The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2021) is a high-end Windows 2-in-1 convertible laptop. It's available with an Intel 11th Gen Core i5 or i7 CPU, integrated graphics, and up to 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage. There are two display options: an FHD (1920 x 1080) and a 4k (3840 x 2160) IPS display. It has an island-style keyboard, a glass touchpad, a 720p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity. Ports include one USB-A, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
This laptop comes in two colors, Mica and Shadow Black. The latter has a slightly different design: it has a leather-clad lid, and the entire lower portion of the keyboard deck is glass. It also has a haptic touchpad and an ultrasonic fingerprint reader, whereas the Mica model uses a traditional touchpad with mechanical buttons and a capacitive fingerprint sensor. You can see our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section below.
Our Verdict
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is good for school use. It has an aluminum chassis that feels well-built, and it's very portable as it's thin and light. The display is sharp and provides enough space for multitasking, and the keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods. Although its nine-hour battery life is enough to get you through a typical school day of light productivity, you may have to plug it in for a quick charge if you run more demanding applications. Its Intel 11th Gen CPU and integrated GPU can handle light workloads like text formatting and web browsing; however, they aren't ideal for intensive tasks like graphic design or 3D animation.
- Thin and light design makes it very portable.
- Battery lasts 9 hours of light productivity.
- Keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods.
- Can use in tent or tablet mode.
- Pen included for taking notes.
- Low-power CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
- CPU and GPU throttle under load.
- Screen doesn't handle bright reflections well.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is inadequate for gaming. Although its Intel 11th Gen CPU is fairly capable, its integrated GPU isn't powerful enough to provide smooth gameplay in graphically demanding AAA games. You can play some lighter or older titles, but you'll have to play at the lowest settings or 720p to get reasonable frame rates. Also, it has a 60Hz display with a slow response and no VRR support to reduce screen tearing.
- Keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods.
- Quiet fans under load.
- Low-power CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
- CPU and GPU throttle under load.
- 60Hz display with slow response time and no VRR.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is good for media consumption. It's compact and easy to carry around, and as it's a 2-in-1 convertible with a 360-degree hinge, you can put it in tent mode when viewing content or use it as a tablet. The battery lasts nearly 6 hours of video playback, giving you enough time to get through a couple of full-length movies. It has outstanding speakers that sound clear and well-balanced and get very loud. The screen is sharp and colorful; however, its glossy finish doesn't handle bright reflections well, and while its contrast is great for an IPS panel, blacks still look gray in dim settings.
- Thin and light design makes it very portable.
- Can use in tent or tablet mode.
- Loud and well-balanced speakers.
- Sharp and colorful screen.
- Blacks look gray in dim settings.
- Screen doesn't handle bright reflections well.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is okay as a workstation. Its Intel 11th Gen CPU performs well but throttles significantly under load, which isn't ideal for heavy and sustained workloads. Also, its integrated graphics can't handle demanding tasks like video editing and 3D animation, and you can only configure the laptop with a maximum of 16GB of memory. On the upside, it has a fast SSD for quick file transfers, and its USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4.
- Keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods.
- USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4.
- Quiet fans under load.
- Low-power CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
- CPU and GPU throttle under load.
- Memory isn't user-upgradeable.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is good for business use. It's a well-built, portable laptop with a sharp display and a comfortable keyboard. Its Intel 11th Gen CPU can easily handle most tasks like text formatting, web browsing, and spreadsheets. The battery lasts about nine hours of light productivity, so depending on your workload, you may have to plug it in for a quick charge to get through the day. Unfortunately, the webcam's video quality is mediocre as the image looks soft and underexposed, and it doesn't have an HDMI port, so you'll need an adapter if you want to connect to an external display like a TV or projector for presentations.
- Thin and light design makes it very portable.
- Battery lasts 9 hours of light productivity.
- Keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods.
- Can use in tent or tablet mode.
- Low-power CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
- No HDMI port.
- Screen doesn't handle bright reflections well.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 21, 2023: We've updated the review to improve clarity and readability.
- Updated Mar 16, 2023: Added mention of the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2022) as an alternative with an OLED display in the Contrast section.
- Updated Nov 02, 2022: Added mention of the Framework Laptop (2022) in the serviceability section as an alternative.
- Updated Mar 29, 2022: Review published.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 (model 82BG009XUS) with an Intel Core i7-1195G7 CPU, integrated Intel Xe Graphics, 8GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. The CPU, memory, and storage are configurable; you can see the available options in the table below. Our review applies only to variants with a model number starting with '82BG'.
| Screen |
|
| CPU |
|
| GPU |
|
| Memory |
|
| Storage |
|
| Color |
|
You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is one of the best 2-in-1 convertible laptops on the market. It feels very well-built and provides a great user experience with a bright display, a comfortable keyboard, and outstanding speakers. However, like most ultraportables, its memory isn't user-replaceable, and its CPU throttles significantly under load.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best business laptops, the best 2-in-1 laptops, and the best Windows laptops.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2021) is essentially a more premium model of the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (2021). The 9i has a sturdier build, a better display with higher contrast and brightness, and much better-sounding speakers. The 9i has a 4k panel option, but it might not be worth it as the difference is hard to notice at normal viewing distances, and it significantly shortens battery life. As for the keyboard's typing experience, the 9i's keys require a bit more force to actuate, but they're more tactile and don't feel as mushy as the 7i's. The 7i has much better battery life as it lasts over 6 hours longer in a light productivity workload than the 9i.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2021) and the HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) are very similar 2-in-1 convertible laptops with a 360-degree hinge. Both laptops have various display options; the Yoga 9i is available with a 1080p or 4k panel, while the ENVY x360 has multiple options, including a 1080p OLED and an IPS panel with 1000 cd/m² brightness. The Yoga 9i has much better speakers as they're louder and sound more well-balanced, whereas the ENVY x360 sounds treble-heavy and unnatural. On the other hand, the ENVY x360 has longer battery life, especially for video playback, and its CPU doesn't throttle as much under load.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2021) and the HP Pavilion x360 14 (2021) are both 14 inch 2-in-1 convertibles available with Intel 11th Gen processors. The Yoga 9i provides a better user experience overall as it has a sturdier build, a brighter and more colorful display, better-sounding speakers, and a much more comfortable keyboard. The Yoga 9i's USB-C has Thunderbolt 4 support, which the Pavilion x360 lacks, but the x360 has an HDMI port, which might be more convenient if you need to connect to an external monitor that doesn't have USB-C input. The Yoga 9i has a slightly longer 9-hour battery life, whereas the Pavilion x360 lasts just a little over 7 hours.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (2021) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2019) are very different laptops. The Lenovo is a 2-in-1 convertible designed for light productivity tasks, while the Apple is a more powerful clamshell laptop designed for demanding tasks like video editing. The Apple has a larger display with better color accuracy out of the box, a bigger touchpad with better tracking, and a webcam with better video quality. However, the Lenovo has a more comfortable keyboard, a wider port selection that includes two USB-Cs with Thunderbolt 4 support, and it doesn't get as hot or loud under load. Performance-wise, the Apple laptop can handle more demanding tasks, and unlike the Lenovo laptop, it doesn't throttle at all.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for videos & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
