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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is more portable with a smaller 14-inch touchscreen and lighter weight, making it suitable if you need to carry it around. It offers better performance with a more powerful processor and higher RAM, ideal for intensive tasks and multitasking. Despite its smaller size, it has longer battery life than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", which is beneficial for working on the go. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a larger 17.3-inch screen, which may be more comfortable for extended viewing but is less portable due to its size and weight. It's less expensive but comes with a less powerful processor and less RAM, which may slow you down if you work with demanding applications. It lacks a touchscreen and has a shorter battery life, which could limit its use in mobile situations. Choose the Flex 5 14 for better performance and portability or the IdeaPad 3 17" for a larger screen and cost savings, with the tradeoff of lower performance and 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 14
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Flex 5 14.
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.4
6.7
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
277.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 14 for general use, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14's screen offers adequate resolution and brightness, making it decent for everyday tasks, but its limited color gamut and lower refresh rate hamper its performance in specialized fields like engineering and design or gaming. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" provides a larger, brighter display with higher resolution, which is beneficial for detailed work in engineering and design, but its color accuracy may still fall short for professional-grade tasks, and like the Flex, it lacks the high refresh rate needed for smooth 3D rendering in gaming. Both screens, due to their refresh rate limitations, would not be ideal for gaming where fluid motion and quick screen updates are crucial for optimal experience.
Battery
11.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$950
$784
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a price of $950 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.3
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
277.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 offers a combination of a potent CPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality IPS touch-enabled screen, along with its portability due to a smaller size and longer battery life makes it a strong candidate for general use. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" also has a capable CPU and a large IPS screen that delivers more screen real estate for productivity, although it sacrifices battery life and portability because of its larger size.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.1
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is equipped with a slightly more powerful integrated GPU and a smaller screen size compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", which contributes to a fair gaming and 3D performance due to better graphics capabilities at a reduced display area. However, the IdeaPad's larger screen and marginally better screen quality offer a more immersive experience, despite its slightly less capable integrated GPU, making it also fair for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Flex 5 14 to be good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.6
7.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
7.4
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
6.5
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Flex 5 14 to have good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Flex 5 14 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$950 | $784 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.42 lbs | 4.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.32" | 15.71" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.85" | 10.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.5 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 277 nits | 307 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.2/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Flex 5 14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2021
"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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | December 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 14 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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.
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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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