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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is more affordable and offers good general use performance with decent portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i, at a higher price, provides significantly better performance for intensive 3D work, machine learning tasks, and gaming due to its powerful GPU and processor. The Legion 9i also has higher build quality and better heat management but is heavier and less portable. If portability is a priority and your tasks are more general, the Flex 5 might suit you. However, if you require top-tier performance for demanding applications and gaming, and can accept less portability, the Legion 9i is the better choice. 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 portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers a balanced experience for general use with its adequate main processor and memory, 2-in-1 versatility, and reasonable battery life; however, it's easily outclassed by the Lenovo Legion 9i which has a more powerful processor, double the memory, superior screen quality, and top-notch keyboard and speakers, albeit with lesser portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.2
9.2
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 9i outshines the Lenovo Flex 5 16 in gaming and 3D due to its robust Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and higher screen refresh rate, making it excellent for demanding graphics tasks. Conversely, the Flex 5 16, despite having an adequate GPU for casual gaming and 3D applications, falls short due to its lower refresh rate and less powerful integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics.
Engineering and Design
7.2
9.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with a mid-range CPU and integrated GPU, is capable for engineering and design but may struggle with highly demanding tasks, while the Lenovo Legion 9i, boasting a top-tier CPU and advanced GPU, excels in intense engineering and design workloads, supported by its superior screen quality and color accuracy. While the Legion 9i stands out for performance, it is heavier and has a lower battery life than the Flex 5 16, making the latter more portable for on-the-go use.
Content Creation
7.6
8.7
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
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
8.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
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
9.7
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers a clear and vibrant display with ample resolution and brightness, making it comfortable for everyday tasks like web browsing and video streaming. The Lenovo Legion 9i excels in engineering and design due to its superior color accuracy and wider color gamuts, ensuring that professionals see precise color representation for their work. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications as their refresh rates are lower than desired for smooth visuals and fast-paced action, despite their decent resolution and panel technology.
Battery
11.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
$779
$3,420
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $779 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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How the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Flex 5 16 | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$779 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.09" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.99" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.5 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 9.8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
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 Legion 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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