Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IRU8 review: Affordable 14-inch convertible with Thunderbolt 4
The 2023 IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 is this year's update to the 2022 IdeaPad Flex 5 14IAU7. It swaps out the 12th gen Alder Lake-U Core i5-1235U processor on last year's model for the 13th gen Raptor Lake-U Core i5-1335U while the rest of the laptop remains unchanged. Thus, we recommend checking out our review on the 2022 model to learn more about the physical features of the IdeaPad Flex 5 14.
Our test unit is a middle configuration with the Core i5-1335U, 16 GB RAM, and 512 GB SSD for approximately $900 USD. All configurations at the moment come with a 1200p IPS touchscreen. AMD versions of the IdeaPad Flex 5 14 are also available with the Ryzen 5 7530U or Ryzen 7 7730U instead.
Competitors include other affordable 14-inch convertibles like the Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1, Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14, Asus VivoBook Flip 14, or HP Pavilion x360 14.
More Lenovo reviews:
Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! Wanted:
- Specialist News Writer
Details here
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
81.9 % | 08/2023 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 i5-1335U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.6 kg | 17.4 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
82.4 % | 08/2022 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.6 kg | 17.4 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
84.5 % | 08/2023 | Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 R5 7530U, Vega 7 | 1.6 kg | 18.6 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
82.2 % | 06/2023 | Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 i5-1335U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.6 kg | 17.99 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
80.7 % | 08/2020 | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA R7 4700U, Vega 7 | 1.6 kg | 18.2 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
81.8 % | 07/2021 | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.5 kg | 19.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 |
Case
Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia, Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight Gaming, Business, Budget Office, Workstation, Subnotebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks
under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1,000 USD/Euros, for University Students, Best Displays
Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤6-inch, Camera Smartphones
SD Card Reader
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 (PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 256 GB) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 (PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 256 GB) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 (PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 256 GB) | |
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 TM420IA (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 (PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 256 GB) |
Communication
Interestingly, Lenovo has swapped out the Intel AX201 on last year's model for a RealTek RTL8852BE likely to trim down on costs. The RealTek module performs slower as shown by our chart below, but transfer rates are otherwise steady and reliable. The target audience of casual home users or students will likely not notice the difference.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 |
Webcam
Maintenance
The bottom panel is easily removable to show no major internal differences between the 2022 and 2023 models.
Display
There are no changes to the display this year or even other panels to choose from. The limited sRGB coverage is unfortunate but otherwise typical for the budget convertible category as shown by the table below.
|
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 335.2 cd/m²
Contrast: 1156:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.49 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 2.17
ΔE Greyscale 6.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
41.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.17
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 LEN140WUXGA, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 LEN140WUXGA, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 LG Philips 140WU2, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 BOE CQ NV140WUM-N41, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA BOE NV140FHM-N49, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng Chi Mei N140HCA-E5B, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 1% | 11% | -2% | 2% | 8% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 39.8 | 39.6 -1% | 44.4 12% | 38.5 -3% | 40.47 2% | 42.7 7% |
sRGB Coverage | 58 | 59.6 3% | 64.4 11% | 57.3 -1% | 60 3% | 63.7 10% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 41.1 | 41 0% | 45.8 11% | 39.8 -3% | 41.81 2% | 44.2 8% |
Response Times | -20% | 18% | 3% | -40% | -10% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 30.2 ? | 37.6 ? -25% | 19.6 ? 35% | 29 ? 4% | 36.4 ? -21% | 32 ? -6% |
Response Time Black / White * | 19.3 ? | 22 ? -14% | 19.3 ? -0% | 19 ? 2% | 30.4 ? -58% | 22 ? -14% |
PWM Frequency | ||||||
Screen | 36% | -10% | -5% | -14% | 29% | |
Brightness middle | 335.2 | 356.8 6% | 231.8 -31% | 249 -26% | 272.5 -19% | 269 -20% |
Brightness | 316 | 339 7% | 216 -32% | 235 -26% | 260 -18% | 241 -24% |
Brightness Distribution | 86 | 90 5% | 87 1% | 85 -1% | 88 2% | 82 -5% |
Black Level * | 0.29 | 0.14 52% | 0.27 7% | 0.27 7% | 0.42 -45% | 0.11 62% |
Contrast | 1156 | 2549 121% | 859 -26% | 922 -20% | 649 -44% | 2445 112% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 7.49 | 4.39 41% | 6.59 12% | 5 33% | 4.65 38% | 5.68 24% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 22.25 | 14.61 34% | 16.83 24% | 8.32 63% | 17.78 20% | 9.61 57% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 2.17 | 2.19 -1% | 3.94 -82% | 5.06 -133% | 4.34 -100% | |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.9 | 3 57% | 4.5 35% | 2.86 59% | 4.4 36% | 4.95 28% |
Gamma | 2.17 101% | 2.24 98% | 2.17 101% | 2.19 100% | 2.2 100% | 2.17 101% |
CCT | 5988 109% | 7085 92% | 6110 106% | 6419 101% | 6984 93% | 6628 98% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 38.4 | 44.2 | ||||
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 59.8 | 63.7 | ||||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 6% /
20% | 6% /
-2% | -1% /
-3% | -17% /
-14% | 9% /
18% |
* ... smaller is better
The panel is poorly calibrated out of the box which is to be expected from a budget laptop. Color temperature is overly warm and color accuracy suffers because of it. Grayscale and colors would improve dramatically after a proper calibration with our X-Rite colorimeter, but highly saturated colors would remain inaccurate due to the narrow sRGB coverage mentioned earlier. Our calibrated ICM profile is available to download above for free.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
19.3 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 10.7 ms rise | |
↘ 8.6 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. » 35 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.8 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
30.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 14.9 ms rise | |
↘ 15.3 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. » 33 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (34.3 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 18722 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Performance
Testing Conditions
We set both Windows and Lenovo Vantage to Performance mode prior to running the benchmarks below. For better or worse, the Vantage UI has been overhauled from the previous year and so owners will have to relearn all the new submenus and repositioned settings.
Processor
The 13th gen Core i5-1335U offers minimal performance benefits over the 12th gen Core i5-1235U in most scenarios. Its key advantage is faster Turbo Boost which can come in handy when launching applications or editing pictures, but the two CPUs otherwise perform about the same once their short-term Turbo Boost benefits run their course. As shown by the graph below, our CineBench R15 xT scores would drop 18 percent after the initial run since Turbo Boost clock rates are not indefinite.
Upgrading to the Core i7-1355U configuration is only expected to boost processor performance by just a few percentage points based on our time with the ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (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 R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (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
Blender | |
v3.3 Classroom HIP/AMD | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo Yoga 7-14ARB G7 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 | |
v3.3 Classroom OPTIX/RTX | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G3-21AJS00400 | |
v3.3 Classroom CUDA | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G3-21AJS00400 | |
v3.3 Classroom CPU | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (463 - 3047, n=43) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 14 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G3-21AJS00400 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8 i7-1355U | |
Lenovo Yoga 7-14ARB G7 | |
Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14ARP G8 |
* ... 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 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (5665 - 7778, n=8) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (1605 - 2278, n=8) | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (33118 - 65997, n=8) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (378 - 676, n=8) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (2878 - 4150, n=8) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (21875 - 41123, n=8) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 |
System Performance
PCMark scores are ever-so-slightly ahead of last year's model by just a few percentage points. Interestingly, the competing AMD-powered Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 scores higher than our Lenovo despite the fact that our Core i5-1335U outperforms the Ryzen 5 7530U.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1381 - 1638, n=8) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1195 - 1868, n=8) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 |
PCMark 10 Score | 5600 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (35322 - 60884, n=8) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (38496 - 61555, n=8) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (36263 - 72584, n=8) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1335U (81.5 - 110.9, n=8) | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon still shows minor DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs of our homepage. Thankfully, 4K video playback at 60 FPS remains excellent with no dropped frames recorded.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
The 2023 model employs the same Samsung PM9B1 M.2 2242 NVMe SSD as on the 2022 model. Unlike the pricier PM9A1, the PM9B1 is a midrange PCIe4 x4 SSD offering transfer rates that are about half as fast which is still more than sufficient for a Core i5 U-series CPU. However, performance would still throttle after a few minutes of stress similar to what we observed on last year's model as shown by our DiskSpd loop test results below.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
The integrated Iris Xe 80 EUs in our 2023 Flex 5 14 is up to 5 percent faster than the same GPU in the 2022 model which, for practical intents and purposes, is not enough of a difference to be noticeable. For more significant gains in performance, users will have to consider the competing Radeon 680M or 780M as found on more expensive models like the Lenovo Yoga 7-14.
Upgrading to the Core i7-1355U configuration with the Iris Xe 96 EUs is expected to boost graphics performance by 15 to 20 percent based on our time with the ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8.
Power Profile | Graphics Score | Physics Score | Combined Score |
Battery Power | 4938 (-11%) | 9116 (-35%) | 4628 (-18%) |
Balanced Mode | 5553 (-0%) | 13648 (-3%) | 5609 (-0%) |
Performance Mode | 5526 | 14087 | 5638 |
3DMark 11 Performance | 6093 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 4252 points | |
3DMark Time Spy Score | 1502 points | |
Help |
Cyberpunk 2077 1.6 | |
1280x720 Low Preset | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8 i7-1355U | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (24 - 31.2, n=4) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
1920x1080 Low Preset | |
Lenovo Yoga 7-14ARB G7 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8 i7-1355U | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (9.1 - 17.8, n=7) | |
1920x1080 Medium Preset | |
Lenovo Yoga 7-14ARB G7 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8 i7-1355U | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (11.4 - 14.7, n=5) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 |
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands | |
1280x720 Lowest Preset (DX12) | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (38.1 - 55, n=4) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8 i7-1355U | |
1920x1080 Low Preset (DX12) | |
Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8 i7-1355U | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (19.8 - 30.3, n=8) | |
1920x1080 Medium Preset (DX12) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8 i7-1355U | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (15.3 - 23.9, n=7) | |
1920x1080 High Preset (DX12) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8 i7-1355U | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (10.2 - 14.7, n=7) | |
1920x1080 Badass Preset (DX12) | |
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8 i7-1355U | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (8.1 - 11.4, n=5) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 |
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
low | med. | high | ultra | |
GTA V (2015) | 104.8 | 94.1 | 19.5 | 8.54 |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 67 | 45.2 | 22.1 | 10.4 |
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 108.2 | 80.9 | 63.2 | 57.1 |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 40.2 | 21.4 | 15.3 | |
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 33.7 | 26.5 | 23.2 | |
Strange Brigade (2018) | 74.1 | 32.6 | 25.7 | 20.6 |
Cyberpunk 2077 1.6 (2022) | 14.7 | 12.9 | ||
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (2022) | 26.2 | 19.7 | 12.5 | 9.7 |
F1 22 (2022) | 41.4 | 37.1 | 25.8 | 19.7 |
Emissions
System Noise
Fan noise is not any noisier than on last year's model despite the fact that processor temperature is much cooler this time around as our Stress Test section below will show. However, the fan would still occasionally pulse between silence and 28 dB(A) when simply web browsing or video streaming. The low 30 dB(A) range isn't loud enough to be bothersome, but the pulsing makes it more noticeable.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 23.3 / 23.3 / 23.3 dB(A) |
Load |
| 37.3 / 38.6 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 23.1 dB(A) |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1335U, Samsung PM9B1 512GB MZAL4512HBLU | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1235U, Samsung PM9B1 512GB MZAL4512HBLU | Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 Vega 7, R5 7530U | Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1335U, Micron 2450 512GB MTFDKBA512TFK | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA Vega 7, R7 4700U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Toshiba KBG40ZNV512G | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | 3% | 0% | -20% | -10% | -9% | |
off / environment * | 23.1 | 22.9 1% | 22.8 1% | 26 -13% | 27.1 -17% | 27 -17% |
Idle Minimum * | 23.3 | 23 1% | 23.2 -0% | 27.7 -19% | 27.1 -16% | 27 -16% |
Idle Average * | 23.3 | 23 1% | 23.2 -0% | 27.7 -19% | 27.1 -16% | 27 -16% |
Idle Maximum * | 23.3 | 23 1% | 23.2 -0% | 29.7 -27% | 27.1 -16% | 27 -16% |
Load Average * | 37.3 | 33.5 10% | 33 12% | 46.3 -24% | 35 6% | 38.3 -3% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 38.7 | 38 2% | 40.9 -6% | 41.3 -7% | ||
Load Maximum * | 38.6 | 37.8 2% | 41.3 -7% | 45.4 -18% | 41.3 -7% | 33.2 14% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Hot spots can reach up to 40 C on the top and bottom sides, respectively, which is slightly warmer than what we recorded on the competing Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.4 °C / 103 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 38.8 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °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 cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.8 °C / 82 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (+0.3 °C / 0.6 F).
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 Intel Core i5-1335U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 AMD Ryzen 5 7530U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 | Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 Intel Core i5-1335U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | -1% | 5% | -9% | -10% | 3% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 39.4 | 39 1% | 35.2 11% | 41.7 -6% | 44.6 -13% | 38.9 1% |
Maximum Bottom * | 38.8 | 40 -3% | 38.2 2% | 54.4 -40% | 46 -19% | 40.3 -4% |
Idle Upper Side * | 31.2 | 31.2 -0% | 31.2 -0% | 30.4 3% | 33.2 -6% | 31.8 -2% |
Idle Bottom * | 32.8 | 33.2 -1% | 30.4 7% | 29.8 9% | 33 -1% | 27.4 16% |
* ... smaller is better
Stress Test
CPU clock rates and power draw when initiating Prime95 stress would spike to 3.6 GHz and 50 W, respectively, lasting for only the first few seconds or until core temperature reaches 82 C. Thereafter, the CPU would drop to just 1.4 GHz and 15 W in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of just 55 C. Interestingly, this is about 400 MHz slower and 20 C cooler than what we recorded on last year's model when under similar conditions. The mid 50 C range appears to be a ceiling for the 2023 model even when running other demanding applications like FurMark or Witcher 3.
CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
System Idle | -- | -- | 43 |
Prime95 Stress | 1.7 | -- | 55 |
Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 1.1 | 748 | 55 |
Witcher 3 Stress | ~1.4 | 998 | 56 |
Speakers
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 44% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 49% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 45% of all tested devices were better, 9% similar, 46% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, 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 26%, worst was 134%
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Power consumption when idling is roughly the same as on last year's model. However, differences begin to show when running more demanding loads. Prime95, for example, would demand about 7 W less on our 2023 model while Witcher 3 would demand about 4 W less for slightly higher performance-per-watt year-over-year.
Off / Standby | 0.31 / 0.48 Watt |
Idle | 8 / 10.6 / 10.7 Watt |
Load |
46.8 / 68.3 Watt |
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 i5-1335U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Samsung PM9B1 512GB MZAL4512HBLU, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Samsung PM9B1 512GB MZAL4512HBLU, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 R5 7530U, Vega 7, , IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 i5-1335U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Micron 2450 512GB MTFDKBA512TFK, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00 | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA R7 4700U, Vega 7, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HALU, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Toshiba KBG40ZNV512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 9% | -0% | 11% | 27% | 34% | |
Idle Minimum * | 8 | 4.9 39% | 5.3 34% | 4.3 46% | 4 50% | 4 50% |
Idle Average * | 10.6 | 8.5 20% | 9.1 14% | 5.8 45% | 6.4 40% | 6.7 37% |
Idle Maximum * | 10.7 | 10.4 3% | 9.4 12% | 8.8 18% | 7 35% | 8.2 23% |
Load Average * | 46.8 | 42.4 9% | 54.9 -17% | 44 6% | 34.6 26% | 29.6 37% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 27.7 | 32.9 -19% | 45 -62% | 41.5 -50% | 35 -26% | 29.6 -7% |
Load Maximum * | 68.3 | 68.9 -1% | 55.8 18% | 67 2% | 45.1 34% | 26.7 61% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stresstest
Power Consumption external Monitor
Battery Life
Battery life is a bit longer than before by about half an hour. We're able to record almost 10 hours of real-world WLAN usage which is competitive against the Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 or Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14.
Charging from empty to full capacity is faster this time around at only 75 minutes.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8 i5-1335U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 52.5 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14IAU7 i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 52.5 Wh | Dell Inspiron 14 7435 2-in-1 R5 7530U, Vega 7, 54 Wh | Acer Aspire 5 Spin 14 i5-1335U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 54.6 Wh | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA R7 4700U, Vega 7, 42 Wh | HP Pavilion x360 14-dy0157ng i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 43 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | -8% | 14% | 13% | -19% | -27% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 588 | 542 -8% | 668 14% | 664 13% | 479 -19% | 427 -27% |
Reader / Idle | 1437 | 1192 | 1059 | |||
Load | 53 | 120 | 97 | |||
H.264 | 535 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict — Respectable Minor Changes With An Expensive 16 GB Upgrade
The primary difference between the 2022 and 2023 models is the newer 13th gen Intel CPU for the latter which offers faster performance, higher performance-per-watt, and longer battery life by just slight margins all around. The benefits aren't noticeable under real-world scenarios and so users considering the older 2022 version instead won't be missing out on very much.
For most home users and multimedia playback purposes, the 2022 model can offer essentially the same performance and experience as the physically identical 2023 model for less money.
The more disappointing aspects of the IdeaPad Flex 5 14 are its lack of display options and costly RAM upgrades. Though we understand that sRGB coverage is typically limited on budget laptops, some new options anyway would have helped to better differentiate the newer model from the older one. As for the RAM, Lenovo is not currently offering a simple upgrade path from 8 GB to 16 GB. For example, the cheapest 8 GB SKU retails for just $605 while the cheapest 16 GB SKU retails for $840. Value-per-dollar drops significantly for the higher-end SKUs especially since the Core i5-1335U performs so similarly to the pricier Core i7-1355U. It may therefore be better to wait for a sale on the 16 GB configuration or opt for the essentially identical 2022 model.
Price and Availability
Lenovo is now shipping the 2023 IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 starting at $574 USD for the base 8 GB configuration up to $900 for the 16 GB configuration. AMD variants are also available.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14IRU8
-
08/15/2023 v7
Allen Ngo
Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.