As the ASUS Zenbook 14 typically comes at a lower price than the Lenovo Flex 5 16, you should consider whether the savings are worth the potential differences in features and performance. If maximum portability and savings are priorities, and your tasks are primarily general use, the Zenbook may be a good fit. However, the Flex might offer better performance for demanding tasks like engineering, 3D modeling, or gaming. Additionally, the Flex might have a longer battery life and the advantage of a larger screen, which can be beneficial for multitaskers and creative professionals. Consider how you balance cost with your specific needs for performance, battery life, and screen size when making your decision. 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 Zenbook 14
Very good overall display quality
Very good portability
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
Very good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.3/10
7.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 comes with a display that offers high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for general use where reading text and viewing images are prioritized. For engineering and design, the Zenbook's display covers a wider range of colors, which is crucial when precision in color reproduction is needed for professional work. However, its low refresh rate holds it back for gaming and 3D applications, where smooth motion is key to a good experience and higher refresh rates are typically preferred.
Battery
8.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good build quality, though the ASUS Zenbook 14 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$300
$740
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $740.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers a higher RAM and a more powerful CPU than the ASUS Zenbook 14, which is better for more demanding tasks and multitasking, and it also has advantages like a larger screen with touch capability, making it versatile as a convertible laptop. However, the ASUS has a higher-resolution OLED screen and is more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller dimensions, though it has less battery life compared to the Lenovo.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
6.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook 14, while offering a decent display and processing power for lighter gaming and 3D tasks, may be limited by its graphics processing unit (GPU) and standard screen refresh rate. On the other hand, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 also comes with a capable processor and satisfactory screen, but like the Zenbook, is hindered for more intense gaming by its GPU and refresh rate, although its larger screen size might provide a slightly more immersive experience.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
7.2/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for engineering and design.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a vibrant OLED screen with higher resolution and better color accuracy, making it ideal for design work where visual detail is paramount, but it has less RAM than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 which might limit performance in complex engineering applications. The Flex 5 16, on the other hand, has a more powerful CPU and double the RAM which is better for multitasking and compute-heavy engineering tasks, plus a larger screen that supports touch, though its IPS display doesn't match the Zenbook's color range or contrast.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.6/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for content creation.
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
7.2/10
7.5/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both good for software development.
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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
"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 Zenbook 14 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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