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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is usually less expensive and offers a larger screen with higher resolution, suitable for tasks that benefit from more screen real estate like designing or multitasking, but it is heavier than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i. In contrast, the Slim 7i is generally somewhat more expensive, more portable due to its lighter weight, and has a smaller screen with lower resolution which could be favorable for general use or travel. Both laptops have the same storage and memory capacities, making them similar in handling day-to-day tasks, but different in display and portability, where you must decide which attributes are more important for your use case. 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 overall display quality
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.3
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and IdeaPad Slim 7i are equipped with screens that have resolutions and brightness levels that are sufficient for activities like web browsing, video streaming, and document editing, which makes them suitable for general use. Both models support wide color gamuts, ensuring that colors are accurately represented which is crucial for tasks in engineering and design that demand color precision. However, they lack high refresh rates, which are vital for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications, making them less suitable for those specific activities.
Portability
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
7.8
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good build quality, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$594
$899
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $594 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i costs $899.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers a larger, higher resolution touch display with good screen quality and flexible 2-in-1 functionality, suitable for varied general use, but it's slightly heavier impacting portability compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
9.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 provides fair gaming and 3D performance with a decent GPU suitable for mainstream tasks and a screen that offers good color coverage and brightness, but is capped at a 60Hz refresh rate limiting smoother gameplay. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i also offers fair capability for gaming with the same GPU, its screen has slightly less color accuracy and brightness, but like the Flex 5 16, it doesn't surpass the standard 60Hz refresh rate, which is a limitation for high-frame-rate gaming.
Engineering and Design
7.2
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is well-suited for engineering and design due to its larger, high-quality screen with higher resolution and stylus-supporting touch capability, which can be beneficial for design work; however, it has the same powerful CPU and RAM as the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, which offers excellent portability and a slightly quieter operating noise, making it also a good choice for on-the-go engineering tasks. Both laptops come with integrated GPUs that can handle general engineering software, although they may not be optimal for very intensive graphical tasks.
Content Creation
7.6
7.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i 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
7.5
7.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i 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.
Battery
11.5 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i 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.
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How the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Flex 5 16 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$594 | $899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | October 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | 12.6'' x 8.2'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 2.99 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.09" | 12.62" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.99" | 8.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i7-1165G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.5 Wh | 60.7 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14" | |
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 | 340 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 8.9/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
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 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Flex 5 16
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Slim 7i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Ted Needleman
| January 2022
"Among Lenovo's multiple laptop brands, the IdeaPad family is decidedly the one designed for consumers: people who want decent performance at a reasonable price. Consider, then, this laptop a paragon for the pickier members of that crowd. With a 14-inch touch-enabled display, a comfortable keyboard, an Evo-certified Intel Core i7 11th Generation CPU, and the latest Windows 11 operating system, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro ultraportable ($1,199 as tested) is a slick mainstream machine at a bit of a premium price, and quite capable for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
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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