Lenovo Flex 7 laptop
A convertible 14" laptop that replaced my ASUS ROG Flow X13 (2021) .
What I like about it
SO CHEAP. I could have bought THREE of these for the cost of my previous laptop. I bought it for only $529.43 including tax, making it the cheapest laptop I've bought in my life. I found the deal on Reddit's Laptop Deals.
Excellent battery life. It's well known that x86 laptops have worse battery life than Apple silicon, but this laptop with its asymmetrical CPU and 59Wh battery have never actually run out of power on me. No battery anxiety!
Small size at 14". I've owned 15.6" and 16" laptops before, and they are just a little too big for many situations I'm in: small tables at coffee shops, small airplane trays, even in the car. A 14" can work in surprisingly more situations where a 16" laptop really cannot.
Low power consumption. It uses a 65W power brick, making it easier to charge than my previous laptop that wanted 100W and simpler to find USB-C docking stations for. It's a nightmare trying to find a docking station that will charge 100W while also providing sufficient IO.
Great pixel density. Text looks wonderful on the display. 188PPI is amazing pixel density at this price.
Webcam can be physically shut. For some shocking reason, many laptops do not have this, opting for only a light indicator to let you know if the webcam is on, but this too can be hacked. A physical switch is a rare example of something unhackable.
Convertible hinge and touchscreen. Like my last laptop, I constantly use it in tent mode for a clean two display setup, and the touchscreen I use constantly, most commonly so I can hand it to people in my house to choose which food items they want delivered.
Thunderbolt 4. This means I can use the best Thunderbolt 4 docks and accessories, such as an EGPU in future. This should mitigate one of its biggest downsides below.
What I don't like
Overheating. There is only one vent - at the bottom of the laptop. This easily is obstructed when using the laptop in bed. Additionally, the battery chemistry is so bad that when the laptop is plugged in and recharging, the laptop can thermal throttle while doing nothing simply because the battery gets so hot.
Performance dips. Despite excellent benchmarks of the Intel 1355U CPU, I frequently encounter moments of slowness on even mundane tasks like typing into Obsidian. This is magnified by the overheating problem.
Awful GPU. GPU is Iris XE, which is awful. Even ancient games like Starcraft 2 do not run well on it, limiting me to simple 3D or 2D games. I have seen it at over 90% utilisation when doing just desktop tasks. This is its weakest point and the one thing I want to change the most.
Only one USB-C port. Additionally, this one port is on the left side, but I want it on the right.
Ergonomics. Front edge where wrist rests is a bit sharp. Also the Up and down arrow keys are a bit small and hard to press.
Touchpad disabled when typing. This is a huge problem if I want to attempt basic gaming.
Screen is only 60Hz. Not a huge problem, but disappointing nonetheless.