Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i With 16GB RAM Falls to $499.99 at Best Buy

TechRadar called it probably the best-priced laptop deal for anyone who wants a machine for work and study. The publication said the laptop is built for everyday tasks, including productivity, browsing and streaming, and that the 13th-generation Core i5 chip and 16GB of memory should handle multitasking and ordinary office work more comfortably than the entry-level Core i3 and 8GB model it has reviewed. The configuration also includes a 15.6-inch Full HD screen, USB-C and a privacy shutter on the webcam.

Best Buy shoppers have rated the model 4.4 out of 5 across more than 1,300 reviews, according to TechRadar. TechRadar said it has tested several IdeaPad Slim 3i models and that all fared well in reviews, with even the Core i3 and 8GB version scoring 4 stars.

TechRadar cautioned that the $899.99 list price could be slightly inflated, so the $400 headline saving should be treated with caution. It still called $499.99 a very fair price for a 16GB Core i5 laptop, especially because many recent laptop deals around $500 tend to have 8GB of memory.

The publication’s buying guidance was specific. It said buyers should choose the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i if they need a reliable Windows laptop for day-to-day office and studying workloads, and if the 16GB of memory will make multitasking feel smoother. It said buyers should skip it if they want a laptop they can push to its limits, because there is no discrete GPU for graphics-intensive workloads or gaming. TechRadar said the clock was ticking on the deal, describing it as a price drop at Best Buy.