Lenovo Ideapad 5 Pro 16" LENOVO Storm Gray 2021

The Lenovo Ideapad 5 Pro is a 16-inch laptop with a stunning 2.5K display that punches way above its price class. It's great for everyday productivity and media consumption, but the soldered 8GB of RAM and integrated graphics hold it back for gaming or heavy multitasking. If you can find it under $700 and prioritize screen quality, it's a solid buy.

The Ryzen 5 5600H is a 6-core, 12-thread chip that sits right around the 51st percentile in our database. That's solidly average for a laptop in this price range, but it's worth noting this is a 45W H-series processor, not the lower-power U-series chips you usually find in thin laptops. In practice, that means it can sustain heavier workloads like video calls, dozens of browser tabs, and light photo editing without choking. It won't keep up with the latest Intel Core Ultra or Apple M-series chips, but for the money, it's a capable workhorse.

The integrated Vega6 graphics land at the 76th percentile, which is actually above average for integrated GPUs. You can play esports titles like League of Legends or Valorant at 1080p with decent settings, but anything more demanding will struggle. The 8GB of RAM is the real bottleneck here. At the 14th percentile, it's one of the weakest specs on this machine. 8GB is fine for basic use today, but it's already the bare minimum, and you can't upgrade it later since it's soldered. If you're a tab hoarder or plan to keep this laptop for more than a couple years, that's something to think about.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Pro M5, the Lenovo gets absolutely demolished in performance and battery life, but it also costs a fraction of the price. The MacBook is in a different league entirely. The MSI Prestige and ASUS Zenbook Duo are closer competitors, both offering newer processors and more RAM at similar price points, though you might sacrifice that big 16-inch 2.5K panel. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition has a better trackpad, better speakers, and a more premium feel, but again, you're paying more for a smaller screen. The Acer Predator Helios Neo is the wildcard. It'll run circles around the Ideapad in games thanks to a dedicated GPU, but it's heavier, louder, and has a worse display for color-sensitive work. The Lenovo sits in a weird middle ground: better screen than most budget laptops, but weaker specs than performance-focused machines at the same price.

Pricing on this model is all over the place, ranging from $599 to $807 depending on the vendor. At the low end, this is a steal for the display quality and build you're getting. At $800, it's a tougher sell when you can find laptops with 16GB of RAM and newer processors for similar money. The sweet spot is definitely under $700. Compared to something like the Acer Predator Helios Neo, you're trading gaming power for a much better screen and more portable design. If you're mostly doing office work, streaming, and light photo editing, the Ideapad 5 Pro gives you a premium-feeling machine without the premium price tag.

The Lenovo Ideapad 5 Pro is one of those laptops that looks like it should cost way more than it does. You're getting a big, beautiful 16-inch 2.5K display with a 2560x1440 resolution, 100% sRGB coverage, and 350 nits of brightness. That's the kind of screen you'd normally find on a premium ultrabook, not a machine that starts around $599. It's clearly aimed at people who want a solid everyday laptop for streaming, office work, and light creative tasks without breaking the bank.

Under the hood, you've got an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, a 6-core processor that's more common in gaming laptops than thin-and-lights. Paired with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and a 512GB SSD, it handles multitasking and boot times well enough for most people. The integrated Radeon RX Vega6 graphics won't blow anyone away, but they're fine for casual photo editing or older games. Just don't expect to run Cyberpunk on this thing.

At 4.4 pounds and 0.67 inches thick, it's not the lightest 16-inch laptop out there, but the aluminum chassis feels sturdy. The backlit keyboard is a nice touch for late-night work sessions, and the port selection (USB-C, two USB-A, HDMI) covers the basics without needing a dongle for everything. If you've been searching for a large-screen laptop under $800 with a killer display, the Ideapad 5 Pro deserves a spot on your shortlist.

Gamers and anyone who needs serious graphics power should skip this. The integrated Vega6 GPU just isn't cut out for modern games or GPU-accelerated creative work like 3D rendering. If you're a heavy multitasker who keeps dozens of tabs and apps open, the 8GB of non-upgradeable RAM will frustrate you sooner rather than later. For those users, something like the Acer Predator Helios Neo with a dedicated GPU and more RAM makes more sense, even if the screen isn't as nice. Video editors working with 4K footage should also look elsewhere, as the combination of limited RAM and integrated graphics will make for a painful editing experience.

If you want a big, beautiful screen for watching movies, editing photos, or just having a ton of workspace, and you don't need to play demanding games or run heavy creative software, the Ideapad 5 Pro is a fantastic choice, especially if you can snag it closer to $600. The display alone makes it feel more expensive than it is. But that 8GB of RAM is a real limitation. It's fine today, but in two or three years, you'll probably feel the pinch as apps and websites get hungrier.

For students or anyone who just needs a reliable machine for papers, Netflix, and light multitasking, this is an easy recommendation. For gamers, video editors, or anyone who keeps 50 Chrome tabs open, you should probably look elsewhere. The screen is the star here, and if that's your priority, you'll be happy. Just know what you're signing up for with that RAM situation.