Lenovo today outlined its upcoming lineup of gaming laptops and desktops for this spring.
The announcements mostly revolve around its Legion gaming line, which is getting a bit of a naming refresh with these new models. Expect four new Legion gaming laptops (led by the flagship Legion 7), one entry-level IdeaPad gaming laptop, and one Legion tower. All of these will be arriving this May.
A couple of these laptops were first mentioned as part of the new wave of gaming machines that would make use of Nvidia's mobile GeForce RTX Super GPUs and Intel's 10th Generation Core H-Series processors. Today's announcement from Lenovo provides much more detail, and it adds a few more laptops to the mix—read on for information on each.
The Lenovo Gaming Flagship: Meet the Legion 7
The Legion 7 is the high-end offering in this new batch, aimed at enthusiasts. It’s a 15-inch laptop with a starting price of $1,599 and plenty of room to scale upward. It, and all of these new Legion laptops, offer a clean, updated visual design. They also all feature an improved “TrueStrike” keyboard and full number pad.
Component options for the Legion 7 include a 144Hz or 240Hz display, 10th Generation Intel Core i7 or i9 processors, up to a GeForce RTX 2080 Super (Max-Q), as much as 32GB of memory, and a maximum 1TB SSD. The keyboard backlighting on the Legion 7 is more advanced than the others, as it offers per-key customization.
Legion 5: 2 Processor Families, 2 Screen Sizes
Next up is the 15-inch Legion 5, of which there are technically two flavors. The Legion 5i is the Intel-CPU version, while the Legion 5 will carry AMD chips. These are both more affordable 15-inch alternatives to the Legion 7: The 5i will start at $829.99, while the 5 starts at $849.99.
There are component differences between the Legion 5i and Legion 5 beyond the processor, too. In addition to 10th Generation Core i5 and Core i7 processors, the Legion 5i offers up to a GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, a maximum of 16GB of memory, and up to a 1TB SSD. The screen options are all 1080p IPS panels but come in a variety of refresh rates (60Hz, 120HZ, 144Hz, and 240Hz).
The AMD-based Legion 5, meanwhile, will carry Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPUs. It only maxes out at a GeForce GTX 1650 Ti for graphics and 8GB of memory, so the performance cap is lower than the 5i despite a slightly higher starting price. There are just two screen choices for this model: a 1080 IPS screen in 60Hz or 120Hz.
The default keyboard backlighting for both the Legion 5i and Legion 5 is a white backlight, and there’s an option for a four-zone RGB version.
Moving on, there’s also a 17-inch version of the Legion 5i. It’s similar to the 15-inch 5i in terms of price tier and style, but it has a higher starting price of $1,129.99 given its size.
There are two versions of its 17.3-inch display—a 1080p IPS screen in 60Hz or 120Hz—and otherwise similar options to the smaller model. This model only includes Core i7 processors, no Core i5 option, and maxes out at an RTX 2060 GPU, 16GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD. Also, the keyboard only comes with white backlighting. There is no 17-inch equivalent for the AMD branch of this laptop, i.e., no "17-inch Legion 5" is currently planned to go with the 17-inch Legion 5i.
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A Budget-Friendly Option: The IdeaPad Gaming 3
Last of the new laptops: We come to the one non-Legion system. The budget-priced IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a 15-inch laptop starting at $729.99. It’s aimed at casual, value-oriented gamers looking for an entry point.
Component options include 10th Generation Core i5 and Core i7 processors, while the only choices for the GPU and memory are a GeForce GTX 1650 and 8GB of RAM. The storage maxes out at a 512GB SSD, while the display can be a 1080p IPS screen in either 60Hz or 120Hz. The keyboard includes a non-customizable blue backlight.
A Desktop, Too: The Legion Tower 5i
Last but not least, we come to the matching Legion desktop. The Legion Tower 5i is versatile, with a low starting configuration price of $799.99 but plenty of room to scale upward. The case measures 24 by 13 by 22 inches (HWD), making it a relatively compact, but not exactly small-form-factor, MicroATX tower.
It will offer forthcoming 10th Generation Intel desktop processors, as much as 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, and top out at a GeForce RTX 2070 Super desktop card for graphics. A Legion Tower 5 with AMD processor options will be available later this year; Lenovo didnt disclose processor details there, either.
As stated earlier, all of these PCs will be available starting in May 2020. Check back for full reviews as they become available.
Further Reading
- HP Targets MacBook Lovers With New Envy, ZBook Laptops
- First Tests: Are Nvidia's GeForce RTX Super Laptop Chips a Big Step Up?
- COVID-19 Creates Soaring Demand for PCs, But the Surge Isn't Expected to Last
- Asus Launches Premium 2-in-1 Chromebook Flip C436 With 10th-Gen Intel Chips
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