Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14: What Real Users Actually Think

Ok, first of all, even easiest tasks makes it throttle like mad. Like if I sharing my screen and trying to do anything remotely demanding, like opening big google docs document, it just throttles to 0.9Ghz (I am not kidding), same time as CPU temp is ok, like 70 degrees. As you can imagine, while working on anything remotely demanding this laptop becomes unusable.

Have the AMD version. Also note to buyers, Lenovo has this flip to start setting in their preinstalled app that kills battery life, do yourself a favor and turn it off, caused me to end the day at 60% battery vs 20% at the end of the school day. In Lenovo Vantage under Device > Power, scroll down until you find flip to start and disable it.

Looks pretty good overall, reviews seem decent and battery life looks great. It's a relatively basic, no frills laptop so I wouldn't say it's fantastic, but it's pretty decent overall and this is a great price for it.

Pros: The build quality is surprisingly good, hinges are rigid and the flex is minimal. The screen is both a con and a pro, as its peak brightness is just bright enough. However its a joy to use in tablet mode, the responsiveness is perfect, the bezels are narrow and the glossy screen makes things appear more crisp.

I purchased a Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus on a Black Friday deal and I have zero regrets. Yes, it's a heavy beast, but it's solid, it just feels very substantial. It performs extremely well for me and is very useful. Android apps work very well. It has an AUE date of June 2032, so it will receive updates for a long time.

Without a doubt, I'd choose the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook PLUS, thanks to its powerful x86 processor, which will give you more compatibility if you decide to use Crostini than the ARM. Perhaps the downside is the screen size... but it can also be a strength at times.

I had one when I went to college and I did not use the touch screen once. Just used a cheap Bluetooth mouse. My hard drive died halfway through the semester so I have to borrow one from my University. The one from my school was a downgrade in pretty much every single spec compared to my laptop.

i am fairly happy with mine (the base 14", 16gb ram amd model with the 1tb ssd upgrade), i dont draw on it though, i use it for notetaking and stuff for college (engineering), i was in a discord call, and shared the screen to word, browser and onenote no problems, even did some 3d rendering, also did that just fine, although it got louder then (under normal use the fan is off), but not crazily so. idk why people even buy the intel models anymore, except for thunderbolt.

Thanks for your post, I just picked up the 16gb version. Wow this thing is actually great.

After 2 years of using it for high school classes I'd say yes I'd recommend it for university. Some things to be aware of: The wake on open setting can be a battery killer but easily disabled. The hinges connecting the screen to the body are somewhat flimsy and I've heard stories of the screen detaching, but they've survived 2 years of daily use for me.

As someone who had the older version and LOVED it, then got this one in 2022... I understand where you're coming from. The newer models are NOT as good as the older models! I have decided I won't be getting the same one again come next upgrade. It's also ANNOYING because the 1 USB-C port is also not thunderbolt, so no extended displays other than the 1 HDMI.

same here man after using for almost 4 years the hinges broke without any reason while just opening the screen first the left one broke and then almost an year later few days back the right hinge also broke it was caused bcz the hinges became super tight and wont turn easily and why i dont know.

I know this post is a little old, but I have this EXACT same computer and also hate it. I get made fun of in my workplace for my poor performing laptop. I am not a tech savvy person, but I did a lot of research and consulted with many people I know who are into computers and they recommended this one to me (plus I got it at a good price from my local store). Very disappointed. This is my first lenovo too. I used to be pretty loyal to HP but thought lenovo would be more reliable.

I have this laptop and use it everyday for uni, the system is not bad but it constantly over heats and the touch screen has just stopped working and I have done everything online to try and get it to work again but with no luck. I do not recommend this laptop.

Ads say 10 hours. I would bet safe on 8 hours.

Currently have Kubuntu 20.04 installed. There are some display driver issues with Kernel 5.4. Had to upgrade to the newer version (5.7) to fix them. Required nomodeset in grub to get past the splash screen and the screen would stay black after suspend. After the kernel upgrade, the only thing that doesn't work is changing brightness through the keyboard hotkeys.

I have the windows version of the same device and experience a similar color issue. It's hardware limitation as it's 45% NTSC.

The Flex 5i will NOT travel well. It is an awesome CB+ but it is unbelievably flimsy. The hinges are garbage. Mine lasted 9 months and hardly ever left my office desk. Google it and you will see the complaints, especially the part about how the hinges fail SO quickly and are NOT covered under warranty.

Was looking at this machine a couple months ago after getting my daughter a somewhat more budget Chromebook and seeing how snappy it was compared to the old hand me down windows machines I've been using for ages. Decided it was a bit too pricey for my somewhat limited need for it at the time. This offer sealed the deal.

If you must have a 2-in-1 and can live with the slightly glossy and not best color accuracy, it seems like an ok option.

I have had it for 2 years also, I had a significant performance dip the week the warranty ended. for some reason, it is very snappy with ubuntu. but with windows, it is torture. cant figure out the problem.

I ended up buying mine used from marketplace for $300. 2022 14 inch ryzen 5 512 gb 16 gb ram and for the most part I do enjoy it. I use it for coding and it's been fine. However recently it's been getting hot so been looking into repasting the cpu to see if it helps and also expanding the storage.

I have this Ideapad. Bought in 2024. Had one hinge break in 2025. Another one in 2026. I paid $100 to get the first one repaired. I'm passing on the second and getting it replaced. I use it lightly, don't flip it to a tablet. I am very unhappy with the purchase.

I hate mine. it's not even a year old. it gets hot my internet just drops and disappears from my laptop. if I go into setting and click network and internet the entire laptop freezes and I have to hold the power button to turn it off and back on. lenovo support wants me to wipe my entire laptop to 'see if that helps'.

Found your post here after looking for help trying to troubleshoot my issues with this laptop. Glad I wasnt the only one extremely frustrated and disappointed in this computer. I had a Lenovo laptop in the past that lasted all through high school and almost all of college until I accidentally dropped it.

Personally I find the nicer keyboard and monitor and case on the thinkpad yoga line to be worth the extra cost. Even with the same budget I opted for a used thinkpad over a new ideapad. The ideapad just seemed so flimsy.

imo best deal overall right now. amd rocks.

I love this machine. One issue. When connected to an external monitor, the screen will just go black. This problem is usually produced when I project the screen to the external only. Never seem to have the issue when I am mirroring the display.

I have the laptop too. I love it but I'm having audio issues now. If I'm playing music and then do something that works the processor a bit, like open a program, audio will stutter. I've tried a few things to fix it like updating drivers, but still having issues.

How's the laptop after 1 month of usage? I heard that the hinge is design-flawed and the screen has backlight bleed, especially when opening/closing the lid.

I'd like to ask you something since I recently bought this model. 16 GB of ram, 2TB, 2022 model, AMD Ryzen 5 5500u. After like 5 mins the touch screen doesn't respond and I have to tap the screen a lot so that it responds again. I've done everything from updating, disabling drivers to format the laptop, try other Windows versions and contact Lenovo for assistance. Nothing has worked.

As someone that owns the 2020 version of the Flex 5 14" with the 4500u, I'd agree it's a hidden gem. Though, a couple of caveats: the stylus will intermittently stop working for a bit (and will require you to tap the screen with the stylus until it randomly starts working again), and the trackpad has some issues (will stop working completely, or have a mind of its own if there is any moisture on your fingertips).

The first thing that surprised me is just how heavy it was compared to other Chromebooks that I've used. It also had quite a bit of light bleed on the top edges. On the plus side, it was speedy enough for normal use and ran android apps well. The 2-in-1 design and touch screen give it a nice flexibility. I ended up returning mine but overall, it's not a bad device.

I have had 2 in 4 years not sturdy. My last one in 2023 it charges but won't turn on. The first one dropped, screen cracked and would randomly blink while pulling all kinds of tabs up.

It would be good. Consumers Reports is a not for profit magazine that tests cars and consumer products. They tested about 30 Chromebooks. The Flex 5 was in their top 5 list.

The Pro is built better and just a better machine overall. Faster CPU and much nicer screen. The Flex is only worth it if you want to use it like a tablet. But IMO its not nearly as nice of a laptop.

This is great for the people who missed the $300 Costco sale earlier this year. Just make sure you get a matte screen protector for all the reflections.

I have one of these and it's actually a pretty good little computer.

The flex 5 is my bestest seller at my store. I see the intel i5 and i7 at least 5 times a month. You will need to repaste the cpu and change out the ssd to a better performing ssd like wd blue.

I just got the blue abyss one. I find that I am getting around 4-5 hours and nowhere near the 10 hours it is supposed to yield.