Lenovo Legion 7 review
The Lenovo Lenovo Legion 7 ranks as the #326 laptops globally, achieving a LibraScore of 75. Across all metrics, this product stands out most for its #215-ranked connectivity among 593 laptops. Consider the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 3 or Lenovo ThinkPad L16 Gen 1, which offer higher scores while staying in the same price range.
Is it Worth it?
The Lenovo Legion 7 is almost perfect, but there's one crucial issue to consider: battery life. With the Corsair IQ software enabled, this laptop drains power rapidly, affecting overall battery life. However, disabling the software resolves this issue. Despite this drawback, the Legion 7 offers impressive gaming performance, courtesy of its Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics. Additionally, it features a great build quality, good display, and improved keyboard and touchpad. While some users may find the lack of fan control and SD card slot as drawbacks, this laptop is still a solid choice for gamers. Overall, its strengths outweigh its weaknesses, making it worth considering.
Build
The Lenovo Legion 7 boasts a sturdy build quality with a metal aluminum lid and bottom panel. The interior is made of plastic, but the laptop's overall construction feels solid. The 16-inch screen features a 165Hz refresh rate and good response time, decent color gamut, and no backlight bleed. The aspect ratio is 16:10, providing more vertical space than traditional 16:9 resolutions. The Legion 7's metal lid and bottom panel give it a premium feel, while the interior plastic may not be as high-end. A better alternative might be Lenovo Legion Pro 5, featuring a next-level build.
Display
The Lenovo Legion 7's display is its standout feature. The 16-inch 165Hz screen boasts good response time, decent color gamut, and no backlight bleed. It gets fairly bright, making it suitable for everyday use. However, the aspect ratio of 16:10, rather than the traditional 16:9, might cause some games to appear stretched or with black bars at the top and bottom. This is a common issue with laptops featuring this new panel type, but it's expected to resolve itself as more devices adopt this format. Overall, the display is a strong point for the Legion 7, offering crisp visuals in various scenarios. You may find Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro a better fit, thanks to its superior display.
Performance
The Lenovo Legion 7's performance is nearly flawless. With the Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and full-powered NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics, this laptop delivers exceptional gaming performance. I've tested it in 13 games at two resolutions, and its performance is comparable to other top laptops. Additionally, it offers raw CPU performance that outshines any other laptop, with the best multi-core performance in Cinebench R23. The Legion 7's high-end specs make it an excellent choice for gaming enthusiasts, offering a seamless experience without compromises. If you’re after a better performance, Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 could be the ideal option.
Battery and Charging
The Lenovo Legion 7's battery life is marred by a significant issue - the Corsair IQ software drains power, reducing battery life to around 4 hours from the expected 8-10 hours. This is due to the software running in the background even when the laptop is idle. Disabling the software resolves this issue, but it also means sacrificing custom lighting options. Pressing a shortcut can also reduce screen refresh rate, further extending battery life. The power brick size remains unchanged across all models.
Connectivity
Lenovo Legion 7 is a solid gaming laptop with impressive specs, including an RTX 3080 graphics card and Ryzen 9 processor. The build quality is good, with a metal lid and bottom panel. Connectivity options are decent, with most ports located on the back for cable management. However, I would have liked to see an SD card slot, which is missing in this model. Overall, connectivity feels like a secondary consideration in this laptop's design priorities. For an improved connectivity, Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 is worth considering.
Features
The Lenovo Legion 7 boasts impressive specs: Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, 32GB memory, and full-powered NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics. It also features a 16-inch, 165Hz screen with good response time, decent color gamut, and no backlight bleed. Other notable features include RGB lighting, Wi-Fi 6, two M.2 storage slots, and a vapor chamber cooler. You might want to check out Lenovo Legion Pro 5, featuring an upgraded features for a superior experience.
Support and Maintenance
The Lenovo Legion 7 has some notable issues with support and maintenance. The Corsair software used for RGB lighting is a major culprit, drawing 40-50 watts when idle and impacting battery life significantly. A simple fix is to close the software, but this disables customization options. Additionally, there's no fan control option, which may disappoint those who value manual tweaking. Overall, these issues detract from an otherwise solid gaming laptop experience.
Pros
1. The Lenovo Legion 7 has a nice build quality with a metal aluminium lid and bottom panel, giving it a premium feel.
2. It features a 16-inch 165Hz screen with good response time, decent color gamut, no backlight bleed, and gets fairly bright.
3. The Legion 7 has plenty of RGB lighting if that's your thing, with 6 built-in firmware effects that don't need software.
4. You can disable Optimus to result in a speed boost, which is not an option on other laptops.
5. The battery life can be improved by pressing the function and R shortcut, changing the screen's refresh rate from 165Hz to 60Hz.
Cons
1. The Legion 7 has a major issue with battery drain when running the Corsair software, drawing between 40-50 watts from the wall.
2. Closing the Corsair software and stopping the Corsair service can improve battery life, but this means you don't have the option to customize the lighting.
3. There is no fan control option on the Legion 7, which may be a concern for users who want more customization options.
4. The power brick is quite large at 300 watts, making it less portable even if you choose a lower-spec model.
5. The absence of an SD card slot may be a drawback for creators and users who need that feature.
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