We reviewers are used to obsessing over incremental technology changes, but every now and then a supernova appears on our radar - something that can single handedly change the status quo.
The AMD Ryzen 4000 family is one such supernova and promises to bring some of the best processing performance ever to laptops, at a price that defies logic.
(Updated 04/27: The IdeaPad 5 laptop is now available in the US but, alas!, you can't configure it to your needs. There's only one model available, the 81YQ0007US, which retails for $689.99. It has a Ryzen 5 4500U, 8GB and 512GB SSD. You won't be able to remove Windows 10 for example or change the CPU)
When we first laid eyes on the Ideapad 5 15, it was immediately clear Lenovo is going for the jugular.
Available for as as little as £475 (roughly $590/AU$920), the IdeaPad is considered an entry level model, so we were delighted to see the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U making an emphatic appearance.
Unfortunately, the Ideapad 5 15 isn't available outside of Europe, so international customers may have to use a specialist parcel forwarding service if they want to take advantage of the deal.
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The laptop comes with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD (M.2 2242, PCIe-NVMe, TLC) and, most importantly, you can swap out Windows 10 for FreeDOS (an MS-DOS equivalent).
You can also add a dummy hard disk drive for free, which means you can integrate a secondary 2.5-inch SSD at a later date.
Have you 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.
It also features a 15.6-inch full HD TN display, which you can swap for a touch/non-touch superior IPS model for a small additional fee.
Likewise, if your budget will allow, you can add a fingerprint reader, replace the 45Whr battery with a 57Whr model and exchange the Wireless 2x2 AC for a more advanced Wi-Fi 6 2x2 AX.
Note, the machine is not yet available in Australia or the US, but we've contacted Lenovo to find out when it will appear in non-European regions.
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