When choosing between the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and the Lenovo Flex 5 16", consider that the HP is often more expensive but offers better general use performance and has a more premium construction. It is also more portable due to being lighter and has higher-quality speakers and webcam. The Lenovo Flex 5, on the other hand, is less expensive and offers slightly better screen resolution and battery life. However, it is heavier and less portable, and comes with lower speaker and build quality. Both have touchscreens, similar RAM, storage, and are not the best fit for intensive gaming or 3D/machine learning tasks. 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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
Very good for general use
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has no clear advantages over the HP Dragonfly Pro 14".
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.1/10
7.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
405.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
The HP Dragonfly Pro and Lenovo Flex 5 both offer screens with resolutions and brightness suitable for crisp text and vivid images, which are essential for general everyday tasks. For engineering and design work, their displays cover a broad range of colors, meeting professional standards for accuracy in color-sensitive projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates may lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness compared to displays designed specifically for these purposes.
Battery
10.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Dragonfly Pro 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
8.5/10
7.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$740
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a price of $1,400 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $740.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Dragonfly Pro 14" to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14 boasts a higher-quality screen and better keyboard, combined with a lighter build and better battery life, making it ideal for portable general use with smooth performance. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers a versatile 2-in-1 design with a larger screen and good battery life, but it is heavier and has lower keyboard and build quality, suiting users who prioritize flexibility and screen size over portability and premium build.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.2/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Lenovo Flex 5 16" are both considered fair for gaming and 3D because they feature integrated GPUs – the AMD Radeon 680M and Intel Iris Xe, respectively – which are sufficient for moderate gaming but may struggle with high-end games and intense 3D applications. Both laptops have the same screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which is fine for casual gaming but not ideal for competitive gaming where higher refresh rates are beneficial; although they have good screen resolutions and qualities, neither is designed specifically with gaming as the primary focus.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.2/10
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.6/10
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.8/10
7.5/10
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
"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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" or the Lenovo Flex 5 16
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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