Realme Book (Slim) Laptop Review: Performant Tiger Lake Core i3 offering with a 3:2 2K display
Realme, once focused on smartphones, has now branched into several niches including laptops. Realme recently launched the Slim series of laptops in India that are available in Core i3 and Core i5 options.
We have with us the Realme Book (Slim) powered by the Core i3-1115G4. Our sample also sports 8 GB RAM, a 256 GB SSD, and currently retails for ₹44,999 (US$600). A Core i5-1135G7 option is available as well, which comes with 8 GB RAM and 512 GB storage. This will set you back by ₹56,999 (US$762).
In this review, we take a good look at the Realme Book (Slim) Core i3 and see whether the company's baby steps in the laptop niche are heading in the right direction.
Potential competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81.3 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2021 | Realme Book (Slim) i3-1115G4, UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs | 1.4 kg | 14.9 mm | 14.00" | 2160x1440 | |
| 78.2 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 i3-1115G4, UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs | 1.6 kg | 17.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.6 % v7 (old) | Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 i3-1115G4, UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs | 1.5 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | ||
| 86.4 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2021 | Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.4 kg | 14.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 85 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2020 | Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B R3 4300U, Vega 5 | 1.2 kg | 16.55 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 86.3 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2021 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE R5 5500U, Vega 7 | 1.4 kg | 19.1 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 81 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC i3-10110U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.9 kg | 18 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 89.6 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2020 | Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 i3-1000NG4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU) | 1.3 kg | 16.1 mm | 13.30" | 2560x1600 |
Case: A great first impression
Realme has got chassis construction largely right with the Book (Slim). The sleek, unibody design with minimal distractions will appeal to many. There is not much branding on the device except for the lid and the bottom bezel.
The aluminum body at 1.38 kg does not feel like a burden at all. The design language is unmistakably reminiscent of a MacBook Air right from the packaging to the chassis, which is not a bad thing per se. There are no sharp corners and the whole design feels cohesive, which is a great for a first attempt from Realme.
A minor quirk is that the lid cannot be opened with just one finger.
Connectivity: Dongles required
The Realme Book (Slim) offers a very barebones port selection with just two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C ports on the left and a USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A port along with a 3.5 mm combo audio jack on the right. Those opting for the Core i5 variant stand to get Thunderbolt 4 functionality in one of the Type-C ports.
There is ample spacing between the two Type-C ports, so inserted connectors will not block the adjacent port.
Unfortunately, there is no microSD card reader or a Kensington lock slot available.
Communication
Realme offers the Intel Wireless-AC 9560 WLAN card with Bluetooth 5.1 for the Core i3 variant while the Core i5 version offers Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
We tested Wi-Fi performance with our reference Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120 router at a distance of 1 m from the laptop in direct line of sight. The download and upload speeds are good, and the Realme Book can compete well with other devices sporting newer Wi-Fi 6 AX200 and AX201 cards.
The WLAN card can be upgraded to a more performant option if preferred.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
Webcam
The webcam is of the regular 0.9 MP variety seen in the vast majority of laptops. There is perceivable grain, but the color reproduction and sharpness are decent considering the price.
The webcam is serviceable for general video calls as long as there's sufficient ambient light.
Security
The Realme Book features a fingerprint sensor built into the power button that is compatible with Windows Hello.
We faced no issues while setting up or using the fingerprint sensor, and it was quite responsive as well.
The laptop features a discrete TPM 2.0 and is ready for Windows 11.
Accessories
There are no additional accessories in the box apart from the usual paperwork and a 65 W charger.
Maintenance
There is no dedicated maintenance hatch. The bottom panel can be pried open by removing the nine Torx T5 screws to expose the internals.
While the LPDDR4X RAM comes soldered, the Wi-Fi card and NVMe SSD can be swapped out if required.
Warranty
Realme offers a standard one-year warranty for the Realme Book (Slim). Extended warranty service in India is provided by a Servify, a third-party provider. Customers can purchase an extended warranty plan during checkout or opt-in manually within 270 days of purchase by mailing their purchase invoice copy to [email protected].
Input Devices: MacBook Air-like and done just right
Keyboard
The Realme Book (Slim) offers a surprisingly good typing experience. The keys are well-spaced and the 1.3 mm key travel feels just about right. The keys have a three-stage backlight control - dim, bright, and off — and the font is clear to read.
One minor quibble is that there is no marking of Home and End keys on the left and right arrow keys, though the functionality is very much present. There are no dedicated keys for any kind of one-tap performance boosts.
Touchpad
At 12.5 cm x 7.5 cm, the Realme Book (Slim)'s touchpad offers enough space to glide around with negligible friction. Windows Precision gestures are easy to activate and are responsive. The whole touchpad acts as a mouse button. Clicking the touchpad is relatively effortless, and the click sound isn't too loud either.
Overall, Realme seems to have been hugely inspired by the MacBook Air's input devices leaving little room for complaint.
Display: Bright 2K panel with good colors and high PWM
Our test unit came with a 14-inch 2160x1440 panel with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a 90% screen-to-body ratio. Realme has included a very capable display with the Book (Slim) that should be suitable for viewing most content types. With a long exposure time, we see that the backlight bleeding is more significant towards the right corners.
Despite the seemingly budget price, the Realme Book (Slim)'s display offers very good characteristics. Previously, we have seen this Chi Mei P140ZKA-BZ1 panel also perform well in the Huawei MateBook 14 and the Chuwi CoreBook X. We measured a maximum brightness of 403.52 nits and an excellent distribution of 91%.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 403.52 cd/m²
Contrast: 1495:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.23 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86, calibrated: 0.62
ΔE Greyscale 6.5 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
68.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.08
| Realme Book (Slim) Chi Mei P140ZKA-BZ1, IPS, 14", 2160x1440 | Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 BOE NV15N3D, IPS, 15.6", 1920x1080 | Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE AU Optronics B140HAN06.8, IPS, 14", 1920x1080 | Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B AU Optronics B140HAN04.0, IPS, 14", 1920x1080 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE AU Optronics B140HAN04.E, IPS, 14", 1920x1080 | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC Dell 156CL05, IPS, 15.6", 1920x1080 | Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 APPA042, IPS, 13.3", 2560x1600 | Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 AU Optronics B140HAN04.E, a-Si IPS LED, 14", 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -40% | 0% | -43% | -43% | -38% | 4% | -44% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 66.6 | 39.42 -41% | 66.3 0% | 37.78 -43% | 37.47 -44% | 40.78 -39% | 70.3 6% | 37.2 -44% |
| sRGB Coverage | 97.8 | 58.7 -40% | 97.4 0% | 56.8 -42% | 56 -43% | 61.3 -37% | 98 0% | 55.5 -43% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 68.2 | 40.73 -40% | 68.1 0% | 39.03 -43% | 38.71 -43% | 42.15 -38% | 71.6 5% | 38.4 -44% |
| Response Times | -71% | -72% | -31% | -36% | -50% | 17% | -40% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 33.26 ? | 45.6 ? -37% | 52 ? -56% | 42 ? -26% | 41 ? -23% | 38 ? -14% | 38.4 ? -15% | 45.9 ? -38% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 20.62 ? | 36.4 ? -77% | 33 ? -60% | 28 ? -36% | 28 ? -36% | 28 ? -36% | 28.4 ? -38% | 29 ? -41% |
| PWM Frequency | 58500 ? | 1020 ? -98% | 143 ? -100% | 29800 -49% | 250 -100% | 119000 ? 103% | ||
| Screen | -99% | 2% | -87% | -7% | -83% | 25% | -77% | |
| Brightness middle | 403.52 | 233.1 -42% | 344 -15% | 256 -37% | 357 -12% | 262 -35% | 416 3% | 386 -4% |
| Brightness | 390 | 226 -42% | 340 -13% | 237 -39% | 315 -19% | 236 -39% | 403 3% | 348 -11% |
| Brightness Distribution | 91 | 90 -1% | 88 -3% | 81 -11% | 82 -10% | 86 -5% | 95 4% | 83 -9% |
| Black Level * | 0.27 | 0.21 22% | 0.13 52% | 0.17 37% | 0.455 -69% | 0.31 -15% | 0.34 -26% | 0.29 -7% |
| Contrast | 1495 | 1110 -26% | 2646 77% | 1506 1% | 785 -47% | 845 -43% | 1224 -18% | 1331 -11% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.23 | 5.69 -9% | 3.29 37% | 5.43 -4% | 3.98 24% | 4.92 6% | 0.9 83% | 6.3 -20% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 9.69 | 20.62 -113% | 7.48 23% | 19.73 -104% | 6.92 29% | 15.83 -63% | 1.4 86% | 18.3 -89% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.62 | 5.12 -726% | 1.79 -189% | 4.8 -674% | 4.34 -600% | 0.6 3% | 4.1 -561% | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.5 | 3.3 49% | 3.25 50% | 3.29 49% | 3.33 49% | 3.47 47% | 1 85% | 5.4 17% |
| Gamma | 2.08 106% | 2.35 94% | 2.29 96% | 2.52 87% | 2.47 89% | 2.4 92% | 2.2 100% | 2.55 86% |
| CCT | 7727 84% | 6749 96% | 6358 102% | 6840 95% | 6138 106% | 6680 97% | 6629 98% | 5894 110% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 37.1 | 36 | 36 | 39 | 63.9 | |||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 58 | 57 | 56 | 61 | 97.6 | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -70% /
-81% | -23% /
-13% | -54% /
-69% | -29% /
-21% | -57% /
-67% | 15% /
19% | -54% /
-65% |
* ... smaller is better
The Realme Book covers 97.8% of the sRGB color gamut while also showing decent AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 coverage. Overall, this panel seems to be a good option for budget laptops with decent brightness levels and colors, which should allow for viewing all content types while also being suitable for casual multimedia editing workflows.
Out-of-the-box, the colors aren't very accurate with an average Delta E of 5.23 in ColorChecker. However, the Chi Mei P140ZKA-BZ1 panel allows enough scope for calibration. We could achieve an average Delta E of 0.62 and a maximum Delta E of 2.55, which bode well if you are into color-accurate workflows.
Our calibrated ICC file can be downloaded from the link above.
The Realme Book (Slim) is not meant to be a gaming device, so the recorded response times of 20.62 ms for black to white and 33.26 ms for 50% grey to 80% grey aren't surprising.
The panel has a very high PWM of 58,500 Hz at 10% brightness and this largely persists across most brightness levels. Though the panel uses PWM for brightness adjustment, the frequency is quite high so sensitive users should not experience any discomfort during prolonged use.
For more information on PWM, check out our article, "Why Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is such a headache". Also, our PWM ranking table provides an overview of measured PWM and response times for all reviewed devices.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 20.62 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 11.52 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 9.1 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 43 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 33.26 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 14.92 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 18.34 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 43 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (32.4 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 58500 Hz | ≤ 10 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 58500 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 10 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 58500 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8439 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The bright display ensures a decent, legible outdoor viewing experience. The display offers a 170°-wide viewing angle. We did not notice any color or brightness loss when viewed from various angles.
Performance: Beats AMD Ryzen 5 5500U in single-core
Our Realme Book (Slim) is powered by the Intel Tiger Lake Core i3-1115G4, which is a 2C/4T part with a base clock of 3 GHz and a boost of up to 4.1 GHz. Buyers also have the option of choosing a Core i5-1135G7 option as well. There is no discrete GPU provided in either model.
Processor
Our unit's Core i3-1115G4 offers good sustained performance in our Cinebench R15 sustained loop test. Though we see a consistent dip in the score for every fifth run or so, the processor is able to regain the original performance quickly. We also find that the Realme Book (Slim) is about 32% faster in this test than the Dell Inspiron 15 5502 featuring the same processor.
The Core i3-1115G4 is also on par with the Core i5-1135G7 in the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 in most single-core tests and is even 12% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U-powered Lenovo IdeaPad 5.
The CPU offers a sustained PL1 of 28 W and a short burst PL2 of 64 W. On battery, the PL2 drops to about 45.25 W. There is no dedicated button to switch various performance modes, so you will have to rely on the performance slider offered by Windows.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (579 - 8541, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (961 - 1251, n=6) | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (128 - 826, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (504 - 515, n=6) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (1555 - 21812, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (2725 - 3244, n=6) | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (358 - 2165, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (1242 - 1319, n=5) | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (327 - 3345, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (385 - 507, n=6) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (72.4 - 322, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (137 - 197, n=6) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (940 - 1188, n=6) | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (159 - 2271, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2643 - 6442, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (4497 - 4674, n=6) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (11668 - 77867, n=64, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (11122 - 13422, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (726 - 2350, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (1190 - 1352, n=8) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2557 - 17218, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (2341 - 2983, n=8) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.97 - 25.1, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (3.25 - 4.1, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (38.5 - 220, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (40.6 - 62.8, n=7) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4 (0.636 - 0.671, n=7) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.403 - 1.456, n=67, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
We do not find much variation in multi-core scores in a quick Cinebench R20 run on battery. However, the reduced PL2 and clocks result in a 20% decrease in the single-score score.
Real-world performance on the move may take some hit but should be overall comparable to performance on mains power depending on the workload.
Check out our dedicated Core i3-1115G4 page for more information and benchmarks.
System Performance
The Realme Book (Slim) should cover basic productivity needs including Office, web browsing, and media consumption without much hassle. The overall PCMark 10 score is just about 5% slower than a Core i5-1135G7-powered Lenovo Yoga Slim 7.
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (4993 - 7788, n=56, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4, Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs (3898 - 4390, n=6) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (9363 - 11331, n=56, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4, Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs (8205 - 9090, n=6) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (5435 - 10623, n=56, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4, Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs (6166 - 6488, n=6) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (5305 - 12442, n=56, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Average Intel Core i3-1115G4, Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs (3161 - 3895, n=6) | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 | |
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 4620 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 2856 points | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 4390 points | |
Help | ||
DPC Latency
We measured DPC latency using LatencyMon. Our test included opening multiple tabs of our site, playing back our sample 4K video on YouTube, and running Prime95 in-place large FFTs stress for about 10 seconds.
Till the time we ran the YouTube video test, we measured the highest interrupt to process latency to be 588.90 µs. This value increased to 670.4 µs after running Prime95. The main cause for this increased latency seems to be the Windows Driver Mode Framework, Wdf01000.sys. Wdf01000.sys does not contribute to high latency on its own but is actually influenced by other errant drivers, such as ACPI.sys in this case.
Still, the Realme Book's DPC latency is comparably lower than the competition and should be easily amenable for the targeted use cases.
Check out our DPC Latency Ranking page for more latency comparisons.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
Our device came with a Samsung PM991a 256 GB PCIe Gen3 NVMe SSD that takes up the only available M.2 2280 slot on the motherboard. Therefore, any storage expansion would mean fully replacing the stock drive.
The Samsung PM991a is actually rated for a sequential read of 3,100 MB/s and a sequential write of 1,300 MB/s. However, we measured significantly lower sequential reads and writes indicating some bottleneck from the CPU or the board. Interestingly, we observed similar results in the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 as well, which uses a similar SSD.
Increasing the queue depth does result in increased read and write speeds as expected, but this generally does not find much applicability in conventional use.
That being said, the 4K reads and writes are comparable to the competition, so random disk access should not be impacted much and the overall experience still feels quite responsive.
We also didn't not observe any throttling of the SSD during a continuous DiskSpd read loop at a queue depth of 8.
Check out our SSD and HDD Benchmarks page for more storage performance comparisons.
| Realme Book (Slim) Samsung PM991a MZVLQ256HBJD | Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G | Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G | Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe | Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 Apple SSD AP0256 | Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 Samsung PM991A MZALQ256HBJD | Average Samsung PM991a MZVLQ256HBJD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS SSD | -94% | 52% | -26% | 58% | -84% | -54% | -2% | -3% | |
| Seq Read | 2349 | 1142 -51% | 2955 26% | 1682 -28% | 2645 13% | 1971 -16% | 1135 -52% | 2011 -14% | 2228 ? -5% |
| Seq Write | 826 | 199.8 -76% | 2474 200% | 931 13% | 2627 218% | 1130 37% | 1090 32% | 772 -7% | 912 ? 10% |
| 4K Read | 54.7 | 39.5 -28% | 52.7 -4% | 41.53 -24% | 55.2 1% | 51.3 -6% | 14.87 -73% | 55.1 1% | 47.5 ? -13% |
| 4K Write | 162.1 | 165.7 2% | 199.2 23% | 109.1 -33% | 119.4 -26% | 119.7 -26% | 26.27 -84% | 172 6% | 144.6 ? -11% |
| 4K-64 Read | 788 | 461.2 -41% | 1428 81% | 603 -23% | 1308 66% | 585 -26% | 585 -26% | 658 -16% | 746 ? -5% |
| 4K-64 Write | 832 | 203 -76% | 1698 104% | 713 -14% | 1816 118% | 495.5 -40% | 154.6 -81% | 728 -12% | 813 ? -2% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.125 | 0.124 1% | 0.105 16% | 0.057 54% | 0.107 14% | 0.126 -1% | 0.071 43% | 0.1373 ? -10% | |
| Access Time Write * | 0.023 | 0.181 -687% | 0.02 13% | 0.035 -52% | 0.031 -35% | 0.22 -857% | 0.058 -152% | 0.021 9% | 0.028 ? -22% |
| Score Read | 1078 | 615 -43% | 1776 65% | 813 -25% | 1628 51% | 833 -23% | 713 -34% | 914 -15% | 1017 ? -6% |
| Score Write | 1077 | 389 -64% | 2145 99% | 915 -15% | 2198 104% | 728 -32% | 290 -73% | 977 -9% | 1049 ? -3% |
| Score Total | 2645 | 1284 -51% | 4811 82% | 2118 -20% | 4667 76% | 1962 -26% | 1365 -48% | 2314 -13% | 2532 ? -4% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 1034 | 216.8 -79% | 1513 46% | 692 -33% | 1476 43% | 273.5 -74% | 1097 ? 6% | ||
| Copy Program MB/s | 349.4 | 163 -53% | 257.3 -26% | 226.5 -35% | 538 54% | 184.6 -47% | 408 ? 17% | ||
| Copy Game MB/s | 698 | 176 -75% | 712 2% | 391.5 -44% | 1185 70% | 281 -60% | 780 ? 12% | ||
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -42% | 47% | -24% | 31% | -9% | -37% | -7% | ||
| Write 4K | 147.1 | 138.5 -6% | 239.7 63% | 96.3 -35% | 93.3 -37% | 150 2% | 34.57 -76% | 136.4 ? -7% | |
| Read 4K | 56 | 41.98 -25% | 57.3 2% | 35.06 -37% | 38.87 -31% | 61.8 10% | 28.48 -49% | 49.9 ? -11% | |
| Write Seq | 1175 | 213.5 -82% | 2379 102% | 1001 -15% | 2834 141% | 458 -61% | 1026 -13% | 1193 ? 2% | |
| Read Seq | 1810 | 1289 -29% | 2499 38% | 1072 -41% | 2452 35% | 1881 4% | 1109 -39% | 1746 ? -4% | |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 447.3 | 157.8 -65% | 484.9 8% | 423.9 -5% | 386.6 -14% | 338.4 -24% | 178.4 -60% | 419 ? -6% | |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 493.9 | 448.9 -9% | 671 36% | 464.7 -6% | 495.5 0% | 447.3 -9% | 557 13% | 473 ? -4% | |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 1234 | 210.5 -83% | 2711 120% | 967 -22% | 2981 142% | 1563 27% | 970 -21% | 1182 ? -4% | |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3102 | 1853 -40% | 3370 9% | 2179 -30% | 3566 15% | 2422 -22% | 1513 -51% | 2695 ? -13% | |
| Write 4K Q8T8 | 496.1 | 423 ? -15% | |||||||
| Read 4K Q8T8 | 902 | 854 ? -5% | |||||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -68% /
-75% | 50% /
50% | -25% /
-25% | 45% /
48% | -47% /
-57% | -46% /
-47% | -2% /
-2% | -5% /
-4% |
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
The UHD Graphics Xe G4 iGPU with 48 EUs is not a gaming card by any stretch. The performance of this GPU in 3DMark is anywhere between 5% and 28% faster than the RX Vega 5 in the AMD Ryzen 3 4300U. It can also be up to 32% faster than the same implementation in the Dell Inspiron 15 5502.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 4205 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 72735 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 12074 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 2842 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score | 1401 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1018 points | |
Help | ||
The UHD Graphics Xe G4 is also comparable to the Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80 EUs) except in 3DMark Time Spy Graphics and 3DMark 11 Performance Graphics tests, where it lags behind by 25% and 18%, respectively.
3DMark Time Spy results remain relatively unchanged when switched to battery power.
Gaming Performance
The UHD Graphics Xe G4 is only suited for playing older titles at low resolutions and low settings. That being said, we do find it to be faster than the same GPU in the Dell Inspiron 5502. At low to medium settings, the Realme Book is also on par or slightly faster than the RX Vega 7 in the Ryzen 5 5500U.
Though hardly playable, we do not find much throttling in The Witcher 3 1080p Ultra stress test.
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark | |
| 1280x720 Lite Quality | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (29.9 - 111.6, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs (14.6 - 32.5, n=15) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 | |
| 1920x1080 Standard Quality | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (15.1 - 59.9, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs (8.88 - 19, n=10) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
| 1920x1080 High Quality | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (11.9 - 44.2, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Realme Book (Slim) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs (3.86 - 19, n=8) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 | |
The Witcher 3 FPS Chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 141.4 | 87 | 73.3 | 22.32 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 62.3 | 39.3 | 20.7 | 10.3 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 95.5 | 50.8 | 40.8 | 36 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 29.3 | 19 | 19 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 42.5 | 29.6 | 26.7 | |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 63.6 | 26.7 | 20.9 | 0 |
Emissions: Tolerable heat and noise levels
System Noise
The Realme Book offers a silent computing experience for the most part. Fans do not kick in unless under load. We observed a maximum fan noise of 44.58 db(A) under maximum load of Prime95 + FurMark and about 43.15 db (A) while stressing with The Witcher 3 at 1080p Ultra.
We did not observe any stray noises like coil whine or random clicks under stress.
| Realme Book (Slim) UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, i3-1115G4, Samsung PM991a MZVLQ256HBJD | Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, i3-1115G4, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G | Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G | Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE Vega 7, R5 5500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC UHD Graphics 620, i3-10110U, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe | Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), i3-1000NG4, Apple SSD AP0256 | Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, i3-1115G4, Samsung PM991A MZALQ256HBJD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 12% | 17% | 4% | 9% | 13% | 5% | 11% | |
| off / environment * | 28.8 | 27.5 5% | 26 10% | 30.3 -5% | 25.5 11% | 25 13% | 29 -1% | 24.6 15% |
| Idle Minimum * | 28.8 | 27.9 3% | 26 10% | 30.3 -5% | 25.5 11% | 25 13% | 29 -1% | 24.6 15% |
| Idle Average * | 28.8 | 27.9 3% | 26 10% | 30.3 -5% | 25.5 11% | 25 13% | 29 -1% | 24.6 15% |
| Idle Maximum * | 28.8 | 27.9 3% | 26 10% | 30.3 -5% | 25.5 11% | 27.8 3% | 29 -1% | 26.7 7% |
| Load Average * | 41.66 | 28.1 33% | 30.2 28% | 32.6 22% | 40.6 3% | 35.1 16% | 31.6 24% | 38.9 7% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 43.15 | |||||||
| Load Maximum * | 44.58 | 34.8 22% | 29 35% | 35.6 20% | 40.8 8% | 34.8 22% | 39.4 12% | 42.8 4% |
* ... smaller is better
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 28.8 / 28.8 / 28.8 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 41.66 / 44.58 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 28.8 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
Even though the Realme Book is powered by an entry-level Core i3-1115G4 ULV processor, it still comes equipped with a dual-fan dual-heatpipe cooling system. This ensures tolerable surface temperatures for the vast majority of intended tasks.
The fan exhaust is obstructed by the display hinge, which does lead to build up of heat in that area as you can see in the thermal images below. However, this need not be much of a concern as the cooling system is unlikely to be stressed as much in real-world usage.
Even under heavy stress, the middle area of the bottom panel does not get too hot. We did not experience any discomfort in using the Realme Book on the lap for basic productivity tasks.
Under stress, the maximum temperatures are seen towards the top left and bottom left parts of the units. Temperatures around the keyboard deck are tolerable for the most part while the touchpad and palm rest areas remain relatively cool. The power adapter, however, does reach nearly 50 °C under stress.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.2 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 48.6 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 39.3 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.4 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 36.3 °C / 97 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30.6 °C / 87.1 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.2 °C / 82.8 F (-2.4 °C / -4.3 F).
Stress Test
During the Prime95 stress test, we see the CPU clocks largely settling around the 3 GHz mark after an initial but very momentary rise to 4.1 GHz. The average package temperature is usually around the 69 °C mark, but we did observe a limited boost up to 3.5 GHz for about 5 minutes during which the package temperature almost touches 82 °C.
Adding FurMark to the mix reduces the available thermal headroom to the CPU alone resulting in clocks that largely settle around the 1.6 GHz mark with occasional spikes to 1.8 GHz. The GPU clocks remain stable at 1,150 MHz for the most part while the package temperature oscillates between 64 °C and 66 °C.
Upon stressing with The Witcher 3 at 1080p Ultra, both CPU and GPU clocks largely remain stable at 1.5 GHz and 1,250 MHz, respectively.
Though we see occasional fluctuations in clocks, the Realme Book (Slim) exhibits fairly stable performance under stress at the rated PL1/PL2 limits without any significant signs of throttling.
| Stress Test | CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average Package Temperature (°C) |
| System Idle | 1.2 | 101 | 35 |
| Prime95 | 2.99 | 100 | 69 |
| Prime95 + FurMark | 1.69 | 1150 | 66 |
| The Witcher 3 | 1.51 | 1250 | 64 |
Speakers
The Realme Book features a pair of bottom firing speakers. At about 78.73 db (A), they can get loud-enough to fill up a mid-sized room with minimal distortion. As can be seen from our Pink Noise diagram, the bass is virtually non-existent, but the mids and highs seem quite balanced. The onboard microphone pair enables a decent video conferencing experience.
Realme offers the DTS Audio Processing app for customizing basic audio characteristics. A 3.5 mm combo audio jack is available if better audio quality is desired.
Realme Book (Slim) audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 34% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 21% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy Management: Higher power consumption than the competition
Power Consumption
The Realme Book (Slim) isn't exactly the most economical when it comes to power consumption with respect to the competition, but the figures are on expected lines. The Dell Inspiron 15 5502 fares better in this regard, but we've also seen this laptop being outperformed by the Realme Book in many benchmarks.
Compared to a Ryzen 5 5500U-powered Lenovo IdeaPad 5, the Realme Book is about 8% more economical overall.
The in-box 65 W power adapter is able to provide enough power to the device even under stressful conditions.
| Off / Standby | 0.5 / 0.67 Watt |
| Idle | 5.42 / 10.38 / 11.17 Watt |
| Load |
38.58 / 47.58 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Realme Book (Slim) i3-1115G4, UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, Samsung PM991a MZVLQ256HBJD, IPS, 2160x1440, 14" | Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 i3-1115G4, UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, Toshiba BG4 KBG40ZNS128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B R3 4300U, Vega 5, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE R5 5500U, Vega 7, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC i3-10110U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 i3-1000NG4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), Apple SSD AP0256, IPS, 2560x1600, 13.3" | Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 i3-1115G4, UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, Samsung PM991A MZALQ256HBJD, a-Si IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 22% | 27% | 35% | -8% | 18% | 42% | -4% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 5.42 | 4.3 21% | 3.3 39% | 3.7 32% | 5.4 -0% | 3.6 34% | 2.1 61% | 6.3 -16% |
| Idle Average * | 10.38 | 7.1 32% | 5 52% | 5.6 46% | 8.4 19% | 6.6 36% | 6.2 40% | 9.5 8% |
| Idle Maximum * | 11.17 | 7.2 36% | 7.5 33% | 7.8 30% | 11.3 -1% | 9.7 13% | 7 37% | 10.4 7% |
| Load Average * | 38.58 | 24.8 36% | 28 27% | 26.4 32% | 45.3 -17% | 38 2% | 24.7 36% | 32.7 15% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 39.7 | 28.8 27% | 46.6 -17% | |||||
| Load Maximum * | 47.58 | 54.3 -14% | 56 -18% | 31.4 34% | 63 -32% | 45 5% | 30.6 36% | 63.3 -33% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stresstest
Battery Life
The included 54 Wh battery offers decent idle and video playback times. However, we could get close to just 8.5 hours of runtime in our standard Wi-Fi 1.3 test at 150 cd/m2 brightness, which is not too bad but nothing to write home about either.
H.264 1080p video playback at 150 cd/m2 offered a decent 10.5 hours battery backup, which isn't too far from the manufacturer's claim. Stressing the device leads to a drastic reduction in battery runtimes.
The included 65 W charger can fully charge the device from zero to 100% in a little over an hour and 15 minutes. The bundled charger allows for a 50% fast charge in about 30 minutes, but this is true only when the laptop is turned off during charging.
| Realme Book (Slim) i3-1115G4, UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, 54 Wh | Dell Inspiron 15 5000 5502 i3-1115G4, UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, 53 Wh | Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 60.7 Wh | Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B R3 4300U, Vega 5, 48.85 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE R5 5500U, Vega 7, 56.5 Wh | Dell Latitude 15 3510 NK2MC i3-10110U, UHD Graphics 620, 40 Wh | Apple MacBook Air 2020 i3 i3-1000NG4, Iris Plus Graphics G4 (Ice Lake 48 EU), 49.9 Wh | Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2 ITL 20VDS02G00 i3-1115G4, UHD Graphics Xe G4 48EUs, 58 Wh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 60% | 39% | 43% | 11% | -8% | 31% | 0% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1041 | 1604 54% | 1181 13% | 793 -24% | ||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 506 | 539 7% | 703 39% | 724 43% | 649 28% | 465 -8% | 661 31% | 454 -10% |
| Witcher 3 ultra | 117 | |||||||
| Load | 90 | 197 119% | 82 -9% | 121 34% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict: An excellent debut
Realme's attempt at offering a laptop that offers decent performance for the specs without breaking the bank seems to be largely successful gauging by how well the device has performed in our tests.
The chassis construction is solid and while the memory comes soldered, there is scope to swap out the SSD and Wi-Fi card if needed. There aren't too many Core i3-1115G4-powered laptops on the market, but the closest competitor to the Realme Book in terms of performance seems to be the Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G2. Even the Dell Inspiron 15 5502 trails behind in many benchmarks.
The Core i3-1115G4 may not evoke excitement at first glance, but the single-core performance is pretty much comparable to the Core i5-1135G7 in the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 and is better than an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U-powered Lenovo IdeaPad 5.
The 3:2 2K display is one of the strong points of the Realme Book with high PWM, wide viewing angles and fairly rich colors, which can be further calibrated for more accuracy. The comfortable keyboard and large touchpad are other positives for the Realme Book.
Realme has ticked almost all the right boxes in its first laptop outing with the Realme Book (Slim). At an asking price of ₹44,999 (US$600), the Realme Book (Slim) makes for an easy recommended for anyone looking to augment their smartphone on the move for basic office or online productivity.
That being said, there are some concerns worth highlighting. There is scope for improving the storage subsystem's performance, though the target audience can get by with the current implementation just fine. Power consumption, though low, is not economical when compared to the competition. The battery life could use some improvement as well.
Overall, we were very much impressed with the Realme Book (Slim) Core i3. With the company specifically using the "Slim" moniker in this launch, we wonder if Realme is contemplating on offering more powerful laptops down the line. That would be an interesting proposition to test out.
Price and availability
The Realme Book (Slim) Core i3 can be ordered from Realme India starting from ₹44,999. The laptop is also currently available on Flipkart at a further discounted price of ₹41,999 (US$560). Worldwide availability is not yet known.
Realme Book (Slim)
- 10/28/2021 v7 (old)
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam
Price comparison
