The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is designed for intensive gaming and high-performance tasks such as 3D rendering or engineering work, offering a more powerful processor, advanced graphics, and a higher refresh rate screen for fast motion clarity. However, it's heavier and has a bulkier design, making it less portable, with shorter battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 has a lighter build and longer battery life, making it more portable and suitable for general use and flexibility with its touchscreen. While it can handle everyday tasks and some light creative work, it is less equipped for demanding gaming or professional graphics-intensive applications. If portability and budget are key considerations, the Lenovo might be suitable, but if peak performance for heavy tasks is paramount, the ASUS is a better fit, albeit at a higher price. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G18
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
Good portability
Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.3/10
7.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
422.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.4/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 stands out for general use due to its higher-end CPU and GPU, offering stronger performance for demanding applications and more storage, but with less battery life and more weight, affecting its portability. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 16, while having a lower-performance CPU and integrated GPU, provides a balance with a longer battery life and lighter build, complemented by its 2-in-1 convertible design for versatility.
Gaming and AI
8.7/10
6.2/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 boasts a high-end Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 240 Hz, making it excellent for gaming and 3D applications, where fast graphics processing and smooth motion are crucial. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 integrates a modest Intel Iris Xe GPU and offers a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is adequate for casual gaming and basic 3D but falls short for more demanding graphics-intensive use.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
7.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is superior for engineering and design tasks with its high-end Intel i9 processor, dedicated Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, and highly-rated screen quality, making it ideal for performance-intensive applications. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 pairs an Intel i7 processor with integrated graphics and has a touchscreen for versatility, trading off some performance for better portability and the flexibility of a 2-in-1 design.
Content Creation
8.6/10
7.6/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.1/10
7.5/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
8.7/10
7.3/10
18.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
422.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use and engineering tasks, screen resolution and vivid color reproduction are crucial, which is where the ASUS ROG Strix G18 excels with its high-resolution display and wide color gamuts, ensuring that fine details and color accuracy are superior for these tasks. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 also provides adequate resolution and color coverage which is good enough for general use and some professional work, but it may not match the richness of the ASUS's display. However, for gaming and 3D purposes, a high refresh rate takes precedence to avoid motion blur and provide a smoother visual experience, which neither laptop's screen best supports, hence their poorer suitability for this use case.
Battery
8.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Poor
Good
18.0in
SIZE
16.0in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good build quality, though the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,299
$779
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a price of $2,299 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $779.
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G18 or the Lenovo Flex 5 16
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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