We live in uncertain times when it comes to graphics cards and PC parts. Unless you have money to blow the thought process behind shopping for a desktop PC right now has changed. Like most of us on a budget, we are thinking more along the lines of what will get us through this graphics card hike period rather than which card will perform the best. Lenovo’s Legion 5i Tower presents an affordable entry-level turnkey solution to performance desktop PCs. It features an Intel Core i7-10750H (2.6 GHz), 1 x 8 GB (DDR4-2933), 512GB HDD, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti priced at $950.
As expected, Legion delivers its signature minimal sleek design with this all-black ATX mid-tower case. Black metal mesh on the front side for ventilation with a legion logo near the top of it. This specific model does not have the RGB lit fans or logo that is normally displayed on the front of the case. You will not find a drop of RGB lighting on this model either inside or out. I do understand where we are on price point, but a little RGB goes a long way in the gaming community. Its case also features a clear viewing port on the left side that has a quick release for easy cleaning. As a mid-size ATX case, there isn’t a ton of room for expansion, but you can definitely swap in an SSD which is essential for gaming in this meta. Here is a list of ports available on the Legion 5i Tower:
- 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
- Headphone jack
- Microphone jack
- Power button
- 2 x USB 2.0
- USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
- 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
- RJ45
- 3 x audio jack
- Power in
I think it’s important we remind ourselves we are talking about a complete gaming system for under $1000. An NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti in today’s market can go upwards of $1000 itself. So yes, absolutely there is a ton of value for performance here. This PC will play any triple-A title at medium to high graphic settings on a 1080p monitor. I would not go any high than 1080p resolution on this PC, it might be able to run 2K, but the framerate will suffer. Its Intel Core i7-10750H (2.6 GHz) is more than enough processing power for this system. You will not run into any bottlenecking issues when it comes to the processor. Live streaming is possible on this rig, but you will need to lower your in-game graphic settings to get a higher quality stream. Postproduction video editing will also not be an issue, but you will see longer rendering times due to the low graphics card memory.
I need to mention as in previous reviews Legion has an incredible support system. You get a year of ultimate support with the option to extend. Is this an entry-level product? Absolutely. Will I be able to play the games I want on it? Absolutely. In today’s graphic card market that is a big deal.
