Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop
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Pros
- Backlit keyboard with a separate numeric keypad
- Camera with a privacy shutter
- Good quality screen with a thin bezel
- Good graphics card and CPU
- Fans are quiet
Cons
- No optical drive
- Off-center trackpad
- Average battery life
- Plain design
- A bit heavy
In This Article
Verdict
The Lenovo Legion 5 is not very appealing in design as the other competing laptops but it offers relatively high performance. This affordable system is durable and is one of the best among mid-range gaming laptops.
Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop & Variants Price
Introduction
The Lenovo Legion 5 gaming laptop is quite outstanding in performance and is quite dependable, whether it is used for gaming or for any other computing purposes.
It is a low-profile gaming laptop with no compromises made in its design and built to offer a high performance making it a reliable medium to play games like Jade Empire.
In fact, it is the one of the bestselling gaming laptops of 2020 available for an affordable price.
It is all due to its dependability which is the result of the useful and powerful combination of an AMD Ryzen processor with 8 cores for offering next generation of gaming performance, an efficient and fast GTX graphics processing unit, a bright 144Hz display for images of high quality and fast refresh rate and deep colors, and its excellent build quality.
The unique Dual Burn Support enhances the performing ability of the GPU and CPU to maintain a steady framerate and the Legion Cold Front 2.0 cooling system maintains an optimal temperature inside.
The Legion TrueStrike keyboard allows easier navigation and faster typing with its soft-landing keys and with higher key travel distance.
Considering its price and performance ratio, it provides the users a lot of value for money.
However, amidst a lot of positive feedback received from its users, there are also a few downsides of this laptop – the primary ones being running hot when it is put under heavy load and its off-center touchpad which causes some inconvenience while typing.
Nevertheless, this is overall a good mid-range gaming laptop that will provide what users are looking for with its powerful hardware as well as its premium quality feel and careful attention to detail.
It even protects the privacy of the users with the physical shutter on the webcam, and for security purposes there is one Kensington Lock.
It is its reliable build and performance, well thought and incorporated features that makes it a device that can take on other competing models head on and offer a reasonably high performance when people play games like Jade Empire on it.
Buy for: Sturdy build and durability, better price to performance ratio, value for money, decent set of hardware and specs.
Beware of: System getting a bit warm under heavy load, lack of an SD card reader, average sound quality, average webcam.
Best uses for: Multiple gaming, Faster Than Light, FIFA, Final Fantasy XIV, American Truck Simulator, Age of Empires, Cyberpunk 2077, Homeworld, Hitman: Absolution, Heroes of Might and Magic: A Strategic Quest, Hello Neighbor, Hearts of Iron IV, A Hat in Time, Gunpoint, Ground Control II: Operation Exodus, Gothic, Garry’s Mod, Genshin Impact, The Forest, Farming Simulator, Diablo 3, Dead by Daylight, DayZ, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Jade Empire, Kerbal Space Program, Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom, Lego Batman: The Videogame, Legends of Callasia and other purposes.
The Alternatives:
Design and Build
The design of Lenovo Legion 5 may not scream a gaming laptop but it surely is.
Users who are looking for a decent gaming rig to play Jade Empire and other games of its likes, will have a sleek and slim device under 1K in it which does not look like an ugly and heavy spaceship.
This low-profile gaming laptop comes with a clean phantom black color.
The chassis looks quite professional as compared to other average gaming laptops at this price point and the matte, finger-resistant finish makes it look quite impressive.
This is quite durable a laptop and is well constructed, in spite of it having a minimalistic design.
It comes with adequate and strategically located vents to keep the system cool and ensure a steady performance without causing any heat related issues due to extended use.
The top cover of the lid section draws a bit on the inside of the base and screen hinge when opened which protrudes the back of the chassis by about an inch.
The outside of this top cover has the logo of Lenovo on the left, and “Legion” written on the right side of it.
When you open the lid, which can be done easily with only one hand, you will be greeted with a 144 Hz display with a thin bezel and a black, sturdy keyboard deck.
This keyboard comes with a single-zone white backlight to allow playing games or typing on it in the dark.
You can use the FN + Space key to turn the backlit keys on or off and even make adjustments to the brightness of the LED.
The Legion TrueStrike keyboard comes with concave, properly spaced-out, and soft-landing keys with a decent travel distance to offer a comfortable and fast typing experience.
It also includes a full-size 10-key number keypad. Even the arrow keys are large and properly placed to allow enjoyable and easy navigation through the game.
The trackpad, though located a bit off-center, is quite wide to allow easy navigation and moving ahead while gaming.
It supports multi-touch and Windows precision. It can respond to any gestures quite accurately and instantly.
It is buttonless as the left and right click buttons are integrated in it. Still, using an external mouse will be much better for gaming, professionals suggest.
The fairly large screen comes with a thin bezel, of about a quarter of an inch, which makes it look bigger.
The IPS panel offers a wider viewing angle as well for an unobstructed view from extreme positions.
It supports a high refresh rate of 144 Hz and the FreeSync feature of the Full HD display controls the refresh rate.
This, in the process, prevents screen stutters and also saves battery life at the same time.
This non-touch display comes with other features and quality that makes it a good one to play games on.
It includes Dolby Vision which is the HDR technology from Dolby, an anti-glare surface, 100% sRGB support for better color accuracy, 72% NTSC for the color gamut, 300 nits of brightness, and a great response time which eliminates chances of ghosting.
The cooling vents and ports are strategically placed to ensure an optimal cooling effect and a better cable management.
Performance
The performance of the Lenovo Legion 5, as said earlier, is quite high considering its price, due to its good specs and features.
This system is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 4800 H processor, which is considered to be one of the best mobile SoC processors from AMD at the moment.
This CPU is built on the 7 nm TSMC fabrication process and is based on the modern Zen 2 microarchitecture.
Add to that, the 8 cores and 16 threads of this CPU operate at a base clock speed of 2.90 GHz which can be boosted up to 4.2 GHz in the Turbo mode when required.
This makes it an excellent performer with better Hyperthreading ability, which is a huge bonus and uplift in its speed and level of performance.
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti dedicated graphics card, on the other hand, may be a mid-range mobile graphics but it is its useful Turing architecture that makes it a better and faster performer as well, in spite of lacking real-time raytracing ability and Tensor cores.
You can play all different types of modern and demanding Triple A games on it quite fluently and without any issues provided you play them at an HD resolution and a medium graphics setting.
The Windows 10 Home operating system of this laptop is also a very good inclusion which has all the features and ability to manage all of the hardware and software on the computer. It will also help a lot in using the system and completing your computing tasks.
Some of the useful features of this operating system include and are not limited to the improved, expanded and more traditional Start menu which lets the users find the apps very easily and quickly and the faster.
It also comes with a better and more secure web browser, Microsoft Edge, that comes with more useful features to offer a better user experience on the Web.
The virtual assistant Cortana also makes completing tasks easier through voice commands and Multiple desktops and Task view, Action Center, and easy to switch into a Tablet mode feature are some innovative and useful inclusions.
RAM & Storage
Smoother and better multitasking can be done on this laptop with too many web browsers and apps open at the same time since the system comes with 16 GB of RAM. This DDR4 variant has a pretty high bandwidth of 3200 MHz which makes it pretty fast and efficient.
As for the storage, the system is integrated with a 512 GB SSD which offers quite a large storage space and is quite fast as well to load up the apps and games.
Both the RAM and storage adds to the level of performance of the system as well as expedites the process.
However, if you want to put more punch and power to the system you can upgrade the RAM up to 32 GB and the storage with an additional 2.5″ SSD.
Ports & Connectivity
Though it does not come with a Thunderbolt port, the system allows connecting all necessary gaming accessories to play Jade Empire and other games along with an external display through its wide and varied collection of ports.
It includes as many as four USB 3.0 and 3.1 Gen 1 ports, one HDMI 2.0 out port, one DisplayPort, USB Type C, and a 3.5 audio jack.
As for networking and internet connectivity, the system supports 10/100/1000 LAN, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax standard of the IEEE or The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and Bluetooth 5.0.
Battery Life
The lithium polymer battery included in the system has a capacity of 60-watt-hour.
This battery can last up to 5 to 6 hours when the system is used for light to moderate tasks or watching videos on YouTube at a screen brightness of 70%.
However, when you play games like Jade Empire on it or perform any CPU hungry or GPU intensive tasks, the battery will last for a couple of hours less. This makes it pretty average for a gaming laptop.
The good thing about this battery is that it can get back up to 50% of its total charge in just about 30 minutes using its Rapid Charge feature.
Additional Features
There is a 720p webcam integrated on the top bezel of the screen that comes with a Privacy Shutter with a sliding mechanism to close it when it is not in use.
However, the performance of the camera is not up to the mark since the images look pretty washed out and lack depth.
The built-in dual array mics will allow easy and clear conversation during business meetings and online conferences, while taking online classes or communicating with other gamers while playing a game in the multiplier mode.
The device also comes with one of the best cooling systems to manage the thermals of the innards of the chassis optimally, unless you put it to extensive use.
The vents are pretty large and are located on all sides and the rear. There is also a huge vent at the bottom of the laptop which helps it to dissipate the hot air from the inside successfully and more efficiently.
Also, the Lenovo CoolFront 2.0 cooling solution is quite innovative and advanced to ensure better air circulation and keep the temperature of the CPU and GPU desirable on the lower side.
It makes the fans work properly even when you put the laptop to heavy use and play a game on it for a long time.
This is actually a dual-channel thermal solution that comes with 67 liquid crystal polymer-coated fan blades, and dedicated copper heat pipes for the CPU and GPU.
This system also comes with the common software and apps that you will find in a Lenovo laptop.
It includes and is not limited to Lenovo Vantage, Settings, System Interface Foundation, System Update, Solution Center, Utility, Power Management Driver, and others.
However, your system may not come with all of them.
The system is offered by Lenovo with a limited warranty for manufacturing defects and online support for a period of 1 year. However, they do not offer international warranty on this product.
Specs:
- Brand: Lenovo
- Screen: 15.6 inches
- Display: Full HD (1920 x 1080)
- Storage: 512 GB
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage Type: SSD
- RAM Type: DDR4 SDRAM
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 4800 H
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
- Processor Speed: 2.9 GHz base clock frequency and max up to 4.2 GHz
- Processor Brand: AMD
- Product Dimensions: 14.29 x 10.22 x 0.98 inches
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
What Do Users Think About Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop?
The impressive performance which is well supported by the powerful set of hardware of this laptop is one of the most significant reasons that has attracted a few users towards it.
The screen is very good and offers a seamless and vivid image which helps them to play a game or do their computing jobs easily on it, they stated.
However, they said that the battery life of this laptop is far below average as compared to other gaming laptops given the fact that it comes with a 15.6-inch screen which does not drain out the battery as fast as a 17-inch screen.
The fact that this laptop comes at a comparatively affordable price is what made some of the users fall for it.
The better price to performance ratio is the primary reason for the casual or occasional gamers who do not want to spend too much on a gaming laptop to choose this device as their best option.
This laptop, they said, is not only good for gaming but also for home and office use as well. However, they wished the design of the laptop was a bit more elegant and stylish, and also did not forget to add that this is certainly not a deal breaker.
Some of the users interviewed said that every aspect of this laptop is good and useful to offer the best overall performance and a high value for money.
The feel, the finish, the tech specs, and most importantly, the price tag, all are good in it for one to choose it for their computing or gaming purpose.
However, they also said that there are many other laptops like this in the market that come with a reasonably fair price as well.
They also said that this is also not the lightest laptop of all and does not have a great design to be excited about.
The extra features and the thin profile are quite impressive about this laptop, said a few specific users.
They said that the keyboard design and functionality and the webcam placement of this laptop seems to be more sensible and Lenovo has done a good job in this aspect over the years.
The combination of the CPU and the GPU offers as good a performance as any other expensive gaming laptop available out there in the market.
However, they showed their dissatisfaction over the quality of the webcam which is hardly able to take clear pictures. The images seem to be washed out and lack clarity.
The build quality along with the performance, the fit and finish of the laptop, the features and specs of the device, all hit much above the price of this machine, said some of the other users.
The screen is good and the keyboard is very durable and offers exceptional productivity, though they feel that the number keys on the distinct keypad are a bit cramped up for space.
The touchpad is pretty responsive and the I/O ports at the rear are great for easy cable management and a convenient use of the machine.
However, they pointed out that the thermal management system could have been a bit better because the system does get a bit hot while playing more demanding games than Jade Empire.
Few users who are primarily concerned about their investment felt that they were glad that they bought this machine. This, perhaps, is their best buy at this price, they felt.
The new design may be minimal but it does give the system a professional look and its excellent build quality adds to its functionality, usefulness and value.
It really looks more like a workstation than a gaming laptop and comes with good quality specs, screen, and enough memory and fast storage.
This premium laptop would have been the best for gaming and video editing both, provided the speakers and battery life in it were not as mediocre as it is.
Most of the gaming laptops available in the market typically do not offer any upgradability option to the users, felt a few.
However, this laptop is different as it allows them to extend both the memory and storage in it when they need it.
Seriously, they said, this laptop offers what ones pay for, and this comes with a nice package. The performance is not hampered due to the upgrades, poor cooling or poor choice of hardware components.
Every aspect of it is reasonably good, offers faster boot up and better functionality. They also said that they have even tried downloading a bunch of software in it and still found that the system worked fine without any glitches.
But yes, the audio system is pretty average. The volume is good but the sound quality is just about OK. Check out Legion 5 Manual.
Our Testing & Analysis Report
After testing the Lenovo Legion 5, we found that its overall performance is pretty good, both for gaming as well as for other computing tasks.
As for the game tests, the device ran most of the games we played on it, such as Hitman 2 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, at an average frame rate per second of more than 60 fps.
However, it hit higher scores on different screen and game settings, such as ray tracing, DLSS, and graphics.
When we tested its display for color accuracy with the Delta E color accuracy tool, we found that its color gamut and accuracy were quite satisfactory.
In short, the screen of Lenovo Legion 5 is good enough to support playing modern gaming titles.
Our technical team also tried this product and looked into its parts, design, and other details.
They found that it had an adequate amount of RAM and storage but also offered a lot of room for upgrading.
However, they found the design of this gaming laptop to be much too minimalistic, and, considering the size of the battery, the life should have been much longer than what it actually offers.
When we compared this product’s price-to-performance ratio with respect to other devices in our database, we found that it is quite decent, though nothing ‘exceptional.’ It is pretty fast and can perform at a high level constantly.
When our team tested the sound system of the Lenovo Legion 5, it seemed to be good enough, but once again, nothing exceptional.
The volume is reasonably high, and the sound quality is reasonably good and punchy, but with no bass.