The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is better for tasks that demand more performance, like engineering, due to a more powerful processor and graphics. With its touch-enabled and higher-resolution display, it's suitable for versatile use including note-taking and creative tasks, while also offering significantly longer battery life for extended use away from a power source. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14 is lighter, making it more portable, which might be beneficial if you frequently travel or work on the go. However, it has a smaller battery and less storage, and while capable, it won't handle intensive tasks as well as the Lenovo. Both have similar screens sizes, but the MSI's lacks touchscreen functionality. If budget is a primary concern and your tasks are more general use, the MSI offers a good balance of performance and cost. 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
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
Good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.4/10
6.4/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
277.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the Lenovo Flex 5 14 and MSI Modern 14 have screen setups that offer enough clarity and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing, video streaming, and document editing, but they don't excel in particular aspects. Engineering and design professionals who need accurate color reproduction will find these laptops' screens lacking as they do not cover the wider color gamuts required for precise work. Gamers and those into 3D applications will be disappointed with the refresh rates as they are lower than the ideal, meaning less fluid motion and responsiveness, and while their resolutions and panel types are adequate, these features do not compensate for the slower refresh rates.
Battery
11.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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.
Cost
$950
$525
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a price of $950 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and MSI Modern 14 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is equipped with a robust AMD Ryzen 7 processor and ample RAM, alongside a high-quality IPS touchscreen display that enhances its utility in diverse settings, while its larger battery capacity favors extended use. In comparison, the MSI Modern 14 offers a lighter build for easier portability and a brighter IPS screen which is not touch-enabled, but it comes with a less powerful AMD Ryzen 5 processor and a smaller battery, which may limit performance and usage time respectively.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.0/10
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
8.7/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and MSI Modern 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is equipped with an integrated AMD Ryzen 7 Vega 8 graphics unit, a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, and an IPS display with a higher resolution, which allows for a fair gaming and 3D experience. Both laptops have GPUs and screen refresh rates that are adequate for casual gaming and non-professional 3D work, but the CPUs and screen quality, while reliable, aren't designed for high-end gaming or intensive 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
6.6/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Flex 5 14 to be good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 stands out in engineering and design use with its more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor and integrated GPU that better handle complex computations and graphics tasks, alongside a higher quality screen that offers a broader color range. In contrast, the MSI Modern 14, while more portable and with a marginally higher screen color accuracy, has a processor and GPU that are a step down in performance, making it less optimal for demanding engineering software and multitasking.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and MSI Modern 14 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
7.4/10
7.1/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and MSI Modern 14 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 and Lenovo Flex 5 14 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 and MSI Modern 14 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
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How the Lenovo Flex 5 14 and the MSI Modern 14 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."
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 14 or the MSI Modern 14
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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