Unbeatable Deal: Why This Affordable Lenovo Gaming PC Should Be Your Next Desktop Choice!

What’s the offer?

Lenovo has replenished the LOQ Tower 17IRR9 equipped with the GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, and it’s currently discounted. On the company’s online store, you can purchase the desktop for $836, a 27% discount off the original amount.

---

Lenovo’s Legion series stands as the company’s premier gaming laptop collection. However, in recent years, the firm has ventured into mid-tier hardware with the LOQ series. While most products are laptops, a desktop variant is represented by the LOQ Tower 17IRR9. Desktops may appear outdated, especially with the increasing popularity of mobile computing. However, reconsidering that idea is essential since devices like the Tower 17IRR9 provide a utility that laptops cannot compete with.

Furthermore: This haptic trackpad for Windows users is the PC accessory I didn’t know I required

The LOQ Tower 17 is relatively compact for a desktop, measuring 14.8 x 12 x 7 inches and weighing approximately 20 pounds. Finding a suitable location for this modest machine should be simple, even in a busy workspace. Installation is just as straightforward since the package includes only a power cable, keyboard, and mouse.

At first glance, the unit appears similar to a Lenovo IdeaCentre desktop. I would endorse the LOQ Tower 17 for conventional office settings if there wasn’t a potential drawback: a lengthy LED light running down the center. Admittedly, it isn’t as distracting as the RGB lights found on a gaming computer, yet it is still quite luminous. 

On the front are a headphone jack, a USB-C input, and two USB-A ports — all quite standard. The back features an additional 12 ports, encompassing four extra USB-A ports, an ethernet connection, and an HDMI 1.4b input. This array enables you to utilize multi-monitor configurations along with various supportive peripherals. However, your options remain limited.

I wish it had more USB-C and HDMI ports since it only includes one of each. I would have preferred if Lenovo had excluded the VGA port. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with the VGA standard, but I don’t anticipate the average user utilizing it into 2025. People are far more accustomed to HDMI. Lenovo’s desktop should have prioritized other standards over VGA. Let’s hope future versions address this concern.

It’s noteworthy that Lenovo’s device accommodates both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1, facilitating fast wireless connectivity without requiring an external antenna. All necessary components for over-the-air connection are integrated within the hardware. This design advantage gives the LOQ Tower 17 a competitive edge over rivals such as the Dell XPS 8960.

Furthermore: Microsoft Office support in Windows 10 concludes in October as well – what this truly signifies

Inside my LOQ Tower review unit was an Intel Core i5-14400F processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. This configuration is relatively light. It performs admirably across a wide array of tasks. It did not slow down or falter even with 50 browser tabs open, multiple web pages displaying videos, and several first-party applications operating simultaneously. For regular usage, the computer is dependable, but as you start to push the hardware limits, its weaknesses become apparent.

I directly connected an ethernet cable to the computer during my evaluations to guarantee a stable connection. This way, any shortcomings couldn’t be attributed to Wi-Fi issues.

The benchmark evaluations revealed significant insights. On PCMark 10, Lenovo’s LOQ Tower 17 achieved a slightly above-average score of 7,658. I subsequently ran 3DMark Steel Nomad, where the machine struggled as well. It remained below 2,800, which is inferior to the overall standard for the hardware combination. These figures indicate that the computer may face challenges with demanding workloads and high-resolution gaming. My concerns were later validated.

Additionally: This budget-friendly Lenovo laptop I tested managed my various workflows like a champ

Since the Lenovo LOQ Tower 17 is among the company’s affordable gaming options, I played several video games on it during my tests. To my delight, it performed impressively for a mid-tier machine. Action games like Marvel Rivals ran smoothly. I encountered no performance issues during my stress tests — provided I kept the graphical settings low.

Challenges arose when I began to force the hardware to render 4K resolution gameplay. The frame rate dropped significantly, making it hard to discern what was occurring on the screen. Additionally, there was noticeable screen tearing across the display.

Buying guidance from ZDNET

The specific model of the Lenovo LOQ Tower 17IRR9 that I assessed has very limited availability. In fact, it is entirely sold out at the moment. However, don’t be concerned, as there are other options for sale that I would suggest.

Lenovo’s online store is currently offering the LOQ Tower 17 with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card for $900. If you seek a version with superior GPU performance, NewEgg is offering a refurbished unit featuring a GeForce RTX 4060 on its site for $895.