If you value flexibility and performance and are okay with spending more, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 might suit you better as it often offers higher-end specifications and a convertible design that can function as a tablet. However, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is usually more affordable and can be a good fit if you're looking for essential functions without the need for premium features. The IdeaPad may have a longer battery life due to its possibly lower power components, while the Flex 5 16 may have a shorter battery life but can handle more demanding tasks. Consider the IdeaPad for general use and the Flex for more intensive tasks like engineering, 3D modeling, or if you want the convenience of a 2-in-1 device. Both would work for everyday tasks, but the Flex 5 gives you more versatility at a higher cost. 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 Lenovo Flex 5 16
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Flex 5 16.
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
6.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
5.8/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its higher-powered Intel i7 processor, more RAM, and superior Iris Xe graphics, combined with a high-resolution IPS screen, is better suited for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" that has a lower-tier Intel i3 processor, less RAM, and an Intel UHD Graphics with a basic TN panel at a lower resolution.
Content Creation
7.6/10
6.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
7.5/10
6.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
7.3/10
5.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 features a higher resolution and brighter display, which enhances visuals for tasks like browsing and streaming, making it suitable for general use, but falls short for gaming due to a standard refresh rate. The screen's ample color gamut caters well to professionals in engineering and design who need accurate color representation. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a lower resolution and dimmer screen, reducing its effectiveness across the board, and its limited color range and standard refresh rate make it less ideal for specialized tasks in design or gaming.
Battery
11.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 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.
Cost
$779
$360
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $779 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" costs $360.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Flex 5 16 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has an Intel Iris Xe graphics card and an IPS display, two factors that contribute to its fair performance in gaming and 3D tasks, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a lower-end Intel UHD Xe G4 graphics card and a TN panel, which offer less visual fidelity and rendering power, making it less suitable for those purposes.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Flex 5 16 to have good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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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