Lenovo Legion 5i Pro RTX 3070 Ti Review

The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro gaming laptop has 12th-gen Intel Core i7-12700H processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU. We’ll discuss its design, ports, display, audio, microphone, performance, and battery life.

Note: This article contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Design and Build

Compared to the Legion 5 Pro 16 featuring an AMD Ryzen processor, the chassis mostly retains its design, with a minor alteration in the lid’s design. Instead of the large illuminated Legion logo, previously found on the lid’s side, there’s now subtle Legion lettering on the upper part of the lid, giving it a more refined and elegant look.

It weighs approximately 2.5 kg without the power supply, with an additional 1.056 kg for the substantial 300-watt power adapter. While not the lightest option, it’s still portable for a gaming laptop on the move. The build quality of the Legion 5i Pro remains excellent, ensuring durability.

On the left side of the Legion 5i Pro, you’ll find a USB Thunderbolt 4 port and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort 1.4 support. On the right side, there’s an e-shutter switch for webcam security, a headphone/microphone combo jack, and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port.

Moving to the back, you’ll discover more ports. First, there’s the RJ45 Ethernet port, followed by a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port supporting DisplayPort 1.4 and offering up to 135 watts of power. This allows charging with a compatible USB adapter, though not ideal for gaming. Additionally, there’s an HDMI port for video output, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and the proprietary Lenovo power port. Overall, it’s a solid selection, albeit lacking a full-size SD card reader, or even a microSD card reader, which would have been useful additions.

User Upgradeability

When it comes to upgrading, there are multiple upgradable components, a definite advantage. Two SSD slots are available for expanding storage, offering plenty of options. Regarding RAM, the laptop supports up to 64 gigabytes, utilizing DDR5 4800 RAM in dual-channel mode. My review unit had 16 gigabytes of RAM, distributed as eight gigabytes in each slot, and it’s been performing well. It’s worth noting that the RAM in this unit is rank 16, not the faster rank 8 RAM some users may prefer. However, I didn’t encounter any slowdowns or issues due to the rank 16 RAM, making it a non-issue in practical use.

All	Read (MB//s)	Write (MB/s)
SEQ1M Q8T1	6739.89	4425.55
SEQ1M Q1T1	4095.42	4131.13
RND4K Q32T1	821.22	720.93
RND4K Q1T1	74.47	246.10

Regarding storage, the review unit impresses with 512 gigabytes of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage, showcasing exceptional read and write speeds of 6739 and 4425 respectively. Additionally, there’s a second slot available for expanding storage, a valuable feature for users needing extra space.

However, it’s important to note that the Legion 5i Pro lacks Wi-Fi 6e, which could have been a beneficial addition. It does include Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, which are still respectable options. If desired, users have the flexibility to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6e. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions have proven reliable without any encountered issues.

Read Also: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 Review

Keyboard and Touchpad

For those curious, opening the laptop lid can be effortlessly done with one finger, although it doesn’t extend all the way back to 180 degrees like some other Lenovo models. Nevertheless, it offers a suitable viewing angle. The keyboard is notably impressive, delivering satisfying key travel and tactile feedback, ensuring comfort during extended typing sessions. Moreover, it features a numpad, which proves useful for number-oriented tasks.

The touchpad, positioned to the left to accommodate the numpad, may require a slight adjustment, a layout common in many gaming and 16-inch laptops. RGB lighting enthusiasts will appreciate the customization options available in the settings, offering visually appealing choices. Additionally, the touchpad is responsive and supports precision functionality, featuring smooth two-finger scrolling and reliable gesture support.

Display and Audio Quality

The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro sports a 16-inch display with a resolution of 2560 by 1600. It’s an IPS display with a speedy 165Hz refresh rate and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The matte finish eliminates glare and reflections, making it great for gaming and work. Lenovo claims a brightness of up to 500 nits, and my measurements confirm this accuracy. With its impressive brightness, it’s suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, offering an excellent viewing experience, especially for watching movies.

Keep in mind that the Legion 5i Pro supports HDR, making it ideal for watching high-dynamic-range content on platforms like YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon. It also incorporates G-Sync, significantly enhancing gaming performance with its 165Hz refresh rate and three-millisecond response time. This results in deep blacks, good white points, a decent contrast ratio of 1000:1, and color accuracy with a delta E score of 1.36, indicating a color-accurate display (anything below 2). In terms of color gamut coverage, it covers 100% sRGB, 75% Adobe RGB, 74% DCI-P3, and 69% NTSC. While there are better options for content creators, the Legion 5i Pro’s display suffices for video editing and color grading tasks.

The Legion 5i Pro features two two-watt speakers located at the front of the laptop. It also includes a dynamic app that enhances sound quality. Initially, the sound may seem lacking, but with some adjustments to the settings, it becomes richer and more enjoyable.

Webcam and Mics

The Lenovo Legion 5i launched in 2022, features a 12th-gen Core i7 12700h processor paired with an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti. It includes a 720p webcam, with a handy shutter switch for enhanced privacy and security. While a 1080p webcam would have been preferable, the primary focus here is on gaming, especially considering the laptop’s impressive 2.5K 165Hz display. Nonetheless, the 720p webcam remains functional for tasks such as Zoom calls and other video conferencing needs.

Performance and Gaming

PCMARK 10	7,763
GEEKBENCH 5 (Single-Core)	7,749
GEEKBENCH 5 (Multi-Core)	12,987
CINEBENCH R20	6,850
CINEBENCH R15	2,730 CB | 196.28 fps
CINEBENCH R23	Single-Core 1,815, Multi-core 18,629
3DMARK Fire Strike	25,571
3DMARK Time Spy	11,781

Now, let’s delve into performance. The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro (2022) runs on the Core i7-2700h processor paired with the RTX 3070 Ti. This 3070 Ti features 8 gigabytes of GDDR6 video memory and boasts a TDP of 150 watts, ensuring excellent performance.

Looking at the benchmark table provided, we observe that PC Mark 10, which gauges everyday tasks like Microsoft Office, email, web browsing, and video conferencing, scored a high 77.63.63. Similarly, Geekbench 5 showcased exceptional multi-core and single-core scores. Cinebench results were also impressive, and in terms of graphics, both 3D Mark Fire Strike and Time Spy scores were remarkably high.

Alienware x17 R2 (2022) Core i9-12900HK	13,712
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro (2022) Core i7-12700H	12,987
Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch (2021) M1 Max	12,647
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) Ryzen 9 6900HS	9,946
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16ACHGH Ryzen 7 5800H	8,245

To emphasize the impressive multi-core performance, let’s compare it to some competitors. As depicted in the table above, the Legion 5i Pro surpassed the Apple MacBook Pro 14 equipped with the M1 Max chip, a notable achievement. While it didn’t outperform the Alienware X17 r2 (2022) featuring the Core i9 12900 HK, it still delivered impressive performance. Even the Rog Zephyrus G14 with its Ryzen 9 6900 HS scored slightly lower than the Legion 5i Pro. Intel’s performance here is commendable.

Games	High (1080P)	QHD
Cyberpunk 2077	96 FPS	62 FPS
FAR CRY 5	129 FPS	108 FPS
GTA V	171 FPS	101 FPS
DOTA 2 REBORN	151 FPS	140 FPS
The Witcher 3	219 FPS	100 FPS

The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is built for gaming and excels in popular titles. We tested Cyberpunk 2077, achieving an impressive 96 frames per second in high settings at 1080p and a solid 62 frames per second in QHD resolution. These frame rates ensure smooth and enjoyable gaming, especially with the 165Hz refresh rate and QHD Plus resolution. Additionally, the matte display reduces glare and reflections.

Despite its gaming focus, the Legion 5i Pro also performs well in everyday tasks like Microsoft Office, email, web browsing, and streaming on platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube. It’s equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, featuring Advanced Optimus for dynamic graphics switching. This allows seamless switching between dedicated discrete graphics and hybrid mode, combining integrated and discrete graphics for added flexibility during gaming.

Surface Temps and Fan Noise

Under heavy load, especially during gaming sessions, the laptop’s surface can get quite hot, particularly on the bottom. This makes it less suitable for using on your lap; instead, I’d recommend placing it on a desk or table. While it doesn’t get excessively hot, it can reach temperatures in the 50s °C.

One notable feature is the ability to switch between different performance modes by pressing the function key along with the ‘Q‘ key. The ‘Silent’ mode reduces performance by around 30 to 40 percent but keeps the laptop very quiet, making it suitable for tasks like Microsoft Office, email, and web browsing.

Then there’s the Balanced mode, offering a compromise between performance and noise levels. While the fans may occasionally ramp up, it provides a good balance. Finally, the ‘Performance’ mode, which results in noticeably louder fans. Even in this mode, the laptop maintains impressive clock speeds and performance, reaching a core temperature of 100°C. Despite the heat, there’s minimal throttling, resulting in excellent frame rates for popular gaming titles, as demonstrated earlier.

Battery Performance

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) (76 Wh)	722
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (2021) (80 Wh)	378
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro (2022) (80 Wh)	349
Alienware x17 R2 (2022) (87 Wh)	249

The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro comes with an 80-watt-hour battery. During continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits brightness, it lasted for four hours and 49 minutes. While respectable, this falls short of the Legion 5 Pro with the AMD Ryzen processor, which lasted six hours and 18 minutes in the same test. Additionally, it didn’t match the impressive battery life of the Asus Rog G14 2022, which lasted for 12 hours and two minutes in the same test.

In real-world mixed usage scenarios, expect around four to five hours of battery life. However, for gaming on battery power, anticipate only one to one and a half hours at most. Recharging is convenient with the included 300-watt power adapter, supporting rapid charging for an 80% charge in about 22 minutes or a full charge in an hour and 45 minutes.

Conclusion

The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is undeniably an attractive gaming laptop with a solid build quality and subtle design changes. While it’s not the lightest 16-inch gaming laptop on the market, it’s still portable enough to be taken on the go. However, it’s worth noting that the 300-watt power adapter adds some weight to the package, so it’s essential to be aware of that.

In terms of performance, the Legion 5i Pro shines. The combination of the 12th-gen Core i7-12700H processor and the RTX 3070 Ti graphics delivers impressive gaming and computing power. This laptop can handle demanding tasks and provide a smooth gaming experience. However, it’s important to be cautious of its tendency to run hot, with core temperatures reaching up to 100 degrees Celsius and surface temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius under heavy load.

Overall, the Legion 5i Pro offers a compelling package for gamers and those in need of high-performance computing. It’s a capable machine with excellent hardware, but users should be prepared for the heat generated during intense gaming sessions. If you prioritize power and performance, this laptop is a strong contender.

87%

87%

Worth the Money

The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro 16 (2022) is an impressive gaming laptop. While it may not be a significant leap over the 2021 model, it offers solid performance and upgrades that are worth considering if you're in the market for a new gaming laptop.

Pros

1. Excellent gaming performance
2. Fast PCIe 4.0 SSD speeds
3. 16-inch WQHD display with a 165Hz refresh rate is ideal for gaming
4. RAM and SSD Ugradeable

Cons

1. The fans can get loud in performance mode
2. High surface temperatures under heavy load and gaming conditions
3. The battery life is shorter compared to the previous generation

• Design

  9
• Display

  9
• Hardware

  10
• Performance

  10
• Thermals

  9
• Keyboard

  9
• Touchpad

  9
• Battery

  6
• Audio

  8
• Ports and Connectivity

  10
• Webcam/Mic

  7
• Price/ Value

  8