This mid-range gaming laptop feels like the forgotten middle child, and isn't difficult to understand why

As a tech enthusiast and avid gamer with years of experience under my belt, I have to say that the Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) is a solid choice for anyone looking for an affordable yet powerful gaming machine.

Over time, the range of gaming equipment and accessories under the Lenovo Legion label has grown significantly, reaching a stage where Lenovo introduced the LOQ brand exclusively for their more affordable gaming devices.

The Lenovo Legion 5 series has proven to be an outstanding choice for customers who value versatility, and it has earned a reputation as a trustworthy recommendation in the market for straightforward, dependable gaming laptops. The Legion 5i (Gen 9), which I’ve been reviewing, falls within this lineup, offering a consistent yet functional design, robust gaming capabilities, and competitive pricing.

This model could be a good suggestion, but it seems to find itself in an uncomfortable position between the long-lasting Legion Slim 5i and the powerful Legion Pro 5i, much like the overlooked middle child. You’ll often find that Lenovo and retailers tend to favor recommending the Slim and Pro versions over this one, even though I would suggest this laptop before its Pro counterpart in many cases.

Legion 5i review: Pricing and specifications

This mid-range gaming laptop feels like the forgotten middle child, and isn't difficult to understand why

Pricing highlights

The Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) technically starts at $1,524.99 for its entry-level specs, but almost no one should actually be paying that.
Lenovo Legion laptops are almost always on sale, such as a solid configuration being available for $1,120.99 at the time of writing.
The Legion 5i is equipped very similarly to the Legion Pro 5i in almost every respect, including configuration options.
Value rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

The pricing and stock availability for the Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) are quite unusual. Typical stores you’d usually visit for laptop purchases might not carry this model at all, such as Best Buy only offering the Slim and Pro variants. Even Lenovo itself offers very few pre-made models and restricts customization options through its configurator to a certain extent.

Among all the stores I checked, it was surprising to discover that only Costco offered my specific system configuration. Nevertheless, I’m not complaining since the Intel Core i9 within my device appears somewhat excessive when considering its other internal components. At Lenovo, you can directly purchase the most cost-effective Legion 5i (Gen 9) for approximately $1,120.99 (at press time). This model comes equipped with an i7-14650HX processor, RTX 4060 graphics card, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and is a well-rounded mid-range gaming laptop with these specifications.

The custom configurator for the Lenovo Legion 5i begins at $1,239.99 on Lenovo’s site, offering you a wider range of choices, but with slightly higher prices overall. Regardless, it’s worth noting that the Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) is typically less expensive than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i. The main differences are a slightly more compact design, minimal variations in port selection, and marginally lower overall performance.

Inside the box, you’ll discover the Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9), accompanied by a unique 230W DC charger and adapter, as well as a three-month subscription for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Additionally, there’s a customizable rear vent plate with a striking blue accent color instead of the standard flat grey one.

Legion 5i review: Design and build quality

Design highlights

Despite boasting incredibly similar internals and a familiar design language, the Legion 5i is a little thinner and lighter than the Legion Pro 5i.
It’s the same design language we’ve come to expect from Lenovo Legion, with a rear-protruding “shelf” for ports and ventilation, an aluminum lid, and a tough plastic body.
It’s a sturdy, practical design that forsakes attempts at “beauty” in favor of focusing on simply being a good gaming laptop.
Design rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you’ve encountered one Lenovo Legion laptop recently, you could say you’ve seen them all in essence, as they have maintained a similar design over the years despite minor updates and enhancements. The Lenovo Legion 5i shares many characteristics with its siblings, the Legion Pro 5i and Legion Slim 5i, by not striving for slimness or lightweight construction. Instead, it offers a practical, robust, and dependable design that stands out.

Compared to the Legion Pro 5i, the Legion 5i is slimmer (approximately 25.2mm versus 26.8mm) and lighter (weighing 2.36kg instead of 2.5kg). Additionally, all its vents are located at the back and bottom. This arrangement means that your ports are spread out more, but in essence, they share a very similar design layout.

This device comes equipped with:

Legion 5i review: Display quality

Display highlights

The Legion 5i is equipped with the same 16-inch, QHD+, 165Hz IPS LCD panel we’ve seen in many gaming laptops.
Like most other parts of the laptop, this display is consistent and practical but doesn’t really stand out.
It’s a solid display with great performance and enough brightness and contrast to look good in most situations.
Display rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Upon gazing at the Lenovo Legion 5i’s screen, it seems remarkably consistent with previous models in the Legion 5 series (barring the optional 240Hz configuration). You’ll find a 16-inch QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) display, boasting a 165Hz IPS LCD. This screen may not leave you in awe, but it delivers consistent performance and smooth gaming experience overall. In essence, it’s a dependable choice for gaming enthusiasts.

This display covers approximately 99% of the sRGB color gamut and about 78% of the DCI-P3, which suggests it may not be suitable for creative work due to limited color coverage. However, the display is consistent with decent brightness levels, good contrast ratios for an IPS LCD panel, and a warm white balance that remains level across various brightness settings. Additionally, this display supports Dolby Vision HDR, but it might not provide optimal viewing experiences when consuming high-quality HDR content.

During gameplay, the screen offers a seamless and swift performance, thanks to NVIDIA G-SYNC technology that prevents the occurrence of unwanted screen splitting or tearing.

Legion 5i review: Performance and thermals

Performance highlights

With nearly identical internals to the Legion Pro 5i, the Legion 5i is a strong and consistent performer.
Despite the Legion Pro 5i ostensibly boasting better thermals and pouring more juice into its parts, the Legion 5i rarely lags far behind.
This laptop does a great job staying cool through intensive sessions, but those fans are loud.
Performance rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

When considering whether to splurge on the pricier Lenovo Legion Pro 5i or not, performance-wise, you might be hard-pressed to notice much of a difference since the Legion 5i (Gen 9) offers comparable configuration options and delivers impressive performance with its hardware. However, it’s important to note that one drawback is its quite noisy fans, so loud in fact that they may overpower the built-in speakers. To fully enjoy your gaming experience, a headset would be highly recommended.

At a quick glance, it may seem challenging to distinguish between the Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) and its pricier Pro counterpart, as they share similar CPU, GPU, RAM, SSD, and display specifications. However, upon closer inspection, the main difference lies in the thermal performance and power capabilities of the Legion Pro 5i.

Despite its cost, the Legion 5i isn’t sluggish. In fact, it held its own against pricier machines, and when it comes to real-world performance and gaming, you won’t notice much of a distinction between the Legion 5i and the bulkier, heavier Legion Pro 5i, including in gaming capabilities.

Forza Horizon 5 — 78 FPS average on the Extreme preset, with QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, v-sync enabled, NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution, DLAA, & Reflex Low Latency disabled | 102 FPS average with NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution enabled and set to “Auto,” NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation & Reflex Low Latency enabled
Gears 5 — 77 FPS average on the Ultra preset, with QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) resolution, uncapped framerate, v-sync enabled, Ultra textures installed
Cyberpunk 2077 — 67 FPS average on the Ray Tracing: Low preset, with QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, v-sync enabled, NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution enabled and set to “Auto,” NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency enabled, NVIDIA DLSS Ray Reconstruction & Frame Generation disabled | 55 FPS average on the Ultra preset with AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution enabled and set to “Quality”
Counter-Strike 2 — 140-158 FPS average on the High preset, with QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, v-sync enabled, NVIDIA DLSS Reflex Low Latency enabled, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution disabled)

With the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i, it’s quite achievable to maintain a steady 60 frames per second in most PC games at high settings – an impressive feat. By adjusting the resolution to 1080p (which still offers a stunning view on a 16-inch screen), you can maximize the 165Hz refresh rate even more. Furthermore, I subjected the Legion 5i’s thermal management to rigorous testing by running 25 consecutive loops of 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark. The outstanding 99.6% framerate stability underscores the laptop’s robust cooling system.

Legion 5i review: Battery experience

Battery highlights

Lenovo Legion laptops are never known for having great battery life, and the Legion 5i is no exception.
Despite having near-identical internals, though, the Legion 5i does seem to last a little longer on average than the Legion Pro 5i.
Gaming performance is understandably crippled on battery power, but performance otherwise remains good.
Battery rating: ⭐⭐⭐

The Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) shares a 80Whr battery cell with both the Legion Pro 5i and Slim 5i, and its battery life falls somewhere in between these two models. The lower power consumption of the Legion 5i may explain why it lasts longer than its Pro counterpart, but it doesn’t match the efficiency of the AMD-equipped Slim 5i, which boasts one of the longest battery lives among the Legion laptops.

According to Procyon’s One Hour Battery Test, the Legion 5i consumed approximately 22% of its battery while running typical Microsoft Office tasks and 24% when playing an HD video at half volume. This suggests that the Legion 5i can last around 3-4 hours with regular use, but it’s still not a top contender in terms of battery life and may not be ideal for mobile work due to its limited battery capacity.

Legion 5i review: Keyboard and everything else

Other highlights

Lenovo is no stranger to great keyboards, and the Legion 5i’s layout, switch action, and features all continue that trend.
The Legion 5i is simply average in almost all other areas, though, with a meh camera, speakers, touchpad, microphone, and more.
There’s still no Windows Hello support, either, although I don’t really expect that in a gaming laptop at this price point.
Other hardware rating: ⭐⭐⭐½

As a researcher delving into the realm of gaming laptops, I find myself returning to the Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) once more. While it undeniably excels in its primary role as a gaming machine, it fails to ignite my enthusiasm in various aspects.

One feature a gaming laptop can’t neglect is the keyboard, though, and Lenovo rarely misses here. The Legion 5i shares a keyboard with its siblings, this time with four-zone RGB lighting and a condensed tenkey number pad. It’s a very solid keyboard with a comfortable and responsive action, excellent layout, full-sized arrow keys, and intelligent shortcuts and functions. I really can’t complain here.

Typically, Windows Hello biometric authentication isn’t present here, but I’m not deducting points from the Legion 5i for that reason. Given it’s a mid-range gaming laptop, I don’t find this feature to be a standard expectation. However, I do anticipate top-notch wireless connectivity, and the Legion 5i delivers on this front with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 compatibility. For a more consistent connection, you can always utilize the Ethernet port.

Legion 5i review: Competition

It’s worth noting that if you’ve read this review thoroughly, it’s likely no shock to you that the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9) we’ve reviewed is one of its toughest rivals in the market. This isn’t because the Legion Pro 5i is inherently superior; on the contrary, it’s bulkier, heavier, and pricier. However, the main reason it’s considered a formidable competitor is that the Legion Pro 5i tends to be more widely available. If you can’t find a Legion 5i model in stock or on sale for less than the comparable Legion Pro 5i, then the Legion Pro 5i might prove to be the more convenient option.

Another option worth considering is the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i (Gen 9). Although we haven’t evaluated this specific model, it shares similar dimensions and weight with the Legion 5i, but boasts a revised design and an AMD CPU that prioritizes energy efficiency over sheer power. If you’re seeking a gaming laptop that can perform well even when unplugged for a few hours, this might be the Lenovo Legion 5 you’re looking for.

Regarding prices within this range, Lenovo’s Legion series stands out as a very appealing choice, and for several valid reasons.

Legion 5i review: Final thoughts

You should buy this if …

✅You want a focused, no-fuss gaming laptop on a budget

The Lenovo Legion 5i is primarily crafted with gaming in mind. While it possesses the capabilities of a regular Windows laptop and can handle routine tasks, its construction suggests it caters more towards gamers looking for a cost-effective option in their next setup.

✅You can find it on sale for less than the Legion Pro 5i

It’s reasonable to expect that the Lenovo Legion 5i would be priced lower compared to the Legion Pro 5i. However, its inconsistent availability and peculiar pricing structure don’t always guarantee this. If you manage to find a configuration of the Legion 5i that costs significantly less than an equivalent Legion Pro 5i, then the Legion 5i would likely prove to be the more advantageous laptop for most users.

You should not buy this if …

❌You want a gaming laptop you can also take on the go

Lenovo Legion 5i laptops aren’t renowned for their portability or energy efficiency; instead, they are quite bulky and have a limited battery life. If you’re seeking a gaming laptop that offers some mobility, you might want to consider alternatives like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus series (be aware that it comes with a higher price tag).

The Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) is an unusual choice within Lenovo’s mid-range gaming laptop series, standing out amidst the Legion Slim 5i (which is far from slim) and the Legion Pro 5i (which lacks a professional feel). Regrettably, its scarcity makes it less appealing as the top pick.

Once again, Lenovo follows its pattern of initially pricing its devices high at retail outlets, only to later offer discounts shortly after launch. However, the Legion 5i seems to be less visible and available compared to the pricier Legion Pro 5i model. Despite this, both laptops deliver comparable performance, with the Legion 5i offering more size and weight in exchange for slightly enhanced performance and cooling capabilities. Unfortunately, the Legion 5i often comes with a higher price tag of a few hundred dollars.

If you come across the Lenovo Legion 5i on sale so it costs less than the Legion 5i Pro, I strongly advise you to opt for this laptop instead. It is a gaming laptop through and through and may not stand out in other areas, but the Lenovo Legion 5i (Gen 9) is an excellent choice for gamers, offering good performance at an affordable price point, or approximately $1,120.99 at Lenovo for the configuration I recommend.

2024-12-10 18:10

This mid-range gaming laptop feels like the forgotten middle child, and isn’t difficult to understand why