Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 16" 82R80002US Black 2022

The Flex 5's 2560x1600 display hits the 87th percentile for screen quality, making it a standout for streaming and office work. But the gaming score of 15.8 out of 100 and a CPU at the 38th percentile mean this is no performance machine. At the low end of its refurbished price range, it's a solid screen-first 2-in-1.

Let's talk about that display first, because it's the star here. 2560x1600 resolution on a 16-inch panel gives you a crisp 189 pixels per inch, and the 400-nit brightness means you can actually use this thing near a window without squinting. The 100% sRGB coverage puts it in the 87th percentile for screen quality, which is one of the best on the market for this price bracket. If you spend your day in documents, spreadsheets, or streaming video, this panel makes everything look sharp and vibrant.

The Core i7-1255U is a 10-core chip with a 1.7GHz base clock, but it's a low-power U-series part designed for efficiency, not raw speed. Our CPU score puts it at the 38th percentile, which is mediocre for an i7. It'll handle browser tabs, Office apps, and video calls without breaking a sweat, but heavy compile jobs or 4K video editing will make it huff. The 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM is solid at the 48th percentile, enough for serious multitasking. The 512GB SSD sits at the 37th percentile for storage, which is about average but might feel tight if you keep a lot of local media. And the Iris Xe graphics at the 49th percentile are fine for UI rendering and light photo work, but our gaming score of 15.8 out of 100 tells the real story: this is not a gaming laptop, not even close.

Stacked against the competition, the Flex 5's screen is its saving grace. The Apple MacBook Pro M5 and Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro both outclass it in CPU, GPU, and battery life, but they also cost significantly more. The MSI Prestige PRE13EVOA2088 and ASUS ProArt PX13 offer better performance for creative work, with dedicated GPUs or faster processors. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition has a more premium build and better portability. Where the Flex 5 wins is price-to-screen ratio. You're getting an 87th percentile display at a refurbished price that undercuts all of those competitors. But if you need any real GPU muscle or all-day battery life, every one of those alternatives beats this machine.

Pricing on this refurbished unit is all over the map. In the US, you'll find it between USD 620 and USD 749 across two listings, a spread of USD 129. That's a meaningful gap for the same machine, so shop around before you click buy. The lower end of that range feels fair for what you get: a great screen, 16GB of RAM, and a 2-in-1 form factor. At USD 749, you're creeping into territory where newer laptops with better CPUs start to look tempting. In Europe, the spread is even wilder, EUR 1,143 to EUR 1,534 across four listings in Germany, Spain, France, and Italy. That EUR 391 gap is huge, and the low end is the only price that makes sense. If you're paying over EUR 1,300 for this, you're overpaying for a refurb with a mediocre CPU.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 82R80002US is a 16-inch 2-in-1 that gets one thing very right: the screen. That 2560x1600 IPS panel hits 400 nits and covers 100% sRGB, landing in the 87th percentile for display quality in our database. For a refurbished machine, that's a genuinely pleasant surprise. You're getting a bright, sharp, color-accurate canvas for streaming, browsing, and light creative work. The Core i7-1255U with 10 cores and 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM keeps everyday multitasking smooth, and the 512GB SSD means boot times and app launches feel snappy.

But this is not a performance monster. The integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics sits right at the 49th percentile for GPU performance, which translates to "fine for spreadsheets, bad for gaming." Our gaming score of 15.8 out of 100 is the weakest area by a mile. The CPU lands at the 38th percentile, which is mediocre for a machine wearing an i7 badge. And at 2.10kg, this 16-inch convertible is not exactly compact, sitting in the 17th percentile for portability. It's a desk-bound 2-in-1, not a grab-and-go tablet.

Skip this if you need any real GPU power. The gaming score of 15.8 out of 100 is one of the weakest we've seen, and the Iris Xe graphics at the 49th percentile won't save you. Also skip it if portability matters: at 2.10kg, it's in the 17th percentile for compactness, which is rough for a 2-in-1 that's supposed to be flexible. And if you're a developer or power user who needs sustained CPU performance, the 38th percentile CPU score will frustrate you. This is a screen-first machine for light work, not a workstation.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 82R80002US is a screen-first laptop. That 2560x1600, 400-nit, 100% sRGB panel is the reason to buy it, and at the low end of the refurbished price range, it's a solid deal for students, office workers, and streamers. The 16GB of RAM and Thunderbolt support add real utility. But the weak CPU, mediocre storage, and near-useless gaming performance mean this is a productivity and entertainment machine, nothing more. If you can find it near USD 620 or EUR 1,143, it's a good buy. Pay much more than that and you're better off looking elsewhere.