Gaming laptops from a few years ago had an aggressive design with sharp cooling fins like Megatron's body and filled with LED lights that made it look like a mini nightclub on the table. I'm one of the minority who don't like this aggressive design because it makes it difficult to use for work purposes in the office or at the coffee shop on the weekend.
Lenovo realized this fact and started offering their gaming laptops with simpler designs. At first glance it looks like a normal work computer but the internals are fierce enough to run Crysis.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro has just been launched in Malaysia after being announced at CES last January, again with a design that does not give any clear indication that it is a high-performance gaming computer. But is this the neat gaming computer with the ferocious performance you've been waiting for?
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro
16″ WQXGA screen, (2560 x 1600 pixels)
IPS LCD, 165Hz,
DisplayHDR 400, Dolby Vision,
NVIDIA G-SYNC
Intel Core i7-12700H Gen-12 CPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 GPU
RAM up to 32GB DDR5 4800 MHz
Internal Storage up to 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4
720P Main Camera
I/O 1x USB-C Thunderbolt 4
2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
1x RJ45
1x HDMI
1x 3.5mm audio jack
80 Wh battery
300W charging
SIM/Telephony None
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/6e
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scan System None
Sale Price Starts at RM6692.10
Screen
The large 16″ IPS LCD type screen supports WQXGA resolution with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz complete with NVIDIA G-SYNC support. This is a specification that does not disappoint for a gaming computer. The screen also has the ability to display DisplayHDR 400 and Dolby Vision content. HDR content from Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and Prime can be enjoyed without any issues.
There is no touch support but this feature is rarely offered on a gaming computer. For those who want a screen with a higher refresh rate, Lenovo also offers a 240Hz panel option and there is also an FHD+ panel option only for those who do not need a high resolution.
Video games as well as media content are displayed in good colors on this screen. The viewing angle is also satisfactory with no major color changes when viewed from the side. The screen can also be opened up to an angle of up to around 110 degrees so owners can find the most suitable angle during their video game session.
A screen with a ratio of 16:10 is satisfactory for watching video content but is more compatible for those who produce a lot of paperwork. With high resolution support, the image looks sharp and does not hurt the eyes after a long video game session.
Shape
There are no design changes compared to last year's Legion 5i Pro because only the components are changed. This means that this laptop is not obviously of the gaming type because there is no lighting system on the cover or side. Even the cooling fins on the sides and back of the laptop's body are successfully hidden by using a completely black color.
Lenovo's design philosophy on the Legion 5i Pro is like a stealth fighter that manages to hide its identity at a glance. For those who don't want to look too conspicuous with a gaming laptop, the design of the Legion 5i Pro will meet your needs. With this it can still be taken to work without looking too obvious.
Because of the recycled design, there is 1x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 and 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 on the left side. On the right side there is 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x 3.5mm audio jack and 1x ThinkShutter button. On the back there is 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x RJ45, 1x HDMI, and 1x Lenovo square-headed power input.
The I/O options provided are luxurious enough for those who want to turn the Legion 5i Pro into a desktop, a variety of input device accessories can be connected without using any adapters. For the rear port, there is an icon that can be seen from above to make it easier to find the connection without lifting the laptop. This Lenovo innovation has long been our favorite but has not yet become a standard feature on laptops across the industry.
Two air intake holes are placed on the right and left sides. The hot air is then blown back through two air exhaust vents. With this design there will be no issue of hot air being blown towards the user's body. There is also an air grille at the bottom to ensure there is sufficient ventilation for the Coldfront 4.0 cooling system.
The web camera is placed on the top bezel of the screen and it is not intrusive because it is well hidden. There is no Windows Hello facial recognition system support and also no fingerprint scanner. In terms of security, users only need to be satisfied with the pin and password system. For those concerned about privacy, ThinkShutter's physical button to turn off the webcam is located on the right side as we said a few paragraphs above.
With a gray and black plastic body, the Legion 5i Pro traps dirt quite easily. When wanting to take a picture of the product, we have to wipe it carefully because even after a week of use the surface gets dirty very quickly.
Keyboard
The keyboard is of the Smiley type that is also used on Ideapad laptops. It is from the Legion TrueStrike family which has the same 1.5mm vertical movement distance as found on the ThinkPada Z16 that we just reviewed earlier today. The typing process is very comfortable with the included NumPad keys. The Ctrl and Func buttons are also in their normal positions on the model we reviewed.
But this is a gaming computer. How about using these keys for video games. We have to say we're quite old so our finger movements won't compare to South Korean sports athletes in Starcraft II. But in a test session that has been done using the FPS game Call of Duty and the RTS classic Tiberian Dawn there is no issue of the keys not being detected or lacking precision. The key switches feel firm when pressed even when pressed aggressively during feedback.
A Legion Spectrum RGB lighting system with four zones is included. There are various modes to choose from with colors changing in waves, flashing and following the action on the screen. Own color options are also provided for those who want customization. In general, we just turn off the light system because it disturbs the concentration a bit.
Touch Pad
The touchpad isn't that big but it's adequate for doing basic tasks. Basic Windows gestures are fully supported. It's not the best touchpad I've ever used because the surface is plastic and the button pressure is a bit soft. In terms of accuracy, it is just satisfactory. The touchpad on a gaming computer is like a fifth tire stored in a car since it is not used much during a video game session. Rarely do we see gamers using touchpads during their video game sessions.
Usage And Benchmarks
In Malaysia, only the Intel Core i7-12700H Gen-12 CPU is offered and it is matched with up to 32GB DDR5 RAM and up to 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4 storage. It's strange that there is no option for an Intel Core i9 CPU and up to 2TB of storage like on overseas models. The GPU options are more diverse, namely NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, RTX 3060 and RTX 3070 Ti. The reviewed model is paired with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a mid-range GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6.
The storage used is very fast with a read speed of 13 GB/s and a write speed of 10.3 GB/s. These are among the fastest SSDs we've seen in the our labs.
In the Fire Strike Extreme and Time Spy Extreme tests, the scores recorded were higher than the average of other gaming laptops on the market. In the tests we performed, the game was playable at medium-high settings and 1440P resolution. The RTX3060 GPU cannot have full power to run video games at the highest settings at this time. As long as the settings are not set to the highest level, the Legion 5i Pro can run many video games at a stable frame rate of 60 FPS.
When in high power mode, the fan on the Legion 5i Pro starts to sound quite noisy to the point that it can drown out the sound of the speakers. We have a pair of gaming headphones without ANC and the volume is still ear-piercing. Only after swapping them out for Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones were we able to stop the fan's roar from interrupting our gaming sessions.
We say that the Legion 5i Pro has a less aggressive body design and a good keyboard that allows it to be used as a work computer. In the PCMark10 test it recorded a higher score of 6996 when compared to the ThinkPad Z16 which is indeed designed for work. Clearly Legion 5i Pro is not only powerful for gaming but can also be used for office work if necessary.
Audio
The 2W stereo speakers shoot down but come with a Nahimic Audio audio system with 3D audio support. On high settings the explosions are strong and enemy footsteps can be clearly heard. 3D audio on the speaker is not very successful in our opinion. But with headphones that support 3D audio this effect can be heard. For gaming laptop speakers, the Legion 5i Pro audio system is adequate.
Battery
The battery is advertised to last for 5 hours on a single charge. But during the review period we noticed the battery dropped to 13% within 20 minutes of streaming 4K HDR content. In gaming mode, the battery is also 25% within 20 minutes. For streaming sessions and video games a power cable connection is necessary if you don't want it to stop due to battery drain.
The included 300W charger connects with the square head USB used by Lenovo. Due to its high power output, this laptop charger power block is large and heavy. The process of recharging the battery is around 2 hours as there is fast charging support.
Conclusion
The era of gaming laptops that look like Fast and The Furious Tokyo Drift racing cars is over and has been replaced by simpler designs that hide their identity from the public. This simpler design makes the Legion 5i Pro at first glance look like a normal office work computer that is just waiting for the office hours to end before it can terrorize the video game arena.
It looks pretty neat but offers ferocious gaming performance. However, the Legion 5i Pro doesn't just offer a neat look but comes with a keyboard that's good enough for owners to do long typing jobs.
This is also aided by the extremely luxurious I/O options that allow the computer to be connected to various monitors and necessary accessories. If there is a shortcoming it is that there is no slot to read the memory card and also the battery life is less impressive.
The selling price of Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is between RM6692.10 - RM7,998.46 depending on the specifications. We still feel it's worth it because it's a powerful laptop for after-hours gaming sessions.
PROs and Advantages
Very satisfactory performance for gaming and work.
Very luxurious I/O options for various devices.
Nice keyboard for typing and gaming.
Neat design is not too aggressive.
Fast screen with attractive visual quality.
CONS and Cons
There is no biometric scanner included.
Short battery life.
The touch pad is a little soft.