2023 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5/5i gen 8 – AMD/Intel models, what to expect

In this article, we’re discussing the 2023 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 and Ideapad Pro 5i lineups.

These include some exciting all-purpose configurations, available in either 14-inch or 16-inch sizes, and with either AMD (Pro 5 models) or Intel (Pro 5i models) specs, alongside optional Nvidia dGPUs. They’re the kind of laptops you’ll want for everyday use, due to the portable form factor and balanced features, but they can also tackle demanding work/school/game activities fairly well, if needed.

Unlike the mainstream and more affordable Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 models of this year, the Pros are more premium designs with more powerful specs and cooling, larger batteries, and better IO and display options. At the same time, though, these are significantly more expensive, starting at 1099 EUR for the AMD models and 1199 for the Intel models here in Europe, and easily going for 1.5-2K once you spec them up.

As far as those specs go, on the AMD side, the IdeaPad Pro 5 models are available with up to AMD Ryzen 7000 Phoenix processors and up to RTX 4050 graphics from Nvidia (on the 16-inch models), while the Intel variants are built on Intel 13th-gen Raptor Lake Core H hardware with the same sort of optional graphics.

Down below we go over the main features, strong points, and potential quirks of the two size and platform variants. We’ll follow up with detailed reviews once these are available in stores.

Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5/5i Gen 8 14-inch models

Here’s a full specs sheet of the 14-inch IdeaPad Pro 5 and 5i models, with the various configuration options and particularities.

Let’s go over the similarities first.

The two are the same design, with an all-aluminum chassis available in either Grey or Blue colors, a thin profile, and a weight of 1.4-1.5 kilos between the available configurations. That’s on par with other 14-inch lightweight all-purpose laptops that we’ve tested in the past, such as the Lenovo Slim 7i Pro X lineup or the Acer Swift 14X and Asus VivoBook Pro 14X.

The two get the same inputs, with a standard IdeaPad keyboard layout and a spacious clickpad, similar biometrics with a finger sensor and an IR camera, up-firing speakers flanking the keyboard, as well as the same display options.

Lenovo are opting for two IPS panels on these IdeaPad Pro 5 models, with the higher-tier choice being a 2.8K IPS 120Hz with 400-nits brightness and 100% sRGB colors. That means there’s no OLED panel available for these Pro 5s, and no high-gamut panel either – I’d reckon those are reserved for 2023 Yoga Slim 7/7i Pro X updates that should be released at some point, as follow-ups of the popular 2022 Yoga Slim 7i Pro X models.

The IO is nearly identical between the two as well, with UBS-C and USB-A slots, an HDMI 2.1, an audio jack, and a full-size card reader. The only difference is that one of the USB-C ports supports USB 4.0 on the AMD units, and Thunderbolt 4.0 on the Intel variants.

And that brings us to the platform differences between the two.

On one side, there’s the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 gen8 built on AMD processors and AMD iGPUs on this 14-inch chassis, with up to 32 GB of LPDDR5/LPDDR5x memory and gen4 SSD storage. The SSD is a standard 2280 M.2 slot, but the RAM and the other major components are non-upgradeable. On top of these, there’s also a 75 Wh battery inside, which should ensure some excellent runtimes on these efficient AMD platforms.

Speaking of, you will be able to get the 5 Pro 14-inch with either AMD Ryzen 7000 HS Phoenix processors based on Zen4 Cores and Radeon 700M-Series graphics (Ryzen 7 7840HS, Ryzen 5 7640HS), or the AMD Ryzen 7000 HS Rembrandt-Refresh processors based on Zen3+ Cores and Radeon 600M-Series graphics (Ryzen 7 7735HS). I know this can get confusing, but we’ll explain the differences in future articles, once we get to properly review them.

On the other side, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i gen8 is built on Intel 13th-gen Raptor Lake Core H processors (Core i7-13700H, Core i5-13500H), with Iris integrated graphics and an optional Nvidia RTX 3050 6GB dGPU in this 14-inch model. In comparison, there’s no dGPU for the 14-inch AMD configurations. That’s somewhat understandable, given the superior graphics performance of the RDNA-based AMD iGPUs over the Intel iGPUs, but this also means that the Intel models are the more powerful all-around configurations when specced to the i7+3050 specs.

What’s unclear to me is whether there are some differences in cooling between the two, as well as the exact kind of thermal modules that Lenovo are going to implement on these Pro 5/5i designs. In the past, the 14-inch Pro 5 models included a single fan, single radiator, and two heatpipes, but also ran on lower-power specs, so that might have changed for the 2023 updates. Lenovo are offering a complex cooling module in their Slim 7i Pro X units, so perhaps something similar will be implemented on the Pro 5s as well. I’ll update you once we know more.

The cooling module on the 2022 Slim 7i Pro X model – something similar might be available for these 14-inch 2023 IdeaPad Pro 5s

All in all, I expect these IdeaPad Pro 5/5i 2023 generations to be some of the most popular 14-inch all-purpose laptops of the year, much like their predecessors in the past. The 2023 updates are significant refinements of the older models, with updated designs and builds, better IO, better screens, more powerful hardware, and a larger battery. The screen choices, on the other hand, are the only potential limitation of these lineups, alongside perhaps pricing and availability.

From what we know so far, these IdeaPad Slim 14-inch models will be available here in Europe around April 2023, with the AMD variants starting at 1099 EUR and the Intel units starting at 1199 EUR. You won’t find them in the US/Canada markets, though, where only certain variants of the 16-inch Pro 5 models will be available.

Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5/5i Gen 8 16-inch models

Here’s a full specs sheet of the larger and more powerful 16-inch IdeaPad Pro 5 and Pro 5i models.

Design-wise, these are larger kins of the 14-inch models, with a larger display and overall footprint, a slightly thicker chassis, and a total weight just shy of 2 kilos.

Not much changes in terms of IO or inputs, with the only difference being the extra NumPad area on these 16-inch keyboards, and the fact that the touchpad is positioned towards the left side of the laptop, centered under the space key.

As far as the screen goes, both 16-inch IdeaPad Pro 5 models ship with a middling IPS panel by today’s standards, sharp at 2.5K resolution, but only average in terms of brightness (350-nits) and colors (100% sRGB gamut coverage). Once more, no wide-gamut panel or OLED is available for this series.

Internally, these are still available in either AMD Rzeyn or Intel Core variants, with the same choices in processors, up to 32 GB of onboard LPDDR5 memory, gen4 M.2 SSD storage, and 75 Wh batteries.

However, both can be configured with either RTX 3050 6GB or RTX 4050 6GB dedicated GPUs from Nvidia, and both most likely get a dual-fan, dual-radiator, dual-heat-pipe thermal module in order to cope with these specs. Lenovo haven’t offered any details on the power settings or noise levels that we should expect with these laptops, but expect a mid-power implementation with mid-level noise levels around 42 dBA, based on our reviews of the previous-gen IdeaPad 5 Pro 16 models.

We’ll know more once we get to properly tests these Lenovo laptops, somewhere toward the middle of the year. Just like the 14-inch variants, the 16-inch models are expected in stores around April-May 2023. The Intel-based IdeaPad Pro 5i will be available worldwide, including on the North American market, while the AMD Pro 5 model will only be available in Europe and Asia.

That’s about it for now on these 2023 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5/5i all-purpose laptops. Look for our review coverage later in the year, and in the meantime, let me know what you think about them in the comments section down below.