If you ’re looking for a14 - inch laptop , you have a ton of great choices . If you let in theApple MacBook Air 13with its 13.6 - inch display ( and you should ) , then the field is incredibly strong . But Apple is n’t the only company making great laptops that equilibrate portability with a slightly larger screen sizing .

TheLenovo Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10is a stain - raw ingress that have a gorgeous bod and Intel ’s latest Lunar Lake chipset . Pitting it against the MacBook Air gain a great deal of sense , but which one of these laptop computer comes out on top ?

Specs and configurations

Right now , there are only two constellation of the Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 useable . For $ 1,760 , you get an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V chipset , 16 GB of RAM , a 1 TB SSD , and a 4K+ OLED display ( the only choice ) . For $ 1,835 , you’re able to upgrade to a more or less fast Core Ultra 7 258V with 32 GB of RAM . That ’s the reviewed configuration .

The MacBook Air 13 has a starting price of $ 1,099 for the 8 - core CPU/8 - core GPU version of the M3 chipset , a 512 GB SSD , and a 13.6 - column inch 2560 x 1664 IPS display ( again , the only alternative ) . Apple just lately increase Aries to 16 GB with the base model for the same cost , pee the laptop more militant with standardized Windows machines . you’re able to raise   to an 8 - core CPU/10 - heart and soul GPU M3 , and a 512 GB SSD brings the price to $ 1,299 , while the mellow - end model is $ 2,099 for 24 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD .

Both laptops are premium machines , and the MacBook Air 13 starts at a low price . You ’ll drop more to fully kick upstairs the MacBook Air 13 , however .

Design

The Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 is simply a beautiful laptop computer . Its dark blue color direction is consistent except for a brighter blue devil that I think was a minor design mistake , and the glass cover on the palpebra gives the laptop a lovely sheen . The dark chrome boundary are rounded , so they both look and feel great , and the overall esthetic support out without being esthetic . If you ’re look for a great looking laptop , the Yoga Slim 9i qualifies . The MacBook Air 13 is also an elegant machine , which a more minimalist design that ’s shared with Apple ’s entire MacBook lineup . It come in several attractive semblance , and it , too , is a slap-up looking for laptop . You ca n’t go wrong with either machine .

Both laptops are also solidly built of all - aluminum , although they share the same attribute of a slightly pliable hat . It ’s not crying with either laptop , but the Yoga Slim 9i ’s methamphetamine covering is a small more concerning . I ’m sure it ’s reasonably robust , but the fact that it ’s chalk does give me a bit of a interruption . Nevertheless , I ’d rather them as as well - built .

The MacBook Air 13 is among the thinnest laptops you’re able to purchase today , at 0.44 inches , but the Yoga Slim 9i is pretty great too at just 0.57 inches . They weigh almost the same , which gives the MacBook Air 13 a slightly denser feel in hand . The Yoga Slim 9i has dementedly thin exhibit bezel all the way around , with a webcam that ’s underneath the display . That wee-wee it seem narrower even thought it ’s actually a bit wider given its large display , and it ’s almost half an inch shallower . These are both eminently portable laptops .

Connectivity favors the MacBook Air 13 . Both laptops have just two USB - C interface with Thunderbolt 4 reinforcement , but the MacBook also has a 3.5 mm audio jack that the Yoga Slim 9i deficiency . And , the Lenovo consecrate up one of its ports for business leader , while the MacBook has a MagSafe 3 connector that keep both ports detached . The Yoga Slim 9i does have the latest wireless connectivity , while the MacBook is a couple of generations behind .

The Yoga Slim 9i also has a super gamey - resolution 32MP webcam , while the MacBook Air 13 has “ just ” a 1080p version . Both allow not bad images , but the Yoga Slim 9i has the advantage here .

Performance

The Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 uses Intel Lunar Lake chipsets , also lie with as Core Ultra Series 2 . I reviewed the laptop with the Core Ultra 7 258V , an eight - gist ( four carrying out and four Low Power Performance ) , eight - thread chipset consuming 17 watts of power . That makes it a abject - baron chipset aimed at slender - and - light machines , with an center to efficiency over gauze-like public presentation . As such , it ’s tight enough for necessitate productivity task , but its integrated Intel Arc 140V graphics are n’t great for gamers or creator .

The MacBook Air 13 presently uses the Apple Silicon M3 chipset , which we reexamine in its 8 - core CPU/10 - nucleus GPU iteration . It ’s a very fast chipset , particularly in single - gist performance , and its GPU cores are faster than Intel incorporate graphic . The M3 also has various optimization that help speed up various originative tasks , making the MacBook Air 13 better for anyone who ’s doing call for task like video redaction .

Ultimately , both laptops do similarly . Note that Apple will be releasing the MacBook Air with the M4 chipset comparatively soon , so it ’s likely that it will take a hint here .

Display and audio

There ’s just one video display option with the Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 , a 14.0 - inch 16:10 4K+ ( 3840 x 2400 ) OLED display running at 120Hz . That ’s as incisive as you’re able to get , and it ’s become unusual in 14 - in machines that usually top out at 2.8 K ( 2880 x 1800 ) . The show is simply spectacular , with bright , dynamic color and ink-black total darkness to go with that ultimate sharpness .

The MacBook Air 13 has a more walker 13.6 - inch 16:10 Liquid Retina ( 2560 x 1664 ) IPS running 60Hz . It ’s a very good presentation , with good colour and great brightness , and its demarcation proportion is also very skilful . But , it just does n’t have the same kind of pop .

Looking at our colorimeter event , you could see that Lenovo ’s chosen OLED board is about as high - lineament as you ’ll recover today . It ’s great display for any purpose , including productivity , creative thinking , and medium use . You wo n’t mind the MacBook Air 13 ’s exhibit , but you ’ll adore the Yoga Slim 9i ’s .

Both laptops have 4 - speaker audio systems with dual woofer . They ’re similar in caliber , with plenty of glitz , clear mids and high , and more bass than usual . That makes them both better than you ’ll find on most 14 - inch laptop .

Portability

Both laptops are highly portable , and almost equally so . you’re able to stick them in a knapsack and block they ’re there until you require them .

As mentioned above , the Lunar Lake chipset is aimed more at efficiency than public presentation . In some other laptops , it does better than the Yoga Slim 9i , which was secretive to former - generation Intel laptop computer . Note that Lunar Lake is a verbatim answer to Apple Silicon , which has taken the lead in efficiency and has n’t looked back .

The MacBook Air 13 has much better bombardment aliveness , and it can last more than a full twenty-four hour period of real work . The Yoga Slim can not .

The Yoga Slim 9i 14 is gorgeous, the MacBook Air is faster and longer-lasting

The Yoga Slim 9i 14 Gen 10 is a cracking laptop computer with one of the most aesthetically pleasing designs around . It ’s fairly lean and lightsome , and it has more than good enough performance . And its display is sublime .

But , the MacBook Air 13 is faster overall , and it gets much right battery life sentence .