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Updated March 22, 2024·
When considering the Lenovo Flex 5 and the MSI Titan, focus on your primary needs. If affordability and flexibility for everyday tasks like browsing and light work are your priorities, the Lenovo Flex 5, being less expensive and more portable, fits well. However, if you need a laptop for heavy tasks like advanced gaming, engineering software, or 3D design and are willing to invest more, the MSI Titan offers superior performance and is built to handle intensive applications, though it is heavier and less portable. Always weigh the importance of performance against cost and ease of carrying the device. 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 Titan 18 HX
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
While the Lenovo Flex 5 16 offers sufficient processing power and memory for everyday tasks with a versatile screen and is easier to carry around with better battery life, the MSI Titan 18 HX has a more powerful CPU and additional RAM, enhancing performance for more demanding applications, and a superior screen, but at the cost of being heavier with shorter battery life. Although the MSI has higher storage capacity, and both have decent keyboards and speakers, the MSI Titan may produce more noise and heat under heavy use due to its more powerful components.
Gaming and AI
6.2
9.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with a more modest GPU and lower screen refresh rate, will handle gaming and 3D applications but not with the same fluidity or detail as the MSI Titan 18 HX, which excels with a high-end GPU and superior refresh rate for smoother visuals and gameplay. Although both have capable CPUs and decent screens, the sheer graphical horsepower and refresh capabilities of the MSI make it a preferable choice for the most demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.2
9.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its capable processing power, RAM, and graphics, delivers solid performance and a quality screen for engineering tasks, but it may not handle the most demanding applications as smoothly as the MSI Titan 18 HX, which boasts top-tier CPU, RAM, GPU, and exceptional screen quality, ideal for intensive engineering and design use. However, the MSI Titan 18 HX is less portable and could be louder under heavy use, whereas the Lenovo offers better portability with a compromise on ultimate performance and a quieter operation which may be appealing for some users.
Content Creation
7.6
9.0
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent 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
8.9
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
9.2
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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 MSI Titan has a superior panel with higher resolution and brightness, making it more vivid and easier to view in various lighting conditions. In engineering and design, the Titan's wider color gamuts ensure more accurate color representation, crucial for detailed and color-sensitive work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, making them less suitable for fast-paced visuals despite their high resolution and quality panel types.
Battery
11.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 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
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
8.5
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
$4,949
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $779 and the MSI Titan 18 HX costs $4,949.
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How the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the MSI Titan 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Flex 5 16 | MSI Titan 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$779 | $4,949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 7.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.09" | 15.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.99" | 12.08" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1255U | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 128 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 4096 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.5 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 5.1/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
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."
MSI Titan 18 HX
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | January 2024
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the MSI Titan 18 HX
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.
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