Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 2024 Review: Mid-Range Gaming Laptop

In the competitive world of gaming laptops, finding a device that balances performance, build quality, and price can be challenging. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is a strong mid-range contender, offering impressive specifications and features. Priced under 150,000 Indian Rupees (approximately $1300), this laptop is designed to meet the needs of gamers and content creators alike. Let’s dive into a detailed review based on Pratima Adhikari’s comprehensive YouTube review.

Design and Build Quality

Premium Design Elements

• Metal Lid: The lid of the Legion Pro 5i is crafted from premium metal, giving it a robust and high-end feel.
• Plastic Build: Lenovo has opted for plastic for the keyboard deck and the rest of the laptop to reduce weight. Despite this, the laptop does not feel cheap.
• Solid Hinge: The hinge design contributes to the overall durability and stability of the laptop.

Lenovo has continued its tradition of offering a sophisticated design with the Legion Pro 5i. The laptop retains the elegant aesthetic of its predecessors, ensuring it looks professional and stylish whether you’re in a gaming tournament or a business meeting. The metal lid not only adds a touch of luxury but also provides additional protection to the screen. The plastic body, though aimed at reducing weight, is of high quality and doesn’t detract from the premium feel of the device. The hinge mechanism is sturdy, allowing for smooth opening and closing without any wobble, which is crucial for longevity and consistent performance.

Design Drawbacks

• Lack of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4: Despite featuring an Intel chip, the laptop lacks Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4 connections. The USB-C ports have a maximum data transfer rate of just 10 Gbps, and the USB-A connections are even slower at 5 Gbps.
• Port Limitations: This could be a significant drawback for video editors or users who frequently transfer large files from external storage.

One of the key areas where the Legion Pro 5i could have improved is in its port selection. While it features USB-C ports, the absence of Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4 can be limiting for users who require faster data transfer speeds. This limitation is particularly noticeable for video editors and professionals who rely on transferring large files quickly. The slower USB-A connections further add to this drawback, making it a less ideal choice for those needing high-speed connectivity.

Display Options

Base Variant

• 16-inch IPS Display: The base variant features a 165 Hz refresh rate, around 350 nits of peak brightness, and 100% sRGB color space.
• G-Sync Compatibility: This feature helps prevent screen tearing, making it ideal for gamers.

The 16-inch IPS display of the base variant is tailored for gamers and casual users who need a reliable and vibrant screen. The 165 Hz refresh rate ensures smooth visuals, essential for fast-paced games and reducing motion blur. With a peak brightness of 350 nits, the display remains sufficiently bright for indoor use, although it might struggle under direct sunlight. The 100% sRGB color space ensures accurate color reproduction, which is crucial for content creators dealing with photos and videos.

Upgraded Variant

• Enhanced Display: The higher-end model offers a display that covers 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut, showing roughly 25% more colors than sRGB.
• Higher Brightness and Refresh Rate: It also boasts up to 500 nits of brightness and a smoother 240 Hz refresh rate, making it suitable for color-sensitive tasks such as photo and video editing.

For professionals and enthusiasts requiring superior color accuracy and brightness, the upgraded variant of the Legion Pro 5i is a perfect choice. The 100% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage means that this display can render more colors, providing a richer visual experience. The increased brightness of up to 500 nits makes it versatile for various lighting conditions, and the 240 Hz refresh rate offers an even smoother experience, beneficial for both gaming and creative work.

Audio Quality

• Speakers: The Legion Pro 5i’s speakers deliver decent audio quality. They are not front-firing, but they offer good loudness and clarity without sounding flat.
• Keyboard: The keyboard features membrane keys with a 1.5 mm travel distance and soft keycaps, providing one of the best tactile feedback experiences on a gaming laptop.
• RGB Lighting: It also includes four-zone RGB lighting that can be quickly adjusted using the FN + space shortcut.

The audio experience on the Legion Pro 5i is impressive for a gaming laptop. While the speakers are not front-firing, they manage to produce clear and loud audio, enhancing the overall gaming and multimedia experience. The clarity ensures that dialogues and in-game audio cues are easily discernible, which is crucial for competitive gaming.

The keyboard on the Legion Pro 5i is another highlight. The membrane keys with a 1.5 mm travel distance provide a satisfying tactile response, making typing and gaming comfortable. The inclusion of four-zone RGB lighting adds a customizable aesthetic, allowing users to personalize their setup according to their preferences. The FN + space shortcut for adjusting the lighting is a convenient feature, making it easy to switch between different lighting modes.

Performance

Specifications

• Processor: Intel’s 14th Gen Raptor Lake CPU, specifically the Core i7-14650HX.
• Graphics: Paired with RTX 4060 graphics with a 140W TGP.
• Memory and Storage: 16 GB of DDR5 memory and a 1 TB Gen 4 SSD.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is powered by Intel’s latest 14th Gen Raptor Lake CPU. The Core i7-14650HX processor offers exceptional performance, capable of handling demanding tasks with ease. Paired with the RTX 4060 graphics card with a 140W TGP, this laptop is designed to deliver outstanding gaming performance and smooth multitasking. The 16 GB of DDR5 memory ensures that the system can handle multiple applications simultaneously, while the 1 TB Gen 4 SSD provides ample storage space and fast data access speeds.

Real-World Performance

• Video Editing: The laptop excels in video editing tasks, handling large 4K project files in Premiere Pro with ease.
• Gaming: It also performs exceptionally well in gaming, delivering smooth gameplay at both 1080p and 1440p high settings. For GPU-intensive titles, frame generation might be required for optimal performance at 1440p.

In real-world usage, the Legion Pro 5i shines in both gaming and productivity tasks. When used for video editing, the laptop handles large 4K project files in Premiere Pro effortlessly. This is a testament to its powerful CPU and GPU combination, making it a suitable choice for content creators.

In gaming, the Legion Pro 5i delivers smooth and responsive performance. It can run the latest titles at high settings in both 1080p and 1440p resolutions. For GPU-intensive games like Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, enabling frame generation ensures optimal performance at 1440p. This flexibility makes it a versatile device for gamers who want the best visual experience.

Thermals and Cooling

• Custom Thermal Mode: For the best performance, users should enable the custom thermal mode and check the ‘enable extreme mode’ box. This significantly reduces surface temperatures during intense gaming sessions.
• Fan Noise: The fan noise can get quite loud, reaching the high 50 dB territory, but it’s manageable with headphones.

Thermal management is a critical aspect of any gaming laptop, and the Legion Pro 5i does not disappoint. The custom thermal mode allows users to tweak the cooling settings for optimal performance. By enabling the extreme mode, the laptop’s fans operate at full capacity, significantly reducing surface temperatures even during intense gaming sessions. This ensures that the laptop remains cool and performs consistently without throttling.

However, it’s worth noting that the fan noise can get quite loud, reaching the high 50 dB territory. This is a common trade-off for maintaining low temperatures under heavy load. Fortunately, the noise is manageable with headphones, which is a minor inconvenience for the benefits of enhanced cooling.

Battery Life

• Poor Battery Performance: The Legion Pro 5i’s battery life is disappointing. With an 80W battery, it lasts only about 2 hours during casual office work, even with efficiency settings enabled. In comparison, the Acer Nitro V16, with a smaller 57W battery, lasts around 5 hours.
• Charging Time: The large 300W power brick takes about an hour and a half to fully charge the laptop.

Battery life is one of the significant drawbacks of the Legion Pro 5i. Despite having an 80W battery, it lasts only about 2 hours during casual office work. This is quite low, especially when compared to competitors like the Acer Nitro V16, which offers around 5 hours of battery life with a smaller 57W battery. This shortcoming can be attributed to the power-hungry Intel chip, which lacks efficiency.

Charging the laptop also takes a considerable amount of time. The large 300W power brick takes about an hour and a half to fully charge the battery. This means that users will often need to stay tethered to a power outlet, which can be inconvenient for those who need to use the laptop on the go.

Detailed Specifications Table

Conclusion

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) stands out as a powerful and versatile gaming and content creation laptop. Here’s a quick summary of its strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths

• Exceptional Performance: Whether you are gaming or editing videos, the Legion Pro 5i delivers smooth and reliable performance.
• Impressive Display Options: The laptop offers excellent display options suitable for both casual and professional use.
• Solid Build Quality: With its premium design and robust build, the laptop feels durable and high-end.
• Good Thermal Management: The custom thermal mode ensures optimal performance during intensive tasks.
• Customizable RGB Lighting: The four-zone RGB lighting on the keyboard allows for personalization, adding a vibrant aesthetic to the setup.

Weaknesses

• Limited Port Selection: The lack of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 might be a dealbreaker for some users.
• Poor Battery Life: The battery performance is subpar, especially compared to some competitors.
• Fan Noise: While manageable with headphones, the fan noise can be quite loud during intense gaming sessions.

Despite its shortcomings, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) remains a top choice in the mid-range gaming laptop segment. It offers a well-rounded package that excels in key areas, making it a worthwhile investment for under 150,000 INR or $1300. Its exceptional performance, impressive display options, and solid build quality make it a versatile device for gamers and content creators alike.