Lenovo LOQ 15 Essential (Gen 9) - Nuclear Review

Summary

The Lenovo Lock 15 Essential is a low-end 15-inch laptop with entry-level gaming ambitions, featuring an Intel Core i5-12450HX CPU and NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPU. Despite its gaming branding, performance is heavily throttled by single-channel RAM and a limited cooling system, producing heat-concentrated keyboards and reduced clock speeds under load. Build quality is weak, with flimsy hinges, a creaky keyboard, and minimal structural reinforcement. The 144 Hz IPS display is adequate, and battery life is modest. While playable on low to medium settings for many games, the laptop’s compromises and misleading marketing make it a risky choice, earning a critical verdict from the reviewer.

Takeaways

• 💻 The Lenovo Lock 15 Essential is an entry-level gaming laptop priced at AUD 799, with misleading 'Essential' branding.
• 🛠️ Build quality is poor, with a flimsy plastic chassis, weak hinges, and numerous potential points of failure in both the display and keyboard assembly.
• 🖥️ The 15-inch 144 Hz IPS display is acceptable, covering nearly 100% sRGB, 1100:1 contrast, and ~300 nits brightness, but it is only just adequate.
• ⌨️ Keyboard quality is subpar: short travel, unstable keys, often mounted too deep, and most units lack backlighting; the trackpad is accurate but rattly and flexes under pressure.
• 🔌 Connectivity is standard with USB 3.2 Gen1, SD card reader, RJ45 Ethernet, and DC charging port, but most ports are soldered, complicating repairs; Wi-Fi 6 reception is weak due to poor antenna placement.
• 🔋 Battery life is limited (~4 hours idle, ~3 hours heavy use), though fast charging works as advertised; replacing the battery is straightforward but requires careful rear case removal.
• 🎧 Audio is poor, with tiny downward-firing Realtek speakers producing muffled sound, especially on soft surfaces like a lap.
• ⚙️ Performance is heavily throttled: the Core i5-12450HX CPU is limited to 32–45 W, and single-channel DDR5 RAM reduces memory bandwidth; the RTX 3050 GPU is power-limited and struggles under combined load.
• 🔥 Cooling is insufficient for combined CPU+GPU workloads; hotspots form around the left side of the keyboard, making prolonged gaming uncomfortable.
• 🎮 Gaming performance is inconsistent: older or less demanding games run smoothly, but modern AAA titles often require low settings; VRAM limitations (6 GB) and thermal throttling restrict high-performance gameplay.
• ❌ Overall, the Lock 15 Essential suffers from fragile construction, limited upgrade potential, underpowered cooling, and misleading marketing, earning a clear recommendation to avoid.

Q & A

What is the overall performance rating of the Lock 15 Essential laptop for gaming?

The overall performance of the Lock 15 Essential is very poor, with gaming performance barely qualifying it as a gaming laptop. It struggles with modern titles even at lower settings.

How does the Lock 15 Essential perform in *Assassin's Creed Valhalla* at 1080p resolution?

At 1080p, *Assassin's Creed Valhalla* runs on low settings to maintain a stable 60 FPS. However, the graphics look poor, and the overall experience is not ideal for a smooth gameplay session.

What is the performance like in *Borderlands 3* on the Lock 15 Essential?

*Borderlands 3* runs well on the Lock 15 Essential at the medium preset, achieving between 70 and 90 FPS. This results in a competent gaming experience, though the laptop's heat management may make extended sessions uncomfortable.

Does the Lock 15 Essential handle *Cyberpunk 2077* well?

*Cyberpunk 2077* is playable on the Lock 15 Essential only at the low preset at 1080p. Performance fluctuates between 40 to 60 FPS, and there are noticeable input lag and occasional frame drops, particularly in more demanding areas like Dog Town.

Why is the performance of *Dying Light 2* disappointing on the Lock 15 Essential?

In *Dying Light 2*, even the lowest settings struggle to maintain 60 FPS at 1080p. The parkour mechanics suffer at lower frame rates, making the game feel janky and less enjoyable.

How does the Lock 15 Essential perform in *Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced* with ray tracing?

The Lock 15 Essential performs admirably in *Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced* with ray tracing on high settings, easily maintaining 60 FPS. However, ray tracing is very VRAM-intensive, and higher settings may cause performance issues due to the limited VRAM.

What is the VRAM performance like in *Guardians of the Galaxy* on the Lock 15 Essential?

*Guardians of the Galaxy* is very demanding on VRAM, and while the Lock 15 Essential’s 6GB VRAM helps maintain a playable frame rate on low settings, it still experiences micro-stutters and frame time spikes during longer play sessions.

What is the display quality like on the Lock 15 Essential?

The display of the Lock 15 Essential is described as decent, though the review doesn't elaborate on its exact strengths or weaknesses. The primary issues noted in the review focus on performance rather than screen quality.

What are the main criticisms of the Lock 15 Essential in the review?

The main criticisms are the laptop's poor gaming performance, especially with modern titles, the use of low-end parts despite a high price, and the misleading marketing that suggests it is a capable gaming machine when it clearly is not.

Would the Lock 15 Essential be a good choice for gamers?

No, the Lock 15 Essential is not a good choice for gamers. It struggles with modern games, requires low settings to maintain performance, and the overall gaming experience is not up to par for a system marketed as a gaming laptop.