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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers higher performance for tasks like 3D and machine learning due to its more powerful processor and RAM, but it's less portable and more expensive. Its 16-inch display with higher resolution is better suited for multitasking and productivity. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is more budget-friendly and lightweight, making it highly portable. Though the IdeaPad's performance is slightly lower compared to the Flex 5 16, it still handles general use well. Both have touchscreens, but the Flex has a longer battery life, while the IdeaPad has a higher build quality and better keyboard. Both are not designed for intensive gaming. 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 engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.3
6.5
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
341.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a high-resolution display that offers clear and sharp imagery, which is essential for general use and detailed engineering work, and it comes with good color accuracy that designers need. However, for gaming and 3D applications, despite its decent resolution, it falls short because it lacks a high refresh rate that would make fast-moving visuals smoother. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a fair resolution and sufficient brightness for day-to-day tasks and engineering work, but it doesn't provide the wide color gamut for the most accurate color work, nor does it offer the refresh rates for optimal gaming and 3D experiences.
Build Quality
7.0
7.6
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good build quality, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
341.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" are both good for general use.
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.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" are considered fair for gaming and 3D due to their integrated GPUs which, while capable, don't match the performance of dedicated gaming GPUs and only support basic screen refresh rates of 60Hz. The Flex 5 16 has a sharper display and better screen quality, but the IdeaPad 5 has a slightly better battery and is lighter, making it more portable albeit with less powerful graphics and RAM.
Engineering and Design
7.2
6.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Flex 5 16 to be good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is equipped with a higher-resolution screen, more RAM, and a CPU/GPU combo that provides better overall performance, which is essential for demanding engineering and design tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a lower amount of RAM and a less powerful CPU/GPU, meaning it may struggle with more intensive applications, though it is lighter and slightly more portable.
Content Creation
7.6
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" 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
7.5
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" 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.
Battery
11.5 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has 11 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
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$779
$771
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $779 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" costs $771.
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How the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Flex 5 16 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$779 | $771 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | 14'' x 9.2'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 4.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.09" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.99" | 9.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.5 Wh | 57 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 341 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Lenovo Flex 5 16
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | April 2023
"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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
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NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | August 2021
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is convincing due to its long battery life. The device scores points especially with its large battery and long battery runtimes combined with its low consumption. The CPU and GPU perform in the test as one would expect, and in line with what was familiar from the somewhat smaller 14-inch sister model, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 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.
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