The Best Gaming Laptop in 2024: Legion Pro 7i (Gen9)

Summary

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is reviewed as a top contender for the best value gaming laptop, featuring an Intel Core i9-14900HX, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD, and RTX 3080. It boasts a 16-inch 240Hz IPS display with anti-glare coating and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Praised for its extensive port options, robust CNC aluminum build, and Harmon Kardon speakers, it delivers exceptional performance for gaming and content creation. However, it suffers from subpar battery life and lacks an OLED option. The reviewer suggests improvements for future models, including an OLED panel and an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor for better battery efficiency.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is one of the best bang-for-the-buck gaming laptops with a sleek design and RGB lights.
• 💻 It has a 16-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560x1600, anti-glare coating, 500 nits of brightness, and a 240Hz refresh rate.
• 🔌 The laptop includes a wide range of ports, including USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, RJ45 Ethernet, and more, conveniently placed for easy access.
• 🏗️ The build quality is premium, featuring CNC aluminum, a sturdy keyboard, and minimal screen wobble, giving it a tank-like feel.
• 🔊 The speakers are impressive with Harman 2W speakers, providing clear and powerful sound even at high volumes.
• ⚡ Powered by the Intel Core i9-14900HX and RTX 4080, the Legion Pro 7i excels in performance, both for gaming and content creation.
• 🎥 The laptop is excellent for video editing with tools like DaVinci Resolve 19, handling heavy plugins and motion VFX effortlessly.
• 🎮 Gaming performance is top-notch, with the RTX 4080 GPU handling demanding games at high settings and frame rates.
• 🔋 Battery life is a downside, lasting only 45 minutes to an hour during intensive gaming and around 4-4.5 hours during normal tasks.
• 🖥️ A preference for an OLED or glossy display option in future iterations, as the current matte IPS screen is less vibrant for some users.

Q & A

What is the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i known for in the market?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is known for being one of the best value-for-money gaming laptops in the market, offering a good balance of performance and features.

What are the unique design features of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i features a 16-inch gaming laptop design with RGB lights on the front, a minimal look, and ports placed unconventionally on the back of the laptop.

What are the key specifications of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i mentioned in the script?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i in the script is equipped with an Intel Core i9-14900HX, 32GB of RAM, 2TB of SSD, and an RTX 4080 with 12GB of VRAM and a TGP up to 175 Watts.

How does the display on the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i perform?

The display is a 16-inch IPS panel with a 2560x1600 resolution, an anti-glare coating, 500 nits brightness, 100% cip3 color gamut coverage, and a 240Hz refresh rate.

What are the advantages of the port selection on the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i offers a plethora of ports, including USB-A, USB-C, Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 Ethernet, and a proprietary charging port, all strategically placed for convenience.

How does the build quality of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i stand out?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i boasts a premium build quality with a CNC aluminum body, providing a sturdy and high-end feel, with no screen wobble and minimal keyboard flex.

What are the speaker capabilities of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i features Harmon speakers that deliver good sound quality with clear bass and clarity, even at high volumes, although they may not be as loud or full as the Zephrus G16.

How does the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i perform in terms of gaming and content creation?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i offers excellent performance for gaming and content creation, handling AAA titles and video editing tasks smoothly, thanks to its powerful CPU, GPU, and efficient thermals.

What are the battery life expectations for the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i during gaming?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has subpar battery life during gaming, lasting only about 45 minutes to an hour for heavy intensive games, due to the power-hungry components.

What are the reviewer's suggestions for improvements in the next iteration of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i?

The reviewer suggests adding an option for an OLED panel or a glossy display, and considering an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor for potentially better battery life in the next iteration of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Introduction and Overview of Lenovo Legion Pro 7i

The host acknowledges the viewers' interest in more Windows laptop reviews and comparisons. Today’s focus is on the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, a 16-inch gaming laptop with an appealing design and RGB lighting. Although not the slimmest, it balances thickness with performance. The host mentions they've used the laptop for over a month and will discuss its pros and cons, including design, specs (Intel Core i9, RTX 480, 32GB RAM), and performance.

05:21

🔌 Ports and Build Quality

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i impresses with its extensive variety of ports, including USB-A, USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), HDMI 2.1, and Ethernet ports. This feature sets it apart as many laptops today limit the number of ports. The build quality is another highlight, with a CNC aluminum body providing a premium feel. The laptop is sturdy, with no screen wobble or keyboard flex, making it robust and reliable for high-end gaming.

10:23

🔊 Speaker Performance

One of the key pros of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is its speaker quality. The laptop is equipped with Harmon speakers, which deliver clear sound with good bass, a rarity in Windows laptops. While not the loudest, the speakers perform well at high volumes without distortion. However, the host notes that the Zephyrus G16 offers slightly better sound quality, with more clarity and richness, particularly at higher volumes.

⚡ Performance and Benchmarks

The host is highly impressed with the laptop's performance, powered by the Intel Core i9 and RTX 480. It excels in both gaming and video editing, achieving high scores in benchmarks like Geekbench and Cinebench. The laptop handles video editing software like DaVinci Resolve with ease and is capable of running demanding games without relying on DLSS. Despite the powerful performance, fan noise remains consistent and manageable, making it one of the best gaming laptops the host has used.

🔋 Battery Life and Fast Charging

A major downside of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is its poor battery life. Despite having a large battery, gaming on this laptop can drain the battery in just 45 minutes. Even with light tasks and optimized settings, the battery only lasts around 4 to 4.5 hours. However, the fast-charging capability is a redeeming feature, allowing the battery to charge up to 70% in under 30 minutes, a useful feature for such a power-hungry machine.

🖥️ Display Preferences and Wishlist for the Next Generation

The host expresses a preference for OLED displays, which are missing from the Legion Pro 7i, despite OLED panels becoming more affordable. While the IPS display is good for gaming, the host feels it lacks the vibrancy of OLED or even glossy panels. They hope Lenovo adds an OLED or mini-LED option in future models, noting the potential improvement in color depth and overall picture quality.

🤖 Desired Processor and Final Thoughts

The host wishes for an option to use Intel's Core Ultra 9 processors in future iterations of the Legion Pro 7i. This would likely improve battery life by combining the GPU's power with a more energy-efficient CPU. Overall, the host is satisfied with the laptop but sees room for improvement in battery life and display options. They look forward to seeing how Lenovo improves the Legion series in the next generation.

Keywords

💡Lenovo Legion Pro 7i

The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a high-performance gaming laptop from Lenovo's Legion series. It is highlighted in the video for its impressive specifications and features, making it a strong contender in the market for gaming laptops. The reviewer discusses its design, performance, and various ports, positioning it as a 'best bang for the buck' option for gamers and content creators.

💡Gaming Laptop

A gaming laptop is a type of portable computer specifically designed for gaming, with high-performance hardware capable of running graphics-intensive games smoothly. In the context of the video, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is praised for its ability to handle AAA gaming titles efficiently, showcasing the importance of a gaming laptop in delivering a quality gaming experience.

💡Ports

Ports on a laptop refer to the various physical connections available for peripherals or external devices. The video emphasizes the abundance and variety of ports on the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, including USB, Thunderbolt, HDMI, and Ethernet, which provide flexibility and convenience for users who need to connect multiple devices.

💡Build Quality

Build quality refers to the materials, construction, and overall durability of a product. The video script mentions the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i's build quality positively, noting its CNC aluminum body, which contributes to its premium look and feel, and its robustness, which is essential for a high-end gaming laptop.

💡Speakers

In the context of laptops, speakers refer to the audio output system. The reviewer commends the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i for its Harmon speakers, which provide good sound quality with clear bass and clarity, a significant feature for gamers and multimedia users who value immersive audio experiences.

💡Performance

Performance in a computing context refers to how well a device executes tasks, particularly in terms of speed and efficiency. The video script discusses the laptop's performance extensively, noting its high scores in benchmark tests and its ability to handle gaming and video editing smoothly, which are key performance indicators for a gaming laptop.

💡Battery Life

Battery life is a critical aspect of laptop usability, referring to how long the device can operate on a single charge. The video points out that despite having a large battery, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has subpar battery life, especially when gaming, which is a trade-off for its high-performance capabilities and a common consideration for potential buyers of gaming laptops.

💡IPS Display

An IPS (In-Plane Switching) display is a type of LCD screen known for its wide viewing angles and color accuracy. The video mentions the laptop's 16-inch IPS display with anti-glare coating, which is beneficial for gaming but may not offer the color vibrancy of a glossy display, indicating a preference for different display technologies among users.

💡Refresh Rate

The refresh rate of a display is the number of times the screen updates the image per second, measured in Hertz (Hz). A higher refresh rate, like the 240 Hz mentioned in the video, results in smoother visuals, which is particularly important for gaming. It allows for a more fluid gaming experience and is a sought-after feature in gaming laptops.

💡Thermals

In the context of electronics, thermals refer to the management of heat generated by the device's components. The video praises the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i's thermals, which are crucial for maintaining performance and preventing overheating during intensive tasks like gaming or video editing, showcasing the importance of effective cooling systems in high-performance laptops.

Highlights

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is considered one of the best value gaming laptops in the market.

The laptop features a sleek design with RGB lights and a minimal look.

Ports are abundantly available and uniquely placed, including Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1.

The build quality is high-end, with a CNC aluminum body for a premium feel.

Speakers are of high quality, with Harmon speakers providing good bass and clarity.

Performance is exceptional, with top scores in Geekbench and Cinebench.

The laptop is well-suited for content creation, especially video editing.

Gaming performance is top-notch, with the RTX 480 GPU outperforming competitors.

Fan noise is consistent and not overly loud, even under heavy load.

Battery life is a downside, with only 45 minutes to an hour of gaming time.

The charger provides fast charging, reaching 70% in under 30 minutes.

An OLED panel option would be a welcome addition for enhanced display quality.

An option for an Intel Core Ultra processor could improve battery life.

The laptop's performance and build quality make it a strong contender in the gaming laptop market.

The Legion Pro 7i offers a good balance of power and portability for gamers and content creators.

Transcripts

listen I hear you guys you guys want

more Windows laptop reviews and you want

to see more comparisons on the channel

uh a few weeks ago we checked out the

Rog zephrus G14 and g16 links below if

you guys want to watch that video but

today we're talking about the Lenovo

Legion Pro 7i this is the newest laptop

from lenovo's Legion lineup and it's

honestly probably the best bang for the

buck gaming laptop in the market let me

tell you why so this Lenovo Legion Pro

7i is quite special it's a 16-in gaming

laptop with a pretty slick design with

RGB lights up in the front which I think

looks really cool this also has ports on

the back of the laptop and overall

Sports a pretty minimal looking design

now this isn't the thinnest gaming

laptop out there uh but it's also not

the thickest that I've seen even though

this one feels really thick uh now I

know I'm not the first one to review

this laptop so I'm going to go over some

of its pros and cons after using this

laptop for the past month and a half and

see what Lenovo can do to uh improve its

next iteration of laptops so let's talk

specs real quick so the legion Pro 7i

that I have is I guess you could say is

the maxed out version that you can pick

up in stores like Best Buy uh now this

one is equipped with the Intel Core I9

14900 HX with 32 gigs of RAM 2 TBT of

SSD and the RTX 480 which has 12 gigs of

vram and a tgp up to 175 Watts now now

the display on here is a 16-in IPS

display with a resolution of 2560 x600

it does have an anti-glare coating on it

so it's matte and I'm not sure if I am

in love with it now me personally I'd

rather have much richer colors and

deeper blacks from a glossy display but

this does have a peak brightness of 500

nits and covers 100% of the cip3 color

gamut and does feature a 240 HZ refresh

rate okay so let's talk about what I

love about this laptop and the first

would be the plethora ports now you just

got to give props to Lenovo for putting

a ton of ports on this laptop nowadays

laptops have only about two to four USB

ports available but man this thing packs

a lot and I actually love where they're

placed too uh it's very untraditional

which is kind of why I love it so the

ports that we have here on the left side

is a usba 3.2 gen 1 Port and a USBC 3.2

Gen 2 Port which is a thunderbolt 4 Port

now on the right hand side is where we

have the headphone microphone Jack Combo

a slider for the camera shutter and

another usba a 3.2 gen 1 Port and then

on the back we have an RJ45 ethernet

port which is rare to see nowadays on a

laptop uh we're also getting another

USBC 3.2 Gen 2 Port but it's not

Thunderbolt 4 uh we're also getting an

HDMI 2.1 Port two more USB a 3.2 gen 1

and last but not least the proprietary

charging port so as you guys can see

plenty of things that you can plug into

this laptop and they're all very capable

ports now Pro number two would have to

be the build quality now given this Pro

7i from Lenovo is one of their high-end

gaming laptops it's got to have really

good build quality and guess what the

entire body from the laptop lid to the

bottom cover the inside of the laptop is

made out of CNC aluminum which just

gives the laptop a super premium look

and feel I love the all black look much

darker than Apple's space black and

midnight color while still avoiding

fingerprints there's no screen wobble

here unlike the G14 and g16 from Asus

and the keyboard on here has little to

no flex this thing is built like a tank

so this is a proper premium laptop that

I think you guys are going to love and

another thing that I think you guys are

going to love is my third Pro for the

laptop and it's the speakers now I did

say this in my G14 and g16 video

recently and when it comes to Windows

laptops typically you're getting super

weak speakers that sounds like absolute

trash and I'm happy to report here that

this isn't one of those laptops that

will give you crappy speakers Lenovo

managed to pack Harmon speakers in here

and even though there's only two two

watt speakers on here and they're

downward facing they still sound really

really good and has good base with

enough Clarity that doesn't sound like a

tin can now these speakers at 50% sounds

loud enough but bumping this up to 100%

is when you'll really appreciate the

speakers but still noce distortions at

max volume now if I'm completely being

honest I still think the zephrus g16

sounds way better it sounds more full a

lot cleaner especially at higher volumes

and they sound much louder and take a

listen for yourself and against the g16

and let me know in the comments below

which one you think sounds better

[Music]

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okay so for my last Pro here and it's

the performance over the past month and

a half that I've been using this Pro 7i

as my gaming laptop when I'm on the

couch or on my desk one thing I'm really

wowed by is its performance now yes I

get it this is using one of the fastest

Intel chips available currently it also

has really good thermals thanks to the

vapor chamber inside the slaptop but man

this thing absolutely flies when I'm

gaming or editing videos but to give you

guys some numbers on this laptop in

geekbench and on performance mode this

laptop got a multi-core score of

15,683 and a single core score of

2,761 now as a reference here's what I

got from other laptops that I have

currently in the studio and as you guys

can see this laptop is pretty beefy when

it comes to Performance now in cinebench

2024 we're getting

1,594 points for its multi-core scores

and 125 points for its single core and

then for GPU we're getting 18,6 77

points again a top performer and can

easily lead the pack and one that can

hang with laptop that are priced a bit

more now I have edited a few videos here

and there using the Vinci resolve 19 and

I don't really know what else to say

other than this is a really really

powerful machine for Content creation as

well so if you're a video editor or

someone who loves making videos using

the Vinci you're going to be able to

edit really quickly with this machine

and even if you were to use complex and

heavy plugins like the ones that I use

for motion V effects which are the same

plugins that you know I used to create

those graphs earlier this thing can

handle everything like a champ and then

when it comes to gaming this laptop is

the best that I've tried so far I do

have more laptops coming in the studio

for testing very soon but the RTX 480 in

this laptop is unlike the 490 on the g16

which I was using prior to this now this

480 is able to go up to 175 watt tgp

versus the 115 Watt on that 4090 I was

using and yeah this performed way better

in every game that I played I can

confidently play games without having to

use the LSS at higher settings but as

someone who prefers to have more frames

I use the LSS in every single game that

I play just cuz I really don't see a

huge degradation in quality but I can

still stay well above 120 frames per

second in all of the games that I play

using ultra settings now if I were to

lower the resolution to 1440p or maybe

even 1080p I can definitely take

advantage of that sweet 240 HZ refresh

rate but besides that I haven't really

had any hiccups when gaming now in terms

of fan noise I thought they were pretty

consistent throughout the month that

I've had this laptop I didn't really

hear anything whining or weird noises

coming from the fans which is a good

sign and I also wouldn't say that this

is the loudest I've heard on a gaming

laptop either I think it's all pretty

even with some of the other popular

16-in gaming laptops in the market

especially you know when you're running

this in performance mode so if you're

playing some you know heavy intensive

games and you want the best performance

you better crank up the volume or wear

headphones cuz it can get quite loud now

this is probably a little bit quieter

than the g16 that I was using prior but

definitely much quieter than razer's

blade 14 from a couple of years

ago and now let's talk about what I

didn't find all that great or would love

to see next time around all right so

clearly this laptop is a super fast

laptop that can rip through AAA titles

like it's no problem but the downside to

being a super powerful laptop is battery

life can be terrible now despite having

the biggest battery that you can fit in

in a laptop battery life is actually

quite subpar for my testing if you're

gaming not only will you lose quite a

bit of performance here which is

honestly to be expected with any gaming

laptop but the real Downer here is that

you're only really going to get about 45

minutes to an hour if you're playing

some heavy intensive games the processor

in here is power hungry the GPU is

obviously power hungry and if you're

playing a full brightness and you've got

you know all the RGB lights turned on

this laptop can easily die in 45 minutes

or less it's just not a laptop that can

be played I guess you could say portable

now even if I was to put this in silent

mode which does turn off the RGB

lighting uh lowers the screen brightness

and the keyboard and uses the igpu on

here it's still not that great for my

testing I can only get about four to

maybe 4 and 1/ half hours if I'm just

you know doing normal everyday tasks

like browsing the web working on Word

documents watching videos and maybe some

light video editing so once you hit that

4 and 1 half hour mark you should

definitely look into plugging this in

cuz it's not the kind of laptop that you

know will last you an entire day but to

give Lenovo some credit though the

included charger does fast charge this

laptop really quick I believe I was able

to charge this laptop up to 70% in less

than 30 minutes which is pretty

impressive for a laptop packing a

massive battery now for my second con

and this is more of a personal

preference but you know having options

in my opinion is good and what I mean by

that is that I would have loved to see

an OLED panel on the pro 7i while I do

like the IPS display on here I think

it's awesome for gaming and is easily

one of the better laptop screens uh in

this category but in 2024 where OLED

panels you know are much more affordable

than years past we can easily see Lenovo

adding an OLED panel on this laptop

we've already seen mini LED come to its

Legion 9i laptop and that thing looks

gorgeous and if we can't get OLED I'd

love to see an option for a glossy panel

even if it's an IPS display I think

anti-reflective cating over the past

couple of years have gotten better that

I don't really think we need to have

this matte texture overlay on our

screens uh it makes the overall picture

quality look a little bit more dull and

less vibrant in my opinion but you know

that could just be me and what I like in

laptop screens and for my last con for

this laptop or feedback to Lenovo is I'd

love to see an option for an Intel Core

Ultra 9 processor on these Pro 7 I

laptops just cuz I'm curious what

battery life is going to be like without

the ultra aggressive performance from

these I9 processors I'd love to get a

combination of that power from the GPU

with the core ultra's less power hungry

CPU that way we'll get slightly better

battery life when we're gaming cuz you

know it's a little bit more efficient

and less power hungry CPU wise and then

when we're doing normal everyday tasks

and using the integrated GPU it'll be

able to work at a lower TDP altogether

and in theory we can expect more than

you know 5 and half half to 6 hours of

battery life on this laptop thanks to

the bigger battery as well now who knows

what we'll see from Lenovo in this

series of laptops next year but I will

say having an option for an OLED panel

would be something I'd love to see

Lenovo do for its gen 10 Legion laptops

cuz you know if Razer can pull it off

Asus recently pulled it off with a G14

and g16 why can't they anyways that's

been it for this video thank you all so

much for watching and yeah I'll see you

all in the next one

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