Following a smattering of details when Intel and Nvidia launched new components, Lenovo is now releasing more information about its revamped Legion gaming lineup, including three new laptops and a redesigned desktop. The company is also diversifying this year by adding AMD’s Ryzen processors to some of the designs. The new lineup is set to launch in May.
The laptops follow a new naming scheme. There’s the Lenovo Legion 7, Legion 5 and Legion 5i, as well as a new IdeaPad-branded gaming laptop. On the desktop side, there’s the Legion Tower 5i.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Lenovo Legion 7 | Lenovo Legion 5i 15-inch | Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch | Lenovo Legion 5 15-inch (AMD) | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 | Lenovo Legion Tower 5i |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 10th Gen Intel Core i9 and i7 | 10th Gen Intel Core i7 and i5 | 10th Gen Intel Core i7 | AMD Ryzen R7 and R5 | 10th Gen Intel Core i7 and i5 | 10th Gen Intel Core processors (AMD available later this year) |
| Graphics | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 or 1650 Ti GPU | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super |
| Memory | Up to 32GB DDR4 | Up to 16GB DDR4 | Up to 16GB DDR4 | 8GB DDR4 | 8GB DDR4 | Up to 32GB DDR4 |
| Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe SSD | Up to 1TB PCIe SSD | Up to 1TB PCIe SSD | Up to 1TB PCIe SSD | Up to 512GB PCIe SSD | Up to 1TB PCIe SSD |
| Display | 15.6-inch, FHD, IPS, 144 Hz or 240 Hz | 15.6-inch, FHD, IPS, 60 Hz, 120 Hz, 144 Hz or 240 Hz | 17.3-inch, FHD, IPS, 60 Hz or 144 Hz with Dolby Vision | 15.6-inch, FHD, IPS, 60 Hz or 120 Hz, | 15.6-inch, FHD, IPS, 60 Hz or 120 Hz, | N/A |
| Networking | Wi-Fi 802.11 AX, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 AX, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 AX, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 AX, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 AX, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 AX, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Battery | 80 Whr | 60 Whr | Up to 80 Whr | 60 Whr | Size not stated, claimed up to 9.6 hours | 400W or 650W power supply |
| Dimensions | 14.2 x 10 x 0.8 inches (360 x 255 x 20 mm) | 14.3 x 10.2 x 1 inches (363 x 260 x 25.5 mm) | 15.8 x 11.4 x 1 inches (402.4 x 290 x 26.2 mm) | 14.3 x 10.2 x 1 inches (363 x 260 x 25.5 mm) | 359 x 249.6 x 24.9 mm | 28L mATX chassis, 24 x 13 x 22 inches |
| Keyboard | Legion TrueStrike, full number pad | Legion TrueStrike, full number pad | Legion TrueStrike, full number pad | Legion TrueStrike, full number pad | Advanced Gaming keyboard, full number pad | N/A |
| RGB Lighting | Keyboard and environmental lighting ,Corsair iCue | White backlight, optional 4-zone RGB backlight | White backlighting | White backlight, optional 4-zone RGB backlight | Blue backlighting | Optional |
| Starting Price | $1,599.99 | $829.99 | $1,129.99 | $759.99 | $729.99 | $799.99 |
| Availability | May-20 | May-20 | May-20 | May-20 | May-20 | May-20 |
Across the Legion laptop lineup, Lenovo is touting its new TrueStrike keyboard with a softer landing and more tactile feel, 1.5 mm of travel and anti-ghosting. Lenovo suggested it may be more like what one expects from its ThinkPad line. Additionally, they’re getting slim bezels and the webcam is being moved above the display with a built-in privacy shutter. They’re also getting vapor chamber cooling and a variety of FHD panel options.
The Legion 7 will be the flagship laptop with up to 10th Gen Intel Core i9 and i7 processors, up to Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q GPU, up to 32GB DDR4 RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe SSD storage. That will start at $1,599.99.
The next version comes in two flavors: Legion 5i and Legion 5. The big difference there is that the 5i has Intel components up to Nvidia’s RTX parts, while the regular 5 will use AMD Ryzen and stick to GTX parts. Additionally, the Legion 5i will come in 15-inch and 17-inch models, while the Legion 5 will only have a 15-inch configuration. The 5i starts at $829.00 for the 15-incher and $1,129.99 for the 17-inch. The Legion 5 will start at $759.99.
On the low-end, Lenovo is introducing a new IdeaPad-branded laptop, the IdeaPad Gaming 3. This doesn’t have the same TrueStrike keyboard, but Lenovo is promising 1.5mm of key travel with larger arrow keys and dedicated media controls. It will go up to Intel’s Core i7 H-series and top out with Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics.
On the desktop side, the Legion Tower 5i is getting 10th Gen Intel H series CPUs when it launches in May (Lenovo didn’t provide specific processor models). A version with AMD Ryzen processors, the Legion Tower 5, is set to launch “later this year.”
The Tower 5i will include up to an RTX 2070 Super, either a 450W or 600W power supply, and optional ARGB lighting and RGB liquid cooling. The transparent side panel has been made larger and the carry handle has been moved to the back of the device. There are still ports towards the top of the 28-liter case. Lenovo says the case won’t require tools to open.
We’re hoping to see many of these models cross in our labs in the coming months, including the desktop with new Intel processors. And hopefully we’ll see how Ryzen and Intel perform in similar designs, as well.
