Lenovo 15.6" Abyss Blue Review

The Lenovo IdeaPad 1i is a budget 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop for basic computing. It's fine for web browsing and office work thanks to its Core i5 and SSD, but the 8GB of RAM and weak integrated graphics limit its usefulness. It's a decent option only if you absolutely need a new Windows laptop under $450.

If you're hunting for a basic Windows laptop for under $500, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1i is a name you'll see a lot. It's a 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop built around Intel's 12th Gen Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. That combo is the standard recipe for a modern budget workhorse, promising enough speed for everyday tasks and a decent amount of storage. The price is right in the sweet spot for a no-frills machine, and it comes in a surprisingly thin and light blue chassis that's easy to carry around.

Performance is exactly what you'd expect from a budget laptop with these specs. The Intel Core i5-1235U is a 10-core chip that's fine for web browsing, office apps, and video calls, but our database shows its CPU performance lands in the 29th percentile overall. That means it's solidly in the 'gets the job done' category, not the 'speedy' one. The integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics are even more limited, scoring in the 18th percentile. This thing is not for gaming or editing. It'll play a 1080p video just fine, but that's about the extent of its graphical talents.

At around $420, the IdeaPad 1i's value proposition is simple: it's one of the cheapest ways to get a name-brand laptop with a current-gen Intel Core i5 and a 512GB SSD. You are making clear trade-offs for that low price, namely the limited RAM and mediocre screen. But if your budget is absolutely firm and you just need a reliable machine for basic tasks, it's a defensible choice. There are often Chromebooks or older refurbished models at similar prices, but this gives you a full Windows experience.

This laptop exists in a very different world than its 'top competitors' like the MacBook Pro or Legion gaming laptop. A more realistic comparison is against other budget Windows machines like the Acer Aspire 3 or HP Pavilion 15. Compared to those, the IdeaPad 1i's main differentiator is the touchscreen. If you don't care about touch, you might find an Acer or HP with 12GB or 16GB of RAM for a similar price, which would be a smarter buy for longevity. Compared to a Chromebook, this gives you full desktop app support, but Chromebooks often have better battery life and simpler updates for the same money.

Skip this laptop if you do any photo/video editing, gaming, coding, or need to run multiple heavy programs at once. The 8GB RAM and integrated graphics won't cut it. Also skip if you need all-day battery life, as its endurance is unproven. Students in STEM fields or creative majors should look at models with 16GB RAM and a dedicated GPU, even if it means buying refurbished. Casual gamers should consider a used gaming laptop or a Steam Deck instead.

Should you buy the Lenovo IdeaPad 1i? It's a maybe, with a big 'if'. If your needs are strictly basic—email, web, documents, streaming—and your budget is locked at just over $400, this laptop will work. The touchscreen is a nice bonus. But for most people, we'd suggest trying to stretch your budget a little further to get a model with 16GB of RAM, which will feel snappier and last you much longer. The 8GB in this model is its biggest bottleneck, and in 2024, that's starting to feel cramped even for simple tasks.