The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is less expensive, lighter, and has a longer battery life, which makes it suitable for general use and portability. However, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, while more expensive and heavier, offers considerably better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering tasks, and intensive gaming due to its stronger processor and graphics card. The Legion 5 Pro also has a higher resolution and a display with better color accuracy, which is advantageous for creative tasks and gaming. Choose the IdeaPad if you prefer a lighter, more affordable laptop for everyday tasks and longer unplugged use, or the Legion 5 Pro for higher performance in demanding applications and better display quality. 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 IdeaPad 1 15"
Good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
8.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 offers better gaming and 3D performance due to its higher-end Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card, compared to the integrated AMD Vega 8 graphics in the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15". Additionally, the Legion Pro 5's higher screen refresh rate aids in smoother visuals, which further enhances the gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
6.6/10
8.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
8.0/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers an adequate display with respectable resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, but it may lack the vividness and clarity of higher-end models. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5, on the other hand, boasts a display with superior color accuracy and wide color gamuts, making it excellent for engineering and design professionals who require precise color representation for their work. However, gamers and those working in 3D may find both models lacking due to lower refresh rates, which can limit the smoothness and responsiveness critical in fast-paced scenarios, despite the Legion Pro 5's better resolution and panel type.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has 3.5 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
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$741
$1,140
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 costs $1,140.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" with a solid CPU, moderate RAM, good screen quality, and notably higher portability and battery life makes it well-suited for general use activities. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, while offering superior performance with a higher-end CPU, more RAM, better screen resolution, and quality alongside enhanced speaker and keyboard experiences, is less portable due to its weight and has a shorter battery life, aligning it more with users who need a powerful machine for more demanding tasks.
Content Creation
7.4/10
7.8/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
7.3/10
7.6/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
"It doesn't quite match its Legion Pro 7i sibling as an Editors' Choice winner, but Lenovo's AMD-powered Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is a stylish, well-built gaming laptop with solid performance at both 1080p and its sharper native resolution. It's cheaper than some comparably equipped machines and better than some similarly priced ones. That's a recipe for success, even without its frequent availability of discounts or sales. A brighter screen and longer battery life would be nice, but even as is the Legion Pro 5 earns a solid recommendation."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5
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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