Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch Comparison

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Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5

14 inches | February 2023

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Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch

15.6 inches | January 2021

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Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch Comparison Overview

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In this review, we will be comparing ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch, two laptops by Lenovo. Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 was introduced to market in February 2023 and Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch was launched in January 2021. As you can see, IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch is 2 years older than ThinkPad E14 Gen 5. Let's see if this age difference between two laptops makes a big difference.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 Key Specs

Launched in February 2023
14.0" IPS LCD, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i3 1315U
GPU: GeForce MX550 2GB
8GB Ram
313 x 219.3 x 17.99 mm (12.32 x 8.63 x 0.71 inches)
Weight: 1.41 kg (3.11 lbs)

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch Key Specs

Launched in January 2021
15.6" Touchscreen - IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i3 1005G1
GPU: GeForce MX450 2GB
4GB Ram
357.6 x 237.9 x 17.9-20.3 mm (14.08 x 9.37 x 0.7-0.8 inches)
Weight: 1.8 kg (3.97 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 over Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch

Weight	1.41 kg vs 1.80 kg	0.39 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~82.8% vs ~78.9%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	5.8 mm vs 6.1 mm	0.3 mm thinner bezels
Screen PPI	162 ppi vs 141 ppi	More pixels per inch
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1200 pixels vs 1920 x 1080 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
Screen Type	Matte vs Glossy	potentially less reflections on screen
Max Brightness	300 nits vs 250 nits	Brighter Screen
Max Total RAM	48 GB vs 16 GB	Higher RAM potential
RAM BUS	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Faster RAM
Bluetooth	v5.2 vs v5	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Webcam Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Camera
Number of USB-C Ports	2x USB 4.0 vs 1x USB 3.2	Connect more device at the same time
USB-C Port Type	v4.0 vs v3.2	Faster USB-C connection
Thunderbolt	v4 vs No	Support audio, data, power and video all through one single port
HDMI Version	2.1 vs 1.4	Better HDMI connectivity
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs No	Connects to the local network via Ethernet RJ45

Reasons to choose Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch over Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5

Display Size	15.6 inches vs 14 inches	Larger Screen Estate
2-in-1 Design	Yes vs No	Use like a tablet
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Interact with your fingers
GPU FLOPS	2.822 TFLOPS vs 2.703 TFLOPS	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Easily see the keys under low light
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs No

Common Strengths of Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch and Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5

Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Dolby Atmos Support	Yes vs Yes	3D Surround Sound Support
Wi-Fi Standard	v6E vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
HDMI Output	1x HDMI 2.1 vs 1x HDMI 2.1	Connect to External Displays via HDMI cable
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable

Common Weaknesses of Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch and Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5

HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.41 kg (3.11 lbs)	1.8 kg (3.97 lbs)
Surface Area	686 cm2 (106.3 inches2)	851 cm2 (131.9 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~82.8%	~78.9%
Side Bezel Thickness	~5.8 mm	~6.1 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.10 kg/inch	0.12 kg/inch
	0.22 lbs/inch	0.264 lbs/inch
Colors	Black, Gray	Gray
Cover Opening Angle	180Â°	360Â°

Comparison of the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch External Dimensions

Weight

ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 weighs 1.41 kg (3.11 lbs), whereas the IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch weighs 1.8 kg (3.97 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 1.41 kg

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 1.42 kg

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch 1.80 kg

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 1.95 kg

Thickness Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 17.99 mm

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 17.12 mm

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch 17.90 mm

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 20.17 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 is 0.10 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch is 0.12 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i3 1315U Intel Core i5 1335U Intel Core i5 1340P Intel Core i7 1355U Intel Core i7 1360P	Intel Core i3 1005G1 Intel Core i3 1115G4 Intel Core i5 1135G7 Intel Core i7 1165G7
Base Frequency	1.2 GHz	1.2 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.5 GHz	3.4 GHz
Number of Cores	6	2
Number of Threads	8	4
L3 Cache	10 MB	4 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (64EU)	Intel UHD Graphics G1
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1638	1029
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	6242	2218
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1685	1102
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	6202	2478

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Core i3 1315U

Laptops with: Intel Core i3 1005G1

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Compare

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce MX550 2GB	GeForce MX450 2GB
Base Clock Frequency	1065 MHz	1395 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1320 MHz	1575 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	25 W	31 W
Nvidia Optimus	Yes
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	2.703 TFLOPS	2.822 TFLOPS
Memory Size	2 GB	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	64 bit	64 bit
Memory Speed	1500 MHz 12 Gbps effective	1250 MHz 10 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	1024	896
TMUs	32	56
ROPs	16	32

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 has a FLOPS value of 2.703 TFLOPS whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch ' has a FLOPS value of 2.822 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB 24GB 32GB 40GB 48GB	4GB 8GB 16GB
Memory Bus	1x8 GB	1x4 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	3200 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	DDR4
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Max RAM Size	48 GB	16 GB
Total Slots	1	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)

With a larger RAM capacity of 8 GB, the ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 offers an advantage for multitasking and resource-intensive applications compared to the IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch's RAM capacity of 4 GB.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5	Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 (15”)
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	47 Wh 57 Wh	52.5 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left	Left
Charge Power	65 W	65 W

On the other hand, the IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch features a higher battery capacity of 53 Wh, delivering longer usage time compared to the ThinkPad E14 Gen 5's 47 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 47 Wh

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 55.79 Wh

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch 53 Wh

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 62.1 Wh

STORAGE
With a larger storage capacity up to 2 TB, the ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 provides more space for storing files and applications compared to the IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch's max. storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Total Slots	2	1
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 has a display size of 14.0".On the other hand, IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch has a larger15.6" display.The total usable screen area of the ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 is 568cm² / 88inch² whereas the IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch's total usable screen area is 670cm² / 104inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 features a higher pixel density with 162 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 162 PPI

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 173 PPI

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch 141 PPI

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 144 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch offer the same refresh rate of 60 Hz.

Brightness
The ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 offers a higher maximum brightness of 300 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 300 nits

Avg: 14.0-14.9" 383 nits

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch 250 nits

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 319 nits

Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v6E, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch (v6).

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch feature 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch have USB Type-C ports. ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 has 2x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports, while IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch has 1x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 is equipped with Thunderbolt 4 port. IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch does not have Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Both ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch feature an HDMI port. ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 offers 1x HDMI 2.1, while IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch offers 1x HDMI 1.4.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and IdeaPad Flex 5 15-inch are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6E	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.2	v5
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	2x USB 4.0	1x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	1x HDMI 1.4
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Optional	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	No
SD CardReader	No	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	No	Yes