Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15.6" Abyss Blue 2025 Review

This laptop has a terrible screen and mediocre performance, but a great selection of ports. Buy it only if you need those specific connections and plan to do nothing else.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is a budget laptop that tries to do a lot, but only succeeds at a few things. The one thing you need to know is that this is a machine for basic tasks only. It's built for students or office workers who need a portable Windows machine for typing, browsing, and video calls, and that's about it. It's slim and has a decent number of ports, but everything else—from the screen to the performance—is firmly middle-of-the-pack or worse.

We were surprised by how underwhelming the overall performance is, given the marketing hype. The AMD Ryzen 5 processor lands in the 41st percentile, which means it's about average, but paired with only 8GB of RAM (22nd percentile), it feels sluggish for anything beyond a few open tabs. The integrated Radeon 610M GPU is a real letdown, scoring in the 18th percentile, so gaming or even light photo editing is a non-starter. The only bright spot is the port selection, which is one of the best on the market.

At around $650, this isn't a great value. You're paying for a laptop with a bad screen and weak specs. For the same money, you could find models with better displays, more RAM, or even a dedicated GPU. It's only worth it if you absolutely need those specific ports and a lightweight body, and you plan to use it for the simplest tasks.

If you're looking at this Slim 3, you should also check out the ASUS ProArt PX13 or a Lenovo Legion model. The ASUS ProArt, while more expensive, offers a stunning OLED screen and powerful specs for creative work, making the Slim 3's display look like a joke. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i, even in a base configuration, will have far better performance for gaming or multitasking. If you just need a cheap, portable Windows laptop, older models like the Microsoft Surface Laptop often have better screens and build quality for a similar price.

If you're looking for a laptop with a nice screen for watching videos, or one that can handle more than five Chrome tabs at once, this isn't it. Go get an ASUS Vivobook or a refurbished Microsoft Surface Laptop instead. They'll cost about the same but won't make you squint.

We can't recommend the IdeaPad Slim 3 for most people. It's a niche machine for someone who prioritizes physical ports over everything else—screen quality, performance, and multitasking ability. For students or business users, there are better options that won't leave you frustrated with a dim screen or slow performance. Skip this unless its specific port layout solves a unique problem for you.