Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Review: A Gaming Powerhouse in Disguise
The Lenovo Legion series has carved a niche for itself in the mid-range gaming laptop market, consistently delivering impressive performance for the price. The latest iteration, the Legion Pro 5i (Gen 9), upholds this tradition with a powerful 14th Gen Intel processor and a subtle, professional aesthetic.
This review dives deep into the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i, exploring its design, performance, display, battery life, and more to help you decide if it’s the right gaming laptop for you.
Design: Subtle Strength
Unlike many gaming laptops with loud, gamer-centric designs, the Legion Pro 5i opts for a more subdued look. It features an aluminum lid with the Legion logo and a plastic chassis. This design choice keeps the weight down to a manageable 2.5kg, but the trade-off is a thicker profile (nearly 25mm) compared to some competitors.
While the thickness might not be ideal for portability, it allows for better cooling, a crucial factor for sustained gaming performance. The Legion Pro 5i prioritizes performance over portability, making it a better fit for gamers who primarily use their laptops at home or on desks.
Built to Connect
The Legion Pro 5i boasts an impressive selection of ports, most located on the back of the laptop for cleaner cable management. Here’s a breakdown of the ports:
- Back: Ethernet port, 2x USB Type-A ports, 1x USB Type-C port, charging port
- Right: 1x USB Type-A port, headphone jack
- Left: 1x USB Type-A port, 1x USB Type-C port with DisplayPort 1.4 support
This comprehensive port selection allows you to connect all your essential peripherals, external displays, and storage devices with ease. Additionally, the Legion Pro 5i features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless connectivity.
The laptop also includes a 1080p webcam with dual microphones and a privacy shutter. The webcam delivers surprisingly good video quality for a gaming laptop, making it suitable for video calls even in low-light conditions.
A Keyboard Built for Conquest
The Legion Pro 5i features a full-size backlit keyboard with a number pad and Lenovo’s TrueStrike technology. The keys offer a satisfying 1.5mm travel distance for a comfortable typing experience, and the 4-zone RGB backlighting adds a touch of personalization. While there’s no keyboard flex, the keys can feel a little cramped, leading to occasional typos.
The Precision touchpad is large and features a matte finish that allows for smooth finger gliding and accurate gesture registration. The accidental palm touches won’t move the cursor, and you can even disable the touchpad with a keyboard shortcut (FN + F10) when using a mouse.
A Display Fit for Champions
One of the highlights of the Legion Pro 5i is its stunning 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600 pixels) IPS display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Gamers will appreciate the smooth visuals thanks to the 240Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. The display also boasts Dolby Vision and VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification, ensuring vibrant colors and high contrast for an immersive gaming experience.
With a peak brightness of 500 nits and an anti-glare finish, the display remains usable even outdoors. Additionally, 100% sRGB color coverage with X-Rite Pantone color calibration makes the display ideal for content creators who demand color accuracy. The panel also supports Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync to eliminate screen tearing, further enhancing the visual experience.
Unleashing the Beast: Performance
The Legion Pro 5i packs a serious punch under the hood. Our review unit came equipped with an Intel Core i7-14650HX processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 laptop GPU with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
FAQs
Q: How much does the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i cost?
A: The price of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i can vary depending on the configuration you choose. Our review unit costs around Rs 1,56,990, but you may find more affordable configurations with less powerful specs.
Q: Is the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i good for productivity tasks?
A: Yes, the Legion Pro 5i’s powerful processor and ample RAM make it suitable for productivity tasks like photo editing, video editing, and multitasking. However, the battery life is not ideal for extended unplugged use.
Q: Does the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i have a good webcam?
A: Surprisingly, yes. The Legion Pro 5i’s 1080p webcam with dual microphones offers good video quality, making it suitable for video calls.
Q: Is the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i lightweight?
A: No, the Legion Pro 5i is not particularly lightweight at 2.5kg. The thicker profile allows for better cooling but makes it less portable compared to some ultra-thin gaming laptops.
