Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 14" Gen 11 Luna Grey 2024

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 is a flexible, portable workhorse with surprisingly good integrated graphics. The CPU is just average and the screen colors are dull, so it's not for creatives or gamers. It's a solid buy for everyday multitasking if you can snag it near the $1000 mark.

Performance here is a tale of two chips. The integrated Intel graphics land in the 96th percentile for its class, which is genuinely impressive and means it handles light photo editing and older games better than you'd expect. But the 6-core CPU sits right at the 49th percentile, so it's just average for raw processing grunt. Day-to-day tasks feel snappy thanks to the 16GB of DDR5 RAM, but don't expect it to chew through video renders or massive datasets without taking a coffee break.

Stacked against the competition, the IdeaPad 5i carves out a weird niche. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 absolutely destroy it in raw power and screen quality, but they're in a different price league. The Microsoft Surface Laptop is a more direct rival with a better display and build, though you lose the 2-in-1 flexibility. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is the real spoiler here, offering a dedicated GPU for gaming in a similar portable size, making the Lenovo's gaming weakness really stand out.

Pricing is a bit of a rollercoaster, ranging from $1000 to $1130 across different vendors. At the lower end of that spread, it's a fair deal for a well-built 2-in-1 with a great GPU bump and Wi-Fi 7. But if you're looking at the $1130 sticker, you're getting into dangerous territory where a base MacBook Air M2 or a more powerful traditional clamshell starts to look like a smarter buy. Shop around and don't pay the premium.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 Gen 11 is a flexible little machine that nails the basics for work and casual use. You're getting a solid 14-inch touchscreen, a 360-degree hinge, and Intel's latest Core Ultra chip in a package that won't weigh down your bag at 1.4kg. It's built for spreadsheets, streaming, and flipping into tablet mode on the couch, not for gaming or heavy creative work.

That said, the spec sheet is a bit of a mixed bag. The integrated GPU is surprisingly strong for what it is, but the display's color accuracy and the middling CPU performance keep this firmly in the 'good enough' camp. If you need a dependable, portable 2-in-1 for everyday tasks, it's a solid pick, but power users will feel the ceiling pretty quickly.

If you need a machine for gaming or any kind of color-accurate creative work, look elsewhere. The lack of a dedicated GPU and the dull 45% NTSC screen will frustrate you. You'd be much happier with an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or even a MacBook Air for better screen quality and performance in a similar price bracket.

This laptop is for students, office workers, and casual users who will actually use the 360-degree hinge. If you want one machine to handle notes in tablet mode, spreadsheets at a desk, and Netflix in a tent setup, it's a reliable choice. Just know you're trading raw performance and screen vibrancy for that flexibility.