Best Lenovo gaming laptop
The best Lenovo gaming laptops in 2024, including the Lenovo Legion 7, Lenovo Legion 5, Lenovo Ideapad 3 and more
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Discussing the best Lenovo gaming laptop models available in 2024, including the high-end Lenovo Legion 7, the mid and upper-mid-range Lenovo Legion 5 and Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, the Lenovo LOQ, and finally the Lenovo Ideapad 3 for those on a tight budget. We’ll be going through each of these models in detail, listing the pros and cons of each, and helping you work out which model is the best Lenovo laptop for you to maximize your game experience.
The 2024 updates to Lenovo’s gaming laptop range have been relatively minimal thus far: there’s been a new Lenovo Legion 5i and 7i announced that have had a redesign so that they resemble more the Legion Slim series of previous years, though we haven’t seen these yet. In terms of the other models, they generally only have minor CPU updates: either now with the Intel 14th gen ‘Raptor Lake refresh’ or Ryzen 8000 series, but both have failed to impress with any in-game performance increases. Therefore our best picks remain pretty static from the previous year, however rest assured that if any worthy releases hit the shelves throughout the year, we will update this page accordingly.
- 01Best high-end gaming laptop
- 03A great previous-gen pick
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Best Lenovo gaming laptops 2024
One of the best value high-end gaming Laptops on the market
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (240Hz QHD+, i9-13900HX)
CPU
Intel Core i9-13900HX
Graphics Card
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 / 4090
RAM
32GB/64GB DDR5
Max Refresh Rate
240Hz
Resolution
1560 x 1600
Storage
1-4TB SSD
- Powerful Intel Core i9-13900HX processor
- Highest TGP RTX 4080/4090 graphics card options
- 240Hz QHD+ display
- Good value
- Doesn’t have the premium design present in previous Legion Pros
The latest 2023 versions of the Lenovo Legion 7/7i series doesn’t quite have the premium build quality, extras, and tertiary features of the 7 Pro series of previous generations, but they are cheaper as a consequence and have the quality where it matters – namely the processor, graphics card, and display. What you get in total is one of the best value high-powered laptops across any brand.
Whether you opt for the RTX 4080 (recommended for gamers) or the RTX 4090 (recommended for those who want to use the device for high-end creative workflows alongside gaming), both are the highest TGP versions of these GPUs available in a laptop. Paired with the ultra-powerful Intel Core i9-13900HX processor, it will perform up there with pretty much any other premium gaming laptop on the market in FPS terms, churning out some superbly high frame rates.
The 16-inch display has a slightly taller than normal 16:10 aspect ratio, so the whole area of the display is about what you’d get in a 16:9 17-inch model but the laptop is more easily portable. The 2560 x 1600 display is ideal for gaming on, with a terrific 240Hz maximum refresh rate. The Color gamut is good for a gaming laptop, with an sRGB coverage of 99% and AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 both being about 72%. This effectively means you could do color accurate work in the sRGB space if you wanted to when not gaming on this machine, but not so in the other two ranges. Peak brightness is superb, hitting around 530 nits, and contrast is also pretty great.
Onto the less than great features, the 5 hours battery life isn’t brilliant but reasonable for a gaming laptop of this power, but the build quality is a bit on the plastic side overall – noticeably more than other premium gaming laptops (though you will pay more for these) and the previous generation of Legion Pros. Features like the pressure-sensitive WASD keys are no longer present, the RGB lighting is much less impressive, and there’s no fingerprint scanner, plus you only get 1Gbit/s ethernet connection, compared to the 2.5 1Gbit/s of the 2022 model.
Still, we think that this laptop impresses where it counts for a gaming machine, and that the less premium features are a worthy trade-off for the relatively affordable price. A terrific high-end gaming laptop.
A great upper mid-range gaming laptop
Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (240Hz QHD+, RTX 4070)
CPU
Intel Core i9-13900HX
graphics
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
RAM
16GB/32GB/64GB DDR5
SSD
1 – 4TB SSD
Resolution
2560 x 1600
Refresh rate
240Hz
- Powerful Intel Core i9-13900HX/i7-13700HX processor options
- Highest TGP RTX 4070 graphics card
- 240Hz QHD+ display
- Good value
- Reasonable battery life
- Doesn’t have the premium design present in previous Legion Pros
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5/5i has less premium GPU options than the 7/7i series, and the 1600p display is restricted to a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz, but besides this they are very similar.
You can get this laptop with the RTX 4070 graphics card, Intel Core i7-13700HX processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD for a very reasonable price making it one of the best value upper mid-range gaming laptops on the market. Alternatively you can opt for the higher-specced variant with Intel Core i9-13900HX CPU and up to a ridiculous 64GB of DDR5 RAM and 4TB of SSD storage if for example you’re planning on using it as a mobile workstation/editing laptop as well… or just love a huge amount of RAM and storage for some other reason!
In terms of color gamut, the Lenovo Legion 5 covers 98% sRGB, 70% Adobe RGB, and 72% DCI-P3, which is all well above the minimum needed for gaming and even makes it capable of color accurate design work in the sRGB space. The screen has a great contrast ratio, and a respectable peak brightness, though ideally, this could have been better.
The webcam and microphone are of reasonable quality for a gaming laptop at this price point, though nothing to write home about. The same can be said for the speakers, in so far as, like much of the competition, they are fairly poor and lack much bass replication. The membrane keyboard and trackpad are both decent, and above average compared to the competition, though not the best out there either. Build quality is okay, though the plastic build doesn’t compare to the more metal designs of more premium laptops. There is some screen wobble when typing and a bit of flex when you press down around the keyboard, though this latter point isn’t really something that you’ll notice.
If you turn off Optimus using the MUX switch, the battery life of the Legion Pro 5 with AMD CPU is quite impressive: expect to get around 8 hours of general, non-gaming usage. You can expect the Intel-powered Legion 5i to run at least an hour or so shorter than this, which is still pretty decent for an Intel machine.
Ultimately the Lenovo Legion 5 doesn’t have many flaws; they’re just limited to the same ones as the Legion Pro 7/7i above – namely the lack of those premium quality touches that were present in the rpevious generation, and a slightly plasticky build quality overall.
The best upper mid-range Lenovo gaming laptop of the previous gen
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (165Hz QHD+, RTX 3070 Ti)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 6800H
Graphics Card
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
RAM
16GB/32GB DDR5
Max Refresh Rate
165Hz
Resolution
2560 x 1600
Screen Size
16-inch
- RTX 3070 Ti laptop GPU option for cheap
- Powerful AMD CPU option for the price
- Good battery life
- Doesn’t have all the features present with 40-series GPUs
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is similar to the Lenovo Legion 5 in terms of the power of its core components if you opt for the RTX 3060 version, though it has the option of the more powerful RTX 3070 Ti version as well. Both GPU options are again high-TGP models which perform at the top end compared to competing brand laptops with the same graphics cards. Performance in gaming is again great; in workstation tasks (thanks to the multi-core performance of the Ryzen 7 5800H CPU) the machine also pulls its weight. Like the regular Legion 5 the Pro has a MUX switch to disable Optimus in the onboard software, which boosts performance further.
The main differences with the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro lie with the display. It has a larger 16-inch screen which is also taller thanks to its 16:10 aspect ratio, and a higher 2560 x 1600 resolution (QHD but with a bit extra height). For straight gamers only the extra resolution could be an unnecessary extravagance, with 1080p doing just fine on the 15” screen of the Legion 5, however, if you want to dual-use this machine for creative purposes, or just want extra resolution to watch movies on, then the Pro might be for you.
One gaming advantage the Pro does have is in terms of response time however, which comes in around 4.5ms grey-to-grey with Overdrive enabled, meaning you won’t notice any ghosting whatsoever at the 165Hz refresh rate. Colors (good) and contrast (good) are pretty much the same as the 1080p Legion 5, though peak brightness is improved, coming in at around 512 nits, making it better suited to brighter environments.
If you disable Optimus using the MUX switch, and also turn the display refresh rate down to 60Hz, then you can get around 7+ hours of battery life during non-strenuous tasks like web browsing and word processing. Build quality is similar to the Legion 5, if not slightly better, but the larger display does make it a bit on the heavy side by comparison.
Whether you opt for the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro or the cheaper vanilla Legion 5 really depends on what you prioritize. Both are equally great gaming laptops.
A relatively new affordable Lenovo gaming laptop line
Lenovo LOQ 16 (165Hz QHD+, i7-13700H)
CPU
Intel i7-13700H
Graphics Card
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 / 4060 (140W)
RAM
16GB DDR5 (5200MHz)
Storage
1TB SSD
Max Refresh Rate
165Hz
Screen Size
16-inch
- G-Sync and Advanced Optimus in an affordable laptop
- Good build quality
- Great response time
- Lots of upgrade options
- On a pure FPS basis, there are cheaper laptops out there for the same performance
The new boys in the Lenovo lineup, the Lenovo LOQ 15 and Lenovo LOQ 16 are two brand new gaming laptops to the Lenovo range that basically offer an affordable option that’s superior to the existing Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming range, but is less premium than the Lenovo Legion laptops. That being said they still come with a surprising number of features that you’d more commonly expect on high-end gaming laptops, like G-Sync and Advanced Optimus, plus have a solid build quality that extends to the keyboard and trackpad so are well worth your consideration.
Of the two we’d recommend the LOQ 16 as it has a 16:10 aspect ratio screen, which gives you more vertical screen space when browsing the web and/or reading articles, plus the option for a larger 80Wh battery (compared to the standard 60Wh), which is an enhancement that only costs an additional $10 on the Lenovo Store, but will net you an increased battery life of over an hour during general usage (around 6 hours in total) which is well worth it by anyone’s standard.
On a purely performance/price basis there are slightly more powerful RTX 4060 laptops out there for the price, plus you can get previous gen RTX 3070 laptops for cheaper, however given the advantages of DLSS 3.0, plus the additional features of this machine, it’s still a pick we’d definitely recommend.
A budget-friendly Lenovo gaming laptop
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 / 3i
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600H / Intel Core i5-11300H
Graphics Card
Nvidia GTX 1650 / 1650 Ti / RTX 3050 Ti
RAM
8/16GB
Max Refresh Rate
120Hz
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Screen Size
15.6”
- RTX 3050 Ti version gives strong budget performance
- comes with FreeSync
- good keyboard and trackpad for the price
- decent battery life
- respectable build quality
- poor response time
- could be brighter
- narrow color gamut
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 with AMD CPU, or alternatively the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i if you go with the Intel option, can be equipped with either the GTX 1650, 1650 Ti, RTX 3050 Ti, and other combinations. The RTX 3050 Ti is definitely the one we’d recommend getting. Although neither will be able to play the latest, most demanding games at the highest settings; moderately demanding games on medium settings will run at a respectable FPS on the 3050 Ti version. The GTX 1650 model though, the most widespread version on Amazon, is too low a performer for us to be able to recommend it.
The 1080p screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is more than enough considering you’re unlikely to hit 120FPS in many games on this budget. The 15ms real grey-to-grey response time is slower than we’d like, though not untypical of the competition at this price point. Ghosting will be visible though. The inclusion of FreeSync on a laptop this cheap is however a welcome addition for reducing screen tearing.
In terms of colors, you only get around 63% sRGB coverage, and even less of the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3, which is just about good enough for gaming but not much else. Contrast is ok, but the peak brightness caps out at around 270nits, which is somewhat dim, though not terrible.
The webcam and microphone are about average for this price range, but the keyboard is above average for a budget machine, as is the trackpad. Speakers are middling for a gaming laptop, which is to say they’re poor. Battery life comes in at around five to six hours of non-strenuous, non-gaming usage, which is decent if not great. Build quality is slightly above average, though as plasticy as you’d expect at this price.
Ultimately, if you can get hold of the RTX 3050 ti version, this is a solid-budget gaming laptop.
Things to consider when buying a Lenovo gaming laptop
Are Lenovo laptops good for gaming?
Lenovo has given us some of the very best laptops on offer from any brand in their Lenovo Legion series, which ranges from medium-powered and priced options to the truly premium gaming monsters. The latest iterations of the Lenovo Legion series all come with high TGP graphics cards as well as MUX switches, meaning they are able to disable Optimus and utilize the full power of the dedicated graphics. Combine this with G-Sync and/or FreeSync support and these laptops are well-kitted out for gamers. The only weak point in Lenovo’s range tends to come in at the budget end, where the Lenovo Ideapad series doesn’t necessarily offer the performance/price of competing brands.
Lenovo Legion vs Legion Pro
The latest Lenovo Legion laptop series typically come with 15.6″ 16:9 1080p screens, Nvidia 30-series GPUs, and different DDR5 RAM and SSD size options. The CPU brand differs depending on the name (see below for info on this). These laptops tend to be in the middle to upper-middle price range, depending on how you spec them out.
The latest Lenovo Legion Pro laptop series come with 16″ 16:10 1600p screens, a partially metal chassis, and higher TGP Nvidia 30-series graphics cards than the regular Legion 5s and Legion 5is (Total Graphics Power (TGP) is essentially the number of Watts the graphics cards can draw upon).
Lenovo Legion 5 vs Lenovo Legion 5i – what’s the difference?
The standard Lenovo Legion 5 / Lenovo Legion 7 or the Pro versions are all equipped with AMD Ryzen CPUs. When the ‘i’ designation is added to the number, this signifies that the CPU is Intel. The latest Gen 7 versions of these laptops comes with either AMD Ryzen 7000 series laptop CPUs, or Intel 13th gen laptop CPUs.
Lenovo gaming laptop FAQs
Is Lenovo Legion Pro good for gaming?
The Lenovo Legion Pro series is one of the most highly-rated gaming laptop ranges. The Gen 7 2022 series come with high TGP graphics cards, as well as lush 1600p 16:10 screens, and great overall build quality. If you’re in the market for a premium gaming laptop, basically any Lenovo Legion Pro will be a quality device you won’t regret buying.
Which Lenovo Legion is best for gaming?
Final Word
We hope this guide has helped you find the best Lenovo gaming laptop for your needs in 2024. If you want to have a look at gaming laptops from other brands besides Lenovo, have a look at our best gaming laptop page, or some of our other gaming laptop guides based on different price points, under Custom Gaming PC > Gaming Laptop in the top menu bar.
