The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 is one of the latest gaming laptops to be released in the densely competitive tech industry, and it’s a great choice for gaming on the go. Game Crater was fortunate enough to test out the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 16IRX8 model, which comes with the powerful Intel i9-13900HX processor, a powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 8GB Graphics card, and a 16-inch screen. A range of configuration options are available under this model so you can make a device that best meets your needs.
Table of contents
Design and Features
Lenovo designed the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 with a clear focus on performance, opting for a straightforward, no-frills approach. The company omitted luxurious extras such as touch screens and fingerprint sensors to ensure the device’s primary goal was to deliver top-notch performance. By avoiding these fancy features, Lenovo was also able to keep the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 price as affordable as possible, ensuring that users get the best value for their money without compromising on the device’s ability to perform.
This laptop catches your eye with its smooth aluminum body, which is strong and feels premium. Opening the lid with just one hand feels secure and easy, showing the laptop’s quality without bending or twisting. The best part is its 16-inch screen, which is large, vibrant, and supports 240hz. This makes games and videos look extremely clear and colorful. Unlike the flashy styles of many gaming laptops, this one keeps things simple and neat, especially at the back; it looks professional while maintaining the gaming vibe. It’s great for people who want a laptop that is visually appealing but powerful enough for gaming and other demanding tasks.
The keyboard comes with RGB lighting, but unlike the per-key RGB option, as seen in the bigger brother Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, the Pro 5i has four configuration zones for the RGB. The lighting configuration on the keyboard is nice, but it is a little dull and limited.
The laptop features a large ten-key keyboard that spreads across its entire frame, centering the keyboard and touchpad to the left side of the device. This placement was outside my natural setup when typing on a keyboard, making my hands feel uncomfortable. Additionally, when playing games, WASD is predominantly skewed to the left side, which left my hands leaning on the edge of the laptop. However, it’s not all bad. The larger directional pad makes gaming more friendly for keyboard users, and the small curvature on the keys makes typing more comfortable.
Technical Specifications
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900HX |
| Memory | 32 GB DDR5-5600 (16 GB x 2) |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro 64 |
| Hard Drive | 1x 1 TB SSD PCIe |
| Wireless Network | Wi-Fi 6E 2×2 AX; Bluetooth 5.1 or above |
| Ports | USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A (Always on USB 5V2A), USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A (rear), HDMI 2.1, RJ45, Type C (USB 3.2 Gen2 + DP1.4 + PD 140W), 2 in 1 Audio Combo jack, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A (side), DC-IN Rectangle, Type C (USB 3.2 Gen 2 + DP 1.4) |
| Camera | 1080P FHD with Dual Microphone and E-camera Shutter |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 8GB |
| Monitor | 16” WQXGA |
The device comes with a 1080p webcam of decent quality but not as good as some of the latest webcams being released today. However, the webcam electronic privacy switch is a large benefit, allowing you to disable the webcam for privacy purposes.
The laptop is relatively large and bulky, impacting its portability – especially when it weighs approximately 2.8kg. However, the design makes it look relatively compact without any exaggerated lines or shapes that you can occasionally encounter in gaming laptops. Surprisingly, the fans are also not too obnoxious and are quiet for a high-performance gaming laptop.
Performance and User Experiences
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 is a powerhouse gaming laptop with a powerful CPU and GPU. This combination delivers exceptional processing power, ensuring smooth multitasking, seamless gameplay, and accelerated content creation. When the device is running while plugged into its charger, the performance is seamless. However, some highly demanding games struggle when running purely off battery power. We sometimes saw a solid but more shakey 50 FPS while running on battery power.
Gamers will love the powerful gaming features that come with the Nvidia graphics card in this laptop, like DLSS 3.0 and ray tracing. These features make games look more realistic and visually appealing. The Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 is strong enough to handle big games at high quality without any trouble. When playing popular titles like Starfield and Fortnite, I found no lag or problems, and the picture quality was always smooth.
Lenovo has also added a smart AI chip and AI Engine+ to this gaming laptop. These features help make the device perform better by adjusting settings automatically based on the task at hand. This means you are always at peak performance. Plus, there are cool features like head tracking and presence detection powered by Tobii, which elevate your gaming to be more immersive and interactive.
Despite its impressive performance capabilities, the battery life of the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 falls short of expectations, lasting less than an hour for high-demand gaming usage scenarios. This limitation may inconvenience users who rely on extended battery life for on-the-go productivity or gaming sessions away from power outlets.
Additionally, the laptop gets especially hot on its default settings. Even when I wasn’t gaming and just browsing the internet, the device was too hot to sit comfortably on my lap, and it would need to be positioned on a flat surface for proper air ventilation.
Benchmarking
| Game | FPS (Plugged in) | FPS (Battery Power) | Battery Life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fortnite | 120 | 65-80 | 45 Minutes |
| Starfield | 80 | 55-60 | 40 Minutes |
| Palworld | 70-80 | 50-70 | 45 Minutes |
Integration and Configuration
Users can easily customize their gaming experience through Lenovo’s Vantage software, which provides intuitive controls for adjusting system settings, optimizing performance, and managing gaming profiles. With Vantage, users can fine-tune parameters such as fan speed, display settings, and keyboard lighting to suit their preferences and gaming needs. One particularly notable feature of Vantage is the ability to easily tweak the GPU settings, allowing you to use a hybrid of GPU and Integrated Graphics or fix it to a specific setting based on your requirements. It’s a straightforward and easy-to-use piece of software, but I wish the app had default visualizations for temperature tracking.
Furthermore, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 supports integration with all popular gaming platforms and applications, ensuring compatibility and smooth operation with a wide range of software. Whether it’s accessing game launchers, streaming platforms, or communication tools, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 provides a seamless and hassle-free experience, as you would expect with a Windows 11 Pro device.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 offers ample configuration options for advanced users to tweak and optimize system performance. From BIOS settings to driver updates, users can customize their system according to their specific requirements and preferences.
From a physical connectivity perspective, the laptop fortunately has an abundance of different connectors – from a USB port on each side and at the back to ethernet and HDMI connectivity. There is also a USB-C slot at the rear and left side. This allows you to plug an abundance of connections into the laptop simultaneously.
Value for Money
Starting at AU$3499, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 is not cheap. However, breaking down its components offers excellent value for money compared to other devices with similar specifications. Devices with these levels of technical specifications can typically be over AU$4000.
The extremely high-performing Intel i9 CPU and the NVidia RTX 4070 GPU bring some of the best hardware in portable gaming. Throw in other quality parts and build, and as a result, you are given a device made perfectly to tackle even the most punishing of games.
Lenovo has created a laptop that offers amazing performance for its price. Still, it’s also important to acknowledge some downsides, including the poor battery life and missing features, such as a touch screen or fingerprint reader. This gaming laptop is worth considering if you prefer a simple, high-performing computer that delivers on its promises.
Disclaimer: Game Crater was provided with a review unit for this article.
