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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is often significantly less expensive and lighter, making it more portable and a good choice for general use, with ample performance for everyday tasks. The Lenovo Legion 5 17", while often significantly more expensive and heavier, offers a larger screen, higher refresh rates, and high-performance components suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. The IdeaPad has better battery life, but the Legion excels in performance for demanding applications. Choose the IdeaPad for portability and general use, or the Legion if you need high performance and can handle less portability. 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 5 15"
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.4
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has an integrated GPU and a standard refresh rate screen, making it only fair for gaming and 3D applications, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" includes a more powerful dedicated Nvidia graphics card and a higher refresh rate screen, hence it is better suited and rated good for such tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.7
7.6
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" offers moderate capability for engineering and design due to its decent CPU and integrated GPU, which might struggle with demanding tasks compared to the Lenovo Legion 5 17", which has a more powerful processor and a dedicated high-performance GPU better suited for intensive engineering software and complex design work.
Screen Quality
6.5
7.3
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
341.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5's screen offers decent clarity and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and engineering applications, yet it lacks the vibrancy for color-critical work due to moderate color gamut coverage. The Lenovo Legion 5 provides enhanced color accuracy and wider gamut, making it better for engineering and design, though both have standard refresh rates, limiting their appeal for high-frame-rate gaming or 3D work. In gaming and 3D scenarios, where smooth motion is key, the poor refresh rate on both models may lead to less fluid visuals compared to laptops designed specifically for those purposes.
Battery
11.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has 11 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$690
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a price of $690 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
341.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is good for general use because of its balanced features like good battery life, lightweight design for portability, and a decent processor and RAM that handle everyday tasks well, while also providing good screen quality, keyboard, and speakers. Conversely, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is also suitable for general use, with a more powerful CPU and GPU, larger screen, and higher RAM, which makes it great for more demanding applications and occasional gaming, but this comes with a trade-off in terms of shorter battery life and reduced portability due to its heavier build.
Content Creation
7.3
7.2
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo Legion 5 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
7.3
7.0
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo Legion 5 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
7.6
7.4
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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 IdeaPad 5 15" and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" | Lenovo Legion 5 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$690 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.2'' x 0.67'' | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.08 lbs | 6.57 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.18" | 11.41" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 341 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 5.8/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | August 2021
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is convincing due to its long battery life. The device scores points especially with its large battery and long battery runtimes combined with its low consumption. The CPU and GPU perform in the test as one would expect, and in line with what was familiar from the somewhat smaller 14-inch sister model, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14."
Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" or the Lenovo Legion 5 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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