Meet the $599 8-core AMD Ryzen laptop that's rewriting the rules of computing

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14-inch laptop - $599.00 at Walmart
Fastest computer u...

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14-inch laptop - <a href="https://goto.walmart.com/c/1943169/565706/9383?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FLenovo-IdeaPad-5-14-Laptop-AMD-Ryzen-7-4700U-Octa-Core-Processor-8GB-Memory-256GB-Solid-State-Drive-Windows-10-Graphite-Grey-81YM0060US%2F986492987" data-link-merchant="walmart.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$599.00 at Walmart
This Lenovo device is the cheapest AMD Ryzen 8-core laptop on the market by far, undercutting all the competition. For your money, you also get a 14-inch full HD IPS screen, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD - check it out.

At only $599 at Walmart (even outside of Black Friday), the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is probably one of the best value for money laptops you never heard of when it comes to sheer performance for your hard-earned money.

(If you do not live in the US, check the deals we have listed at the end of this article)

You won't actually find a new (non-refurbished) desktop computer that will match it in terms of raw compute performance. That's because it houses an 8-core/8-thread AMD Ryzen 7 4700U processor.

Not only is this the one of the fastest laptop processors on the market, it is also a very capable rival to desktop processors found in computers that retail in the same price bracket.

What else do you get for your money? Well, the IdeaPad 5 comes in a choice of three colours (depending on stock), a 14-inch full HD IPS display, 8GB of DDR4 memory (soldered), a 256GB PCIe SSD and a 57WHr battery that should last up to 14 hours.

What it demonstrates is that, unless you have a very specific use case for a desktop PC (e.g. you require a lot of ports or expansion capabilities), a laptop - despite having far more features - usually ends up costing less. Thank the laws of demand and supply and economies of scale for that.

The processor has eight threads and seven GPU cores with a base clock speed of 2GHz, 12MB cache and a default TDP of only 15W. The graphics subsystem is not too shabby either, thanks to the integrated Vega GPU - great for anyone looking for a business laptop or mobile workstation.

A fingerprint reader is integrated with the power button and there's a privacy shutter to block the webcam when it's not in use. Small features like this could be a boon for small businesses and professionals looking for a powerful laptop that takes security seriously.

It is a shame, however, that it doesn’t include Windows 10 Pro, but you can always upgrade from Windows 10 Home (albeit at a cost). Connectivity and expansion capabilities include an SD card reader, audio connector, HDMI port, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, two USB ports and a USB Type-C that provides power as well.

Bear in mind

  • If this product is unavailable in your region, you may need to use a specialist parcel forwarding service to take advantage of the deal
  • If you've 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.
Desire Athow
Managing Editor, TechRadar Pro

Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.