Lenovo Legion 5i is the best gaming laptop in the market. If you are looking for a powerful and portable device that can offer you a great gaming experience, then this is the perfect option for you. The laptop comes with a number of features that will make your gaming sessions more enjoyable.
Lenovo Legion 5i
Pros
- The RTX 2060 GPU delivers more than 60fps for demanding games
- Display at 144Hz for multiplayer games
- Compact, well-built, and with good battery life
- Redesigned keyboard with full Numpad
- 1TB SSD storage with plenty of ports including Ethernet and USB C
Cons
- The design may be plain to some.
- It is not particularly lightweight for its screen size.
1. Specifications
Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920×1080) IPS, 165Hz refreshrate, 3ms response time. 100% sRGB. 300 nits. Dolby Vision support, AMD FreeSync Premium
Processor: AMD Ryzen7 5800H (3.2GHz to 4.40GHz with 8 Cores, 16 Threads and 16MB Cache)
Wireless Connection: WiFi 6 802.11AX (2×2); Bluetooth(r)
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX3060, 6GB DDR6, Maximum Graphics Power 130W
Memory: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
Camera: HD720p with E shutter
Ports: USB 3.2 Gen 2 DisplayPort(tm), 1.4, Headphone/mic combo, USB 3.2 Gen 1 E-Shutter button. 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-C3.2 Gen 2 DisplayPort(tm), 1.4 & Power Delivery), HDMI 2.1 RJ45. Power input
Battery: 80Wh
2. Design & Appearance
The Lenovo Legion 5i has a simple but elegant design. The notebook features two logos: the Lenovo logo is on the one side and the LEGION logo diagonally to the Lenovo logo. It has a matte plastic top surface that feels great to the touch but attracts fingerprints easily.
The display is very immersive when we open the laptop. The show supports physical switching and retains the webcam. The notebook’s top surface can be extended to allow the laptop to turn on automatically. This feature can be configured in Lenovo Computer Manager and Lenovo Vantage. The Lenovo Legion 5i will enable you to open the door up to 180 degrees. This form is not usually available, but it can be considered a bonus point.
This notebook’s keyboard uses a frosted material. It has a small keyboard. The QR code for Lenovo’s enjoyment service is located in the notebook’s bottom left corner. The stickers are for Nvidia GeForce RTX, Radeon, and AMD Ryzen. The power button can be found at the top of the keyboard, while the touchpad is smooth and easy to navigate.
There is a large footpad at the bottom near the air outlet and two smaller footpads below. These pads prevent the notebook’s sliding off of a surface. The places slightly raise the notebook, increasing the volume of air coming from the bottom vent. A vent makes up about 30% to 40% of the base. This notebook is very serious about heat dissipation.
3. Screen
The laptop features a 15.6-inch 1920×1080 resolution IPS matte display with a nominal 100% SRB color gamut and a 165Hz refresh speed.
DisplayCal and Blue Spider X were used to test the screen. The LCD screen model LP156WFG–SPT2 is included. The sRGB color gamut is 99.7%, Adobe RGB is 76.2%, and the DCI-P3 is 81.2% DCI-P3. The screen’s quality is excellent, and the sRGB gamut is almost entirely covered.
Another attractive feature of this device is its color accuracy. The maximum brightness is 359.6nit, and the default color temperature is 6300K. Some people may find the screen yellowish. The screen’s average color deviation (Delta E) is 2.36. Its maximum color deviation (Delta E) is 7.48.
We discovered that Lenovo didn’t calibrate the display’s color right out of the box. The numbers are reasonable considering that the show is uncalibrated. This screen is essential and can be used for simple creative tasks even after being self-calibrated.
4. Ports
The device has multiple ports on the three sides and the two sides and back. The USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 DisplayPort 1.4 port is located on the left side.
To the right is a USB 3.2 Gen 1 and an E-Shutter (physical camera switch) as well as a power indicator.
The majority of ports are located on the device’s rear. There are three USB-A 3.2Gen 1 and USB-C3.2 Gen 2 ports (DisplayPorts 1.4 & Power Delivery), HDMI 2.1, RJ45 Jack, and Power input.
In terms of interface, the Lenovo Legion 5i AMD Ryzen 7 5800H is highly complete. The users have many options when it comes to connectivity.
5. Touchpad and keyboard
Most Legion series keyboards are almost identical. The Legion 5i is no exception. The market has praised the keyboard and keycap design. This device has a backlight and also features a Legion TrueStrike keyboard. The Legion TrueStrike is 100 percent anti-ghosting and has a sub-millisecond response time. Soft-landing switches allow for hair-trigger accuracy. This dramatically improves trigger speed and precision. You will also enjoy satisfying keystrokes.
The keystroke length of the key is 1.5mm. It has an arc keycap that conforms to the curvature and curve of the finger. This keyboard is more attractive due to its round keycaps and the large touchpad measuring 4.7 inches x 3 inches. This keyboard is very similar to the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro keyboard.
Although the touchpad measures 4.2×2.8 inches, it is still smaller than I expected. Windows 10 gestures performed well when I tried them out. The touchpad’s bottom corners provided firm feedback and audible clicks.
6. CPU and GPU
To obtain the CPU data of the Lenovo Legion 5i AMD model, we used CPU-Z. This notebook is equipped with the AMD R7-5800H CPU. It’s an 8-core 16 thread CPU that AMD launched in 2021. It is 45W in TDP, has a 7nm manufacturing process, and has a 16M three-level cache.
Nvidia’s new generation graphics card, the GeForce RTX3060, is used in Legion 5i. This GPU supports ray-tracing and has 3840 rendering units.
Many aspects of performance testing must be tested. Display tests are already done. Other features such as the CPU, GPU, and memory were tested. The device includes MUX graphics card switching as well as three performance modes.
CineBench R15
CineBench R15 was used to measure the single-core CPU performance of the notebook’s core output and direct-out modes. The CineBench R15 test shows that the two methods have little to no effect on single-core CPU performance. Both ways score 234cb or 235cb, respectively, which could be considered errors.
CineBench R15 platform was also used to conduct 15 rounds of multicore testing. CineBench R15’s CPU multi-core score for direct mode graphics card displays is slightly higher than the mode score of core display output. These are the test results. However, the difference is insignificant, and most users won’t notice it.
CineBench R20
CineBench R20 was used to measure the single-core CPU performance of the notebook’s display output and graphics card direct mode. The results showed almost no difference. Similar results were obtained in CineBench R15. These scores, 560cb & 562cb respectively, can be considered errors.
We discovered a strange phenomenon in the CineBench R20 multi-core test. CineBench 20’s multi-core performance test results are reversed. The CPU multicore score for the direct output mode is slightly lower than the core graphics output.
The R15 results and R20 will show the same trends but different numbers. We are not able to determine why these figures have changed.
GPU
3DMark was used to test the different output modes of the GPU and the performance modes of the notebook. A test was also done with TimeSpy and Fire Strike Extreme.
The 3DMark test shows no difference in the output modes of the core display mode and the direct output mode. The intelligent and beast modes (high power modes) are vastly different. This difference can be as high as 20%
The high power mode has a significant impact on the running score. Also, the core display output will have a more substantial effect on the game’s performance. Frame delay will increase, and the CPU will consume more memory bandwidth and power. The result will be a slight decrease in-game performance. This gap can be ignored if you’re not sensitive to delays and frames.
7. SSD and Memory
CrystalDiskInfo was also used to access the SSD information. The result shows that the SSD used in this notebook is Samsung’s PM981A. It has a capacity of 512GB. The internal storage can go up to 2TB. It supports the NVMe protocol, and the transmission mode is PCIE3.0x4. This is a high-performance NVMe SSD that performs well. CyrstalDiskMark was used to test the SSD. The sequential read speed was 3554.5M/s, and the write speed was 2968.5M/s. These are high-quality SSD scores.
Two 8GB DDR4 3200Mhz memory units are included in the Lenovo Legion 5i. It uses a dual-memory channel. AIDA64 is used to test the memory performance. The results show that memory read and write speed is excellent, while the latency of 76.4ns is observed. The memory performance of the Zen3 architecture’s R7-5800H has been improved over that of its Zen2 architecture counterpart.
8. Heat dissipation
We only considered the beast mode (high power mode) for the heat dissipation testing. This mode is the most efficient heat dissipation and temperature output. The ambient temperature is 19 degrees Celsius. The humidity is 80%, there is no wind, and 80%. To assess heat dissipation, we used the AIDA64 stability test.
The CPU power consumption stabilizes at 65W for the first 10 minutes. The temperature is 80C after that. The CPU power consumption stays at 65W after that. The CPU frequency is now 3.775Ghz, and the temperature is 73.6degC. The machine’s heat dissipation is high, which results in a more significant performance release.
The CPU’s initial power consumption is 65W, while the graphics card’s power consumption is 115W. After the temperature wall, the CPU power consumption drops to 45W. However, the graphics card still maintains 115W. The CPU frequency is now 3.35Ghz, and the graphics card frequency 1256Mhz. The CPU temperature is 85.5, and the graphics card temperature is 75.3.
The Lenovo Legion, 5i AMD version, reached its limit of 160W CPU + graphics card power consumption. If the room temperature is slightly lower than the recommended temperature, it may get the limit and decrease the frequency.
Fortunately, the fan noise was not too loud throughout the testing process. The noise level at the highest setting is 47dB, which is very comfortable and pleasant. For a gaming laptop, the heat dissipation level of 45+115W can be awe-inspiring. The central heat vent is located at the device’s rear, so most heat escapes through the middle of the device. The keyboard is also situated in the middle of the device, so there is a lot of heat there. An external keyboard may be a good option for gamers who want to play games.
9. Performance
We have no complaints about gaming or using the Lenovo Legion 5i for just about any other purpose.
The Legion 5i was capable of keeping up with all our daily tasks. Windows 10 starts up quickly, and its programs’ speed is also evident.
This machine was able to play our favorite games, such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Destiny 2, even at Ultra settings. Although you might only get 1080p gaming, the Legion 5i is so good that you won’t even miss 4K.
The benchmarks show that the FPS drops below 60 at the highest settings, but you still get around 50 FPS. A little bit of giving and take is perfectly acceptable at this price. If you want an FPS boost, you don’t need to change the settings.
The Legion 5i is not an excellent camera. The webcam is not the best. It blurs the image more than we would like unless you are in bright areas. Also, the 256GB storage gets full very quickly.
We were able to download three games of decent size at once. If you don’t like downloading too many, you should consider upgrading the internal hardware or buying a larger model.
Fan noise can also be a problem. Although the cooling system works well, we were able to play late into the night with the Legion 5i in our laps without any discomfort. However, the noise can sometimes interrupt the immersion. The laptop is almost silent if you’re not gaming.
10. Batteries
Low battery life is another issue with the Lenovo Legion 5i. Although it’s not as bad as a gaming laptop, you should still keep your charging cable handy for when you are on the move.
Our movie test took just six and a quarter hours. The PC Mark 10 test, which simulates intense day-to-day tasks, took just over five hours. Both of these are disappointing results for a device meant to be carried around.
This laptop is affordable and has power-hungry components, so short battery life was expected. It is nice to get more juice from your gadgets.
Read also: Lenovo Thinkpad E585 Review: Best Full Guide 2022
When should I purchase Lenovo Legion 5i?
1. You are looking for a less expensive gaming laptop
The Lenovo Legion 5i costs just under $1000, which is a lot for a gaming laptop. However, it’s a good deal compared to other gaming laptops, and you’ll save a lot of money with very few compromises in performance.
2. Gaming at 1080p is fine
The Lenovo Legion 5i is a great option if you don’t need 4K immediately.
3. You desire a premium appearance
The Lenovo Legion 5i’s design is top-notch. It’s less bulky than other gaming laptops, but we love the premium, cool vibe it gives off.
Lenovo Legion 5i: Why not?
1. You enjoy playing many different games at once
We were given a Lenovo Legion 5i model with limited storage. Either delete and download more games, or you’ll have to do it again.
2. A great webcam is essential
The webcam built into the Lenovo Legion 5i doesn’t work well unless you are in bright surroundings. Otherwise, you will have to accept a blurry image.
3. You desire a gaming experience that is free from compromises
Although the Lenovo Legion 5i is a good option, you will need to balance performance and graphics. This is not the right product for you if you are looking for both.
Conclusion
The Legion 5i laptop is a powerful, convenient, and simple-to-use machine with a gorgeous G-Sync display, comfortable keyboard, and powerful processor. However, you may need to tweak its Optimus settings a little to get the best out of it.
If you are willing to work with drivers, the bright, colorful, 144Hz display and comfortable Lenovo keyboard make up for the extra cost. Although it’s heavier than the competition, it keeps calm even when under load.
