Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 convertible review: Core i5-1235U done right
The 2022 Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 succeeds the 2021 IdeaPad Flex 5 14 by refreshing both the internal and external hardware for what should be faster performance and a cleaner visual design. It's a budget consumer convertible to contrast Lenovo's more expensive prosumer Yoga series, SMB ThinkBook series, or professional ThinkPad series.
Configurations range from the 12th gen Core i3-1215U to the i5-1235U or i7-1255U CPU with 8 to 16 GB of LPDDR4x RAM. All options come with the same 16:10 1200p IPS touchscreen and no discrete graphics. Our unit in review is the middle-range Core i5 option retailing for about $700 to $800 USD.
Competitors in this space include other budget-to-midrange 14-inch convertibles like the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1, HP Pavilion x360 14, Asus VivoBook Flip 14, or the Acer Spin 3 SP314.
More Lenovo reviews:
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
82.4 % | 08/2022 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.6 kg | 17.4 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
79.2 % | 05/2021 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS R7 5700U, Vega 8 | 1.6 kg | 20.8 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
89.8 % | 05/2022 | Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US i7-1260P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.4 kg | 15.25 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | |
83.7 % | 06/2022 | Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.6 kg | 17.86 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
81.8 % | 07/2021 | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.5 kg | 19.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
79.1 % | 06/2021 | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ i5-1135G7, Xe MAX | 1.5 kg | 18.7 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 |
Case
The visual changes between the 2021 and 2022 models may appear minor at first glance because they sport the same drab gray colors, but there are several differences upon closer inspection. The rear corners are now rounder, the bottom ventilation grilles are larger, and the hinges have been completely redesigned. The latter in particular addresses the weak hinges we mentioned on the 2021 model for a firmer display that can hold its place better at more angles.
Aside from the changes above, chassis rigidity is about the same as before. The lid is quite rigid due to its thickness and edge-to-edge glass reinforcement, but the base warps more easily when applying pressure down its keyboard center which is common on other budget models like the HP Pavilion or Asus Vivobook.
Users expecting the new design to be smaller and lighter than the outgoing model may be disappointed as the new model weighs about the same while being longer in length but shorter in width and height. Even so, the system still has a smaller footprint than the pricier Yoga 9 14. Overall dimensions are almost identical to the competing Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1.
Connectivity — Thunderbolt 4 Support
Port options remain identical to the 2021 model. This is one of the few inexpensive convertibles to support Thunderbolt 4 as some competing models like the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 don't support Thunderbolt at all.
Keep in mind that the HDMI port is 1.4a only and so any external 4K monitors at 60 Hz should be connected via USB-C DP instead.
We would love to see the proprietary barrel AC adapter port dropped on future models in favor of two USB-C ports. Most other laptops have already made the transition to USB-C charging only including the aforementioned Dell.
SD Card Reader
Transfer rates from the integrated card reader are decent considering the price point. Moving 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 13 seconds compares to 36 seconds on the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 or 6 to 8 seconds on the more expensive Dell XPS 15.
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) |
Communication
Configurations include Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 with no Wi-Fi 6E option likely to save on costs. Wireless performance is nonetheless excellent and stable when paired to our Asus AXE11000 router.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
Webcam
Lenovo has upgraded the webcam from 1 MP on last year's model to 2 MP for this year's refresh for a crisper picture. IR and a physical shutter are both present for Windows Hello support and privacy, respectively.
Maintenance
The bottom panel comes off easily with just a T5 Torx wrench and a flat edge to reveal the motherboard and its components as shown below. RAM is soldered while the battery, SSD and WLAN modules are all removable much like on the previous generation model.
Accessories and Warranty
There are no extras in the box beyond the AC adapter and paperwork. An active pen is optional. The usual one-year limited warranty applies if purchased in the US.
Input Devices — Bigger Clickpad
Keyboard
Much like what we discovered on the 2021 model, the backlit keyboard keys on the 2022 model offer crisper feedback than on the Asus Vivobook Flip 14 but with overall shallower travel than on the more expensive HP Envy or ThinkPad series. Feedback on the Space key in particular can feel too weak for users who might be accustomed to desktop keyboards or high-end business-centric laptops. If you've typed on an IdeaPad laptop in the past, then you'll know what to expect here as Lenovo hasn't made any huge changes to their keyboards for years.
Touchpad
The clickpad is larger than the one on the 2021 model (12 x 7.5 cm vs. 10.5 x 7 cm) for roomier cursor control and multi-touch inputs. Unfortunately, clicking on the clickpad hasn't gotten any better as feedback is fairly weak and shallow for an unsatisfying feel despite the sharp auditory click. Simple actions like drag-and-dropping or double-clicking become frustrating to perform. We recommend using an actual mouse or the touchscreen whenever possible.
Display — Limited Colors
Most display attributes remain the same as on the 2021 IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 even though our newer model utilizes a different underlying panel. In particular, both color space and response times are still poor or average at best which is unfortunately par for the course when it comes to budget 14-inch convertibles. Users are encouraged to upgrade to the Lenovo Yoga, Dell XPS, HP Spectre, Asus Zenbook, or MSI Summit series if brighter and deeper colors are priorities.
|
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 356.8 cd/m²
Contrast: 2549:1 (Black: 0.14 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.39 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.19
ΔE Greyscale 3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
41% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.24
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 LEN140WUXGA, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS Chi Mei N140HCA-E5B, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US Lenovo LEN140WQ+, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 BOE NV14N42, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng Chi Mei N140HCA-E5B, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ Chi Mei CMN N140HCA-EAC, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 6% | 120% | -4% | 8% | 5% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 39.6 | 42.32 7% | 99.8 152% | 38.6 -3% | 42.7 8% | 41.6 5% |
sRGB Coverage | 59.6 | 62.7 5% | 100 68% | 56.2 -6% | 63.7 7% | 62.1 4% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 41 | 43.87 7% | 98.7 141% | 39.9 -3% | 44.2 8% | 43 5% |
Response Times | -4% | 96% | 17% | 8% | -16% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 37.6 ? | 38.4 ? -2% | 1.2 ? 97% | 27.2 ? 28% | 32 ? 15% | 39 ? -4% |
Response Time Black / White * | 22 ? | 23.2 ? -5% | 1.2 ? 95% | 20.8 ? 5% | 22 ? -0% | 28 ? -27% |
PWM Frequency | 347.2 ? | 25000 ? | ||||
Screen | -64% | 9% | -58% | -13% | -39% | |
Brightness middle | 356.8 | 236.7 -34% | 367.3 3% | 269.4 -24% | 269 -25% | 205 -43% |
Brightness | 339 | 221 -35% | 369 9% | 260 -23% | 241 -29% | 186 -45% |
Brightness Distribution | 90 | 81 -10% | 97 8% | 89 -1% | 82 -9% | 78 -13% |
Black Level * | 0.14 | 0.2 -43% | 0.41 -193% | 0.11 21% | 0.22 -57% | |
Contrast | 2549 | 1184 -54% | 657 -74% | 2445 -4% | 932 -63% | |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.39 | 7.83 -78% | 5.2 -18% | 6.53 -49% | 5.68 -29% | 5.14 -17% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 14.61 | 23.74 -62% | 8.04 45% | 19.76 -35% | 9.61 34% | 19.57 -34% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 2.19 | 3.8 -74% | 3.13 -43% | 3.17 -45% | ||
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3 | 8.6 -187% | 2.8 7% | 5.4 -80% | 4.95 -65% | 4.1 -37% |
Gamma | 2.24 98% | 1.96 112% | 2.21 100% | 2.05 107% | 2.17 101% | 2.2 100% |
CCT | 7085 92% | 5901 110% | 5992 108% | 6007 108% | 6628 98% | 6807 95% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 40.3 | 44.2 | 43.04 | |||
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 62.3 | 63.7 | 62.1 | |||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -21% /
-40% | 75% /
55% | -15% /
-36% | 1% /
-5% | -17% /
-27% |
* ... smaller is better
X-Rite colorimeter results show a decently calibrated display out of the box albeit with a color temperature that's slightly on the cool side. Calibrating the panel ourselves would improve deltaE values across the board, but deeply saturated colors remain inaccurate due to the narrow color space mentioned above.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 13.2 ms rise | |
↘ 8.8 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 42 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
37.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 20.4 ms rise | |
↘ 17.2 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 48 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.8 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17933 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
The display is brighter than on last year's IdeaPad Flex 5 14 by about 50 percent for better visibility outdoors. However, it's still not bright enough to overcome glare or be comfortable for viewing under most outdoor conditions.
Performance — Faster Than Expected
Testing Conditions
We set our unit to Extreme Performance mode and Performance mode via Lenovo Vantage and Windows, respectively, prior to running any benchmarks below. It's highly recommend that users become familiar with the pre-installed Vantage software as key OEM updates, performance features, warranty claims, and more can all be found here. A few screenshots of Vantage below show how deep the customizations allow.
Processor
The Vaio FE14 and Gateway Ultra Slim 14 each left us feeling bitter about the underperforming Core i5-1235U. To our surprise, however, this same CPU in the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 is significantly faster to the point where it can handily outperform most laptops running on 11th gen Core i7 U-series CPUs or older. Raw multi-thread performance is a whopping 60 to 75 percent faster than on the Vaio FE14 even after accounting for any performance throttling.
Performance sustainability could be better nonetheless. When running CineBench R15 xT in a loop, scores would dip by 22 percent over time which is a slightly steeper fall than on most other U-series-powered laptops.
There are unfortunately no Core P-series CPUs to choose from. For such an option, Lenovo wants users to consider the more expensive Yoga 9 14 series instead.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
Performance Rating | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (3078 - 7457, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (15838 - 37760, n=7) | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (978 - 2072, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (52832 - 62404, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (3099 - 4644, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (8046 - 18819, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (23386 - 67140, n=7) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (329 - 633, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (1670 - 3928, n=7) | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (15933 - 41909, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS |
System Performance
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
PCMark 10 / Score | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (4528 - 5543, n=7) | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (9143 - 11273, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS |
PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (6440 - 7354, n=7) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ |
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (4220 - 5839, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
CrossMark / Overall | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (983 - 1644, n=7) |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1026 - 1676, n=7) |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1032 - 1618, n=7) |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (746 - 1867, n=7) | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
PCMark 10 Score | 5465 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (24653 - 61921, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (24441 - 66108, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (25156 - 75808, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (89.5 - 119, n=7) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon reveals DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs of our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is imperfect as well with 15 dropped frames during out minute-long test video. Lenovo could certainly reduce the amount of preinstalled bloatware to limit interrupting background activity.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices — PCIe4 Support
Our unit comes with the midrange Samsung MZAL4512HBLU SSD which is appropriate on a budget-midrange convertible like our IdeaPad Flex. Unfortunately, the drive here on our unit would exhibit throttling likely due to the thermal limitations. Running DiskSpd in a loop would show excellent transfer rates of around 3300 MB/s during the start of the test before throttling to only 1100 MB/s as shown by our graph below.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
Graphics performance is noticeably faster than the average laptop in our database equipped with the same Iris Xe 80 EUs GPU. 3DMark scores are roughly 15 to 25 percent higher than expected and certain games can run over 30 percent faster than the average to be almost on par with many Iris Xe 96 EUs laptops. We suspect that the faster-than-average CPU performance mentioned above has eased the bottleneck for the integrated GPU leading to overall faster gaming performance.
3DMark 11 Performance | 5885 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 20521 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 4168 points | |
3DMark Time Spy Score | 1471 points | |
Help |
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
low | med. | high | ultra | |
GTA V (2015) | 95.2 | 82.2 | 18 | 8.41 |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 71.7 | 47.8 | 26.3 | 12.2 |
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 109.1 | 84.2 | 47.5 | 44 |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 38.5 | 20.9 | 20.9 | |
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 32.1 | 26.1 | 25.5 | |
Strange Brigade (2018) | 69.7 | 30.9 | 24.3 | 19.7 |
Cyberpunk 2077 1.6 (2022) | 14.3 | 12.3 | 9.8 | 8 |
Emissions — Bigger and Quieter Fan
System Noise
The system is almost always quiet during low to low-medium loads similar to what we observed on the Yoga 9 14IAP7. It can reach 38 dB(A) when gaming, but this is still quieter than on many other Ultrabooks where >40 dB(A) is the norm when under similar conditions. The larger-than-usual ~70 mm internal fan is at least partially responsible for the lower fan noise ceiling as most Ultrabooks have smaller ~50 mm fans in comparison.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 23 / 23 / 23 dB(A) |
Load |
| 33.5 / 37.8 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 22.9 dB(A) |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1235U, Samsung PM9B1 512GB MZAL4512HBLU | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS Vega 8, R7 5700U, WDC PC SN530 SDBPMPZ-265G | Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1260P, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ | Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1255U, WDC PC SN530 SDBPMPZ-512G | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNV512G | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ Xe MAX, i5-1135G7, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | -12% | -6% | -6% | -12% | -22% | |
off / environment * | 22.9 | 24.6 -7% | 22.9 -0% | 23.1 -1% | 27 -18% | 29.95 -31% |
Idle Minimum * | 23 | 24.9 -8% | 23.3 -1% | 24.7 -7% | 27 -17% | 29.95 -30% |
Idle Average * | 23 | 24.9 -8% | 23.5 -2% | 24.7 -7% | 27 -17% | 29.95 -30% |
Idle Maximum * | 23 | 24.9 -8% | 23.5 -2% | 24.7 -7% | 27 -17% | 29.95 -30% |
Load Average * | 33.5 | 41.1 -23% | 33.2 1% | 27.7 17% | 38.3 -14% | 39.84 -19% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 38 | 43.5 -14% | 44.9 -18% | 45.1 -19% | 42.3 -11% | |
Load Maximum * | 37.8 | 43.5 -15% | 44.6 -18% | 45.1 -19% | 33.2 12% | 39.84 -5% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Surface temperatures are warmer on the left half of the laptop than the right since the CPU and SSD are both positioned on the left hand side of the motherboard. Hot spots can reach 40 C on the top and bottom when running high loads like games while the right side of the laptop would remain much cooler. Expect your left palm and fingers to be warmer than the right which can be somewhat uncomfortable.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.1 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (32.2 °C / 90 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (-4.1 °C / -7.4 F).
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000) | Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US Intel Core i7-1260P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 Intel Core i7-1255U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | -19% | -12% | 4% | 4% | 2% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 39 | 52.8 -35% | 43.2 -11% | 38.2 2% | 38.9 -0% | 41 -5% |
Maximum Bottom * | 40 | 42.8 -7% | 45.6 -14% | 45.6 -14% | 40.3 -1% | 41.2 -3% |
Idle Upper Side * | 31.2 | 31.8 -2% | 34.6 -11% | 27.4 12% | 31.8 -2% | 29.6 5% |
Idle Bottom * | 33.2 | 43 -30% | 37 -11% | 28.4 14% | 27.4 17% | 30 10% |
* ... smaller is better
Stress Test
When running Prime95 to stress the CPU, clock rates and board power draw would spike to 3.1 GHz and 97 C, respectively, lasting for about 20 seconds or until core temperature reaches 97 C. Clock rates, board power draw, and core temperature would eventually stabilize at 2.1 GHz, 26 W, and 77 C, respectively, compared to 1.0 GHz, 15 W, and 69 C on the Vaio FE14 equipped with the same Core i5-1235U CPU.
GPU clock rates and temperature when running Witcher 3 would stabilize at 1097 MHz and 64 C, respectively, compared to 848 MHz and 67 C on the aforementioned Vaio.
Running on battery power impacts CPU performance. A 3DMark 11 test on batteries would return Physics and Graphics scores 8548 and 5266 points, respectively, compared to 15604 and 5287 points when on mains.
CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
System Idle | -- | -- | 39 |
Prime95 Stress | 2.1 | -- | 77 |
Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 1.4 | 798 | 65 |
Witcher 3 Stress | ~1.6 | 1097 | 64 |
Speakers
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 35% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 36% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | bass is linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (4.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 0% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy Management — Demanding CPU
Power Consumption
Overall consumption is similar to most Ultrabooks running on 11th gen Intel Core i5 or i7 U-series CPUs in contrast to the Core P-series-powered Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 which can be over 60 percent more demanding. Of particular note here is that our Lenovo consumes almost 50 percent more power than on the Vaio FE14 even though both come equipped with the same Core i5-1235U CPU. Our benchmarks above show the CPU in our Lenovo performing up to 60 percent faster than the same CPU in the Vaio which aligns with their power consumption differences.
We're able to record a temporary maximum of 69 W from the small (~10.5 x 4.4 x 2.9 cm) 65 W AC adapter when initiating Prime95 and FurMark stress as shown by our screenshots below.
Off / Standby | 0.36 / 0.8 Watt |
Idle | 4.9 / 8.5 / 10.4 Watt |
Load |
42.4 / 68.9 Watt |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Samsung PM9B1 512GB MZAL4512HBLU, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS R7 5700U, Vega 8, WDC PC SN530 SDBPMPZ-265G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US i7-1260P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00 | Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, WDC PC SN530 SDBPMPZ-512G, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Toshiba KBG40ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ i5-1135G7, Xe MAX, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 9% | -45% | 0% | 27% | -48% | |
Idle Minimum * | 4.9 | 4 18% | 8 -63% | 5.2 -6% | 4 18% | 8.6 -76% |
Idle Average * | 8.5 | 6.6 22% | 14 -65% | 8.2 4% | 6.7 21% | 9.56 -12% |
Idle Maximum * | 10.4 | 7 33% | 14.4 -38% | 9.9 5% | 8.2 21% | 25.82 -148% |
Load Average * | 42.4 | 42.6 -0% | 59.6 -41% | 44.4 -5% | 29.6 30% | 47 -11% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 32.9 | 40.8 -24% | 53.6 -63% | 35 -6% | 29.6 10% | 45.9 -40% |
Load Maximum * | 68.9 | 65.5 5% | 68.1 1% | 62.5 9% | 26.7 61% | 69.48 -1% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stresstest
Power Consumption external Monitor
Battery Life
Battery capacity is about 20 Wh smaller than on the pricier Yoga 9 14, but runtimes are actually longer by over 2 hours. Expect over 9 hours of real-world WLAN use which is excellent for a budget convertible.
Charging from empty to full capacity with the included AC adapter takes 2.5 hours or about an hour longer than on most other Ultrabooks even with Lenovo Rapid Charge engaged. Users can also charge via third-party USB-C AC adapters.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 52.5 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS R7 5700U, Vega 8, 52 Wh | Lenovo Yoga 9 14IAP7 82LU0001US i7-1260P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 75 Wh | Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 i7-1255U, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 54 Wh | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 43 Wh | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EZ i5-1135G7, Xe MAX, 42 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | 7% | -25% | 30% | 12% | -19% | |
Reader / Idle | 1437 | 986 -31% | 954 -34% | 1059 -26% | ||
WiFi v1.3 | 542 | 738 36% | 405 -25% | 455 -16% | 427 -21% | 440.9 -19% |
Load | 53 | 62 17% | 127 140% | 97 83% | ||
H.264 | 535 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict — Fast For The Price
The 2022 IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 has a lot going for it even for a budget-class convertible laptop. Firstly, Lenovo has redesigned the hinges to be stronger than on last year's model for a better sense of quality. Secondly, it's one of the few inexpensive convertibles to come with Thunderbolt 4 support for a wider variety of compatible docking stations and desk setups. And lastly, the Core i5-1235U CPU and integrated GPU are much faster than expected when compared to other laptops with the same processor. Performance is essentially neck-to-neck with the Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 equipped with the more expensive Core i7-1255U option.
The 2022 Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 offers fast CPU performance and a versatile 2-in-1 form factor for users on a budget. Don't expect to use its display for any sort of serious picture editing though.
There is still a hard line between the IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 and more expensive alternatives like the Yoga or Zenbook Flip series. The most obvious difference is its weaker display as colors are limited to just 60 percent of sRGB whereas even midrange laptops typically promise >90 percent coverage or greater. If you do a lot of picture or video editing or streaming, then you'll unfortunately have to invest more on higher-end models with better displays or rely on an external monitor. For most grade school and office workloads, however, the narrow color gamut will have minimal impact on day-to-day usage.
Price and Availability
The 2022 IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 is not yet widely available through third-party retail channels. The easiest way to obtain one at the moment is directly through Lenovo.com where prices range from $610 to $820 USD depending on the configuration.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7
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08/25/2022 v7
Allen Ngo