Budget laptops are finally improving. Extra RAM and more efficient processors are making cheap laptops significantly more pleasant to use and recommend.
However, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 is somewhat of an old-school budget laptop. It uses a cheaper Intel chip, which compromises performance and battery life, and at first glance, it appears to be overpriced. While this machine doesn't move the needle for budget PCs, if you need a 16-inch laptop, there's just barely enough here to make it worth buying on discount. Just know exactly what you're getting into.
Boring but Well-Built
Photograph: Luke Larsen
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 is a large, 16-inch laptop that is 0.72 inches thick and 4.41 pounds. It’s a hefty laptop. To be fair, it’s actually lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro. That’s partially because the IdeaPad 5i is made out of plastic. Fortunately, it’s still fairly well-built. The lid is sturdy and doesn't flex, and it's the only part made of aluminum. There’s a bit of give in the keyboard if you push hard enough, but it’s nothing too egregious.
It’s not necessarily a bad-looking laptop. Just generic. There’s a slightly more attractive Cosmic Blue color that might look nicer, but I haven’t seen it in person. Unfortunately, you can’t open it with one hand, even though it has a 360-degree hinge. That’s what makes it a 2-in-1 laptop, allowing you to position it in tent mode or lay it flat. The heft of this thing pretty much guarantees that you won’t be holding it as a tablet—that’s for sure. I’ve never understood the appeal of 2-in-1 capabilities on a laptop this large, but the addition of a touchscreen is always a plus.
The IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 has a decent port selection. On the left, you get two USB-C ports (one for charging), HDMI, and a headphone jack. The right side has two USB-A ports, a micro SD card slot, and the power button. Not having a USB-C port on the right side is annoying, as it means you can only charge from one side. It’s a constant point of frustration on many laptops.