Lenovo is blurring the line between gaming laptops and workstations. Its new 18-inch Legion 9i, announced at Lenovo Tech World in Shanghai, boasts up to an Nvidia RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, up to 192GB of RAM, and up to 8TB of storage. There's also a 3D display option, which the company says should help with developing games as much as playing them.
CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
GPU | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop pGPU (24GB DDR7, 175W) |
Memory | Up to 192GB (4 x 48GB) DDR5-4000 |
Storage | Up to 8TB - 1x PCIe Gen 5 up to 2TB M.2 2280, 3x PCIe Gen 4 up to 2TB M.2 2280) |
3D Display Option | 18-inch, 3840 x 2400 2D / 1920 x 1200 3D, LCD, 240 Hz at 4K, ~440 Hz at FHD, 540 nits 2D, 500 nits 3D, Dolby Vision, Nvidia G-Sync |
2D Display Option | 18-inch, 3840 x 2400, LCD, 240 Hz, 540 nits, Dolby Vision, Nvidia G-Sync |
Battery | 99.99 WHr |
Weight | Starting at 7.72 pounds (3.5 kg) |
The system, which also packs an Intel Core Ultra 9285HX processor, can deliver up to 280W when you combine the CPU and GPU. Despite this, Lenovo claims that the system will run under 48 decibels using the full wattage when in performance mode thanks to the Legion Coldfront: Vapor cooling system.
But the big deal is the 18-inch 3D display. When set to 2D, it runs at 3840 x 2300 and 240 Hz, while in 3D, it runs at 1920 x 1200. And with the lower resolution it runs up to 440 Hz, according to Lenovo's spec sheet. The display uses eye tracking and a "lenticular lens array" to create the effect.
The other difference comes with the webcam. No matter which display you choose, you get a 5-megapixel camera with an electronic shutter. But the 2D display's lens has an aperture of F2.0, while the 3D screen's camera goes to F1.6.
This isn't the first 2D/3D display out there. Acer has been experimenting for years with its SpatialLabs screens, including on some gaming laptops. Samsung has had some 3D gaming monitors that worked with very specific games. Lenovo itself has a business line of glasses-free 3D monitors called the ThinkVision 27 3D. These have all worked with varying degrees of quality, and usually work better in some applications than others.
Lenovo is pushing the display "for designers who regularly work in 3D modeling to seamlessly realize their work in three dimensions without the need for a headset or separate 3D-capable display."
The system also has a ton of ports, including two Thunderbolt 5 ports (the rare Windows device to carry them), USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, HDMI 3.1, an SD Card reader, a headphone jack, and an Ethernet jack. Wireless connectivity will include the latest standards: WI-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
Previous Legion 9i laptops that we've tested have been 16-inch premium devices. The 18-inch screen puts it in a class with machines like the MSI Titan and Razer Blade 18, known for raw power. The system comes with a 400W power adapter for a reason.
Lenovo is sticking with the carbon fiber lid that is unique to each system. This military-style look has been used on previous systems.
Lenovo is launching the Legion 9i in China, with plans to ship the system in North America in the fall. There's no pricing information, though the company says that will come "closer to availability." It's unclear whether or not Lenovo will sell this system fully loaded (with 8TB of storage and 192GB of RAM) or if that's something you'll have to upgrade yourself. Either way, expect it to be a lot of money for those high-end parts, as we've been seeing RTX 5090 laptops for $3,000 and (way, way) up.
