ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is a 16-inch versatile laptop for the office, home, and everywhere in between, on sale right now for $879 (that’s a whopping $620 off the regular price).
- It’s powered by the latest Intel and Nvidia hardware, and has a battery that can last all day.
- The laptop has a disappointing webcam and comes loaded with too much bloatware.
When it comes to laptops, professional and student users have more in common than you might think. Both groups want a flexible machine that can handle the whole day’s work, while doubling as an entertainment center at night, and both would agree that a long-lasting battery is a must.
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Well, I’ve found the perfect laptop for both groups: Lenovo’s 2024 IdeaPad Pro 5i. This 16-inch laptop has everything a professional could ask for in a work machine, while also being a solid choice for college students.
Lenovo’s device is nothing short of powerful. Under the hood, you’ll find an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor alongside an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, resulting in rock-solid performance. I tested the hardware by running many common workplace tasks from web browsing to writing documents and video conferencing platforms simultaneously. It handled everything I threw at it without skipping a beat.
Additionally, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 32GB of memory, ensuring load times are almost nonexistent. This hardware configuration even allows the IdeaPad Pro 5i to act as a capable gaming laptop, perfect for those long days when you want to unwind with a game.
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All this power can be thoroughly enjoyed on the IdeaPad Pro’s hi-res 2K (2,048 x 1,280) OLED screen that’s capable of displaying content in stunning detail. The screen has a speedy refresh rate of 120Hz, enabling realistic movies and a silky-smooth visual display.
Unlike many other laptops with OLED displays, Lenovo’s machine doesn’t sport much image-enhancing software. There’s no Dolby Vision, nor does it cover 100% of the sRGB color gamut. As a result, colors aren’t as vibrant as on some competing devices. The IdeaPad Pro 5i does support HDR for high contrast, but that’s about it.
I should point out that the display is a touchscreen, but given that this device is not a convertible 2-in-1, I found the feature to be a little gimmicky.
Sitting above the OLED screen is the device’s 1080p webcam. It’s passable for video calls, although honestly, its quality is quite lackluster. Recordings are grainy, and there is no way to improve the feed without third-party software, either. The basic webcam software can only reposition the camera.
The IdeaPad Pro’s generous heft allows for a full-sized keyboard, which, when paired with the rubber-like keycaps, result in a very comfortable typing experience. I also appreciate how the arrow keys jut out from the bottom, making them easy to access. Manufacturers, in my experience, tend to make the Page Up and Page Down keys on 14-inch laptops too small. The IdeaPad Pro 5i has fortunately solved this problem.
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Lenovo also made some interesting design choices. The speakers, for example, are located above the keyboard. I’m always glad to see laptops include upward-firing speakers, as I’ve never been a fan of muffled audio.
The IdeaPad Pro’s speakers stand out thanks to their Dolby Atmos support. The surround sound technology means the drivers can fill a room with sound. Not bad for a laptop.
Battery life is great, as well. The IdeaPad Pro 5i ran for about 8.5 hours straight in my usual livestream tests without the battery saver setting on. With that active, rest assured the device will last you the whole day and then some.
In order to charge the laptop, you’ll have to use Lenovo’s proprietary 230W AC adapter. You can’t use a spare USB-C charger. Luckily, the adapter isn’t super bulky so it’s easy to carry around, although it would’ve been great to have the option.
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I also need to mention a couple of things that may be dealbreakers for you. First off, it’s a hefty machine that weighs 4.27 pounds. Carrying this device around for an extended amount of time may prove tiring.
Also, be aware the IdeaPad Pro 5i comes with a bunch of bloatware. The laptop’s 1TB of storage is more like 880GB, if you take into account all the apps Lenovo preinstalled.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i has all the right hardware components to make it the premiere laptop for professionals and students. It has a strong CPU/GPU pairing, a 2K OLED display, and a decent keyboard, but its $1,500 price tag will place it on the higher end of the typical student’s budget. Fortunately, it’s currently 41% off at $879.
If you’re looking for a less expensive 16-inch laptop, Lenovo’s Yoga 7i is several hundred dollars cheaper, although you’re trading in the impressive OLED screen for one that’s much more low-key. If you want an OLED laptop in a slightly less expensive package, check out the Acer Swift X 14.
How we test laptops
We use a combination of methods to test laptops here at ZDNET. First, we acquire data from benchmarking software to analyze a system’s metrics under the hood, and compare those to advertised numbers. Then, we spend an extended amount of time with the laptop (usually a week or two) using it the same way a normal consumer would, in order to analyze its portability, form factor, and how well the battery actually holds up, among others. For an extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive laptop testing methodology.
- Benchmarking: We run a series of tests to put the computer’s hardware through the wringer in order to see what it’s capable of. Cinebench is one of the most commonly-used hardware testing suites, which tests the laptop’s rendering performance on single and multiple CPU cores. PCMark 10 is another powerful program that covers a wide variety of tasks performed in the workplace.
- Processor: The “brain” of the laptop, and one of the most important factors that determines performance. This is tested in benchmarking software.
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The display: Brightness is measured in “nits,” and color spectrums are tested in benchmarking software.
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The graphics processor (GPU): We test the GPU with a combination of benchmarking software, gaming, and media playback.
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Physical form factor: We carry the laptop around for at least a week and note how well it commutes.
- Battery testing: We test a unit’s battery in a few ways. A handful of benchmarking programs have their own battery testing components, but we also will just let the laptop run for as long as it can under a medium load.
- The human element: As we mentioned earlier, metrics and system data is important, but numbers alone don’t give you the full picture. This is where we weave in our personal experience with the device and tap into the practical use cases that consumers actually care about.
Ultimately, our goal is to break down the capabilities of each and every laptop we test into digestible terms that real people can find useful.