Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 5i Review

The Desk Minimalist’s Dream? Lenovo’s IdeaCentre AIO 5i Review

In the ever-crowded world of all-in-one PCs, it takes a deliberate blend of style, power, and thoughtful features to stand out. Most AIOs are content to be simple family computers, but Lenovo’s IdeaCentre AIO 5i aims for a higher class of user—the professional, the creator, the tech enthusiast who demands a clutter-free workspace without sacrificing performance. It presents itself as a sophisticated centerpiece for the modern desk, but does it have the substance to back up its style? We put it through its paces to find out.

Design & Display: A Study in Understated Elegance

Pulling the AIO 5i from its box, the first impression is one of refined minimalism. Lenovo has opted for a clean, two-tone aesthetic with a slim-bezel display perched atop an elegant, asymmetric metal stand. The base, wrapped in a soft grey fabric, cleverly conceals a pair of JBL-tuned speakers and—in a stroke of genius—a 5W Qi wireless charging pad. Simply placing your phone on the stand’s base to charge is the kind of practical, cable-cutting feature that defines a great AIO experience.

The star of the show, however, is the 27-inch QHD (2560×1440) IPS display. It’s bright, sharp, and boasts excellent color accuracy, covering 99% of the sRGB gamut. Whether you’re editing photos, streaming 4K content, or simply managing a dozen browser tabs, text is crisp and images are vibrant. The only mark against the design is the stand itself; while gorgeous and sturdy, it offers tilt functionality but crucially lacks any height adjustment. This ergonomic oversight means you may find yourself reaching for a monitor stand to achieve the perfect eye level.

Performance That Punches Above Its Weight

Beneath its polished exterior, the IdeaCentre AIO 5i is a capable workhorse. Our review unit, configured with a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a speedy 1TB NVMe SSD, handled every productivity task with ease. Multitasking between Adobe Photoshop, multiple Chrome windows, and Slack was seamless, with no discernible lag. While it relies on Intel’s integrated Iris Xe graphics, it’s more than sufficient for light photo editing, casual gaming, and media consumption.

This is not a machine for hardcore gamers or professional 4K video editors—demanding tasks will push the cooling system, and you’ll hear the fans spin up accordingly. But for its target audience of home office professionals and power users, the performance is perfectly balanced. It delivers a fluid, responsive experience for the 95% of tasks that define a modern workflow.

Features That Matter

Lenovo has packed the AIO 5i with features that genuinely enhance daily use. The 5MP pop-up webcam is a standout, providing a sharp, clear image for video calls that puts most laptop cameras to shame. Better yet, it’s an IR camera, enabling instant and secure logins via Windows Hello. When you’re done, a simple push hides it away, providing an undeniable privacy guarantee.

Connectivity is robust, though not without its quirks. You get a healthy mix of USB-A and USB-C ports, an HDMI-out, and an Ethernet jack. However, the majority of these are located on the back of the machine, making them a bit of a hassle to access for frequently swapped peripherals like flash drives. A side-mounted USB port would have been a welcome addition for convenience.

The Final Verdict

The Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 5i successfully elevates the all-in-one category from a mere convenience to a genuinely premium experience. It masterfully combines a stunning QHD display and robust performance with thoughtful, modern features like Qi charging and a high-quality IR webcam. While the lack of height adjustment and inconvenient port placement are notable drawbacks, they don’t detract from the overall package.

This PC is for the professional who values a clean, powerful, and elegant desk setup. It’s for the discerning family that wants a central computing hub that looks as good as it performs. If you’re a serious gamer or a creative who needs dedicated graphics power, you should look elsewhere. But for everyone else seeking a sophisticated and highly capable all-in-one, the IdeaCentre AIO 5i is one of the most compelling options on the market today.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon