The gaming laptop market is brimming with choices, but Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 stands out as a serious contender. Designed for both hardcore gamers and professionals seeking high performance, this device packs a punch with its powerful internals and sleek design. With Intel’s latest 14th Gen processors and an NVIDIA RTX 40 series GPU, it promises a top-tier gaming experience. But is it really worth the investment? In this review, we dive deep into its design, performance, and overall value to help you decide if the Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 should be your next gaming companion.
Key Features and Functionalities
Design and Build Quality
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 offers a premium design that strikes a perfect balance between professional elegance and gaming flair. Encased in a sturdy aluminum chassis, the laptop exudes durability and a premium look that appeals to gamers and working professionals alike. While it weighs 5.5 pounds, which may be considered hefty for some, the laptop’s build justifies the weight given the powerful hardware housed within. The matte black finish minimizes fingerprints, and the overall aesthetic is subtle yet commanding.
Display quality is one of the laptop’s standout features. Sporting a 16-inch QHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate, the Legion Pro 5i delivers crisp visuals and smooth gameplay, ideal for fast-paced games like Call of Duty and Fortnite. The 16:10 aspect ratio provides extra vertical real estate, which is beneficial for multitasking and productivity, especially in work environments.
Another noteworthy aspect of the design is the RGB backlit keyboard. Gamers will appreciate the customizable lighting, while professionals may favor its relatively understated design. The keys are well-spaced and provide tactile feedback, making long typing sessions and in-game key presses feel responsive and comfortable. The TrueStrike keyboard also supports anti-ghosting, crucial for gaming where multiple key presses occur simultaneously.
Performance
At the heart of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 is the Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, a powerhouse in its own right. This 24-core, 32-thread processor (8 performance cores, 16 efficiency cores) excels at handling both gaming and productivity tasks. Whether you’re engaged in AAA gaming titles or running resource-hungry software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Blender, this laptop ensures flawless performance without breaking a sweat.
Paired with NVIDIA’s RTX 4070, this laptop is capable of handling ray tracing and DLSS 3.0. We tested titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Metro Exodus at ultra settings, and the RTX 4070 allowed for smooth gameplay with frame rates ranging between 80-100 FPS at QHD resolution. With DLSS enabled, the experience was even more fluid, making the Legion Pro 5i ideal for gaming enthusiasts who crave visual fidelity and high frame rates.
In productivity scenarios, the combination of 32GB DDR5 RAM (expandable to 64GB) and 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD ensures fast performance across the board. The SSD delivers rapid read/write speeds, translating to shorter load times, quicker boot-ups, and seamless multitasking. Whether rendering 4K video or working with large datasets, the Legion Pro 5i doesn’t falter.
For more demanding users, Lenovo has thoughtfully included two extra M.2 SSD slots, giving the laptop ample potential for storage expansion. This means users can add up to 3TB of additional storage, which is especially useful for content creators working with large files.
Cooling System and Thermals
High-performance laptops often struggle with thermal management, but Lenovo has tackled this challenge head-on with its Coldfront 4.0 cooling system. This cooling technology incorporates dual fans, vapor chamber cooling, and four exhaust vents, ensuring that the Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 remains cool even under heavy loads.
We tested the laptop under intense gaming conditions, and the cooling system performed admirably. Even after hours of playing Cyberpunk 2077 on ultra settings, CPU and GPU temperatures remained stable, avoiding thermal throttling that often plagues powerful gaming laptops. The vapor chamber cooling effectively dissipates heat, and while the fans do produce some noise during heavy loads, it’s not overly disruptive, especially considering the level of performance delivered.
Users can fine-tune cooling and performance settings via the Lenovo Vantage software. This software allows for easy management of fan speeds and performance modes, offering flexibility for both high-performance and quieter, more energy-efficient usage scenarios.
Battery Life and Power Efficiency
Battery life is always a concern for gaming laptops, and while the Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 doesn’t break any new records in this department, it performs respectably for a device of its power. The 80Wh battery provides up to 5-6 hours of light use, such as web browsing and video streaming, but during more demanding tasks like gaming, battery life drops to around 1.5-2 hours.
The inclusion of Rapid Charge technology is a welcome feature. Lenovo’s 230W charger allows the battery to charge from 0 to 50% in just 30 minutes, ensuring you’re never tethered to a power outlet for long. While the battery life may not sustain lengthy gaming sessions without the charger, it’s comparable to most high-performance gaming laptops in its class.
Audio and Connectivity
Lenovo has equipped the Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 with Harman Kardon speakers and Dolby Atmos support, making the audio experience richer and more immersive. Whether you’re gaming, watching movies, or listening to music, the sound is clear and offers good depth. While these speakers won’t replace a high-end external sound system, they perform well for a laptop of this size.
Connectivity options are another strong suit of the Legion Pro 5i. It features:
- Three USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports
- Two USB-C ports, one with Thunderbolt 4 support
- HDMI 2.1 port
- Ethernet port
- 3.5mm combo audio jack
With Thunderbolt 4, you can connect high-speed external devices, such as monitors or external GPUs, making the Legion Pro 5i highly versatile. Additionally, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 ensure reliable, fast wireless connections for gaming, file transfers, and media streaming.
User Experience and Satisfaction
One of the major strengths of the Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 is its versatile user experience. Whether you’re a gamer, content creator, or someone looking for a powerful laptop for professional use, this device excels in every area.
For gamers, the 165Hz refresh rate and NVIDIA RTX 4070 ensure an immersive, responsive gaming experience. Ray tracing adds realistic lighting and shadows, elevating the overall visual quality in compatible games. The TrueStrike keyboard makes fast-paced gaming comfortable, and features like anti-ghosting ensure no keypresses are missed during critical moments.
For professionals, the Legion Pro 5i’s large display, powerful processor, and expandability make it a productivity workhorse. Tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, and graphic design are handled with ease, and the laptop’s wide array of ports simplifies the connection of external monitors, drives, and other peripherals.
The build quality is another standout feature. The aluminum chassis feels durable and premium, with no noticeable flex even under pressure. Lenovo’s Vantage software also adds convenience, providing users with control over performance settings, fan speeds, and even system updates from a single dashboard.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Unparalleled performance with Intel Core i9-13900HX and NVIDIA RTX 4070, ideal for gaming and productivity.
- Stunning QHD display with 165Hz refresh rate, offering vibrant visuals and fluid gameplay.
- Efficient Coldfront 4.0 cooling system, ensuring stable temperatures even during extended use.
- Expandability with support for 64GB RAM and additional M.2 SSD slots.
- Solid build quality, combining durability with sleek aesthetics.
- Extensive connectivity options, including Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1.
Weaknesses:
- Battery life could be improved, particularly during gaming sessions.
- The fan noise is noticeable under heavy loads, though not excessively loud.
- At 5.5 pounds, it’s relatively heavy, limiting portability for users seeking a lighter laptop.
Is the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 Worth It?
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 is undoubtedly a top-tier gaming laptop that caters to both gamers and professionals alike. Its combination of a 24-core Intel Core i9-13900HX, NVIDIA RTX 4070, and QHD 165Hz display ensures that it can handle anything you throw at it, from the latest AAA games to demanding creative workloads.
However, the battery life and weight may deter users who prioritize portability. Nonetheless, if you’re in the market for a laptop that offers unmatched performance, versatility, and a premium build, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 is an excellent choice. It’s a high-end device with a price tag to match, but for users who demand the best in both gaming and productivity, it’s well worth the investment.
Legion Pro 5i Gen 9
Looking for a gaming laptop that packs serious power? Read our in-depth review of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9, covering its performance, design, and battery.
Product SKU: 83DF00AQUS
Product Brand: Lenovo
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 1.499
Price Valid Until: 2024-11-13
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.5
Pros
- Excellent sustained performance
- Classic quality keyboard
- Lengthy battery life for a gaming laptop
Cons
- Limited color gamut and contrast
- Mostly plastic build
- Hefty and chunky
FAQs
Q1: Can I upgrade the RAM and storage in the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9? A: Yes, the laptop allows for both RAM and storage upgrades, giving users flexibility to enhance performance in the future.
Q2: Does the Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 have a webcam? A: Yes, it features a 720p webcam, suitable for video calls and conferencing.
Q3: How does the battery life compare to other gaming laptops? A: The battery life is average for a gaming laptop, lasting around 4-5 hours for regular tasks and significantly less during gaming.
Q4: Is the display good for content creation? A: Absolutely! The QHD display offers excellent color accuracy, making it suitable for video editing, graphic design, and other creative tasks
