This is the cheapest 8-core laptop we could find and it’s a Lenovo
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14-inch 2-in-1 PC – $669.00
(roughly £550)
This convertible 2-in-1 from Lenovo is a great choice for consumers and businesses alike. Despite its middling price point, the device is packing a top of the range AMD Ryzen CPU, so should chew through almost any task.View Deal
The IdeaPad Flex 5 14 (81X20002US) is Lenovo’s mainstream 2-in-1 convertible laptop, with a footprint slightly bigger than a sheet of A4 and weighing a mere 1.65kg.
The machine will appeal to both consumers and small businesses thanks to its versatility (it can be used as a laptop or tablet) and fantastic value for money.
What’s surprising is that it packs an 8-core CPU from AMD, the Ryzen 7 4700U, which comes with an integrated Radeon GPU. That is a top of the range processor – more powerful than most desktop CPUs on the market – and you’re not being asked to pay a premium.
The rest of the configuration is very much what you’d expect: 14-inch IPS full HD touchscreen display, 8GB of memory (likely to be soldered and therefore not upgradable) and 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD.
There’s also a card reader, audio connector, HDMI port, three USB ports (including one Type-C) and a 52.5Whr battery that can power the device for up to 10 hours.
The IdeaPad Flex 5 is also compatible with Lenovo’s Digital Pen, and has a backlit keyboard and proprietary power port.
Lenovo has included a couple of privacy-focused features, such as a privacy shutter on the webcam and a fingerprint reader. There’s no vPro, but that is perhaps a bit too much to ask.
An excellent device all in all, but let down slightly by its HD webcam (we’d prefer a higher resolution one) and Bluetooth connectivity (still on 4.2).
Bear in mind
- Microsoft only ships the Ideapad Flex 5 in the US, so international customers will have to use a specialist parcel forwarding service to take advantage of the deal.
- If you’ve managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we’ll tip our hat to you.
