I’ve by no means been a gaming PC man, however this laptop computer modified my perspective for the higher

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The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is the most recent gaming laptop computer within the Legion sequence. It is accessible at 16 inches and places all its stat factors into the standard of the show and {hardware}. 

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The result’s a complicated laptop computer with dramatic (however totally customizable) RGB lighting, a glossy kind issue, and a stacked set of {hardware}. It begins out with 32GB of RAM (upgradable to 96GB), 2TB of storage, a 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. 

All this, mixed with the 16-inch 500nit, 240Hz refresh OLED show, makes for not solely a aggressive gaming machine but additionally a succesful workstation for professional creatives, animators, and designers. 

A design with commanding presence

The Legion Pro 7i is hefty, to make certain, however for a gaming laptop computer, it’s really on the glossy facet. This places it in a form of center floor: it is a bit of too massive to be one thing you’d wish to repeatedly commute with, nevertheless it’s actually not certain to the desk.

Unfortunately, the matte black end is a fingerprint magnet, like lots of Lenovo’s different laptops (ahem — ThinkPads) that, if this bugs you prefer it bugs me, will compel you to maintain a fabric available. All of that is mitigated by the keyboard lighting, nevertheless, which will be adjusted per key to be as refined or loud as you need.

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The gamer aesthetic is in full impact right here, with a dramatic single bar of sunshine throughout the entrance of the clamshell that displays onto the floor and appears completely superior. The again is illuminated throughout the diamond-shaped fan exhausts, and the “Legion” brand pulses with the remainder of the results.

The full-size keyboard with outstanding arrow keys, appropriately-sized quantity pad (and a refined branding on one letter key particularly) feels premium and well-made, if slightly customary. Key journey feels good, and the trackpad — aligned over the house bar — is enough and useful.

The energy button on the prime heart of the keyboard acts as a visible indicator of your efficiency profile: Quiet is blue, Balanced is white, and Performance is crimson. (It’s known as Silent mode each due to the fan and since muting the laptop computer robotically disables the lighting results.)

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All of those components are individually customizable within the Legion app and will be shut off completely if you’ll want to save battery energy or maintain a low profile within the workplace or espresso store. 

That being mentioned, this isn’t precisely the kind of laptop computer you may wish to deliver to the tiny bistro desk in your neighborhood espresso store. It’s massive, it is heavy (5.67 kilos), and it’s thirsty for energy. Even for those who do have entry to a close-by outlet, the 400W energy brick is so large that it is primarily the burden of one other laptop computer. 

It’s chonky, sure, nevertheless it’s additionally highly effective — offering 70% battery energy in simply half-hour, a surprisingly speedy quantity of juice for the massive 99.9Wh battery. The charger connects by way of a proprietary port on the left facet of the laptop computer (not the again), which some will discover extra handy, however is barely much less so for those who’re utilizing the laptop computer as a desktop and are used to having your connections within the again.

In phrases of different I/O, the laptop computer has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI and USB-A on the left facet, two extra USB-As, a headphone jack, and a 2.5GB Ethernet jack. If you do not wish to plug the laptop computer straight into your modem, it additionally helps Wi-Fi 7 for quick connectivity. 

All concerning the visuals

The Legion Pro 7i’s show is considered one of its greatest options. It is brilliant and vivid and completely pops at 500 nits and a 240Hz refresh price. It options 100% of the SRGB coloration gamut, 93% Adobe RGB, and 100% P3 and swirls with deep, inky blacks and wealthy neons. 

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The 16-inch show is non-touch and has WQXGA decision at a 16:10 side ratio. It is powered by the GeForce RTX 5080 GPU and gives a various set of use case prospects for players, creatives, animators, and designers. Just word that it is a notably shiny show, and it’ll mirror mild sources relying on its positioning, particularly with how darkish the blacks get.

Performance: Bring on the boss struggle

Let me not mince phrases right here. This factor is a beast. The Legion Pro 7i is designed to shred by means of probably the most demanding titles on the market proper now, and the {hardware} on board nicely equips it to take action. The Nvidia GeForce 5080 GPU paired with the 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 leads to responsive, snappy efficiency in “Cyberpunk 2077” and “Baldur’s Gate 3”, with older titles not breaking a sweat.

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That being mentioned, all this highly effective {hardware} heats up. Temperatures throughout intense gaming periods can simply method 100 °C, which is just too sizzling for sustained use. In Performance mode, the followers can hearth at max energy, which considerably brings the temperature down, however you may additionally must hearken to them cranking. 

The cooling system is environment friendly, expelling sizzling air out the again and bleeding a minimal quantity of warmth out by means of the entrance to the keyboard. However, the fan does take some getting used to, because it pops on even throughout regular day-to-day duties like multitasking and net searching. 

The Legion Pro 7i is a pleasure to sport on, nevertheless, with its well-designed keyboard, attractive show, and improbable efficiency. The expertise carries over to the audio, as its audio system are above common for a laptop computer. Two are upward-facing and two are downward, leading to a sound that is a bit of extra engrossing and fuller than most laptops’ shallow sound profile. 

In phrases of benchmarking, the Legion Pro 7i proves it may grasp with spectacular numbers, particularly in multi-core efficiency.

	Cinebench 24 MC	Geekbench 6.2.2 SC	Geekbench 6.2.2 MC
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i	1,887	3,084	19,981
Apple MacE-book Pro M4	1,000	3,823	14,849
Asus ProArtwork P16	1,096	2,804	12,787
Minisforum AI X1 Pro	1,243	2,960	15,375

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The caveat of a gaming laptop computer

Like any laptop computer with this quantity of {hardware} on board, the 99Wh battery is extraordinarily variable. This isn’t a skinny and lightweight Copilot+ PC with a battery that drains at a trickle when it is not on. In reality, it depletes surprisingly rapidly simply sitting round, one thing to remember for those who go away it unplugged for a day or two and count on to return again to it prepared to fireside up. 

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The efficiency mode you activate will drastically influence how lengthy your battery lasts, in addition to what you are doing. For instance, I took this laptop computer to the workplace and labored unplugged in Balanced mode, solely to search out the laptop computer did not fairly make it by means of the workday. It obtained to 1% proper round six hours, and that is after regular duties that are not notably demanding. 

If you are speaking about gaming, you may get round 1.5 hours of sport time unplugged, which really is not all that dangerous for a gaming laptop computer of this caliber. All of that is to say that the Legion Pro 7i performs about as anticipated contemplating the {hardware} on board and the OLED show. While it is potential to hold round, you may be pressured to maintain the charging brick in tow as its thirst for energy is actual. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i looks like an 18-inch gaming laptop computer in a extra subtle, 16-inch kind. I like the show, the stalwart but nonetheless glossy construct, and the {hardware} that gives what you are in search of in a gaming laptop computer: efficiency. 

In the top, Lenovo employed a considerate design right here to compensate for the machine’s weaknesses. It runs sizzling however has a really efficient cooling system. It’s extremely power-hungry, nevertheless it costs method sooner than you’d count on. 

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The elephant within the room is the sky-high beginning value, at $2,600 for the 32GB configuration, going as much as $3,200 if you’d like the top-of-the-line GeForce RTX 5090 GPU. I’d completely advocate this laptop computer to players in search of a robust, out-of-the-box gaming laptop computer that hits all the precise notes, so long as it is inside your funds. The Legion Pro 7i is a complicated, highly effective machine that dares you to run your favourite sport at max settings and can finally go away you feeling spoiled.