A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is more expensive but offers better general use and engineering performance, along with a larger, higher resolution touchscreen that's great for productivity tasks, creative work, and enjoying media. Its battery lasts longer, but the laptop is heavier, making it less portable than the MSI Modern 14. Alternatively, the MSI Modern 14 is more affordable and lighter, suiting someone who carries their laptop frequently. It has a smaller, non-touchscreen display, which might not be ideal for design work but suffices for general tasks and some engineering work. It's less suitable for intensive tasks due to lower performance and shorter battery life. 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
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.2
6.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16's higher CPU and GPU capabilities, combined with better screen quality featuring higher resolution and color coverage, make it a more suitable choice for engineering and design applications compared to the MSI Modern 14, which has a lower capacity in these crucial areas. While the MSI Modern 14 offers greater portability and less operating noise, which may be important for some users, these features are outweighed by the performance requirements of engineering tasks that the Lenovo better fulfills.
Screen Quality
7.3
6.4
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers a balance of resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and engineering work, though its modest refresh rate is less suited for the fast-paced visuals needed in gaming and 3D applications. Its color accuracy covers a range enough for professional design, but it might not meet the highest standards for certain precise color work. In contrast, the MSI Modern 14 provides adequate resolution and brightness for routine use and non-specialized design tasks, but like the Lenovo, it lacks in refresh rate, making it less ideal for immersive gaming and smooth rendering in 3D modeling.
Battery
11.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 has 6 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
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and MSI Modern 14 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
6.0
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
8.7/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and MSI Modern 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16's Intel i7 processor with Iris Xe graphics and the MSI Modern 14's AMD Ryzen 5 with Vega 7 graphics both manage to offer a fair gaming and 3D experience due to their integrated graphics cards, which can handle light gaming effectively. However, both laptops have screens with a maximum refresh rate of 60Hz, which limits the smoothness of fast-paced games, but the screen quality, with decent resolution and panel type (IPS), is adequate for average gaming and multimedia use.
Content Creation
7.6
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and MSI Modern 14 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
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and MSI Modern 14 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.
Build Quality
7.0
7.0
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and MSI Modern 14 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$740
$748
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $740 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $748.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the MSI Modern 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Flex 5 16 | MSI Modern 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$740 | $748 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | 12.7'' x 8.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 3.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.09" | 12.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.99" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.5 Wh | 39 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 | 311 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 8.7/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Lenovo Flex 5 16
See more
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."
MSI Modern 14
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the MSI Modern 14
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.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
96,795
Recommendations made
20,973
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
