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DISCLAIMER: LENOVO SENT US A REVIEW UNIT OF THE LEGION 5 PRO LAPTOP BUT ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE OUR OWN

Product Specs +

16-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS display
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor
Nvidia RTX 3070 8 GB GPU
Windows 10 OS
Up to 165 Hz refresh rate
16 GB of RAM
512 GB of SSD storage
720p Camera
4x USB A ports
2x USB-C
HDMI 2.1
RJ45 port
Headphone/mic combo
Bluetooth 5.1
300W battery

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro packs a huge punch in a number of areas including features and aesthetics. For those looking for a gaming laptop that’s also functional for work or school, this may very well be your best value bet. Let’s take a closer look.

The Basics

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Right off the bat you can tell that the Legion 5 Pro is created for performance. There’s a few different variants that Lenovo sells, but this particular version that they sent us has an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD. There’s also an Nvidia RTX 3070 (8 GB) graphics card. This configuration retails for about $2,000 MSRP which is fairly solid for a spec sheet this advanced. During my review period with the Legion 5 Pro, I played a few games including Fortnite, Horizon Chase Turbo and The First Tree, all of which aren’t too intensive, but handled really well here on this laptop. This laptop should be able to play just about any Triple-A game on at least 1080p no problem. I haven’t had any dipping of frame rates that would make any games in my Steam or Epic Games library unplayable. When you add in the 165Hz refresh rate to the mix, some games will be extremely enjoyable to play on here.

Lenovo also includes a number of other features including their TrueStrike keyboard which has fully programmable RGB backlighting. This is similar to Razer’s Chroma schematics and the colors are both vivid and aesthetically pleasing. Speaking of vivid, the Legion 5 Pro has a 16” QHD (2560 x 1600) IPS display in a 16:10 aspect ratio.

Without doubt, this laptop is a media-consuming beast. What I love about this laptop is even though it’s created for gaming, it’s incredibly versatile. If you work in design and need a powerful machine for content creation, this will work tremendously. If you are like me and work in analytics, this will work just fine. Having a dedicated graphics card on a laptop means you get that extra power to accomplish difficult graphical tasks. However, even if you just want to watch Netflix and YouTube videos all day on your laptop like I do, the Legion 5 Pro is an incredible experience with that simple task too. Everything about this display is vivid, immersive, and honestly probably one of the best viewing experiences I’ve had on a laptop yet. That was surprising to me to feel this way as I was not expecting that outcome going into this review from a Lenovo product.

Well Thought-Out Features

On top of the solid spec sheet that comes with the Legion 5 Pro, there’s also lots to like about its additional features as well. As a gaming laptop, it’s got plenty of ports for what you need to plug in. The left hand side houses a USB-Type C port along with a headphone jack, while the right side features a USB-A port and an E-Shutter button. However, the back is where the majority of the ports reside with three additional USB-A ports, another USB-C port, an HDMI port, a RJ45 slot and of course the AC charging port.

The Legion 5 Pro does get hot at times, and there are certainly moderate fan noises emitting when the system starts heating up. There’s four vents along the side of the laptop in addition to a bottom-facing vent. While I did not find the fan noise to be obnoxiously loud, it is definitely noticeable and working hard to keep your laptop cool to perform well for your gaming needs. At times, it would even flip on and off while streaming videos with the speakers on.

Other features on the Legion 5 Pro include a 720p camera and Harman Kardon powered speakers. While the speakers were fairly decent sounding, I was hoping they’d be a little louder and just a little clearer too. I don’t think this is a huge issue since most people use headphones while gaming anyway, but hopefully Lenovo offers something better in the future.

A Premium Body

As I mentioned earlier, the Legion 5 Pro is an incredible media experience despite a lackluster speaker system. Its versatility also stretches to the design as well. The Legion 5 Pro in no way is as sexy or chic as some of its competitors, but nonetheless, it’s still a clean design that I believe can be used in any setting. The storm grey color is modern, premium looking, and includes subtle design cues of its Legion branding. I wouldn’t say it’s the most memorable looking laptop design, but it’s clear that Lenovo tried to make it stand out.

The overall body language of the Legion 5 Pro is also quite thoughtful. The keys are soft touch and are also spacious with solid tactile feedback. As someone who works in analytics, I’m also appreciative of the number pad included as well and felt that despite the larger full-sized keyboard layout, it never felt like my fingers were stretching long distances to reach certain keys. The trackpad is also large, smooth and very clicky, albeit made from a cheaper plastic material. While I still prefer the softer touch of the glass trackpad on my Windows Surface Laptop 2, this one is sufficient enough in getting the job done. Besides, as a gaming laptop, the intended use case is with a mouse anyway.

Solid like a Brick

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When it comes to battery life, the Legion 5 Pro is pretty solid. I get close to the advertised five hours of battery life depending on how I’m using the laptop. Considering the beast that is this laptop, it’s not surprising that the laptop comes with a 300W AC charger that is roughly the size and weight of a small brick. When combined with the 5.4 pounds that is the laptop itself, you could probably use this combination as a weapon if needed. To be honest, this computer is not really portable. I mean at all! While you could technically charge the laptop up with a USB-C cable and another brick with lesser wattage, the laptop was made to draw power from the included power brick for full capacity. For those looking for a gaming laptop to lug around campus with, this might be more challenging to move around frequently. If you’re able to settle into an office or home and occasionally transport it during travel, then the Legion 5 Pro is more manageable in that use case.

Is it Worth It?

For the $2,000 price point, Lenovo’s Legion 5 Pro is a good buy for someone looking for a versatile performing gaming laptop. There’s a lot to like about the specs and overall functionality that Lenovo includes here. There’s not much for me to dislike about this laptop other than its weight and you’ll be hard pressed to find a comprehensive package like this without further compromises. Not only is the entertainment experience great on the Legion 5 Pro, but even its small subtle cues in design make it a joy to use.

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Lida

Always the number cruncher, the former narrative journalist turned data scientist, can’t help but find herself bursting with excitement with each new generation of tech gadgets. After all, predicting future trends is Lida’s forte. Any gadget that survives Lida’s torturous, adult working woman itinerary of over 700 notifications a day deserves praise!