The Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i Gen 8 offers a blend of performance and portability. You'll get a crisp screen with a high refresh rate, powered by a capable Intel processor and a dedicated, albeit entry-level Nvidia graphics chip. All backed up by a relatively large battery. Ideal for mobile creative professionals, as Lenovo intended, but this well-rounded laptop is also great for entertainment, and just plain office work.

As one would expect from a laptop intended for creators, the Yoga Pro 7i has an excellent IPS display that has been calibrated to ensure good colour accuracy. This 14.5-inch screen looks bright and vibrant, with a matte finish. Its 3K resolution is crisp for its size, while the refresh rate goes up to 120Hz. There's also a dynamic refresh rate option in the settings that automatically switches the display between 60Hz and 120Hz. I feel Lenovo can only top this IPS display by going for an OLED screen. The top bezel has an infrared webcam that supports facial recognition. This 1080p webcam isn't the sharpest, but it will try to keep your face in focus, and the noise level is acceptable. For privacy purposes, you can disable it via a switch.

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At around 1.5kg, the Yoga Pro 7i is a tad heavier than the average ultrabook. But you wouldn't know this from its sleek 15mm profile. Its aluminium chassis is smooth without much flex — Lenovo says it even meets military-grade rugged standards. My Tidal Teal review set looks attractive, it's also available in Storm Grey. I liked that the laptop lid protrudes slightly, making it easy to grip and open the lid with just one hand. The port selection is adequate. You'll find a Thunderbolt 4 port, one USB-C and one USB-A, as well as a HDMI port. A microSD card slot, though, would have been nice. The keyboard is nice. It's backlit, and offers a good 1.5mm of key travel. The touchpad is of an ample size, too.

With a PCMark 10 score of 7,494, the Lenovo is right up there with gaming notebooks. Which isn't that surprising since my review set comes with an entry-level Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics chip. In comparison, the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus (2023), which has a faster RTX 4060, scored 7,855 in this benchmark. You can definitely play games on the Yoga Pro 7i, and take full advantage of its 120Hz IPS display. But you may have to reduce the eye candy. In Watch Dogs: Legion, the laptop produced 44fps at 1080p and Ultra setting, which is playable, but hardly ideal. Reducing the setting to High saw the frame rates go up to 67fps. And when it's time for work, switching to Nvidia's Studio Driver in the settings will optimise the graphics chip to content creation instead of gaming.

I was impressed by the battery life. Despite its dedicated graphics chip, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i managed to last 8 hours in our video playback test at maximum screen brightness. Of course, the laptop was using its integrated Intel graphics chip during this test, but this result is still comparable with other ultrabooks. At around S$2,000, the Yoga Pro 7i is in the same price range as the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus. You get slightly more power, and a larger screen with the Dell. But the Yoga Pro 7i is more portable, and has a better, if smaller display. Get it now at Lazada and Shopee.

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Note: Review unit provided by Lenovo.