Lenovo Legion 9i
MSRP $3,420.00
“There is not any gaming pc that may contact the Lenovo Legion 9i.”
Execs
Desktop substitute ranges of efficiency
Beef up for each USB-C and GaN charging
Beautiful mini-LED show
Strangely transportable
Superb keyboard
Cons
Deficient battery lifestyles
Trackpad is just too small
I don’t hand out best possible rankings evenly. However believe me — the Lenovo Legion 9i earns it.
Lenovo is not any stranger to the record of the most productive gaming laptops, however its Legion 9i right away sounded adore it wouldn’t make the reduce. A high-end, RTX 4090-packing 16-inch pc that’s major declare to status is a liquid cooling device? Sounds fascinating, however no longer one thing which may be price hundreds of bucks. Thankfully, the Legion 9i doesn’t are living or die at the luck of its marquee function.
The liquid cooling definitely is helping, however extra importantly, the Legion 9i is a masterc lass in how you’re making a real desktop substitute. It’s a pc that balances being tough sufficient to switch your desktop and being sensible sufficient to function your pc. Whilst maximum gaming laptops center of attention on one excessive or the opposite, the Legion 9i in some way manages to seek out the very best center flooring — all whilst by no means skipping a beat in efficiency.
Lenovo Legion 9i (2023) specifications
Lenovo Legion 9i (2023)
Dimensions
0.75 x 14.08 x 10.93 inches
Weight
5.51 kilos
Processor
Intel Core i9-13980HX
Graphics
Nvidia RTX 4090 (150W)
RAM
32GB DDR5-5600
Show
16-inch, 3,200 x 2,000, 1,200 nits, mini-LED, 165Hz
Garage
2TB
Contact
N/A
Ports
2x Thunderbolt 4 (140W, DisplayPort), 2x USB-A three.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Ethernet, 1x SD card reader, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
Wi-fi
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
Webcam
1080p
Running device
Home windows 11 House
Battery
99.99 Whr
Value (as configured)
$3,970
Breaking down the specifications of the Legion 9i is a bit of more uncomplicated than it’s withother Lenovo machines. This is among the maximum top rate laptops you’ll be able to purchase, and Lenovo restricts the configuration choices to stay the pc targeted on the excessive finish.
The bottom configuration clocks in at $3,420, and for that, you get 1TB of PCIe Gen4 garage, an Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU, an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, and 32GB of DDR5-5600 reminiscence. That’s a little bit extra expensive than competing laptops just like the Alienware x16, which are available in round $3,000 for the same configuration.
You’ll be able to step issues up and lengthen the garage as much as 3TB, cut up throughout 2TB and 1TB drives — and also you additionally get 64GB of reminiscence and an RTX 4090 GPU. Maxed-out, the system clocks in at $4,090. That’s round $800 greater than a equivalent configuration of the Alienware x16 and round $400 costlier than the Asus ROG Strix Scar 16. Then again, this configuration is $200 inexpensive than the Razer Blade 16, and that pc comes with part the reminiscence.
Regardless, this can be a very pricey pc. There are some machines just like the Razer Blade 16 and MSI GT77 Titan which might be costlier, however there also are various choices which might be inexpensive than the Legion 9i that pack the similar specifications. The Legion 9i justifies its upper value in a handful of how, even though, which I’ll get to right through this evaluate.
A type of tactics is liquid cooling. The pc features a liquid cooling device that was once co-engineered with Cooler Grasp. It runs over the GPU VRAM, nevertheless it doesn’t run all the time. As an alternative, Lenovo says it kicks in when the GPU hits 84 levels Celsius to chill the whole lot down.
That design will have to provide you with an concept about what the liquid cooling is constructed for. It’s to not stay the pc cooler and quieter than different gaming machines — even though the Legion 9i definitely isn’t overly scorching or loud. The true level is to stay the profile skinny. As I’ll get to subsequent, the Legion 9i is unusually transportable given how tough it’s. The liquid cooling is helping it keep that approach, a lot in contrast to monstrous gaming laptops alongside the traces of the GT77 Titan.
Lenovo Legion 9i: design
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
I’ve by no means observed a pc somewhat just like the Lenovo Legion 9i. The whole frame is similar to the 16-inch Lenovo Legion Professional 5, with a small warmth sink on the again that doubles as a hub for your whole connections. It’s the highest quilt that’s distinctive.
It seems like some avant-garde camo development, or like any individual took quite a lot of sun shades of grey paint and haphazardly swiped them around the lid. There’s a bit of of texture to them, too, even though no longer sufficient that it’s off-putting. Lenovo says each and every design is exclusive, and even though it’s no longer a cultured I’d generally gravitate towards, I’m oddly enamored with the Legion 9i.
RGB is on complete show right here, no longer simplest on a per-key foundation with the keyboard, but in addition on subtle LED strips that run round the back and front of the pc. Lenovo even went out of its approach so as to add RGB to the brand at the lid. Fortunately, you’ll be able to flip all of this off with a keyboard shortcut, nevertheless it seems great all lit up.
The Legion 9i is probably the most transportable 16-inch gaming pc I’ve observed.
What’s maximum sudden concerning the Legion 9i’s design, even though, is its length. Regardless of packing probably the most tough {hardware} cash should purchase, it’s a a long way cry from machines just like the behemoth MSI GT77 Titan. It clocks in at simply 0.75 inches thick and 5.51 kilos. That’s about as thick because the Alienware x16, and part a pound lighter. Lenovo just about matched the thickness of the Razer Blade 14, even though the Legion 9i is available in greater than a pound heavier.
No 16-inch pc is transportable, however through the usual of laptops within the desktop substitute elegance, the Legion 9i is probably the most transportable pc I’ve observed. It definitely is helping that Lenovo features a 140-watt USB-C charger so that you don’t have the lift round a large persistent brick with the pc. That is nonetheless a big gaming pc, however each and every time I used the Legion 9i, I used to be frequently surprised at how tough it was once given the dimensions.
Lenovo Legion 9i: ports
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
Lenovo continues to have the most productive steadiness of ports you’ll be able to in finding on a gaming pc. Many of the connections are located in the back of the system, very similar to the Asus ROG Strix G17. There, you get a couple of Thunderbolt 4 ports that improve DisplayPort 1.4 and as much as 140W of persistent supply, together with full-sized Ethernet, a USB-A three.2 Gen 1 port, full-size HDMI 2.1, and the ability connector. Lenovo additionally comprises some ports at the aspects. There’s a sole USB-A three.2 Gen 1 port at the proper, together with a three.5mm headphone jack and a full-size SD card reader at the left.
Lenovo Legion 9i: keyboard and trackpad
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
The keyboard at the Legion 9i is identical one you’ll in finding on different Lenovo laptops — this is to mention it’s one of the crucial higher gaming pc keyboards you’ll be able to in finding. It’s snappy, with simply sufficient key trip and forged spacing between keys. I choose moderately extra trip for typing, such as you’ll in finding on Asus laptops, however for gaming, Lenovo’s Legion keyboard has it nailed.
This one is bit distinctive, even though. It’s the similar keyboard, however Lenovo features a small package with 8 replaceable keycaps. That is the primary pc that I’m conscious about that incorporates replaceable keycaps. The integrated set comprises 4 white keycaps and a choice of 4 pastel sun shades, however they function a shiny end, in contrast to the matte end on the remainder of the keyboard. It’s a groovy thought, however it could be a in point of fact distinctive function if Lenovo may just again up the capability with keycap units.
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
The keyboard is superb. The trackpad is a unique tale. If there’s one primary gripe I’ve with the Legion 9i, it’s how small the trackpad is. Very similar to the Alienware x14 R2 and x16, there are vents on the height of the important thing deck, which reasons the keyboard and trackpad to be driven down towards you. The trackpad suffers right here, because it’s cramped at the fringe of the Legion 9i. I repeatedly discovered myself flying off the trackpad, which is a disgrace.
Lenovo Legion 9i: show
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
The Legion 9i may have the most productive pc show I’ve observed. The one different system within the working is the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 with its mini-LED show, however Lenovo’s is simply as just right, if no longer a little bit higher. It deploys mini-LED for searing brightness and one of the crucial best possible HDR photographs you’ll be able to in finding in a pc. In need of an OLED gaming pc — and there aren’t many in the market — that is the most productive symbol you’re going to seek out on a gaming system.
Let’s get started with some fundamental specifications. It is a 16-inch, 16:10 show with an overly atypical solution: 3,200 x 2,000. Lenovo calls that 3.2K, and it really works out to a pixel density of 236 pixels according to inch (ppi). That’s forward of the Floor Computer Studio 2 and simply at the back of the MacBook Professional 14, so that you’re getting an overly sharp show that may hold with even high-end mainstream laptops.
That’s in reality the least fascinating a part of the show, even though. Lenovo claims it may succeed in a top brightness of one,200 nits, and it’s qualified with VESA’s DisplayHDR 1000. I measured a top brightness of 606 nits, however that was once for a miles better portion of the display screen. Regardless, that’s nonetheless leagues forward of what you’ll in finding with maximum laptops.
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
Lenovo is in a position to reach such heights with mini-LED, which permits 1,536 native dimming zones at the show. It really works, too. Lenovo advertises a distinction ratio of a million:1, and even though I measured it at 750,000:1, it truly doesn’t topic. The show produced best possible black ranges, which means you’ve gotten an especially excessive distinction ratio that’s remarkable for HDR.
The trade-off this is colour accuracy. The show coated 100% of the sRGB colour area and 97% of the prolonged DCI-P3 area, nevertheless it got here with a colour error of two.6. Preferably, you need to look an error underneath 2. With calibration, this can be a showstopping author show, nevertheless it’s obviously tuned for gaming and media intake out of the field.
Lenovo Legion 9i: CPU efficiency
The Core i9-13980HX throughout the Legion 9i is Intel’s maximum tough pc CPU that’s lately to be had. It’s a 24-core chip that incorporates 8 efficiency cores and 16 potency cores for a complete of 32 threads, and it may clock to five.6GHz. My benchmarks display it’s nonetheless a monster CPU, despite the fact that AMD’s Ryzen 9 7945X3D can post some spectacular numbers itself.
Beginning with Geekbench 6, you’ll be able to see the large core depend within the Legion 9i beat out the whole lot in multi-core efficiency. That doesn’t translate to Cinebench R23, alternatively, the place the extra tough cores to be had within the Strix Scar 17 win the take a look at through a tight margin. The Legion 9i remains to be forward of the whole lot else, even though.
Unmarried-core efficiency is a unique tale. Intel dominates right here, particularly in Geekbench 6. The Legion 9i crowned the chart in either one of those assessments, even though the opposite Intel chips are shut in Cinebench.
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
How does that translate into real-world efficiency? The Legion 9i can’t best possible the Strix Scar 17 in Premiere Professional, nevertheless it’s nonetheless miles forward of a high-end mainstream pc just like the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6.
You’ll be able to pass additional, too. Thru Lenovo Merit, you’ve gotten choices to overclock the CPU and GPU for upper efficiency, they usually’re already topping the charts.
Lenovo Legion 9i: gaming efficiency
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
The Lenovo Legion 9i is a gaming pc in the beginning — and one of the crucial quickest I’ve ever examined. For comparability, have a look at the 3DMark Time Secret agent chart underneath. The Legion 9i controlled the next core than even the Asus Scar 17 with the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D, which was once up to now the quickest gaming pc we examined.
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
What’s sudden about this efficiency isn’t that it may compete with height laptops just like the Scar 17, however that the Legion 9i does so whilst being smaller and lighter. The liquid cooling would possibly appear to be a advertising and marketing gimmick, nevertheless it permits the Legion 9i to in point of fact input the category of a desktop substitute with out ever feeling like one.
Lenovo takes benefit of all that persistent, too. Moderately than the use of a quick 1080p display screen or a gradual 4K one, the Legion 9i feels completely tuned with its 3.2K show. Within the Balanced mode, you’re having a look at above 60 frames according to 2nd (fps) with the entire settings maxed out, even in video games like Cyberpunk 2077. In Efficiency mode, the pc normally will get above 100 fps. That’s severely spectacular efficiency bearing in mind this solution.
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
It’s such a lot efficiency that ray tracing turns into an actual chance. In Returnal, you’ll be able to flip max out the whole lot, together with ray tracing, at local solution whilst nonetheless hitting 90 fps. Cyberpunk 2077 is turning in 27 fps. That’s no longer playable by itself, however that’s about as speedy as a desktop RTX 4080 at 4K.
You could have Nvidia’s Deep Finding out Tremendous Sampling 3 (DLSS 3) to be had right here, too. With DLSS 3, Cyberpunk 2077 additionally reaches as much as 90 fps. I even attempted out Cyberpunk 2077‘s extraordinarily difficult trail tracing mode with DLSS 3 and hit above 60 fps. That was once utterly maxed out, and integrated Nvidia’s new Ray Reconstruction function.
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
The Legion 9i doesn’t make you sacrifice efficiency for the way transportable it’s. It’s one of the crucial quickest gaming laptops I’ve examined, and it may even put maximum desktop PCs to disgrace. Extra importantly, the pc doesn’t sacrifice in different spaces to hit its efficiency goals. It’s an incredible gaming revel in in the event you’re the use of the pc itself, in addition to a top-shelf gaming revel in in the event you hook up an exterior observe with the HDMI 2.1 port.
Lenovo Legion 9i: battery lifestyles
With how a lot persistent the Legion 9i has on faucet, it shouldn’t come as a wonder that its battery lifestyles suffers. In our web-browsing take a look at, the system lasted simply two-and-ahalf hours clear of the charger, which is without doubt one of the lowest rankings we’ve recorded. It doesn’t come as a surprise, even though.
It’s nearly the very same battery lifestyles I noticed with the Asus Scar 17, and about part an hour lower than the Alienware x16. No longer simplest is the Legion 9i packing probably the most power-hungry parts from Nvidia and Intel, it’s additionally the use of an especially vibrant mini-LED show. That’s going to tank the battery lifestyles.
It shouldn’t come as a wonder that this pc’s battery lifestyles isn’t its power.
A feather within the Legion 9i’s cap is the truth that the pc ships with two chargers. You could have the large 330W GaN charger that you simply’ll need to plug in for gaming classes, but in addition a transportable 140W USB-C charger that’s lots speedy for topping off the system. I like the twin capability on show right here, providing you with portability and gear through no longer depending on a unmarried port or charger.
The 140W USB-C charger received’t release the entire persistent of the Legion 9i, nevertheless it’s nonetheless sufficient persistent to let you play lighter video games at the pass.
Lenovo Legion 9i: verdict
Jacob Roach / Virtual Tendencies
I’ve reviewed a ton of gaming laptops, a lot of which fall into the class of desktop substitute and value over $3,000. I’ve by no means reviewed a gaming pc that in reality felt price that value, even though. There was once all the time a catch, and it felt such as you have been paying for the diminishing returns of top of the range {hardware}.
The Lenovo Legion 9i is an exception. It’s the primary high-end pc I’ve ever touched that in point of fact feels price its top rate value level. It specializes in being a just right pc up to it specializes in top efficiency, and it exceeds on each fronts.
There are a few very minor cons right here. First, the trackpad is a bit of too small, and that’s most probably my greatest factor with the Legion 9i. The colour accuracy out of the field isn’t nice, both, however I’ll take that given the implausible HDR revel in the show gives. That’s probably the most I will be able to get a hold of, and the ones are very minor lawsuits wen you remember how a lot else the Legion 9i has to supply. It’s a phenomenal pc, and when you find yourself within the place of wanting a real desktop substitute, that is the only to shop for.
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