Last September 2024, Lenovo unveiled the Legion 5i, a mid-tier gaming laptop that promises impressive performance and AI capabilities.
As part of Lenovo’s 9th generation of Legion laptops, the Legion 5i sits within the Legion Series, positioned between their entry-level Lenovo LOQ series and the professional esport-grade Legion Pro lineup. With its sleek design and robust features, the Legion 5i aims to cater to gamers and content creators alike.
The Legion 5i boasts a striking 16-inch WQXGA display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a 16:10 aspect ratio. This screen supports a 240Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth visuals during fast-paced gaming.
Additionally, it has received TÜV Rheinland eye-care certification, making it suitable for long gaming sessions without causing strain on the eyes.
One of the standout features of the display is its sturdy hinge, which allows the screen to lay completely flat at a 180° angle.
The proprietary “Coldfront Hyperchamber” thermal solution effectively expels hot air away from the user, through the back. This optimizes performance, reach up to 190W of max thermal design power (TDP), while keeping hands cool even during intensive gaming sessions.
This placement allows the hot air to be blown away from the back instead of heating up the users’ hands at full processing capacity, and more ports to be placed on the sides.
The Legion 5i includes a generous array of ports to enhance connectivity: three USB Type-A, two USB Type-C (with power delivery), a 3.5mm audio combo jack, and a 3-in-1 microSD Card reader.
USB ports are conveniently located on the sides, while the power supply and HDMI ports are at the rear, maintaining a clean appearance.
In terms of processing power, the Legion 5i variants range from Intel Core i5 13th Gen to Intel Core i9 14th Gen CPUs. The GPU offers the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4000 series customizable options.
All configurations come equipped with Lenovo’s proprietary LA1 AI chip, capable of performing 321 trillion operations per second (TOPS), enhancing both gaming and productivity experiences.
With up to 64GB of RAM and 1TB SSD storage, the Legion 5i caters to gamers needing significant memory and speedy access to data.
The additional SSD socket allows for easy upgrades, while the DDR5 memory ports enable users to start with a less expensive variant and enhance memory as needed.
Moreover, pre-installed Microsoft Copilot, with dedicated keyboard button, and the Lenovo Vantage program provide access to generative AI and seamless device management options.
The specific Legion 5i test unit used featured a 14th Gen Intel Core i7-14700HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8GB GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. During benchmarking using Cinebench and Unigine Superposition, performance metrics were impressive.
The Cinebench results yielded a score of 10,673 points for GPU, alongside 1102 points for Multi Core CPU and 118 points for Single Core CPU, figures that place the Legion 5i in the upper ranks of its category.
In the Unigine Superposition Benchmark using “8k Optimized,” “4k Optimized,” and “1080p Extreme” graphic settings, the RTX 4070 GPU operated at capacities ranging from 98% to 99% with average frames per second (FPS) clocking in at 23.26 for 8k, 57.31 for 4k, and 43.55 for 1080p Extreme.
In the “Forza Horizon 5” benchmarking feature, the Legion 5i was ran at “Extreme” and “High” graphic settings, while on the WQXGA resolution, for a relatively large processing strain.
The laptop scored 61 FPS at extreme settings, and 137 FPS at high settings, with only three to four stutter instances reported.
The “Cyberpunk 2077” benchmark function delivered an average of 23.27 FPS at “Overdrive” settings, performing better at a “Medium” setting with 37.55 FPS, with clear graphics and responsive control.
Finally, “God of War: Ragnarok” indicated an average of 59 to 70 FPS at the “Ultra” setting and 77 to 82 FPS at the “Medium” setting, showcasing smooth gameplay under various conditions.
While the Legion 5i offers impressive capabilities, it does come at a cost. The robust performance necessitates an advanced cooling system, contributing to a weight of 2.3kg without the charger, which might be cumbersome for users on the go.
Lenovo seems to acknowledge this challenge, announcing that the upcoming Legion series iterations to have 15″ screens, and weigh only 2kg.
Moreover, despite being branded as a mid-tier gaming laptop, the base price of P114,995 positions it as a premium investment. Potential buyers might find better value in opting for the 13th Gen Intel Core i5, 16gb RAM, GeForce RTX 4050 variant, priced between P88,400 to P91,700, allowing for RAM upgrades as necessary.
Overall, the Lenovo Legion 5i stands out as a powerful machine, ideal for gamers seeking performance without compromise. With its impressive specs and solid build quality, it’s certainly a strong contender in the competitive gaming laptop market.
If you have the budget, you could never go wrong with the Legion 5i, but if you are looking for a more affordable option, the Lenovo LOQ would give a slightly lower performance, but at almost half the price.
