When choosing between the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, consider what you primarily need the laptop for. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers good value for everyday tasks, light office work, and casual entertainment; plus, it’s lighter, which makes it more portable. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, while more expensive, delivers superior performance suited for intensive tasks like 3D design, machine learning, gaming, and engineering software. It also tends to have a longer battery life but is heavier, making it less convenient to carry around. 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 MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its adequate processing power and memory, is suitable for everyday tasks and offers a balance of performance and battery life making it a solid choice for general use, while also being light enough to carry around. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, with its superior CPU and RAM, excels in more demanding applications, has a high-quality screen for better visuals, but it comes with a steeper price and less portability due to its size and potential shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
8.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16's GPU and screen refresh rate aren't as powerful or fast as those in the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, making the latter a superior choice for fluid gameplay and 3D rendering. While the CPU and screen quality of the Flex 5 are competent for moderate use, the Stealth 18's top-tier components ensure smoother performance and more vibrant visuals for demanding gaming and creative tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
9.1/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with adept processing capabilities and substantial memory, caters well to engineering tasks, alongside a high-quality screen that benefits design work; however, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio surpasses it with a more powerful CPU, larger RAM, and a superior GPU, which are crucial for complex engineering applications and intensive graphic work. The MSI, while offering top-notch performance and display, is less portable and could be noisier under load, which contrasts with the Lenovo's balance between performance and portability, adding a comfortable keyboard and quieter operation to its appeal.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.5/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
8.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
8.4/10
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio both have panels with high resolution and brightness, making them suitable for general use where clarity and visibility are crucial. Engineering and design tasks benefit from their wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation which is essential for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, they fall short as their refresh rates are not as high as dedicated gaming laptops, leading to less fluid motion and potential screen tearing during fast-paced activities.
Battery
11.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
$2,900
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $779 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
"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."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
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.
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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