After one year with the laptop, it can be concluded that the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 offers good battery life, decent performance, and questionable value. Ultimately it suffers from limited RAM; 8 GB is too small. It is also hindered by a dedicated graphics card that is hardly better than any integrated graphics. Its other notable flaw is a single USB Type-C port that is used as the only charging port. This configuration cost a total of 960 EUR at the time of purchase, in August 2021. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ITL05 82FG00MRHV has a balanced specification sheet which made this laptop stand out as one of the best deals of last year. While the soldered 8 GB of RAM is middling, often touching its limits, the quad-core Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU inside provides enough grunt despite its core count limitations, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX450 dedicated GPU gives that extra bit of horsepower to allow this PC to competently perform tasks like photo editing, video editing, and some gaming albeit with some caveats. Unfortunately, the theme which is pretty consistent throughout the whole experience with this laptop is that it is great at running older software and games, and it starts to show weaknesses when working with the newest games and applications.
To be clear, and to be very fair, this laptop is not all bad; it is just okay. As a light computer for performing light tasks, it works excellently and there are no complaints there. If you want to use this laptop for typing homework or sending emails for work, this laptop performs that role perfectly fine. The complaints in this review arise from the fact that if you want to use this laptop for heavy creative tasks or for gaming you will run into some limitations. It's a good computer. It's just not a great computer. This always has to be kept in mind, that this is a budget laptop after all.
It turns out, that after one year with the laptop, last year’s opinion of the screen was too harsh, as the screen turned out to be fine if it is calibrated. On the other hand, if there’s one notable drawback to this laptop it would be the RAM configuration. 8 GB RAM is just barely enough in 2022, and in the next years moving forward, its limitations will become ever more evident. Another drawback is that the dedicated GPU aged like milk, and it's not good enough in 2022. This laptop can be recommended for a very general light user and fortunately, if the 8 GB RAM is not a bother, it is still in stock and still available brand new at many retailers in 2022 for roughly 615 EUR on average. However, for a heavy power user, this laptop can no longer be recommended because at least 16 GB RAM, a 6 to 8 core or more CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce 1650 or stronger, and at least 1 TB SSD are needed for true high-performance usage.
To begin, the air needs to be cleared around last year's conclusions about the screen. Last year, it was written that “with 45% NTSC, the screen seems a bit washed out. It has mediocre saturation.” However, after one year with the laptop, it can be confirmed that this is easily fixed by adjusting the screen’s color profile to your liking using the built-in Intel Graphics Command Center. The screen is not terrible at all, it just lacks the same out-of-the-box wow factor as something like the Apple MacBook Air 2020 for example. The screen gets bright, and the bezels are quite thin all the way around, both of which are highly redeeming qualities. Frankly, the screen is nice, and to call it mediocre was a huge error.
The total cost of the tested Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ITL05 82FG00MRHV was 960 EUR in August 2021. That is 735 EUR for the machine alone, sold without any operating system. Another 130 EUR for the Windows license and an additional 95 EUR for the secondary 2.5” SSD was added to the initial cost. This 960 EUR price includes all taxes. Looking back the final cost of 960 EUR was a deal at the time, but after the 2022 inflation crisis and the start of a global recession, that price does not seem so good nowadays. 960 EUR seems to be able to buy a much better laptop in 2022. All that said, generally speaking, considering all the after-purchase upgrades, operating system, and secondary SSD, this laptop can currently be valued at a 600 EUR Present-day value for second-hand markets; it depreciated 37.5%.
Today, 960 EUR can buy entry-level gaming laptops like the Asus TUF Gaming F15, Asus TUF Gaming A15, Dell G15, Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, or an HP Victus 16, all of which can offer a lot more processing and graphics power, via GPUs ranging anywhere from a GTX 1650 to an RTX 3050 Ti. The same money could also buy other thin-and-lights like the Asus VivoBook or the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro, offering a slight step up within the same machine class as the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 tested in this review. Not to mention, the exact same IdeaPad 5 laptop model as tested in this review can be bought from Office Depot in Hungary for 575 EUR* at the time of writing. That is a steep 22% discount compared to last year’s 735 EUR. On the other hand, on average, this laptop and other similarly spec’d laptops are usually still sold brand new for an average price of roughly 615 EUR, representing a 16% depreciation. (Courtesy Árúkereső**)
The average Price on August 2021 was 271 344 HUF (Hungarian Forint)
Peak Price reached in August 2022 was 311 609 HUF (Hungarian Forint)
247 113 HUF (Hungarian Forint) is equivalent to 616.48 EUR
Overview
15.6" Screen size diagonal length
1.7kg Mass
Intel Tiger Lake intel core i5-1135G7 28W TDP CPU
NVIDIA GeForce MX450 dGPU
8 GB DDR4 RAM
256 GB M.2 SAMSUNG MZALQ256HAJD-000L2
57Wh 4880mAh battery
Open 2.5" drive caddy with SATA-to-MB upgrade kit
735 Euro price at retail
960 Euro price as tested
600 Euro Present-day value for second-hand markets, depreciated 37.5%
Rivals
Currently, this laptop has a very wide price range, costing a minimum of 560 EUR and as much as 815 EUR. There are plenty of current-generation laptops within a similar price range and specifications. As previously mentioned, there are entry-level gaming laptops and other thin-and-light laptops which can be considered. Feel free to learn more about any of these competing models.
Body - Held up Well
Last year’s review described the exterior design of this laptop as amazing. Nothing has changed much; the exterior is still amazing and stylish at present. Details on the body can be found here in last year’s written review [link: https://userupdate.wixsite.com/userupdate/post/lenovo-ideapad-5-15itl05-82fg00mrhv-laptop-review-mx450-dedicated-graphics-power-on-a-budget]. As an update, the razor-sharp metal edges have certainly become duller over time. After a year, wear and tear can be described as minimal. There is a single very minor dent along the front edge of the laptop, near the touchpad. There is also a barely noticeable dimple on the lid. On the bottom shell, there are some very tiny marks where the grey-colored metal finish has scratched off. However, this is nitpicking, as the wear and tear and aging are so minor, a really close inspection is needed to find these marks. Below you will find a picture gallery of the wear and tear.
Grey-colored finish scratched along the front edge.
Dent found near the touchpad.
Small dimple found on the lid.
Grey-colored finish scratched along the top edge.
Grey-colored finish scratched along the top edge.
Grey-colored finish scratched along the bottom plate.
Grey-colored finish scratched along the bottom plate.
Grey-colored finish scratched along the bottom plate.
Grey-colored finish scratched along the bottom plate.
Grey-colored finish scratched along the bottom plate.
Grey-colored finish scratched along the bottom plate.
Ports - One Single USB C Port for Charging and Connectivity is Bad, Just Bad!
The single USB Type-C port is still an annoyance because it is also the sole charging port, therefore it is impossible to charge the laptop and use USB Type-C cable accessories at the same time without a hub or dongle. After a year, there is still no easy way to swallow this and get over it. This is a major flaw.
The USB Type-C port does support PD Power Delivery, so it can also handle a 95W input. The optional 95W power adapter is also tested and will be examined further down, later in this written review.
Further Information about ports can be found in last year’s written review [link: https://userupdate.wixsite.com/userupdate/post/lenovo-ideapad-5-15itl05-82fg00mrhv-laptop-review-mx450-dedicated-graphics-power-on-a-budget].
Webcam
Information about the webcam can be found in last year’s written review [link: https://userupdate.wixsite.com/userupdate/post/lenovo-ideapad-5-15itl05-82fg00mrhv-laptop-review-mx450-dedicated-graphics-power-on-a-budget].
Maintenance
After one year, and opening the laptop several times for fan cleaning, I can say that serviceability and access to the inside are superb. Further Information about maintenance can be found in last year’s written review [link: https://userupdate.wixsite.com/userupdate/post/lenovo-ideapad-5-15itl05-82fg00mrhv-laptop-review-mx450-dedicated-graphics-power-on-a-budget].
Warranty
36 Month warranty from Lenovo. 19 months remaining.
Keyboard
Information about the keyboard can be found in last year’s written review [link: https://userupdate.wixsite.com/userupdate/post/lenovo-ideapad-5-15itl05-82fg00mrhv-laptop-review-mx450-dedicated-graphics-power-on-a-budget].
Touchpad
Information about the touchpad can be found in last year’s written review [link: https://userupdate.wixsite.com/userupdate/post/lenovo-ideapad-5-15itl05-82fg00mrhv-laptop-review-mx450-dedicated-graphics-power-on-a-budget].
Display - Good Enough
The matte screen used in the IdeaPad 5 here is good enough, and it was not deserving of the ridicule in last year’s review. For a 1080p screen in a budget laptop, there is not much to complain about. The max brightness of 300 nits is great. Viewing angles are great thanks to the IPS technology. The matte finish manages reflections very well and is very easy to clean. The screen bleeding is not the worst, especially compared to other similar laptops, it is completely normal. The screen bleeding is not noticeable during normal use. Overall, the screen is not bad. In fact, the screen is fine; it’s good enough.
The issues with the color accuracy and color space of the laptop’s screen were overstated last year. This is part of a larger culture of reviewing screens, whereas anything rated as less than 100% NTSC or 100% sRGB is called a bad screen. It is true, the screen tested in this Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is not accurate at 45% NTSC, but this is also not a problem unless the laptop is being used for graphic design work. Otherwise, any issue with the color and contrast can be remedied to some degree simply by diving into Control Panel, or the Intel Graphics Command Center, and manually calibrating the screen to one’s liking. This screen can actually look really quite nice with adjustments.
Most laptops in this price range will offer similar screens, so it was unfair to diss this laptop for not having a 100% sRGB screen. This leads to the next large topic that needs to be discussed covering a much larger context. Admittedly, this a segue from the main topic of this laptop review and this certainly will be a controversial take, but at this price range for this type of laptop a 100% sRGB color accurate screen does not matter and buyers should not be looking for it unless they explicitly intend to do design work. Retailers and manufacturers are getting away with manipulating the public into believing that all screens that lack this feature are bad screens. After one year of using the “bad screen” on this laptop, several counterarguments can be concluded.
The fact is that color-accurate screens have been over-marketed as a must-have feature. The counter-argument here is unless you do serious or professional graphics work, color accuracy doesn’t really matter. Working in an architecture firm, graphics design studio, or marketing department, there is a need for a color-accurate display so that designers can create visuals, then later publish or print their creations where the output is as similar as possible to what they see in their design software. Color accuracy is about matching the design inputs to the design outputs.
Furthermore, for artists making digital art to be consumed on a screen, color accuracy does not exactly matter at all, because in this case the artist and the viewer will both have to be using color-accurate displays, both calibrated to the same configurations in order to reap the benefits of color accuracy. The chances for this scenario are ultra slim. For the artist, we have to consider that the audience will likely have different screens, with different user settings, and therefore anything the artist creates will likely be viewed with settings that the artist may not have intended - considering that people can boost contrast, or change gamma, dial-up saturation, adjust the color temperature, and so forth. However an artist or creative makes their content, there will always be the issue that the artist cannot control the settings and output on the viewer’s screen. In other words, color accuracy, color gamuts, and ICC profiles are all very specific design tools for professional designers that have been blown out of proportion for the sake of advertising screens.
To bring it full circle, the lack of a 100% sRGB, Adobe RGB, or DCI-P3 color gamut, or color space, on a laptop is not the critical flaw that we have been led to believe that it is. All screens can be calibrated to one's liking. More important screen metrics that actually matter are screen brightness, contrast ratio, grey-to-grey response time, and refresh rate. All of these metrics have far more immediately recognizable qualities that can enhance the experience for the viewer. A brighter screen is generally nicer. A good contrast ratio means black will appear black and not grey. Grey-to-grey response times mean that colors can change quickly and thus there will be little or no ghosting when objects are moving on a screen. High refresh rates mean that motion on a screen will also seem more fluid. All of these mean a lot more for user experience compared to color accuracy, accuracy which can be totally lost as soon as the user begins adjusting display and color settings.
This is the longest way to say that IdeaPad 5 has a perfectly fine screen, and it was not deserving of the ridicule in last year’s review. For a 60Hz 1080p screen in a budget laptop, there is not much to complain about. It looks good with the appropriate calibration. Excluding professional graphics and visual work, for normal everyday use, this 45% NTSC screen is perfectly fine. The IdeaPad 5 tested here is not a professional design laptop, nor is it a content creation laptop. Its screen is fine for general use.
Performance - Just Above Passable; Not Bad, but Definitely Not Great
To Preface, this laptop can perform many tasks, but it still has its drawbacks. One year later, 8 GB RAM is still too small; in fact, more noticeably so. This laptop is almost constantly at 75% RAM usage or above. Even while idle or running extremely light tasks like word processing, the minimum memory usage was 47%, but on average it was mostly between 60 and 75 %. While playing games such as Apex Legends, system RAM utilization can be as high as 95% or more. Even opening too many Microsoft Edge browser tabs, can put RAM usage up to 97-99% and the browser will hang and freeze with a “(Not Responding)” notice. Last year, it was hard to recommend any laptop with less than 16GB of RAM, and this year It is still hard to recommend any device with less than 16GB of RAM. Last year, it was easier to be optimistic and conclude that 8GB was not too bad, but the reality is that 8GB is already turning out to be a bottleneck, and it is bound to get worse moving forward. Unfortunately, RAM is soldered to the motherboard with this laptop model, so there is zero chance to upgrade the RAM in the future. It was maybe more usable last year, but it is definitely not ideal for future-proofing, or present-proofing for that matter.
There are some concrete examples of the performance limitations. For example, an installed copy of the current and most recent version of Photoshop (2022 version 23.5) ran so poorly that it had to be uninstalled. Its performance can be described with expletives. In fact, for a decent creative experience, I had to download a legacy version of Photoshop CC 2015. Now the CC 2015 version runs perfectly, but it’s also 7 years old. It’s a shame when a new laptop struggles to handle new software. This situation with Photoshop establishes the theme which is pretty consistent throughout the whole experience with this laptop. It’s great at running older software and games, and it starts to show weaknesses when working with the newest games and applications.
Further information and benchmarks about the performance can be found in last year’s written review [link: https://userupdate.wixsite.com/userupdate/post/lenovo-ideapad-5-15itl05-82fg00mrhv-laptop-review-mx450-dedicated-graphics-power-on-a-budget].
Graphics Card - Hard to Differentiate From Contemporary Integrated GPUs
The MX450 can sort of be described as the “last hurrah” or the “dying breath” of a class of cards rendered obsolete by the improvements Intel and AMD have made in their integrated GPUs. The MX450 certainly once had its place, fitting in between iGPUs like the Intel Iris Xe and low-end dedicated GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, but it is a position that is no longer viable as iGPUs are quickly taking over this segment. After one year with the laptop, it can be said that the GPU leaves a lot to be desired. The main point is the MX450 is not a good chip. Perhaps it was a decent chip when it was released, but it is not aging well. Consider that despite being a dGPU it is practically equivalent to an AMD Ryzen 7 5000-series' Radeon Graphics RX Vega 8 iGPU. It begs the question, why does this card even exist if NVIDIA couldn’t create something that represents a very large upgrade over the typical iGPU.
At release, when the MX450 only had to compete against AMD Radeon Graphics RX Vega 7 or Vega 8 (4000/5000 Series) cards, there was almost an argument for this chip. However, since then, integrated graphics from Intel and AMD have improved so well that entry-level MX-series GPUs are now obsolete. In fact, Integrated graphics cards from Intel and AMD have so widely overtaken low-end GPUs like the MX450 that in 2022 iGPUs are the practical better options for typical thin-and-light ultrabooks. In 2022, Notebookcheck reported that "According to AMD, the Radeon 680M (in the 6800U) is faster than a dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX450 and best suited for 1080p gaming and low details (for AAA games)." (NotebookCheck, AMD Radeon 680M) In another article, Allen Ngo also wrote for NotebookCheck, "How well can the new AMD Radeon 680M run Cyberpunk 2077 or Crysis Remastered? Pretty darn well for an integrated GPU. Performance can be over 2x faster than the Intel Iris Xe 96 EUs in some cases to be nearly on par with the discrete Nvidia GeForce 1650 series at times." (Ngo, Integrated graphics showdown)
The MX450 is a stripped-down GTX 1650. For context, focusing on how the card performs, the 2020 MX450 should play games as well as the 2014 high-end GTX 980M, theoretically. 2020’s MX450 is also roughly as good as 2017’s GTX 1050 Mobile. Therefore, it can be argued that the MX450 is capable of playing older pre-2014 high-fidelity AAA games at maximum ultra-settings. For games released between 2014 and 2016, we can see some struggles starting. For newer games released after 2016, usually free-to-play games, the MX450 can handle them well, but only at lowered settings. At least when the GPU renders newer games in low settings, it performs adequately, and it can produce at minimum an enjoyable experience for the end user. The reality is that the 1600-series mobile GPUs, made up of the 1650 Max-Q, 1650, 1650 Ti, 1660, and 1660 Ti, have completely replaced the MX-series chips as the lowest threshold of NVIDIA’s entry-level budget chips. More power can be had in these comparable packages.
The MX450 is barely better than integrated graphics in 2022, if at all, especially because its 2GB VRAM is not enough for playing contemporary games at 1080p at any sort of settings higher than low. Although it is a 2020 GPU, it will only play old games on high settings due to the VRAM limitations. It’s confusing why NVIDIA used only 2GB in the MX450. VRAM here has been reduced from the typical 4GB-6GB to 2GB. Because of this, it will only play new games on low settings with lowered resolutions so long as the VRAM limitations are managed by the user. The lower the settings and resolution in games, the less VRAM will be used. The 2 GB VRAM is perhaps the main reason why any game released after 2016 will struggle and suffer. Furthermore, the MX450’s performance is also hampered by its narrow 64-bit memory bus width, which is half the size of an RTX 3050.
When the VRAM becomes full, the MX450 struggles. It runs into problems and performs poorly. When that happens, the user can experience some jarring effects, such as RAM leaks, glitches, misbehaviors, or painful stutters in games. Overwhelmed by high-fidelity textures, the MX450 overloads when rendering above 2GB worth of VRAM. NVIDIA made this totally unfortunate compromise when designing the MX450. Limiting the chip’s VRAM prevents the chip from playing the newest game titles. NVIDIA equipped the MX450 with a measly 2 GB of RAM at a time when new games are demanding 4 or 6 GB of RAM, or more, as a minimum requirement. After the VRAM is entirely used up, it becomes a notable limitation of the GPU. The GPU seriously struggles after the VRAM becomes overloaded. The MX450 hits a brick wall after it runs out of available VRAM headroom.
The MX450 is also not a very efficient GPU either. The only way that the MX450 can be considered efficient is because it has been capped at a low 25W power limit by NVIDIA. But even still, with a low TGP this chip is not as efficient as it can be, considering that NVIDIA also released the 1650 Max-Q which is a far more performant chip whilst also being more efficient. The 1650 Max-Q can outperform the MX450 whilst consuming less power under load. Fundamentally, 1650 Max-Q is of similar size as the MX450 so it is also suitable for thin-and-light ultrabooks. According to NotebookCheck, the MX450 has "surprisingly higher power draws compared to the GTX 1650 Max-Q." (Subramaniam, NVIDIA GeForce MX450) NotebookCheck also reported that "Zhuanlan also notes that the MX450 does [indeed] have higher power consumption. In The Witcher 3, the average power consumption [of the MX450] was between 30.5 and 31.3 W and was found to exceed even that of the GTX 1650 Max-Q (28.5 W)." (Subramaniam, NVIDIA GeForce MX450) So, from an efficiency standpoint, the MX450 is beaten from one direction by rising, up-and-coming iGPUs and from the other direction by NVIDIA’s own chips which are designed specifically for high performance and energy efficiency.
The MX450, NVIDIA’s 2020 low-end entry-level GPU, can only be recommended with a lot of caveats; expectations need to be tempered. Keep in mind that the MX450 cannot run the newest games on high settings. The MX450’s main purpose, which is running older or less demanding games, should be sufficient for most consumers. If you play the newest games, skip this chip. On the other hand, if you are not a hardcore gamer, consider this GPU as a side-grade from Intel and AMD’s iGPUs. Essentially, this GPU can only be recommended provided that you play free-to-play games or older paid titles from 2016 or earlier. At least, the MX450 can play most games on low settings. Unless you need more performance output for a high-fidelity experience, MX450 will at least run, which of course isn’t much but it is something. This GPU can serve most people who play games who are not die-hard gamers who demand the most expensive and cutting-edge hardware. Essentially, the kind of shopper who would be happy with integrated graphics would probably be happy with this card too, but in that case, they’d still probably be better off opting for an iGPU anyway. It is important to keep the VRAM limitations of the MX450 in mind. Buyers should be advised to adjust their in-game settings accordingly when playing games with this GPU and of course monitor the VRAM usage while gaming.
On that note, overclocking is a good idea because it will help squeeze a little extra out of this card. Overclocking this GPU using MSI Afterburner software certainly gets a tiny improvement in FPS while gaming. The settings used in the following gaming tests are below. Core Clock is boosted by +175 MHz, and Memory Clock is boosted by +1000 MHz. These settings provide the most stable and consistent boost.
As a final point about the MX450, it seemed like a good chip in 2021, but it has totally fallen behind the times much faster than expected. It was an anemic effort from NVIDIA to stay relevant in the budget laptop GPU segment, but it has been overtaken by many integrated graphics cards from Intel and AMD, as well as undercut by some of NVIDIA’s other low-end budget chips, particularly the GTX 1600-series. There is no real reason to look out for this chip or seek out laptops that have them. The MX450 can sort of be described as the “last hurrah” or the “dying breath” of a class of cards rendered obsolete by the improvements Intel and AMD have made in their iGPUs. The MX450 was NVIDIA’s last worthwhile MX-Series chip, because, to be fair, it was indeed a big upgrade from the Pascal-based MX330, MX250, and MX150 cards, but it wasn’t enough of an upgrade to make a worthy splash in this section of the market among the likes of AMD and Intel iGPUs. NVIDIA’s last-ditch effort to stay relevant in this segment was ultimately a bust.
Further information and benchmarks about the graphics card can be found in last year’s written review [link: https://userupdate.wixsite.com/userupdate/post/lenovo-ideapad-5-15itl05-82fg00mrhv-laptop-review-mx450-dedicated-graphics-power-on-a-budget].
Gaming Performance - 1080P Ultra Settings for All Games Pre-2014, Newer Games Run at 1080P Low
Using the Lenovo Vantage "Extreme Performance" mode, Windows "Best Performance" energy mode, AC Adapter plugged into the wall, and the recommended overclocking settings described earlier in this article, the following gaming results can be achieved. This laptop is quite nice while gaming, although this is not a gaming laptop. A few games have been tested and each run perfectly fine. Without a cooling pad, GPU temps run into the high 70s, but with a cooling pad, temps will remain between 55-75C, averaging around 65C.
Game | Settings | Average FPS | Resolution |
| | | |
ArmA 2 | Very High (Highest) | 58-60 (Game’s max is 60) | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) |
Fallout New Vegas | Very High | 59-60 (Game’s max is 60) | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) |
GTA5 Online | Very High (except for texture) | 30 (VSync half) | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) |
Oblivion | Maxed (Highest) | 58-60 (Game’s max is 60) | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) |
| | | |
Apex Legends | Mostly Low | 97-100 | 1600 x 900 (900p) |
COD MWII Warzone 2.0 | Very Low | 60-72 | 1600 x 900 (900p) |
Enlisted | Low | 68-73 | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) |
No Man's Sky | Default, low, FSR | 55 | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) 50% scaling (reduced) |
The Sims 4 | Ultra, High | 64-79 | 1920 x 1080 (1080p) |
ArmA 2
ArmA 2 - Very High (Highest) - 58-60 FPS (Game’s max is 60)
Fallout New Vegas
Fallout New Vegas - Very High - 59-60 FPS (Game’s max is 60)
GTA5 Online
GTA5 Online - Very High (except for texture) FPS - 30 (VSync half)
Oblivion
Oblivion - Maxed (Highest) - 58-60 FPS (Game’s max is 60)
Apex Legends
Apex Legends - Mostly Low (Except AA and Detail) - 97-100 FPS - 1600 x 900 (900p)
COD MWII Warzone 2.0
COD MWII Warzone 2.0 - Very Low - 60-72 FPS - 1600 x 900 (900p)
Enlisted
Enlisted - Low - 68-73 FPS - 1920 x 1080 (1080p)
No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky - Low - 55 FPS - 1920 x 1080 (1080p) with 50% scaling
The Sims 4
The Sims 4 - Ultra, High - 64-79 FPS - 1920 x 1080 (1080p)
Fan Noise and Temperature - Polar Extremes: It Can Be Silent During Light Use and It Can Be Monstrously Loud When Under Heavy Load, Luckily It Is Your Choice
Here, with the MX450 there is not too much trouble with fan noise. The user can manually adjust the fan speeds, so the fan can be completely silent or obnoxiously loud. Complete silence is achieved when the laptop is unplugged on battery power and the laptop is set to the "Battery Saving" mode with the Lenovo Vantage software. Actually, the method for controlling the fan speed is limited to these "Smart Power" settings. Thus, "Battery Saving" mode also cuts down the power limits to PL118W and PL2 30W, which is roughly half of the laptop's maximum potential. In a completely silent office, a measurement of 30 decibels was recorded as the environmental noise level, and the laptop was totally inaudible. The laptop can be silent, no different from a 2020 M1 MacBook Air. This is perhaps one of this laptop’s coolest features and strengths. Hardware Info, Microsoft Edge Browser with a few tabs open, File Explorer and WPS Office were the only software open during the test. It is important to stress that this silence is only achieved while on battery power. Once the laptop is plugged in, even if it is still in “battery saver” mode, there will always be a soft, quiet, audible consistent fan noise reaching 32 db. Plugged in and set to “Intelligent Cooling” mode, there will always be a soft, quiet yet consistent fan noise measuring 38 db when running light tasks.
Lenovo Vantage Software, Power & Performance, Smart Power settings
Power limit in Battery Saving mode
Silent when on battery power with “Battery Saving” mode enabled in Lenovo Vantage
When plugged in and switched to the “Extreme Performance” mode, the laptop’s lowest fan noise measures 40 db at idle or with simple tasks running, like a web browser or a document file. In fact, under these basic conditions, the fan can get as loud as 45-50 db. However, in this mode, things can get really, really loud, as shown in the gaming tests below. With the fans blowing at maximum, this laptop can be as loud as a gaming laptop, reaching as high as 58 db, the highest noise level recorded during testing. Lenovo's "Extreme Performance" can be a bit annoying at times because it adds a whole lot of noise. Although it does also boost the power limits quite significantly to PL1 35W and PL2 64W. As mentioned last year, "Extreme Performance" mode is not recommended for quiet classrooms or study halls. Under load, the fans really do sound like a small jet ready for takeoff. In fact, games can still run decently well and get similar FPS while using the much quieter “Battery Saving” mode, so it is hard to recommend “Extreme Performance” mode other than higher scores in benchmarks and if noise levels are not a concern. There is a medium setting between the two modes, which is actually the default option called "Intelligent Cooling" mode. This mode has a power limit of PL1 25W and PL2 42W.
Power limit in Intelligent Cooling mode
Power limit in Extreme Performance mode
Mildly Audible 40 db when AC plugged in with “Extreme Performance” mode enabled in Lenovo Vantage
Loud 56 db when AC plugged in with “Extreme Performance” mode enabled in Lenovo Vantage while playing GTA 5 Online at 1080p high settings
Loud 56 db when AC plugged in with “Extreme Performance” mode enabled in Lenovo Vantage while playing Apex Legends at 900p low settings
In terms of cooling, the laptop can remain extremely cool while using the “Battery Saving” Lenovo Vantage mode, but this is because the computer becomes limited from reaching high temps overall. As for “Extreme Performance” mode, the laptop is allowed to reach the manufacturer's upper temperature limits, thus things are allowed to get really hot. For example, the keyboard deck and the WASD keys can become warm or hot under some conditions, particularly gaming, even when using a cooling pad. This laptop doesn’t have the greatest cooling solution. Fortunately, it also doesn’t have the worst cooling system, because at least temperatures are managed adequately, as this laptop is almost always cool, except for gaming. It should be noted that during the summer time, or when sitting near a radiator in the winter, this laptop struggles to stay cool when ambient room temperatures are a little warm.
Power Consumption
After a year, battery life is still great. Battery estimates provided by the Lenovo Vantage software, as well as Windows, are pretty accurate. A full battery can indeed last 10 hours of use. The battery life is adequate, and the laptop can easily last through an entire workday, when it is kept within its most power-efficient mode which combines Lenovo Vantage Intelligent cooling: "Battery saving" and Windows "Best Battery life." In this setup, the laptop operates completely silently and it is impossible to determine if the fan is running at all. Charge levels are also maintained very well when the laptop lid is closed and the laptop goes to sleep.
It's interesting to also notice the laptop's behavior while plugged in with the stock 65W power adapter. Spending hours editing video in Adobe Premiere, power draw never exceeded what the battery and wall adapter are capable of delivering. However, it is possible to exceed the power delivered through the 65W power adapter while gaming. Which is a shame.
To remedy the slow power drain while changing, users need to buy an additional 95W power adapter as an upgrade. Using this charger, the laptop will never drain the battery no matter the task and no matter the game being played. In fact, the 95W power adapter provides so much energy that it can even fill up the battery while plugged in and gaming. It may be an extra purchase and thus an additional cost but getting the 95W charger is highly recommended. The 65W charger that comes with the laptop is just too weak to be practical for tasks that place the laptop under heavy load.
95W Lenovo Power Adapter
Final Thoughts and Verdict
It’s one year later, and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 tested in this review is unfortunately already starting to feel like a dated machine. It seems like an excellent value back in 2021 considering other ultrabooks at the time. In this unit, things like the battery, power adapter, storage, and network card, can be easily upgraded, but the user is stuck with the same RAM because it is soldered to the board. It has a quad-core CPU, which is powerful enough, but the low core count is also a thing of the past. Sadly, the GPU is already showing its age, because new games require so much more than what the MX450 can provide.
Last year’s review pits the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 against the Apple 2020 M1 MacBook Air, and the Lenovo won, but this year it seems like hindsight is 20/20 and it looks like the M1 MacBook Air probably would be aging better than the Lenovo. The Lenovo still has an upgradability advantage, since there was an open drive bay, and a 960GB Kingston 7mm 2.5" SSD, which was 95 EUR at the time, was added to this review unit. Also, about a week ago, a 95W power adapter, worth 40 EUR, was added as well. Thus, the total price of the unit reviewed in this article is actually 1000 EUR. The Apple MacBook Air M1 2020 with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage capacity was sold on Amazon Germany (Amazon.de) last year for 1040 EUR, and currently, it sells for 950 EUR. Both laptops have roughly the same cost. However, unlike the Lenovo IdeaPad 5, storage in the MacBook Air cannot be expanded with an upgrade. The M1 Air does have a nicer screen, and more performant and power-efficient internal hardware. One would have to trade internal storage space for performance and endurance. Everybody will have a different opinion on that compromise.
Years ago, finding good value in the ultrabook space was nearly impossible, because manufacturers were able to demand a premium for products with this form factor. Retailers and manufacturers are still demanding a premium for these types of laptops but they are slowly becoming more reasonable, with fewer compromises. Unfortunately, with the Lenovo IdeaPad 5, the manufacturer still made too many questionable compromises, which in turn resulted in a product that seemed like a deal when released but then feels a tad bit like a rip-off just one year later. I wanted to like the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 in the long term, but its weaknesses are amplified over time, and it's too obvious now that its weaknesses will further limit and constrain the machine as time passes. After a year, the current assessment is perhaps a complete 180 from last year’s optimism. This laptop is just alright. It can be recommended to a light user, but for most people, it is better to opt for a more powerful machine.
Works Cited:
“AMD Radeon 680M” NotebookCheck.
Ngo, Allen. “Integrated graphics showdown: AMD Radeon 680M makes Intel Iris Xe look like child's play.” NotebookCheck. May 2022,
Subramaniam, Vaidyanathan “NVIDIA GeForce MX450 found to be 33.5% faster than the MX350 in gaming — half the memory bandwidth and ROPs of the GTX 1650 but with higher power draw than the GTX 1650 Max-Q” NotebookCheck. Sep. 2020, https://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-MX450-found-to-be-33-5-faster-than-the-MX350-in-gaming-half-the-memory-bandwidth-and-ROPs-of-the-GTX-1650-but-with-higher-power-draw-than-the-GTX-1650-Max-Q.489569.0.html
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