Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1
MSRP $850.00
“The Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 has an OLED show mated with nice battery life.”
Pros
- Good efficiency
- Great battery life
- Colorful OLED show
- Build high quality is stable
- Attractive worth
Cons
- Not the sharpest show
- Mediocre touchpad
When Microsoft launched its Copilot+ PC initiative, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chipsets had been the primary to obtain Microsoft’s official blessing. They’ve up to now confirmed to be very quick and environment friendly and provides Windows laptops a enhance in opposition to Apple’s MacBooks. They’re additionally a bit cheaper than Intel machines, a facet profit that shouldn’t be ignored.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 is a good instance. It’s nonetheless a midrange machine coming in between $850 and $1,000, so it’s not cheap. But you’ll pay a few hundred {dollars} extra for Intel, in lots of instances. And the IdeaPad 5x is a gorgeous laptop computer in some essential areas, not the least of which is in its efficiency and battery life. It may not make our checklist of the general best laptops, however it has a variety of robust factors that make it value contemplating, particularly for laptops under $1,000.
Specs and configuration
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 | |
| Dimensions | 12.32 x 8.94 x 0.69 inches |
| Weight | 3.28 kilos |
| Display | 14.0-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) OLED, 60Hz |
| CPU | Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 |
| GPU | Adreno |
| Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X RAM |
| Storage | 512TB M.2 NVMe SSD 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD |
| Ports | 2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x microSD card reader 1 x 3.5mm audio jack |
| Camera | 1080p |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Battery | 57 watt-hour |
| Operating system | Windows 11 on Arm |
| Price | $850+ |
As with most of the early Qualcomm laptops, there aren’t a bunch of configuration choices with the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1. The entry-level mannequin is $850 for a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 14-inch FHD+ OLED show (the one choice). For $895, you’ll be able to improve to a 1TB SSD. An energetic pen is a $20 choice.
When Lenovo initially provided the laptop computer for evaluation, it was priced at $679. That could be a very enticing worth for this laptop computer, and Lenovo says a sale worth like which may present up across the holidays. An inventory worth of $850 is enticing sufficient, although, when another Qualcomm laptops checklist for extra.
An instance is the HP OmniBook X at $1,090 with a 14-inch IPS show however a sooner Snapdragon X Elite chipset. That machine is presently on sale for $780, although. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x begins at $1,080 with OLED and a Snapdragon X Elite. Then there are Intel Lunar Lake laptops to contemplate, such because the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 that lists for $1,450 with a higher-res 2.8K OLED show and an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V that’s on sale for $1,000.
The backside line is that the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 is a good worth even at full worth, and when you handle to seize one on sale, you’re getting a fairly good cut price.
Design
It’s uncommon that I come throughout a poorly constructed laptop computer these days. Granted, I’ve been reviewing principally midrange or premium laptops the place you anticipate respectable builds, however it wasn’t that way back when even laptops near $1,000 may endure some poor high quality. The IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 is constructed of a mixture of aluminum and plastic, however it didn’t have any bending, flexing, or twisting within the lid, keyboard deck, or chassis.
It definitely didn’t really feel like a laptop computer partially fabricated from plastic, and I wouldn’t say the dearer OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 — an especially well-made laptop computer — was all that noticeably higher. The MacBook Air 13, which no one would name poorly made, has a lid that’s extra versatile.
There was additionally a time when a laptop computer that was 0.69 inches thick would have been thought of very skinny. Today, that’s moving into the chunky vary, however it’s definitely nothing to complain about. The prime and facet bezels are sufficiently small, however the backside chin is fairly huge, which isn’t unusual for 2-in-1s that want a hinge that may swap from clamshell to media, tent, and pill modes.
It’s a sufficiently small laptop computer and it’s pretty mild at 3.28 kilos — once more, completely high quality if not a class chief. Interestingly, Acer has borrowed the reverse notch housing the webcam and infrared digicam from Lenovo, which compares to Apple’s show notch that’s a lot extra divisive.
There’s not a lot to say concerning the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 by way of its aesthetics. Many laptops have a sure look as we speak — that’s, they’re minimalist with none standout design options or bling. And that’s OK. For many individuals, a laptop computer isn’t a trend assertion, and whereas the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is notably higher wanting, who cares? The IdeaPad 5x appears simply high quality in its single darkish grey colour method, and until you actually need your laptop computer to face out within the espresso store, you possible gained’t actually care a technique or one other.
Keyboard and touchpad
The IdeaPad 5x has Lenovo’s commonplace keyboard with its easily-identified sculpted keycaps and good spacing. The switches fluctuate from machine to machine, and these are mild and springy. I just like the keyboard, and it was snug once I typed up this evaluation. I may quibble and say Apple’s Magic Keyboard is healthier, however this one’s excellent nonetheless.
The touchpad is simply OK, although. First, it’s not all that giant, with loads of area on the palm relaxation for a bigger model. And it’s mechanical and never haptic, which is anticipated at this worth. It’s serviceable, however doesn’t stand out in comparison with significantly better haptic touchpads on MacBooks and the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14.
The show is touch- and pen-enabled, after all, and my evaluation unit included the energetic pen. It labored effectively for writing and drawing on the show, though as normal the 14-inch convertible 2-in-1 isn’t practically as snug for such makes use of as a skinny and lightweight pill just like the iPad Pro.
Connectivity and webcam
There’s loads of connectivity, together with a good mixture of legacy ports. The solely downside is that there aren’t any high-speed ports, which is a bit shocking. Other Qualcomm laptops have USB4, however there’s none of that right here. There’s a microSD card reader, which is a plus. And wi-fi connectivity is totally up-to-date.
The webcam is a 1080p model, which is the brand new commonplace. It’s adequate to help the complete vary of the improved model of Microsoft Studio Effects software program, and the neural processing unit (NPU) exceeds the 40 tera operations per second (TOPS) requirement Microsoft set for its Copilot+ PC initiative. That means the IdeaPad 5x will help the complete vary of AI options as they roll out with moderately quick and environment friendly on-device efficiency.
Performance
The IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 makes use of the slowest Qualcomm Snapdragon X chipset, the Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100. It’s an 8-core chipset operating at 3.2GHz boosting to three.4 GHz (single-core) and with a 1.7 TFLOPS Adreno GPU. That’s down from the 12-core Snapdragon X Elite operating at 3.4GHz with a enhance to 4.0GHz (dual-core) and with a 3.8 TFLOPS or sooner GPU.
It’s up in opposition to the 8-core Intel Lunar Lake chipsets that symbolize Intel’s response to Qualcomm’s extra environment friendly ARM-based chipsets. Of course, operating on ARM requires Windows on ARM, which can run some software program in emulation that may sluggish issues down, and compatibility points stay attainable.
As we are able to see from our comparability group, the Qualcomm chipsets are sooner than Intel’s throughout the board, whereas AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 chipset is quicker nonetheless however by no means geared toward effectivity. The Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 would be the slowest chipset in Qualcomm’s secure, however it’s nonetheless meaningfully sooner than Intel — a minimum of in CPU efficiency. Its Adreno GPU is significantly slower, although, even given some variation within the Intel Arc 140V built-in graphics. As we are able to see, even the entry-level discrete GPU within the Asus ProArt PX13 is a lot sooner.
What this implies is that the IdeaPad 5x is loads quick for even demanding productiveness customers. It gained’t make avid gamers or creators, who depend on quick GPUs, very joyful. And additionally notably, the MacBook Air M3 is simply as quick in its CPU cores whereas being a lot sooner in its GPU cores. The MacBook Air gained’t get the M4 chipset till subsequent 12 months, however that may give it one other vital enhance.
| Cinebench R24 (single/multi) |
Geekbench 6 (single/multi) |
3DMark Wild Life Extreme |
|
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 (Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 / Adreno) |
108 / 663 | 2418 / 11453 | 3243 |
| Dell XPS 13 9350 (Core Ultra 7 256V / Intel Arc 140V) |
120 / 571 | 2575 / 10530 | 4840 |
| Dell XPS 13 9345 (Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 / Adreno) |
121 / 921 | 2805 / 14511 | 6397 |
| HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V) |
116 / 598 | 2483 / 10725 | 5866 |
| Asus Zenbook S 14 (Core Ultra 7 258V / Intel Arc 140V) |
112 / 452 | 2738 / 10734 | N/A |
| HP OmniBook X (Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 / Adreno) |
101 / 749 | 2377 / 13490 | 6165 |
| Asus ProArtwork PX13 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 / RTX 4050) |
116 / 897 | 2710 / 14696 | 15298 |
| MacBook Air (M3) |
141 / 601 | 3102 / 12078 | 8098 |
Battery life
Even although it’s quick, the Qualcomm’s major function is to supply higher effectivity in Windows laptops. That’s Intel’s goal with Lunar Lake, as effectively. And each platforms succeed, providing up very stable battery life particularly when the chipsets aren’t working as exhausting. The IdeaPad 5x has an OLED show that’s additionally simply FHD+ decision, which provides it a little extra effectivity however superior high quality (see beneath). The Dell XPS 13 9350 and XPS 13 9345 each had an FHD+ IPS show whereas the OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 had a 2.8K OLED panel.
The IdeaPad 5x will simply final a full day of regular work, and even into a second day. Prior to those new chipsets, solely Apple Silicon laptops just like the MacBook Air M3 may make the identical form of declare. Arguably, the MacBook Air has the longest battery life throughout, however there’s not practically as nice a delta between Windows and macOS. We’ll have to attend till the M4 chipset hits the MacBook Air in 2025 to see if Apple extends its lead.
| Web looking | Video | Cinebench R24 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 (Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100) |
13 hours, 22 minutes | 20 hours, 36 minutes | 2 hours, 12 minutes |
| Dell XPS 13 9350 (Core Ultra 7 256V) |
13 hours, 33 minutes | 24 hours, 52 minutes | 2 hours, 24 minutes |
| Dell XPS 13 9345 (Snapdragon X1E-80-100) |
12 hours, 29 minutes | 22 hours, 9 minutes | 1 hour, 37 minutes |
| HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (Core Ultra 7 258V) |
11 hours, 5 minutes | 15 hours, 46 minutes | 2 hours, 14 minutes |
| HP Omnibook X (Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100) |
13 hours, 37 minutes | 22 hours, 4 minutes | 1 hour, 52 minutes |
| Asus Vivobook S 15 (Snapdragon X Plus) |
13 hours, 10 minutes | 16 hours, 19 minutes | N/A |
| Asus ProArtwork PX13 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) |
8 hours, 7 minutes | 11 hours, 12 minutes | 1 hour, 12 minutes |
| Apple MacBook Air (Apple M3) |
19 hours, 38 minutes | 19 hours, 39 minutes | 3 hours, 27 minutes |
Display and audio
I like OLED shows. They simply look so significantly better out of the field than IPS shows, although that know-how has gotten a lot higher during the last a number of years. OLED’s colours are a lot brighter and blacks are a lot inkier, that even a 14.0-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) show that I’d normally dislike as not being sharp sufficient appears nice. That’s what Lenovo put within the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1, and it was a nice selection.
My colorimeter favored the show. Colors had been extremely huge at 100% of sRGB, 98% of AdobeRGB, and 99% of DCI-P3, and accuracy was nice at a Delta-E of 1.34 (lower than 1.0 is great). Contrast was excessive at 25,920:1 with the same old near-perfect blacks, and the panel was greater than brilliant sufficient at 381 nits. I’ve seen many brighter shows, together with different OLED panels, however that is nonetheless greater than brilliant sufficient for all however working outdoors beneath direct daylight.
Again, I do like greater decision than FHD+ with a 14-inch show, however I doubt that many individuals will complain. And a decrease decision helps offset OLED for higher battery life, which I noticed within the battery life outcomes.
Audio is offered by 4 audio system: two upward-firing and two downward-firing. Sound was very clear, with crip mids and highs and 0 distortion. The solely downside was the system didn’t get very loud, and bass was fairly faint. It’s not one of the best nor the worst audio you’ll discover on a 14-inch laptop computer, the place Apple’s MacBook Pro 14 is the standout performer.
A stable laptop computer at a gorgeous worth
At $850, the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 is a nice laptop computer. It has a excellent OLED show, as long as you’re OK with the decision. It’s additionally fairly quick and will get wonderful battery life. It’s well-built with an aesthetic that’s form of boring however definitely isn’t ugly.
I want it had a haptic touchpad, and it doesn’t have a quick USB4 port. But one of the best factor is, it’s solely attainable that you just’ll have the ability to seize the IdeaPad 5x at a fair higher deal at beneath $700. At that worth, the laptop computer turns into much more than simply a straightforward suggestion.
