Lenovo‘s Legion ecosystem is growing with the introduction of two new gaming monitors and a range of accessories designed to enhance the experience of the company’s first gaming handheld – the Legion Go.
Lenovo Legion R27qc-30 and R32qc-30 Monitors: Immersive Gaming Displays
The Lenovo Legion R27qc-30 and R32qc-30 monitors offer gamers an immersive visual experience. These curved displays feature a 1500R curvature, providing a more enveloping viewing angle. The 27-inch R27qc-30 boasts a QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution, while the 31.5-inch R32qc-30 offers a higher resolution of 4K (3840 x 2160). Both monitors support a fast refresh rate of 180Hz, ensuring smooth and responsive visuals, even during intense gaming sessions.
The Legion R27qc-30 and R32qc-30 feature a VA panel, known for its high contrast ratio and deep blacks. The R27qc-30 covers 120% of the sRGB colour gamut, while the R32qc-30 covers 112% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, delivering accurate and vibrant colours. Both monitors offer wide viewing angles, allowing you to enjoy the visuals from various positions.
Legion Go Accessories: Enhancing Your Gaming Experience
To complement the Legion Go, Lenovo has introduced a range of accessories designed to enhance your gaming experience. The Lenovo Legion Go USB-C Dock provides essential connectivity options, including USB-C Power, RJ45, USB-A ports, and HDMI 2.0. This allows you to connect various peripherals and expand your gaming setup.
The Lenovo Legion Go Charging Connector offers a convenient way to charge both detachable TrueStrike controllers simultaneously. This eliminates the hassle of charging each controller individually, ensuring you’re always ready to game.
The Lenovo Legion Go Carry Case provides protection for your Legion Go while on the go. Its hard shell design safeguards the device, and the internal zip pocket allows you to store additional accessories.
Lastly, Lenovo is also introducing a mini Bluetooth Keyboard that complements the Legion Go experience. The keyboard has a 75% layout and weighs in at a super light 180g with a thickness of only 5.6mm. It has multidevice connectivity supporting smart switching between up to three devices with multi-device and supports Microsoft Windows, Android, and iPadOS.
Legion Ultimate Support: Elevate Your Gaming Experience
For gamers seeking the ultimate support, Lenovo offers Legion Ultimate Support. This premium service provides 24/7/365 access to expert gaming technicians who can assist with troubleshooting, optimizations, and other technical needs.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing and availability details announced are listed below.
Lenovo Legion R27qc-30 Monitor: Expected to be available starting in October 2024 for an estimated price of €259 (approximately RM1,285).
Lenovo Legion R32qc-30 Monitor: Expected to be available starting in October 2024 for an estimated price of €349 (approximately RM1,730).
Lenovo Legion Go USB-C Dock: Expected to be available starting in June 2024 for an estimated price of €64.99 (approximately RM322).
Lenovo Legion Go Charging Connector: Expected to be available starting in October 2024 for an estimated price of €59.99 (approximately RM297).
Lenovo Legion Go Carry Case: Expected to be available starting in January 2025 for an estimated price of €29.99 (approximately RM148).
Lenovo Legion Go Joystick and Joystick Caps: Expected to be available starting in October 2024 for an estimated price of €9.99 (approximately RM49).
Lenovo Multi-Device Bluetooth Mini Keyboard: Expected to be available starting in November 2024 for an estimated price of €39.99 (approximately RM198).
More details regarding the local Malaysian pricing and availability of the Lenovo Legion R27qc-30, R32qc-30 monitors, and accessories will be announced at a later date.
A Gamer’s Laptop strides a very fine line between being powerful and affordable. In recent years, the price point for gaming laptops has increased dramatically. In many cases, gamers are spending between MYR5,000 to MYR8,000 for a decently specced gaming laptop. On the other hand, they can spend up to MYR 15,000 just for a gaming desktop. Realising this, Lenovo has introduced a new gaming laptop sub-brand called LOQ, pronounced similar to LOCK.
Lenovo’s LOQ laptops are built to bridge the gap between entry and pro-level gaming setups. They provide a more affordable option while not compromising on the power that gamers need to run their AAA titles. However, these laptops may sidestep some gaming luxuries like per-key RGB.
The new lineup of LOQ gaming laptops making its debut comes with NVIDIA Laptop GPUs ranging from the NVIDIA RTX 3050 to the newly announced RTX 4060. They’re equipped with MUX switches which use NVIDIA’s Advanced Optimus feature to bypass the integrated GPUs during gaming and heavy GPU work. This allows the laptops to achieve higher frame rates as the GPUs interface directly with the display panel. When not gaming, these switches allow the integrated CPU to take over providing longer battery life.
These GPUs are complemented by either a 13th Generation Intel processor or a Zen4 touting AMD Ryzen processor. On the RAM side of things, there’s support for up to 16GB DDR5 RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. When it comes to display there are 15- and 16-inch variants with IPS displays with support for up to 165Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB gamut coverage.
Design-wise, the LOQ gaming laptops draw inspiration from Lenovo’s successful Legion lineup. Crucial elements like the hinge, keyboard and mousepad placements are similar to the LOQ’s sister lineup. The keyboard has options for 4-zone RGB backlighting while maintaining Legion’s signature 1.5mm key travel and feel. The chassis has all the flair of a Legion device and even comes in the signature gunmetal black colour.
Pricing & Availability
The new Lenovo LOQ gaming laptops are now available in Malaysia via Lenovo Exclusive Stores and official stores on Lazada and Shopee with prices starting at MYR3,699.
Gaming smartphones are continuing to carve a niche for themselves ever since the ROG Phone was announced by ASUS. While that may be the case, the unique place the smartphone occupies in the market has made it one of the most competitive segments in the smartphone arena. Lenovo was one of the many brands to enter that arena with their Legion gaming brand in 2020.
However, it looks like the recent Lenovo Legion Y70 is the last phone that will be released by Lenovo under their Legion brand. Rumours surfaced earlier last week that Lenovo could be sunsetting its Legion smartphone. These rumours started as someone claiming to be a Lenovo posted a comment suggesting that the Legion phone would not be continuing.
It looks like that may just be the case. In a statement to Android Authority, a spokesperson confirmed that “Lenovo is discontinuing its Android-based Legion mobile gaming phones..”. Apparently, the sunsetting of the Legion phone comes as a larger business transformation exercise which includes a consolidation of their gaming portfolio.
Here’s their full statement to Android Authority:
Lenovo is discontinuing its Android-based Legion mobile gaming phones as part of a wider business transformation and gaming portfolio consolidation. As a leader in gaming devices and solutions, Lenovo is committed to advancing the gaming category across form factors, as well as focusing on where it can bring the most value to the global gaming community.
Lenovo Spokesperson
It’s sad to see a smartphone go the way of the dinosaurs. However, there’s still brands like Blackshark and ASUS that are still committed to their gaming smartphones. In fact, ASUS’s ROG Phone 7 is set to be announced later in April.
Lenovo had a very interesting CES 2023. Instead of launching a bunch of new hardware and peripherals, they really leaned into what they are really strong at; the introduced a whole slew of new laptops. Then there is Lenovo’s skunkworks, the Legion. They introduces four new products, or eight depending on how you look at it.
Lenovo Legion 7/7i – Lenovo’s Definitive Gaming Laptop Made Even Better with AI
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Welcome to the 2023 Legion Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i. They are practically the same gaming PCs you can take around and slay in the most popular esports titles wherever you are. They feature the same body designs, mostly same internals, and even the same displays. The only differentiator for both the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i is the processors in both laptops. If you have not known yet, the Legion Pro 7i will pack Intel’s latest 13th Generation Core processors while the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 packs AMD’s very newly launched Ryzen 7000 series mobile CPUs. Both will get a healthy dose of NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs too.
To get the most out of the most powerful chips from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA, Lenovo updated the cooling internals. The result is a wider vapor chamber for both the CPU and GPU. To take full advantage of the updated cooling hardware, the CPU re lined with a liquid metal infusion sending even more heat from the CPU to the heat spreader allowing either the AMD or Intel chip to go full blast even at 235W power draw. They call it the ColdFront 5.0 with Hybrid Thermals.
They say that the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i are the most powerful 16-inch gaming laptops that is tuned by artificial intelligence (AI). They are not joking though. Running Intel’s, AMD’s, and NVIDIA’s latest and most powerful chips is not enough for Lenovo, it seems. They added another chip within the rather industrial and familiar body. They added an in-house developed AI chip that powers something called Lenovo AI Engine+. The technology is supposed to push the hardware a little further and increase performances in games making the run faster and smoother.
All of these will be seen on the 16-inch 16:10 Puresight Gaming Display. The panel is a WQXGA (2560 x 1600) resolution display, just a little over 1440p QHD which should make for a rather immersive experience. You get 240Hz refresh rate out of the display as well. Paired with the AI accelerator, games should look and feel great on the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i.
As with any Lenovo products, the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i comes packing the most premium hardware and build quality. There is the familiar all-aluminium body construction containing everything including the Lenovo Legion Spectrum per-key RGB underneath a proven TrueStrike keyboard. Within the body is also a 99.99Whr battery that is also quick-charge capable.
Lenovo Legion Pro 5/5i – The Perfect Balance
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Similar to the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i line-up, you are getting similar hardware choices on both the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Legion Pro 5i variants. You only have to choose between team red and team blue by going either AMD Ryzen 7000 series, or 13th generation Intel Core processors. Completing the gaming laptop an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU (up to).
Like the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Legion Pro 5i comes packing the Lenvo Legion ColdFront. 5.0 technology that is sure to keep thermals in check, even in a small laptop body. The laptop variants also pack Lenovo’s latest in-house developed Lenovo LA AI chip that is supposed to cleverly push your Legion laptop further by optimizing heat management between the CPU and GPU at up to 200W TGP.
The 16-inch Lenovo Puresight Gaming Display is also a similar one you would find on the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i. It is still a 16:10 aspect ratio display that offers WQXGA resolutions at 240Hz. You do not get per-key RGB on the TrueStrike keyboard though. You can choose between a completely white backlighting to keep your laptop looking as clean as soap, or a Spectrum 4-zone RGB to spice your laptop up a little.
Underneath all of that is a smaller 80Whar battery that is also capable of Lenovo’s quick-charge technology. They say that this is the perfect balance between gaming and productivity though with a long-lasting battery life. You get one more colour option too with the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Legion Pro 5i, the Abyss Blue, over the regular Onyx Grey you can also find on the Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 7i.
Lenovo Legion Tower 7i – Going Beast Mode
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Gaming laptops do not cut it for you. Your laptop should be more about work than gaming, and you have this bizarre opinion that your laptop should not cost more than MYR 4,000. You have a good reason though, you want more power, you want a desktop gaming rig. You want the Legion Tower 7i. It should be obvious enough to you now that the ultimate Legion gaming tower comes packing Intel’s latest 13th generation Core processor. At the same time, you get to work with NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 40 series GPU for good measure. Paired with up to 64GB of 5600Mhz DDR5 RAM, you are getting the best-in-class gaming performance out of the tower.
Inside the industrial looking case is a larger VRM heatsinks to ensure that your board is always protected from over-heat. There are up to six ARGB fans to keep as much air moving as possible to keep everything inside the tower form getting toasted or throttled. To ensure that the fans are not restricted too, the front panel is designed with airflow in-mind. If you really want to push things to the extreme, Lenovo gives you the option to go with liquid-cooling for up to 260W TDP performances.
You can configure the tower with up to 6TB of SSD storage to store up to 1000 games within the system. To feed all the components with pure power is a challenge that a 1200W PSU can handle with little issues. The large PSU also opens up avenues for future component upgrades without swapping it out.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5/5i – Smaller Package, Big Power
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
If the Legion Tower 7i is a little oversized for your set-up, you want the Legion Tower 5 or Legion Tower 5i. By now you should be familiar with Lenovo’s naming schemes. You get AMD on the Legion Tower 5 while the Legion Tower 5i offers you the Intel path. Of course, on both ends, you get AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series CPU and Intel’s 13th generation Core CPU options respectively. You get to choose between team green and team red too with the GPU. You can spec your PC with NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs or AMD’s latest Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs to go with an all-red outfit on the Legion Tower 5.
For memory, you can fit your PC with fast 32GB 5600Mhz DDR5 RAM paired with up to 2TB (2x 1TB) of SSD storage to store as many games as you can play in a single seating. Keeping everything cool within the all-metal case with airflow optimized front panel are up to five ARGB fans. These are quiet fans too, to keep noise distractions to a minimum. You will want to upgrade this thing eventually. 850W from the PSU should be enough in terms of future-proofing while the toolless side panel ensures that you can easily remove or open it to upgrade your parts effortlessly.
Availability
Like all things in CES 2023, Lenovo has not mentioned the specific availability date for all the Legion PCs they announced. We are expecting them to launch all these Legion hardware sometime between now and the end of the first half of the year 2023. There are also no pricing information for their announced products so far. More information on the latest Legion laptops and PCs can be found on their website.
Console gaming was given new life with the launch of the Nintendo Switch. Since then, it seems like the new normal for consoles is to walk the tightrope between being portable and being a full-fledged console. Only recently, we saw Valve announce a competitor to Nintendo’s most popular console with the Steam Deck. It seems like the Switch may have another competitor coming its way with the Lenovo “Legion Play”.
I know, I know – we don’t usually cover leaks here at techENT but this was too good to ignore.
We’re all familiar with Lenovo’s Legion brand. It’s the company’s lineup made for gamers. They have been releasing some of the best performing and looking laptops since their inception and, of course, the Legion Phone Duel lineup. It seems like they are looking to include hand-held consoles to their repertoire as well.
The Lenovo Legion Play was accidentally uncovered by users over at GBAtemp.net on Lenovo’s MWC 2021 website. That said, the Legion Play was never officially announced at MWC 2021 or Lenovo’s Tech World. Instead, the images that were discovered were pretty well hidden and their links lead to a blank page.
The Lenovo Legion Play seems to be an Android-powered handheld console. However, the write up indicates that this console may not support any physical media. Instead, it’s referred to as a “cloud-gaming console”. This could mean that Lenovo isn’t developing this alone. In fact, one of the renders features NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW front and centre. However, this clearly indicates that Lenovo is looking to take on the Steam Deck with cloud gaming.
While we don’t really know the full specs of the device, from what was stumbled upon, it looks like quite the machine. It comes with a 7-inch FHD display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The display has HDR10 support and the Legion Play itself seems to have built-in controllers, dual speakers and dual vibration motors. It’s also powered by a 7,000mAh battery.
Source: Liliputing
From the renders, we can make out a D-pad, two analogue sticks, the A, B, X, Y buttons, and shoulder buttons. There may possibly be a few more buttons on the face of the console. The overall design looks really sleek – reminiscent of a PS Vita. Renders also show a custom interface atop Android. The interface seems to take a few cues from the Nintendo Switch. With games being front and centre while other apps take the backseat under them.
While we don’t really know much else, the Legion Play could have been a really interesting device to have in the market. It could also be priced more affordably than their Legion Phone Duel. However, we can’t be sure if the machine will ever see the light of day. Lenovo could choose to forgo launching the Legion Play indefinitely or we could see it launched in the next few months.
About two months ago, Lenovo dropped their brand-new Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2. The new gaming smartphone replaces their old Lenovo Legion Phone Duel. It also came with a whole slew of updates that makes it one of the most compelling gaming smartphones in the current market.
There was no solid release date for the smartphone in Malaysia though, until today that is. The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is finally released in Malaysia. It is available now and it will set you back MYR 3,299 for the lesser 12GB + 256GB variant and MYR 3,899 for the 16GB + 512GB variant. It also comes to Malaysia with a Maxis and Hotlink special deal at that. A little more on that later.
Source: Lenovo
The Legion Phone Duel 2 is built to be the ultimate gaming phone in the market with its horizontal first orientation approach. Even its pop-up selfie camera pop’s up from the side if you are holding the device like you normally would. When you game, it is a more natural position too. At the same time, a pop-up camera allows for a fuller display real estate for a more immersive experience.
It also packs the most powerful processor the Android market has seen so far, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G System on a Chip (SoC). With up to 16GB of RAM, the spec sheet looks more like a powerful gaming laptop than a gaming smartphone. To keep the device running as optimally as possible, the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 packs a very innovative cooling solution to keep things running as comfortably as possible.
To keep the powerful internals running for the entire day, there are two batteries inside the device that adds up to 5,500 mAh capacity. Two batteries also means that the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 charges faster and safer at 90W. The approach allows the device to be properly optimised for a comfortable horizontal use of the device too. To ensure that you really conquer your games, there is the touch-sensitive trigger buttons.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
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Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The internals are encased in mix of glass and aluminium, fronted by a 6.92-iunch AMOLED Full HD+ display that refreshes at 144Hz and 720Hz Sampling rate for a near instant touch response time. The pop-up camera is also a very powerful 44-Megapixel sensor with ultra-wide angle lens that ensures that you look good in that mobile gaming stream.
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is now available in Malaysia from any Lenovo Exclusive Stores nationwide and online official stores on Lazada and Shopee. You can get the Legion Phone Duel 2 in two colour options – black or white. There are also two variants of the smartphone, a 12GB + 256GB variant and a 16GB + 512GB variant, to choose from. The device will set you back MYR 3,299 onward and if you are a Maxis and Hotlink user, you are entitled to claim a complementary Lenovo 500 Bluetooth headphones worth MYR 189 between 28th June to 31st July, 2021.
[UPDATE 25/06/2021] The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is now available in Malaysia via Lenovo Exclusive Stores nationwide and via online official stores on Lazada and Shopee with prices starting from MYR 3,299 (12GB +256GB) and MYR 3,899 (16GB + 512GB).
Lenovo’s first gaming smartphone, the Legion Phone Duel was quite an eccentric device. Just like the ROG Phone, it was made to make gaming on a smartphone as comfortable and as optimised as possible. It was also made with some practicality in mind, with two smaller batteries instead of the usual one larger one. It also has an interestingly positioned pop-up selfie camera that acts as more of a streaming camera when you game than just a regular selfie camera. Of course, the first gaming smartphone from Lenovo’s Legion division had to pack the most powerful hardware of its time.
It did not seem too long ago that Lenovo released its gaming smartphone in Malaysia though. Now, there is a new one. Technically, Lenovo just announced it with no mentions of local (Malaysia) availability yet.
Source: Lenovo
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2, they call it. In our opinion, the name is still quite a handful. But enough on the name, more on the device.
The new second generation Legion gaming smartphone packs a lot of similarities to the older generation Legion Phone Duel. For one, it has a similarly placed pop-up selfie camera. It also has two batteries, like the older device. It is also supposed to pack more bite within its aluminium and glass silhouette though.
The main rear cameras are placed differently this time too. Instead of the regular top placement of the device, the main cameras are now at the mid-section of the smartphone. The layout change does give way to additional space for Lenovo to fit two cooling fans into the device though. That also means that the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 does not need an external cooling fan like the ROG Phone. But that also means that the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is a little on the thick side. We would not know yet though, we have not had a hands-on with it.
Source: Lenovo
The cameras are still the same 64-Megapixel main and 16-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter at the back though. There are dual USB Type-C ports as well still with up to 90W in fast-charging capabilities. Hardware wise, these are where the similarities end.
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 gaming smartphone packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 System on a Chip (SoC), the most powerful 5nm SoC you can find in a smartphone today. That powerful SoC is paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The powerful internals help push Android 11 along the 6.92-inch 144Hz Full HD AMOLED display.
The same display supports HRD10+ and up to 720Hz of touch sampling rate. 720Hz touch sampling rate, at its availability, makes the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 the fastest responding smartphone in the current market. To make gaming even more immersive with the device too, you get dual haptic feedback system for a more precise response and feel to your games. With up to 8 virtual programmable keys, including four ultrasonic shoulder buttons, you are automatically getting a competitive advantage just on the Legion Phone Duel 2.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
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Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The Lenovo Legion Phone Duel 2 is available in China April onward in Black and White color schemes. It will be available in Europe May 2021 onward with prices starting at EU€ 799 (MYR 3,933*) for the 12GB + 256GB variant or EU€ 948 (MYR 4,667*) for the 16GB + 512GB variant. That is about US$ 950** and US$ 1,128** respectively. There is no information on its availability in the North American region and South East Asian region for now. For more information on Lenovo’s new gaming smartphone, you can visit Lenovo’s press room.
*Based on approximate exchange rate of EU€ 1=MYR as of 09/04/2021 on xe.com
**Based on approximate exchange rate of EU€ 1=US$ 1.19 as of 09/04/2021 on xe.com
The Legion Slim 7i is now in Malaysia. The new laptop has a slimmer and lighter design. Who doesn’t want a portable gaming laptop that doesn’t skimp on performance? The Legion Slim 7i comes with a large, 15.6 inches display compacted in a slim body in Slate Grey. It is made from aircraft-grade aluminum for better durability without having the added heft.
The new lightweight gaming laptop comes with the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i7 mobile processor which is touted to be able to support Triple-A Games with 5.3GHz clock speeds and provide impressive refresh rates on Window 10. This is paired with the in NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics processor with Max-Q Design to facilitate its slim form factor. Equipped with raytracing technology and DLSS, the RTX2060 enables more realistic and immersive graphics. Paired with the integrated Intel UHD Graphics, the laptop can dynamically optimise for better performance or power based on the task at hand.
The Legion Slim 7i is 17.9mm slim and weighs only 1.86kg. It comes equipped with a 71Whr battery which Lenovo claims will last for up to 7.75 hours. It is also capable of Rapid Charge Pro function which allows it to get up to 50% of charge in just 30 minutes. At the same time, Lenovo’s redesigned Legion Coldfront 2.0 air intake system is 31% larger which ensures up to 115% more airflow going to the CPU and GPU. Also, the new machine-drilled holes applied above the keyboard combined with an increased number of exhaust fan blades provide better heat management during heavy gameplay.
Together with cooling and its sleek form factor, the Legion Slim 7i comes with a Full HD display with rich color contrast and saturation. This is paired with built-in dual speakers boosted by smart amplifiers and the Dolby® Atmos Speaker System for more immersive gameplay.
Pricing & Availability
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7i is now available for preorder at Lenovo Malaysia’s Official Website with prices starting at MYR7599 (1896.78USD$). You can even customize your Lenovo Legion Slim 7i starting January 2021.
Lenovo Legion should not be an unfamiliar name for gamers by now. Personally, the Lenovo Legion Notebook PCs that came out last year are some of the ones that stand out most in the gaming notebook PC market. They are also some of the most well-built notebook gaming PCs in the market in our humble opinions.
The design language of the 2019 line-up of Lenovo Legion products hits the spot, we feel in balancing the powerful look of a gaming notebook and a sleek looking mobile productivity machine. They look industrial, durable, and clean. So we are quite glad to see that design language continue in the 2020 line-up of Lenovo Legion products.
Lenovo Legion 7i
We start with the most powerful notebook PC in their line-up for 2020, the Lenovo Legion 7i. Not the Y700 series anymore this time, just a simple number and letter marking its CPU variant according to Lenovo. The good part is that it simplifies naming and recognition of the notebooks. To be fair though, Lenovo’s line-up is not as extensive as the likes of ASUS, so confusion should be limited in the first place.
Still, the Lenovo Legion 7i is the brand’s flagship portable gaming rig that packs the power of Intel’s most powerful mobile CPU, the 10th Generation Intel Core i9 (up to). That is paired to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU for a maxed out performance while gaming. While the hardware you can find within the all-aluminium body is testament enough that this is a serious piece of kit for both LAN parties and any CPU and GPU intensive work conditions, it does not stop here.
Source: Lenovo
The Lenovo Legion 7i also has an impressive array of RGB lights on the keyboard and around the outer shell to let anyone else in the room know that you are running a serious rig. You control the lighting effects via Corsair’s trusty iCUE RGB software built into the Lenovo Legion 7i. It is individual LED lights on the keyboard too, so you can have different colours on each keys if you want. Or, if you are like me, keep everything lighted to a single colour (a waste of good RGB I know).
To keep things cool, Lenovo developed something they call Coldfront 2.0. While that sounds like a bunch of gimmicks, it is actually a very clever solution to cool the CPU and GPU for optimised performance. Heat is the enemy, here, you get the idea. There is no way around the fact that the space on a notebook PC is very limited and therefore airflow is highly restricted in these conditions. Lenovo’s way of managing this is a combination of clever fan management from the software and designing more efficient heat sinks and pipes in optimised locations within the aluminium body.
Source: Lenovo
It sounds plenty easier said that done though. The new Vapor Chamber (heat pipes) that Lenovo developed for the Lenovo Legion 7i is supposedly larger than before, which is a challenge around the restricted space of the notebook PC. Still, they managed it so that there is more efficient heat transfer from the CPU and GPU to the cooling fans and ducts. All this while managing to keep two NVMe M.2 slots for two ultra-fast SSD and one SATA slot for maximum storage.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
All these is nothing though if you are seeing everything through a terrible display. Some of the previous Lenovo Legion notebook PCs have gotten a few negative comments when it comes to the display because plenty of them use TN (Twisted Nematic) panel displays. Those panels are known for horrible colour accuracy, washed out images, and even worse colour contrast. They are very fast though, pushing 300Hz in refresh rates in some cases and easily push 1ms in response time.
The progression in IPS (In-Plane Switching) technology though has allowed Lenovo to take advantage of the more colour accurate displays on the Lenovo Legion 7i with Full HD resolution with up to 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time (unreal, we know). Those, along with 1000% of sRGB colour gamut for super accurate colours when you need to do all your Adobe Photoshop work or Adobe Premiere Pro colour grading work.
Smarter Gaming
Lenovo has always looked for ways to innovate in the PC market. After all, it is a very saturated market with too many players to name in the first place. Staying at the front of the market with new innovations then is very important.
For the Lenovo Legion gaming line-up they have developed a new Lenovo Vantage software that allows users to have full control over each aspect of Lenovo’s gaming rigs. You can change the fan behaviour from the software itself. You can technically set maximum fan speed, and even more overclocking or undervolting settings within the software. Of course, if you know what you are doing with a PC, you might get more out of this than Lenovo’s own default settings for yourself.
With the Vantage also comes Lenovo’s new Q-Control 3.0. This is to control both the fan speed and overclocking on the Legion notebook PCs. It is designed to quickly switch between different thermal profiles to either keep the PC quiet, or to maximise cooling efforts.
Ther have also tuned the displays on the new Lenovo Legion notebook PC line-up. The new IPS panels means better colour accuracy. Lenovo’s very own Legion Visual software optimises the graphics and colours even more by tuning the colours for optimum usage in different brightness settings and use cases.
They even made the new Legion products last even longer than before with 80Wh of battery pack now. That means that Lenovo’s Legion gaming rigs can last up to 8 hours on a single charge or more, depending on hardware power requirements and others. 8 hours is a long time for any gaming PC though.
Lenovo Legion 5Pi
There is a few variants of the Lenovo Legion 5 series that is coming into Malaysia and we, of course, start with the most powerful one. This is also Lenovo’s second most powerful Notebook PC that is coming to Malaysia. As the ‘i’ in the naming scheme suggests, this is an Intel powered gaming Notebook PC. It has a 10th Generation Intel Core i7 (up to) paired to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super (up to).
While not as powerful as the super powerful Lenovo Legion 7i, the Lenovo Legion 5Pi is more powerful than plenty of gaming notebooks of its class. You get some really nice features on the Lenovo Legion 5Pi still too. There is a 4-zone RGB still on the keyboard of the Legion 5Pi notebook PC to show that this is not just a normal Lenovo Legion 5 series. Even the top clam housing the display has a slightly different design with the Legion ‘Y’ Logo front and center of the clam.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The display is also a Full HD IPS panel with 100% sRGB colour gamut to make short work of Adobe Photoshop. Along with 144Hz refresh rate and up to 1ms response time, this could be the perfect rig if you are on a slightly lower budget but still need a primary notebook PC to work with in LAN parties or at work. Again, I would tone down the RGB for myself, a matter of preference.
Lenovo Legion 5i
The Lenovo Legion 5i is technically the Lenovo Legion 5Pi, but a little toned down. As the naming moniker suggests too, it is an Intel device. Powered by Intel’s 10th Generation 10nm Core i7 (up to), this thing is still no slouch. In place of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super though is a slightly less powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti. The GTX 1660Ti is still powerful stuff to work with though. It is more than enough in most cases to deal with AAA games, Adobe Photoshop and 1080p video editing on Adobe Premiere Pro.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
For better colour accuracy for those software too, the Lenovo Legion 5i gets a nice IPS panel with 100% sRGB colour gamut like its more powerful and premium Legion 5Pi at 144Hz and up to 1ms response time. This is the perfect balance between raw power and budget. It does not feature the same front and center logo design like the 5Pi, but you still get an all-aluminium body build and the same Legion design of the Legion 7i
Lenovo Legion 5
And then there is the AMD offering that we also saw from AMD’s presentation for the APAC region yesterday. The Lenovo Legion 5. Yes, just the number ‘5’ without any thing like an ‘a’ or ‘R’. There is a small caveat with the AMD version for now though. The Lenovo Legion 5 only comes with up to an AMD Ryzen 5-4500H CPU.
There is no mention anywhere yet on whether or not we will see an AMD Ryzen 7 or even the Ryzen 9 variant pop up in either the Legion 5i or the Legion 7i, but we remain hopeful. Still, the Ryzen 5-4500H is AMD’s latest 4000 series CPUs that has proven in value and power. Paired to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, the AMD powerhouse should still impress in games and even for workflow, especially when it comes to CPU intensive software like Adobe’s Premiere Pro.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
At the same time you only get 8GB in RAM, but you can always add another one RAM stick into the notebook PC or upgrade the one that is already in the PC. Lenovo encourages you to do that apparently. They even have a guide to help you do that on your own on their website.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
A top-end and a mid-range has to be competed with an entry-level. After all, accessibility to the products becomes a concern sometimes when it comes to gaming. That is the idea of the IdeaPad Gaming 3i (no pun intended).
The Lenovo IdeaPad does not have the Legion branding moniker. It is still no slouch though. You still get Intel’s latest 10th Generation Core i7 (up to). You also can spec it with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 if you want and it will be the perfect companion for both work and play on a budget.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
The 15-inch display is still a Full HD resolution display and fast enough for plenty of games. You get up to 120Hz in refresh rate, which is more than enough for most use case and games. It also comes with some Lenovo Legion design work within the body. That means bigger thermal pipes for better thermal performance under load too.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i
Their product range is not just limited to notebook PCs though. Although that is the current most popular platform, nothing beats the power of a desktop tower set up. Lenovo has that answer too with the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i that is set to launch in Malaysia later in the year.
They did mention a more powerful Lenovo Legion Tower 7i too, but unfortunately that is not coming to Malaysia. Still, the Legion Tower 5i is a powerful gaming PC tower than anyone can appreciate. You get two variants of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 series technically. You can spec your’s with either an AMD Ryzen 3000 series CPU or a 10th Generation Intel Core CPU. You can also pick from a variety of GPUs up to an NVIDIA GeForce 2070 Super if you want.
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
Source: Lenovo
While it is a tower, it is not that big of a thing and is designed to be something that is small enough and light enough to be as portable as possible. In this case, you can even take it out to a LAN party alongside a small monitor and keyboard and still get the benefit of gaming on a proper desktop rig.
Lenovo Legion Phone – the Future of Gaming Smartphones
Lenovo has not been in the smartphone game for a while. That is since they took over with Motorola. They did make some compelling smartphones and tablets in the past though.
Earlier in the year there are rumours surrounding Lenovo jumping back into the smartphone scene with a gaming focused smartphone. They dub it the Lenovo Legion Phone. There are no confirmation of specifications or renders yet about the anticipated device. We do have confirmation from Lenovo’s executives regarding the existence of the device and that we will see it somewhere in the late 2020.
There are still no confirmed dates on the device so far. The only thing we got from them is; “Lenovo will launch a Legion gaming phone in 2020. Please stay tuned for more information”. Which is not too much to work with. We are excited to see ROG Phone II, Black Shark II, and Razer Phone rival though.
Price and Availability
The Lenovo Legion 7i, Lenovo Legion Tower 5i, and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i will be coming later in 2020. There are no confirmed prices for the three models mentioned yet too. We are expecting the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i to hover somewhere between MYR 2,500 and MYR 3,500 price point though.
The Lenovo Legion 5, Lenovo Legion 5i, and Lenovo Legion 5Pi will be available in Malaysia June 2020 onward. The AMD based Lenovo Legion 5 will be the most affordable option with prices starting from MYR 3,599. The Lenovo Legion 5 with Intel’s Core i5 will start from MYR 4,199. Of course, you can get that with an Intel Core i7 too. The top-of-the-line Lenovo Legion 5Pi will set you back at least MYR 6,399.
We have always said that some of the best value for money PCs come from Lenovo. We say that because while they do not offer the best or the most powerful specs in that class of PCs, they always pack it with not only great build quality, but price them very reasonably. It also does not hurt that their keyboards are one of the best we have ever typed on when it comes to notebook PCs.
This value-for-money concept stretches from their business-line ThinkPads all the way to the gaming Lenovo Legion line. We especially like the Lenovo Legion Y700 and Y500 series. They keep things simple and honest. At the same time, they still offer great value and looks.
Source: Lenovo
This year though the Lenovo Legion Y500 and Y700 series is going to be joined by two newcomers, the 5i and 7i. To be fair, not much are known about the notebook PCs yet, but we can tell you that the Lenovo Legion 7i is coming in with 17-inch screen size and the 5i a 15-incher. We can also tell you that both notebook PC line-up will feature the latest 10th Generation Intel Core H-series processors. We are guessing the 7i will come with Intel’s most powerful and extreme Core i9.
The new series of notebook PCs will also come with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX technology. The 5i will stop at the RTX 2060, presumably to fit a tighter budget. The Lenovo Legion 7i though will pack a Max-Q design NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER GPU.
Source: Lenovo
Gaming notebook PCs are known to be a battery drainer though. No matter the size of the battery, you might run out within 4 hours. That is if you do not game. By the looks of it, the Lenovo Legion 7i and 5i might not have that big of a battery though. Their design focuses more on portability and a thinner form factor. Thanks to an industry first NVIDIA Advanced Optimus technology though, you might get all-day battery life from the Lenovo Legion 7i and 5i. The technology is basically a GPU switch. You get the idea.
At this time, there are no word on availability in Malaysia just yet. Of course, we can safely say that the Lenovo Legion 7i and 5i are coming sometime this year. That said, the Lenovo Legion Y540 and Lenovo Legion Y740 are also getting a refresh of their own with 10th Generation Intel Core H-series and NVIDIA GeForce RTX SUPER cards. The Lenovo Legion 5i and Lenovo Legion Y540 will be available for US$ 999 (MYR 4,354*). The Lenovo Legion 7i and Lenovo Legion Y740 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPUs will be priced at US$ 1,199 (MYR 5,226*). More information can be found on their website.
*Based on approximate rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.36 as of 02/04/2020
