and then some on a single charge, which is a huge plus for portability. The WiFi 7 is a nice future-proofing touch, too.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Excellent battery life for all-day use 97th
- Lightweight and portable design 94th
- 16GB of RAM is plenty for its intended tasks 75th
- Includes a touchscreen, which is handy 71th
- WiFi 7 support for faster future networks
Cons
- Very weak CPU and GPU performance for anything demanding 15th
- Only 256GB of storage, which fills up fast 25th
- Not suitable for gaming or creative work
- Windows on ARM can still have app compatibility hiccups
- Display is just okay at 300 nits brightness
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Snapdragon X |
| Cores | 8 |
| Frequency | 3.0 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 6 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | X1 |
| Type | integrated |
| VRAM Type | Shared |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 16 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR5 |
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Storage Type | SSD |
Display
| Size | 15.3" |
| Resolution | 1920 (Full HD) |
| Panel | IPS |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Brightness | 300 nits |
Connectivity
| USB Ports | 3 |
| HDMI | 1x HDMI |
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 7 |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
Physical
| Weight | 1.6 kg / 3.4 lbs |
| Battery | 60 Wh |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
Value & Pricing
At $750, the value proposition is all about battery life and portability, not raw power. You're paying for a machine that's easy to carry and lasts forever, not one that crunches numbers. For the same price, you could find an Intel or AMD-based laptop with a more powerful CPU, but you'd almost certainly sacrifice battery life. It's a trade-off. If your top priority is not being tethered to an outlet, this laptop makes a case for itself.
vs Competition
This laptop sits in a weird spot. Compared to something like the ASUS Zenbook Duo, you lose the dual-screen novelty and a lot of processing power, but you gain better battery life. Against a gaming laptop like the MSI Vector 16, there's no contest for performance; the MSI would run circles around it. The most interesting comparison is to an Apple MacBook Air. For a similar focus on portability and battery, the MacBook Air with an M-series chip offers vastly better performance and a premium build, but it costs more and runs macOS. The IdeaPad Slim 3x is a Windows alternative for people who prioritize battery above all else in a budget thin-and-light.
| Spec | Lenovo IdeaPad Lenovo - IdeaPad Slim 3x - Copilot+ PC - 15.3" 2k | Apple MacBook Pro Apple 14" MacBook Pro (M4 Max, Space Black) | ASUS ROG Flow ASUS ROG Flow - AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 AMD Radeon | Lenovo ThinkPad Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 16" UHD+ OLED Touchscreen | MSI Creator MSI Creator M14 A13V A13VF-081US 14" 2.8K Laptop, | HP ZBook HP 14" ZBook Ultra G1a Multi-Touch Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Snapdragon X | Apple M4 Max | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 | Intel Core Ultra 7 165H | Intel Core i7 13620H | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 395 |
| RAM (GB) | 16 | 36 | 128 | 64 | 32 | 128 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 | 1024 | 1024 | 2048 | 2048 | 2048 |
| Screen | 15.3" 1920x1200 | 14.2" 3024x1964 | 13.4" 2560x1600 | 16" 3840x2160 | 14" 2880x1800 | 14" 2880x1800 |
| GPU | Qualcomm X1 | Apple M4 Max 32-core | AMD Radeon 8060 | NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 | AMD Radeon |
| OS | Windows 11 Home | macOS | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Pro, English | Windows 11 Home (MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business) | Windows 11 Pro |
| Weight (kg) | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.5 |
| Battery (Wh) | 60 | 72 | 70 | 90 | - | 74 |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
Verdict
Should you buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x? Only if you have very specific needs. If your computing life is 100% web browsing, document editing, video calls, and streaming, and you absolutely need the longest possible battery life from a Windows laptop, then yes, this could work for you. But for almost anyone else, the weak CPU and limited storage are big drawbacks. There are more well-rounded laptops at this price. This is a niche product for a niche user who values unplugged time over everything else.