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Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Two-minute review
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is an ideal desktop replacement with more than enough power to take on just about everything in PC gaming spaces and at max settings for the most part.
While there are some situations you might need to bring some settings down a smidge (cough*Cyberpunk 2077*cough), that’s only really due to the higher resolution OLED panel that only requires a bit of power.
Starting at $2,909.99 / £2,700 / AU$4,999, the Legion Pro 7i comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs, a 16-inch 2560 x 1600p OLED display, and up to 64GB DDR5 RAM and 2TB PCIe SSD storage.
Along with the performance and OLED screen are a nice assortment of ports, a full keyboard, and a responsive touchpad that is, unfortunately, not ideally aligned.
For some, especially those who don’t take their gaming laptops on the road all that much, this might be among the best gaming laptops out there. But poor battery life might make one take pause if you plan on getting a laptop that you want to use regularly untethered.
Still, if you have the cash and don’t plan on transporting your gaming laptop often (or have a big backpack), the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is worth a look, especially if you want a larger 16-inch screen for your gaming experience.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? Starting at $2,909.99 / £2,700 / AU$4,999
- When is it available? Available now
- Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i might not be Lenovo’s most expensive gaming laptop – that honor goes to the Legion Pro 9i – but it’s still very expensive. Its most affordable price is a sizable $2,909.99 / £2,700 / AU$4,999.
Starting out with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB SSD, pricing goes up from there. The review unit I have, upgraded with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 and 2TB SSD, costs $3,559.99 / £2,990.00 / AU$6,839.00, while the maxed-out configuration of Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB SSD is a jaw-dropping $4,424.49 / £3,900.00 / AU$7,079.00.
As expensive as the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is, larger gaming laptops tend to come with an even heftier price tag. The Origin EON17-X v2 I reviewed last year started at $3,400.00 (about £2,610.00 / AU$5,120.00) for a configuration of Intel Core i9-14900HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, 16GB of RAM, and a 17-inch 1440p@240Hz screen.
Of course, you can customize the lid on the EON17-X v2 with whatever design you want, but this does make the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i look affordable in comparison.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Specs
No matter which configuration you choose, the CPU you get is the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, a 24-core/24-thread processor with a peak frequency of 5.4GHz.
However, there is some wiggle room with the GPU where you can choose from an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080, or RTX 5090, 32GB or 64GB RAM, and between 1TB or 2TB SSD storage.
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i base configuration |
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i review configuration |
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i max configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price: |
$2,909.99 / £2,799.99 / AU$4,999.00 |
$3,559.99 / £2,990.00 / AU$6,839.00 |
$4,424.49 / £3,900.00 / AU$7,079.00 |
|
CPU: |
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
|
Graphics: |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU |
|
RAM: |
32GB DDR5 |
32GB DDR5 |
64GB DDR5 |
|
Screen: |
16″ WQXGA (2560 x 1600), OLED, HDR 1000 True Black, 500 nits, 240Hz |
16″ WQXGA (2560 x 1600), OLED, HDR 1000 True Black, 500 nits, 240Hz |
16″ WQXGA (2560 x 1600), OLED, HDR 1000 True Black, 500 nits, 240Hz |
|
Storage: |
1TB SSD |
2TB SSD |
2TB SSD |
|
Ports: |
HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, USB-C (power delivery 140W), 3x USB-A, Headphone / mic Combo, RJ45 |
HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, USB-C (power delivery 140W), 3x USB-A, Headphone / mic Combo, RJ45 |
HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, USB-C (power delivery 140W), 3x USB-A, Headphone / mic Combo, RJ45 |
|
Wireless: |
Wi-Fi 7 / BlueTooth 5.4 |
Wi-Fi 7 / BlueTooth 5.4 |
Wi-Fi 7 / BlueTooth 5.4 |
|
Camera: |
720p with e-privacy shutter |
720p with e-privacy shutter |
720p with e-privacy shutter |
|
Weight: |
Starting at < 2.72kg / 6lbs |
Starting at < 2.72kg / 6lbs |
Starting at < 2.72kg / 6lbs |
|
Dimensions: |
21.9mm-26.6mm x 364mm x 275.9mm / 0.86″- 1.04″ x 14.33″ x 10.86″ |
21.9mm-26.6mm x 364mm x 275.9mm / 0.86″- 1.04″ x 14.33″ x 10.86″ |
21.9mm-26.6mm x 364mm x 275.9mm / 0.86″- 1.04″ x 14.33″ x 10.86″ |
Considering that the base configuration is still fairly expensive, it’s no wonder that all the configurations keep the more premium appointments. Specifically, no matter what you do, you’ll get that OLED 1600p @ 240Hz panel with HDR 1000.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Design
- This is a big computer
- Large keyboard, touchpad aligned to the left
- Lots of ports including Thunderbolt 4
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is big. It is a 16-inch laptop, after all. It’s fairly imposing in its matte “Eclipse Black” finish with only Legion emblazoned on the back of the lid and Lenovo in silver on the top back as flourishes. It’s also a little over an inch at its thickest.
This is not the most portable of gaming laptops. So, while it makes for a great desktop replacement, leave plenty of space in your backpack if you plan on getting this.
Almost all the venting is underneath and back, so you don’t have to worry about hot air being blown onto you when gaming, assuming you’re using a mouse situated next to the laptop.
Besides the large 16-inch OLED screen, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i comes with a full-size keyboard complete with a ten-key numpad. There aren’t any standalone hotkeys, but plenty of keys have secondary functions, so I didn’t really miss them.
The keycaps have a quality feel to them with a concave shape and textured feel that makes typing a relative pleasure. I do find the keyboard to feel a little big for some reason and find myself sometimes pressing the wrong button when reaching (mainly when gaming).
The touchpad is not oversized, but it’s set off to the left, which makes sense as the keyboard with the Numpad pushes the natural hand placement to the left as well. However, I’m not a fan of the touchpad’s placement – I would prefer it to be a bit more centered. At least, it’s accurate and responsive.
If you do want to use the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i as a desktop replacement, you’ll be happy to know that the port selection is fairly plentiful. It comes with an HDMI 2.1 port, a Thunderbolt 4 port, and a USB-C port, both of which support DisplayPort 2.1. There are also three USB-A ports and an Ethernet one, along with an eShutter button for privacy’s sake.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Performance
- Strong performance that’s limited somewhat by the power-hungry panel
- Can run most games at max settings with speedy results
- Sound quality is pretty good
Considering the powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and higher-end Nvidia 5000-series GPUs – I tested the model with an RTX 5080 – not to mention a minimum of 32GB of RAM, the gaming performance here is going to be quite robust.
Now, all that hardware has to power the 16-inch OLED panel which has a 2560 x 1600p resolution with a refresh rate of 240Hz. That panel also manages 500 nits of brightness and has HDR 1000 True Black support.
So, that can knock off up to 20 or 30 fps from the Lenovo Legion 7i’s performance if you want to take full advantage of this laptop’s display. It’s worth noting that it also achieves a DCI-P3 of 100%, making this a sharp looking, vibrant display. I definitely preferred running games like South of Midnight, Starfield, RoboCop: Rogue City, and Cyberpunk 2077 at that higher resolution.
|
Benchmark |
Score |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Geekbench 6.4 Single Core |
3,103 |
|
|
Geekbench 6.4 Multi Core |
19,829 |
|
|
Crossmark Overall |
2,163 |
|
|
Crossmark Productivity |
1,998 |
|
|
Crossmark Creativity |
2,525 |
|
|
Crossmark Responsiveness |
1,727 |
|
|
25GB File Copy Transfer Rate (MB/s) |
2,030.38 |
|
|
3DMark Fire Strike |
34,434 |
|
|
3DMark Time Spy |
16,928 |
|
|
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra |
11,388 |
|
|
3DMark Time Spy Extreme |
8,337 |
|
|
3DMark Speed Way |
4,301 |
|
|
3DMark Steel Nomad |
3,999 |
|
|
3DMark Port Royal |
10,958 |
Speaking of, I was able to run all those games at basically max settings, including Ray Tracing where applicable, with smooth results and crisp, clear images. I didn’t experience any skipping, stuttering, or screen tearing. Any way you cut it, this is a powerful gaming laptop that will hold up.
If you look at our benchmarks, you can get a solid idea of what to expect. Cyberpunk 2077 with everything maxed will look good and will be smooth enough, but won’t really take advantage of that high refresh rate as it gets just an okay 30 fps on average on 1600p, so if you plan on playing at the display’s native resolution, make sure to use DLSS for the best experience.
However, there are plenty of games where I can achieve up to and above 100 fps even before compromising on settings.
|
Game & settings |
Frames per second |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ultra High, 1080p) |
45 fps |
|
|
Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic, 1080p) |
45 fps |
|
|
Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra, 1080p) |
50 fps |
|
|
Metro: Exodus (Extreme, 1080p) |
63 fps |
|
|
Monster Hunter Wilds (Very High, 1080p) |
73 fps |
|
|
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Very High, 1080p) |
163 fps |
|
|
Total War: Warhammer III (Ultra, 1080p) |
144 fps |
|
|
Web Surfing Battery Informant |
4:37 |
|
|
PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Test |
1:36 |
As mentioned before, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a four-speaker system. I didn’t mention that it supports Nahimic Audio, so you get some spatial audio support. Laptops often have mediocre audio at best, but this one sounds pretty good.
Besides the usual caveat that laptop speakers will never surpass dedicated headphones or speakers, the sound is full with plenty of clarity. There’s not a lot of rumble (to be expected, of course), but there’s not anything else missing from the frequency range.
Lastly, the webcam with its 5MP resolution looks good and is pretty smooth to boot. If you get this laptop to stream, you might not need to get a dedicated webcam. It’s also nice that it has a privacy eShutter button.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i: Battery life
- Suffers from the typical short battery life of a gaming laptop
- Doesn’t do a great job of retaining charge while in sleep mode
|
Web Surfing Battery Informant |
4:37 hours |
|
|
PCMark 10 Gaming Battery Test |
1:36 hours |
The battery life on gaming laptops is typically not all that great. There are some exceptions, but a powerhouse sporting a 16-inch OLED screen with a 1600p resolution is not going to be one of them.
For proof, just look at our benchmarks. In our web surfing test, it lasted a whopping four and a half hours. That’s not great, but this isn’t a new MacBook Air that lasts almost 15 hours, nor is it supposed to be.
It’s not surprising that in the PCMark 10 gaming benchmark, it lasts just over an hour and a half. If you want extended cordless gaming, you should probably get a Steam Deck (or one of its competitors).
A little more concerning and a little more unexpected is the fact that the battery runs down even when in sleep mode. Now, this is not atypical, but there are plenty of laptops that don’t drop down to 35% battery life after being unplugged for a day, even though they haven’t been used.
Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i?
|
Category |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
It may start at a hefty two grand asking price, but that’s not unusual for large screen gaming laptops. |
4 / 5 |
|
Design |
This laptop is massive, making it more of a desktop replacement than a portable gaming machine. At least, it has plenty of ports. |
4 / 5 |
|
Performance |
The gaming performance here is pretty great, only really limited by the fact that it also has to power an OLED screen. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Battery Life |
The battery life is not great, though about what one would expect with a gaming powerhouse. However, it could do better holding a charge when asleep. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Final score |
Despite a high cost and low battery life, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a very powerful machine, ideal for those wanting a gaming desktop replacement. |
4 / 5 |
Buy the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i if…
Don’t buy it if…
How I tested the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
- Tested for a couple weeks
- Used it for work, gaming, and streaming
- Played different types of games
I used the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i for a couple of weeks, playing all sorts of games including Battlefield 2042, RoboCop: Rogue City, and Cyberpunk 2077, to get a feel for what this laptop is capable of.
I tried them at max settings, including Ray Tracing where applicable, mainly Cyberpunk, to see where their limitations are. I wrote most of this article on it and used it for some day-to-day browsing and streaming.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is ideal for gamers who want a desktop replacement that can handle just about everything gaming-wise and have the budget to afford that kind of gaming rig.
I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.
Read the full article here
