With the vast number of gaming laptops on the market, it can be tough to decipher which to go with if you aren’t up to speed on the newest CPUs, GPUs, and cooling systems. With companies around the globe making leading hardware for decades, it can be hard to keep up with who’s at the top. As the largest PC company in China, Lenovo has been making computers since the late 80s, and with the number of innovations and changes the market has gone through, it’s no surprise that they’re still here making top-of-the-line computer technology.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Laptop from Lenovo’s Legion Pro Series is one of the newest in Lenovo’s long line of innovations—taking gaming power to the next level. With AI-tuned performance via the Lenovo AI Engine+, high refresh rates, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card, the Legion Pro 7i packs a punch. On the flip side, a battery touted as “a limit-pushing 99.9Whr battery life” only lasting around an hour when unplugged isn’t ideal for gaming-on-the-go, as well as the heat output, fan sound, and size of the power brick keep the Legion Pro 7i as a more middling option.
In terms of power, the Legion Pro 7i is a tank. Starting off with the Lenovo AI Engine+, this added engine helps to keep the laptop running in tip-top shape and peak performance. For those wanting to play the biggest experiences from the eSports scene or looking for beautiful vistas and realistic graphics, you have an AI-tuned laptop that makes sure things are going smoothly. As a gaming laptop, the Legion Pro 7i checks all the boxes for hardware, as it’s stuffed with all the goodies.
The 13th Generation Intel Core i9-13900HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 are a duo not to be reckoned with. That’s before you add in the dual 16 GB chips of RAM and 1 TB SSD storage drive. The Legion Pro 7i takes the extra mile to ensure leading parts are at the centre of what is available to consumers, with all the bells and whistles on offer with this gaming laptop.
“With AI-tuned performance via the Lenovo AI Engine+, high refresh rates, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card, the Legion Pro 7i packs a punch.”
Even though all of this power is something to gawk at, the total package does tell a little bit of a different story in terms of functionality and the little things that really take a laptop of this calibre and price over the edge. Right out of the gate, the power brick is 8 inches long by 4 inches wide—or about the size of an overstuffed 6-inch Subway sandwich. While not a huge deal, when you’re planning to game outside the office, it takes up a good amount of extra space.
Staying on point with the functionality of taking the Legion Pro 7i on the go, the laptop gets quite hot to the touch, especially when it isn’t plugged in. Meaning anytime you aren’t able to set this bad boy on a good, hard surface, you’re going to regret it as the heat is uncomfortable on the lap. Additionally, the sound the fans make is incredibly loud. While I appreciate that there’s a lot packed into a small package here, and the fans look beefy for a laptop, it just doesn’t seem like a great thing when out in public.
I know when I go out and want to play in an airport or at a cafe, I don’t want to cause a scene. So even if you’re able to find a table to get your setup going with and that always-elusive plug to keep things running more optimally, the sound while playing nearly any game would likely be intrusive to those around you.
“In terms of power, the Legion Pro 7i is a tank.”
From there, the battery life when playing Halo: Infinite on Xbox Game Pass only lasted right around the one-hour mark before needing to be plugged in. Other smaller experiences really didn’t fare much better. Combining all of these issues, it’s hard to see where the Legion Pro 7i is that useful of a device, specifically when you’re trying to play games on the go. While having the option is nice, and I could easily see where a hotel room setting or something like that would be a great experience, it’s disappointing to be so limited when away from outlets.
Additionally, the price point makes these issues something that some will want to shy away from. Considering the Legion Pro 7i honestly works best when in a home office setting, like a more traditional computer, costing $2750 is a pretty big ask when the versatility of the device is limited to short play periods or in a private setting away from your home. While the Legion Pro Series starts at $1500, much of what makes the Legion Pro 7i such an exhilarating option is taken out.
While the functionality outside the office is disappointing, the laptop is still a beast with a ton of added goodies and features for those times you are at home. The Legion TrueStrike keyboard and RGB lighting via Legion Spectrum are huge pluses for gaming and customization. The 16” WXQGA Lenovo PureSight display gives incredible HDR brilliance and variable refresh rates you would want out of a high-end monitor. And the Nahimic Audio by SteelSeries speakers offers 3D sound, so you can hear every footstep in that match of Apex Legends.
Even though the Legion Pro 7i is definitely disappointing when on the go, it certainly has everything you’d want out of a gaming laptop that primarily stays at home. Especially if you rarely find yourself out in public and just want to game at a friend’s house or in your hotel room, then the Legion Pro 7i can’t be beat. But at the same time, at this price point, the heat, fan sound, and battery life should be a bit better across the board.
