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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is often less expensive and better suited for gaming, with a higher refresh rate display beneficial for fast motion, while still being a solid option for general and engineering tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is more expensive, but offers superior build quality, better screen colors with its OLED display, touch capabilities, and higher native resolution, making it ideal for professional creative work and better overall user experience. Both models have 16-inch screens, but the IdeaPad is slightly heavier and thicker. The ThinkPad Z16 has a longer battery life, which combined with its slightly lighter weight, could make it more portable. With the ThinkPad, you get double the storage and RAM, which is advantageous for heavy multitasking or complex tasks, but at a premium price. Choose the IdeaPad Pro 5i for cost-effective gaming or the ThinkPad Z16 for high-end professional use and better 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 Pro 5i
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
409.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, equipped with more memory and an OLED screen that offers superior color coverage and resolution, is better suited for those who prioritize a vibrant display and multitasking capability over the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i's excellent screen and components which are capable but less exceptional. While both have similar portability and battery life, the superior processing power, and larger storage of the ThinkPad Z16 make it especially advantageous for more demanding general use.
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.7
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i excels in gaming and 3D applications due to its higher screen refresh rate and a potent Nvidia GPU, which ensures smoother visuals and enhanced graphics performance. While the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, with its OLED display, offers exceptional screen quality and a capable AMD GPU, it has a lower refresh rate which might not be as fluid for fast-paced gaming and 3D rendering.
Content Creation
7.7
8.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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.
Software Development
7.7
8.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i delivers an all-around pleasing visual experience for everyday tasks with its resolution and brightness, but may fall short for professionals in engineering and design due to less comprehensive color coverage. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out in engineering and design with a wider color gamut, providing more accurate and vibrant color reproduction pivotal for detailed work. However, both laptops lack high refresh rates, which dampens the experience for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion and quick screen updates are crucial.
Cost
$950
$1,120
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $950 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both very good for engineering and design.
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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 to have 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$950 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.75'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.3 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 409 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | January 2024
"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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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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