Lenovo 14" Flex Review

The Lenovo Flex with the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U is a bit of a puzzle. It's a convertible 2-in-1, which means you can flip the screen around and use it like a tablet, and it's got a touchscreen. That makes it sound like a modern, flexible machine. But when you look at the specs, you see an older AMD processor from a few generations back, and only 8GB of RAM. It's a weird mix of a flexible form factor with some pretty dated internals.

So who is this for? Honestly, it's a tough sell. The best-fit scores say it's okay for someone who needs a compact laptop for basic business or student work. If you just need a portable machine for web browsing, documents, and video calls, and you really want that touchscreen and convertible feature, this could work. But if you're thinking about anything more demanding, you'll hit limits fast.

What makes it interesting is that price. At around $700, it's trying to be a budget-friendly convertible. You're getting that flexible design for less than you'd pay for a new Surface or a high-end Yoga. The question is whether the older processor and limited RAM are too big a compromise to make that flexibility worth it.

Let's talk about what those numbers mean. The AMD Ryzen 7 4700U is an 8-core chip, which sounds great on paper, but its performance lands in the 29th percentile. That means it's slower than about 70% of other laptop CPUs out there. For everyday tasks like having a dozen browser tabs open, streaming video, and working on a document, it'll be fine. But start trying to edit photos, run multiple apps at once, or do anything that needs sustained power, and you'll notice it starting to chug. It's not a powerhouse, it's a basic workhorse.

The GPU situation is similar. It uses the integrated AMD Radeon graphics that come with the processor. It scores in the 64th percentile, which is actually its strongest area. That means it's okay for very light, casual gaming or maybe some old titles on low settings. But don't expect to play the latest AAA games. The real bottleneck, though, is that 8GB of RAM. That's in the 10th percentile, which is brutally low for 2024. With Windows and a few apps running, you'll be using most of that. It severely limits how much you can do at once and will be the first thing to slow you down.

At around $700, the Lenovo Flex is trying to hit a budget convertible price point. Compared to other convertibles from Lenovo's own Yoga line or from Microsoft, it's definitely cheaper. But you're paying for that lower price with significantly older and weaker components.

The value really depends on how much you need that 2-in-1 hinge. If a standard clamshell laptop is fine, you can find newer processors, double the RAM, and better screens for the same $700. You're essentially spending part of your budget on the convertible mechanism instead of on performance. For the right person who values the form factor above all else, it's an option. For everyone else, it's a compromise that's hard to recommend.

Looking at the competitors, this Flex is in a strange spot. The ASUS Zenbook Duo is another dual-screen convertible, but it's in a much higher performance and price league. A more direct competitor might be an older model Surface Laptop or a base model HP Envy x360. Those often have similar convertible designs but might offer slightly newer specs or better screens for a bit more money.

Then you have the non-convertible options. For $700, you could look at a modern Lenovo IdeaPad or an Acer Swift with a current-gen Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5, 16GB of RAM, and a better display. You lose the touchscreen and flipping hinge, but you gain a much more capable and future-proof machine for general use. The trade-off is clear: form versus function. The Flex sacrifices a lot of function to keep its form factor at this price.

If you are a student or casual user who absolutely must have a touchscreen and the ability to use your laptop as a tablet for reading or notes, and your budget is rigidly stuck at $700, this Lenovo Flex can work. Just go in knowing its limits. Plan to only have a few programs open at a time, and don't expect it to handle heavy workloads or last you more than a couple of years before feeling sluggish.

For almost everyone else, I'd say look elsewhere. If you don't need the convertible feature, you can get a much better all-around laptop for the money. If you need the convertible feature and can stretch your budget a little, even a slightly more expensive model from a previous year's sale will give you a better CPU and more RAM, which you will absolutely notice. This Flex is a very niche pick for a very specific need.