Introduction

For some time now, 15 W CPUs have been the preferred choice when it comes to thin, light, or entry level laptops for casual usage, such as simply browsing the Web, checking your email, or streaming video, excelling with bursty workloads. These chips aren't the strongest relative to more powerful—and power hungry—models if you plan to stress the device with more demanding tasks, such as video editing or heavy file compression. In these scenarios, a more powerful CPU is required, especially if you don't want to waste your precious time.



There are tons of different iGPU-only devices on the market that are based on 35-55 W AMD or Intel CPUs. One of the 2025 models that caught our attention is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 15AHP10. You can find this model with three different Zen 4 CPUs, ranging from the modest Ryzen 5 8540U all the way up to the more powerful Ryzen 7 8840HS. Luckily for us, the machine that we were able to pick is equipped with the latter.

We're curious to see how the single heat pipe cooling handles the 8-core chip when it's really pushed, such as during 3D rendering or similar demanding tasks. This conservative and cost-effective engineering also raises questions regarding user comfort during these scenarios, especially since the cooling system only has one fan.

The IdeaPad Slim 3 might be called a classic notebook with one small exception, and that's the partially soldered RAM. Yes, you heard that right, there is a mix between soldered memory and a SODIMM slot under the hood. The two M.2 slots and the replaceable Wi-Fi card sound appealing, however, considering the low price category where soldered components dominate.

You can choose between two 1200p IPS screens, with or without touch capabilities. In exchange for some extra money, you can even snag a 165 Hz 1600p OLED display with HDR. Pretty good for a budget-friendly laptop.

The port selection is modest, which is expected. The main drawback here is the fact that all connectors are rated at just 5 Gbps. However, the Type-C boasts Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.2 Alt mode, which adds somewhat more modern functionality. Especially when you note the SD card reader in the mix.

This machine could be an office companion too, since you can order it with a 1080p IR webcam. A privacy shutter is on board for all iterations, which is great for security along with Microsoft Pluton TPM 2.0 certification and a self-healing BIOS.

Our machine has an aluminium top cover giving it a nice, more premium look compared to the all-plastic versions. Of course, this costs more money. You can further bump up the end price by ordering a device with optional features such as Wi-Fi 7, a keyboard backlight, and a larger 60Wh battery. As always, the choice is in your hands, or should I say wallet?

Specifications