When choosing between the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, consider how you plan to use your laptop. The Flex 5 is more budget-friendly and offers a versatile 2-in-1 design that’s great for casual use, light productivity, and media consumption, with the added benefit of touch input. However, the ThinkPad T14, while pricier, provides sturdier build quality, better keyboard experience, and typically longer battery life, which might make it a better choice for business users or those needing a reliable workhorse for heavier workloads. If you're often on the go and need something durable, the ThinkPad T14 excels, but for cost-conscious buyers or those who value flexibility and touch capability, the Flex 5 is a compelling option. 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
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14, with its robust CPU and RAM, excels in performance for demanding tasks and has high-quality screen, making it ideal for intensive general use, while its better keyboard and build quality offer a premium experience; however, it may be heavier and less portable than the Lenovo Flex 5 16. The Flex 5 16, while still offering decent performance for everyday tasks, prioritizes flexibility and portability with its lighter build and convertible design, often at the expense of shorter battery life and screen quality as compared to the ThinkPad T14.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
8.0/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers a robust CPU, substantial RAM, and a high-quality GPU, all of which are essentials for demanding engineering and design tasks, complemented by a crisp screen for sharp visuals; however, its 2-in-1 design trades off some portability. The ThinkPad T14, while providing similar core performance capabilities, emphasizes a more traditional form factor with a focus on a comfortable keyboard and quieter operation, making it less versatile as a tablet but potentially more convenient for extended typing and in environments where low noise is appreciated.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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
7.5/10
8.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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
7.3/10
6.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the ThinkPad T14 have displays with resolutions and brightness levels that are comfortable for everyday tasks and panel types that provide clear and sharp images. In engineering and design, where accurate color representation is crucial, both laptops offer good color gamut coverage, ensuring that colors in designs and models appear as intended. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key, the lower refresh rates on both models can result in less smooth visuals, which is not ideal for fast-paced or graphic-intensive content.
Battery
11.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has 9 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
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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
$1,241
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $779 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 costs $1,241.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its decent GPU and adequate screen refresh rate, handles gaming and 3D applications reasonably well, while not being top-of-the-line. Similarly, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 offers fair performance in these areas, supported by its competent CPU and good screen quality, though it's not specifically designed for high-end gaming or 3D tasks.
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How the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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."
"We like a lot about this laptop. It has many ports, with the inclusion of RJ45-Ethernet as a defining feature. WWAN is upgradable for maximum flexibility and the ThinkPad has many security functions. Working with the ThinkPad input devices is a lot of fun, and Lenovo puts in a serviceable Low Power panel. The AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U delivers a great performance and does not drain the battery fast. Fan noise and temperatures are nothing special, but also far away from bad. With the user replaceable keyboard, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has a special feature rarely present on most modern laptops."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
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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