Lenovo LOQ - The Best Budget Gaming Laptop?

Summary

This video provides an in-depth review of the Lenovo Lock, a budget-friendly gaming laptop priced at $699. The reviewer highlights the laptop's solid design, comparable to the Legion 5 Pro, with decent build quality and port options. While the display and keyboard are praised for their quality, concerns are raised about the older CPU and the inconsistent performance of the Intel Arc GPU, especially compared to the RTX 4050. Battery life is also seen as a drawback. Overall, the reviewer suggests opting for a model with an Nvidia RTX 4050 for better value and performance.

Takeaways

• 💻 Lenovo Lock is a great budget gaming laptop, but choosing the right specs is crucial for a good experience.
• 🖥️ The laptop resembles the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro but has a plastic chassis instead of aluminum, maintaining a durable feel despite some fingerprint issues.
• ⚖️ Weighing 5.25 lbs, it's not the lightest laptop, but it's still easy to move around.
• 🔌 The ports are positioned at the back for convenience, similar to more expensive models, with a 170W charging brick, USB-A ports, RJ45, HDMI, and USB-C (not Thunderbolt).
• 🔑 The keyboard is identical to the Legion 5 Pro, but the right-side control key is replaced with a co-pilot key for AI access.
• 🎨 The 16:9, 1080p display offers good color accuracy and 313 nits of brightness, making it a decent screen for the price.
• 🎧 The 720p webcam and bottom speakers are subpar, with the webcam blowing out lighting and the speakers being hollow and quiet.
• 🎮 The Intel Arc GPU is inconsistent, struggling with certain games like Dirt 5, but performing decently with others, sometimes matching the RTX 4050.
• 🛠️ Internal components are well laid out, with upgradeable RAM and storage slots, but the 60Wh battery only lasts around 4 hours.
• ⚠️ For the same price ($699), you can get a Lenovo Lock with an Nvidia RTX 4050 and AMD Ryzen 7000, which would offer better performance and battery life, making it the preferable choice.

Q & A

What is the primary selling point of the Lenovo Lock laptop mentioned in the script?

The primary selling point of the Lenovo Lock laptop is its affordable price of $699, making it a budget-friendly option with decent gaming and productivity features.

What are the key design features of the Lenovo Lock laptop?

The Lenovo Lock laptop has a durable plastic build that looks similar to the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro. It weighs 5.25 lbs, has a clean design with most ports located at the back, and includes an outward-facing webcam.

What type of display does the Lenovo Lock offer?

The Lenovo Lock comes with a 16:9 display with a 1920x1080 resolution. It offers good color accuracy and brightness (313 nits), making it a respectable panel for its price range.

What are the limitations of the Lenovo Lock's display?

The display has a slightly wobbly hinge, which could have been tighter. It's also not 16:10 like other higher-end models, but still performs well for a 1080p screen.

How does the Lenovo Lock keyboard compare to higher-end models?

The keyboard on the Lenovo Lock is almost identical to the Legion 5 Pro. It has the same key feel and travel distance, but lacks customizable RGB lighting, offering only a white backlight.

What is the performance of the Lenovo Lock in terms of its CPU and GPU?

The Lenovo Lock uses a 12th gen Intel i5 HX CPU and an Intel Arc A370M dedicated GPU. While the CPU handles basic tasks well, the GPU's performance is inconsistent, struggling with some games and tasks compared to Nvidia’s RTX 4050.

How does the Lenovo Lock handle gaming performance?

Gaming performance on the Lenovo Lock is inconsistent due to the Intel Arc GPU. Some games perform decently, while others like Dirt 5 failed to run. The GPU doesn't compete well with Nvidia's RTX 4050, making the $699 price harder to justify.

What are the drawbacks of the Lenovo Lock's battery life?

The Lenovo Lock's 60W-hour battery is a disappointment, offering only around 4 hours of battery life. There is room for a larger battery, but it was not included.

What are the upgrade options available for the Lenovo Lock?

The Lenovo Lock offers upgradeable RAM and storage. It comes with a 12GB DIMM, which can be upgraded to 24GB by adding another DIMM. There is also a second slot for expanding storage.

Why might someone choose an Nvidia RTX 4050 version of this laptop instead of the Intel Arc version?

The Nvidia RTX 4050 version, paired with an AMD Ryzen 7000 CPU, offers more consistent and faster performance, better efficiency, and longer battery life for the same $699 price, making it a better overall option than the Intel Arc version.