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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 offers a mix of portability and performance suitable for general use and some engineering tasks, with a 16:10 touchscreen ideal for productivity, though its graphical capabilities are not optimized for intensive 3D tasks or gaming. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, with its dedicated graphics card and higher refresh rate display, is tailored for gaming and can handle more demanding 3D applications, but it sacrifices some portability and battery life. Consider the Flex 5 14 for its greater portability and longer battery life if those are priorities or the IdeaPad Gaming 3 if gaming or 3D performance takes precedence. 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
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
- Good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.4
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
277.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 14 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When considering general use, the Lenovo Flex 5 14's screen may have adequate resolution and brightness for typical tasks, but its panel type may not offer the viewing angles and color reproduction of higher-end models. For engineering and design, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is preferred due to a wider color gamut that ensures more accurate color representation, which is critical for detail-oriented work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lack of high refresh rates, which is key for smooth motion and a more immersive experience.
Battery
11.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 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
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$950
$549
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a price of $950 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.4
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
277.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 stands out for general use due to its combination of sufficient memory and storage, a capable CPU, a high-resolution touchscreen, and lighter weight, all contributing to better portability and longer battery life, making it suitable for a variety of tasks and on-the-go use.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.5
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo Flex 5 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a Vega 8 GPU which is less suited for gaming and 3D tasks compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3's Nvidia RTX 2050, a more powerful graphics option that can also better handle screen refresh rates up to 120Hz. While both have decent CPUs, the higher screen refresh rate and superior GPU in the IdeaPad Gaming 3 means it will deliver smoother gameplay and 3D performance, but with potentially less battery life due to the more demanding hardware.
Engineering and Design
7.0
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo Flex 5 14 are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is favored for engineering and design due to its versatile 2-in-1 form factor with a high-quality touchscreen, which is helpful for creative tasks, and it has a solid CPU and ample RAM for multitasking. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers a dedicated GPU and a higher refresh rate screen, which can be beneficial for GPU-intensive engineering simulations and for design work that benefits from smoother visuals.
Content Creation
7.6
7.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
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 Gaming 3 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
7.3
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.2
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo Flex 5 14 both have good 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 Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Flex 5 14 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$950 | $549 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.42 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.32" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.85" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.5 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 277 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.1/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
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 Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 14 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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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