For a balance of performance and value, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is a strong choice, offering a solid Intel i7 processor and a capable Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU that can handle a variety of tasks well, including light gaming and engineering work. Its high-resolution 16:10 display with 120Hz refresh rate is great for everyday use and the battery life is respectable for its class. It's also more affordable and lighter, making it a better option for portability and general use.
However, if you're looking for top-tier performance, especially for intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) stands out with its more powerful Intel i9 processor and superior Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU. The Legion's display matches the IdeaPad's in resolution but offers a higher 240Hz refresh rate for smoother fast-motion content. It also boasts better color accuracy and a wider color gamut, which is beneficial for professional photo and video editing. The Legion is built for high performance, but this comes at the cost of battery life, weight, and a higher price point, making it less portable and more of an investment.
In summary, choose the IdeaPad Pro 5i for a more balanced and portable experience with good overall performance, or opt for the Legion Pro 7i (2024) if you prioritize raw power and display quality for demanding tasks and are willing to compromise on portability 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 IdeaPad Pro 5i
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024)
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
9.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
9.0/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is very good.
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
7.7/10
8.3/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.7/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$950
$2,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $950 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) costs $2,100.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.9/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024) compare to other laptops
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
"Passionate gamers who want to play demanding modern titles with maximum details and don't mind spending the moolah will find the Lenovo Legion 7 Pro to be the right choice. The bright, sharp, and color-accurate 16:10 QHD 240 Hz display makes for an immersive viewing experience. The hardware is housed in a stylish chassis that feels premium and scores well in terms of workmanship and stability. Other aspects such as sound quality, input devices, and connectivity also seem to be near-perfect."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i or the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (2024)
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.