If the Lenovo Flex 5 14's higher price is within your budget and you value a versatile design with a touch screen and possibly better performance, it would be a good option for you. However, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option and you don't need the 2-in-1 functionality or higher performance, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" would be a practical choice. Keep in mind that the Flex 5 may offer better portability due to its smaller size and possibly longer battery life, whereas the IdeaPad 3 may have a larger screen which is beneficial for multitasking and media consumption. Consider what you prioritize: portability and versatility at a higher cost, or a larger display and cost savings. 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 14
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Flex 5 14.
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
6.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
277.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 offers better performance for general use, boasting a more potent AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, double the RAM, and a higher resolution IPS screen for sharper and more vibrant visuals compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15", which has a less powerful Intel i3 CPU, half the RAM, and a lower resolution TN screen. Additionally, the Flex 5 enhances portability with a lighter weight and a longer battery life, whereas the IdeaPad 3 compensates with more storage expansion options and a quieter operating noise.
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
5.8/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is equipped with a stronger CPU, more RAM, and a better GPU which are crucial for engineering and design tasks, as well as a higher-quality IPS screen with a sharper resolution compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" which has a lower-end CPU and GPU, less RAM, and a lower-quality TN screen with a lower resolution, making it less suitable for such demanding work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
6.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
7.4/10
6.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
6.4/10
5.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
277.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 offers a balanced screen experience that is suitable for general purposes due to its acceptable resolution and brightness, but for specialized tasks like engineering and design, the narrower color gamut coverage means colors might not be as vibrant or accurate as needed for precision work. While it's serviceable for casual use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" falls short in display quality across the board with lower resolution and brightness, which can translate to a less engaging and sharp experience, especially problematic for tasks requiring attention to fine detail. Neither model is ideal for gaming or 3D applications, where the absence of higher refresh rates and only modest resolution and panel types fail to deliver the fluid and crisp visuals that enhance immersive and interactive experiences.
Battery
11.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 5 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$950
$360
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a price of $950 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" costs $360.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Flex 5 14 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 offers better gaming and 3D performance primarily because it has a superior GPU and higher screen refresh rate, which are critical for smooth graphics and fast-paced action. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a less capable GPU and lower refresh rate, resulting in reduced performance for demanding graphics tasks, despite having a decent CPU and screen quality.
Build Quality
7.0/10
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Flex 5 14 to have good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Lenovo Flex 5 14 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" compare to other laptops
"The highlight of the latest IdeaPad Flex 5 14 is clearly its AMD CPU. The octa-core Ryzen 7 5700U is insanely fast even when compared to the best Tiger Lake Ultrabooks in the market or even Core H CPUs in many gaming laptops. It's a lot of raw processing power for what is supposed to be a budget 14-inch convertible. If your daily workloads can benefit from extra multi-thread CPU performance, then look no further than the inexpensive AMD-powered Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14. For regular on-the-road browsing or video streaming, however, a slimmer and lighter 10th gen Core Yoga, Spectre, or XPS would be a more balanced option."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 14 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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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