Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i AI PC review: A closer look at Intel’s on-device AI experience

Lenovo

The buzzword “AI” has become deeply embedded in nearly every piece of technology in 2025, with the future increasingly shaped by AI-driven tasks, features, and intensive workloads. This shift isn’t just coming—it’s already here. Companies are integrating AI across workflows, while developers are building tools that depend on AI processing. In this landscape, having a PC equipped with a powerful Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is no longer optional; it’s essential for handling modern creative, productivity, and computational demands efficiently.
There’s something inherently different about using an AI PC. It's not about speed in the traditional sense—it’s about how intelligently the system decides where that speed should go. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition Gen 10 sits at that intersection of power and intelligence, and after using it for weeks, I feel that AI PCs – this includes the hardware and software and tools have matured in the right direction.

This machine is powered by Intel’s Core Ultra 7 258V, and that’s where the story begins. It’s not just another chip refresh—it’s Intel’s way of redefining how creators work, by giving the laptop three brains: the CPU, the GPU, and now, the NPU. Together, they create a computing rhythm that feels adaptive, responsive, and, above all, smarter. Let's talk about it in detail.

Intel performance and everyday workflow

It is a laptop afterall. I started with my usuals. Installed Comet, Office suite and editing tools like Premiere Pro, Photoshop and some lightweight games – for times I don’t feel like working. Ruling out the basics first. The laptop performs really well and is balanced. The apps open fast and they remain responsive even with around 30 tabs running at the same time in Comet, with Actions running in the background and AI chatbots doing the research work for me. No lag, stutter or delay.

But, this review is not just about the laptop. It is also about how Intel’s processor handles the daily cores, AI tasks and then some.

Taking it to the second stage of testing, I ran my usual creative stack—Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator —simultaneously, and Comet was there as it was before – with almost 30 tabs running. The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V didn’t flinch. The performance cores hit up to 4.8 GHz when exporting 4K video timelines, while the efficiency cores kept background tasks steady. This is where the beauty of the Core Ultra Series 2 processors lies. The task handling and core management is quick and accurate. Everything—from rendering to file compression—felt more fluid than on the previous versions.

Part of this smoothness comes from the 32GB LPDDR5X RAM and the 1TB Gen4 SSD, but the balance Intel has achieved with its new hybrid architecture is noticeable. Even under heavy multitasking, the fans stayed quiet, and the system maintained comfortable temperatures. For a chassis this thin and light and metal casing.

What also stood out was how the integrated Intel Arc 140V GPU handled photo and video edits. While it’s not meant to replace a discrete GPU, it’s a big step forward for integrated graphics. AI-based tools in Photoshop, like background blur or smart selections, ran quicker, while video previews in Premiere rendered in real time without stutters. The NPU plays a role too. But that I will discuss later.

For now, this system is also Copilot+ ready, which essentially means it’s optimised to handle the growing number of AI-powered tools built into Windows 11.

The NPU makes AI processing easier and faster

The Neural Processing Unit—or NPU—is where the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition steps into the future. Intel calls it the AI Boost NPU, capable of 48 TOPS (trillions of operations per second). Compared to the 13 TOPS on the last generation, it’s a massive leap and it reflects in the performance as well.

The NPU takes over tasks that were once handled by the CPU or GPU, like real-time background effects in video calls, AI image generation, or live noise suppression. The result? The laptop feels lighter on its feet. That said, the laptop processes the AI tasks faster and with more accuracy, but what’s the benefit apart from the quick responses? Well, that’s where the battery drain numbers come into the picture. It is relatively lower and the system rarely gets warm, even when running AI-heavy workloads.

In Photoshop, generative fills that once relied on cloud servers now execute locally—faster and without sending data anywhere because of the more capable NPU in the Core Ultra 7. In fact, Audacity also processed tasks pretty fast and without any noticeable delays. Even video editing feels more intuitive because the system can handle tasks like object recognition in real time.

It’s not just about speed—it’s about efficiency with intelligence. The NPU keeps the system optimised by keeping the right tasks to the right place - essentially – choosing the right task for all three – CPU, GPU and NPU and even deciding what to process locally and what to offload. It’s the first time I’ve felt that a laptop actually understands workload patterns rather than just powering through them.

Integration feels real too

AI integrates seamlessly into the creative workflow, enabling on-device concept visuals with Distinct AI and local ML model experimentation via Intel AI Playground. Adobe Suite tools are optimised, with the NPU accelerating AI features in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere. Lenovo's Smart Share, exclusive to Aura Edition, allows wireless phone-to-laptop transfers for efficient editing. AI Smart Modes adapt to user behavior, like Power Mode for rendering, Attention Mode for writing, and Wellness Mode for breaks, demonstrating a system that genuinely understands user needs.
For creators, that intelligence translates to saved time and greater privacy. With the NPU doing local processing, tasks like object recognition, auto-tagging, and content summarisation happen without depending on the cloud. It keeps your work offline, your data private, and your pace uninterrupted.

What makes this even more exciting is how future-ready the platform feels. Intel already supports more than 500 AI models optimised for the Core Ultra series, covering language, vision, diffusion, and creative tools. That means upcoming software updates or new AI tools will likely work right out of the box.

Let’s talk laptop now

Beyond AI, the fundamentals remain strong. The 14-inch WUXGA OLED display hits 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy and HDR 500 True Black certification, which makes it perfect for content creation. Whether grading footage or illustrating, color precision is reliable and consistent.

Battery life easily stretches close to a full day of mixed use, and when it does run low, rapid charging helps you recover hours of work time in minutes. The build is premium yet portable—crafted with recycled aluminum—and the machine remains almost silent, even during AI-heavy workloads.

The Dolby Atmos quad-speaker setup is crisp, while the 3D-array mics and AI webcam make a difference in calls and recordings. These details round off the experience, ensuring it’s not just about power—it’s about comfort, mobility, and thoughtfulness.

Verdict
The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition Gen 10, powered by Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, delivers a strong blend of intelligence and performance for creators. Intel’s CPU, GPU, and NPU work together to handle demanding creative workloads smoothly, enabling faster edits, AI-assisted tools, and efficient multitasking. Lenovo complements this with a vibrant OLED display, solid battery life, and thoughtful design. While the integrated Arc GPU can’t match discrete GPUs for heavy 3D tasks, the AI-accelerated workflow and on-device privacy make it a forward-looking choice for creators seeking a lightweight, capable, and future-ready laptop built for evolving AI tools.