A product priced in the supercar bracket of gaming laptops we bring you the Legion 7I review. Does it live up to the price tag? Starting at $1999.99 up to $3199.99 depending on the hardware you choose, but all equipped with 10th Gen intel processors (or AMD), Nvidia RTX technology, Solid State hard drives, DDR4 Ram, Thunderbolt 3 ports, and IPS panel HDR monitors capable of speeds up to 240hz. Legion maintains its sleek minimalist style on the 7I but adding an array of RGB lighting to its frame. Also included is all Legion’s patent technology including the TrueStrike keyboard, advanced thermal engineering, Lenovo Q Control 3.0, Rapid Charge Pro, and Lenovo Vantage software fine-tuned using data collected from its partnership with Team SoloMid.
We had a chance to review the Legion 5I a while back which is the model one down from the 7I. At first glance, you can tell this a masterpiece gaming laptop. When you pick it up it just feels so solid it is like a piece of heavy machinery. The 7I defines quality, this is not a toy. I really would like to compliment Legion on not overthinking the design, Legion makes simple look so good. Some computer manufactures overthink design when it comes to gaming laptops, sometimes you just do not need all the “extra”. Adding RGB lighting to the keyboard and frame was the perfect touch to accentuate the sleek minimalist design Legion is known for creating. A sound system featuring duel speakers fitted with two 4.7cc sound chambers make for a great out of headphone experience. I was disappointed to find out the 7I had a 720p onboard webcam but there are enough ports for an external. One of the most notable features of the 7I is not only the positioning of the USB-C ports on the side but also the addition of a Thunderbolt 3 port which can transfer data up to 40Gbps. Check out the list of ports available on the 7I:
Right Port:
- USB 3.2 Gen 1*
Rear Ports:
- 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2**
- 1 x HDMI™ 2.0
- 1 x RJ45 Ethernet
- 1 x Kensington®lock slot
- 1 x Power-in
Left Ports:
- Thunderbolt™ 3 Type-C™ (Thunderbolt™, DisplayPort™, USB 3.2, HDMI™)
- USB-C (DisplayPort™ 1.4, USB 3.2 Gen 1*)
- Headphone / mic combo
The premium 7I priced at $3199 features a 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i9-10980HK Processor (2.40 GHz, up to 5.30 GHz with Turbo Boost, 8 Cores, 16 Threads, 16 MB Cache) which is currently benchmarking as the second-best laptop processor in the world. Graphics are powered by the 2080 SUPER Max-Q 8GB which benchmarks have shown to be able to push almost any game to 144 frames plus per second. All displayed on a 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, anti-glare, 240Hz, < 1ms response time, 100% sRGB, 500 nits, VESA DisplayHDR 400-certified, Dolby Vision™-enabled. Its colors are so vibrant HDR makes a 1080p monitor feel like 2k and its speed virtually eliminates all input lag. In this current meta of laptops, you will lose performance by having a 2k or 4k display. This is a gaming laptop, not a watch 4k movies laptop. Power, performance, speed are top priorities for the 7I. At this moment, this machine is working with pretty much the best hardware the planet has to offer for gaming laptops.
We put this laptop to the test in all forms on modern-day gamer tasks like streaming, graphic design, video editing, and creating special effects. Most impressively we were able to edit 6k footage and effects on the 7I which is remarkable! (Footage provided by a RED Komodo.) It has the capability to be the centerpiece for all your video or audio production needs. Rendering was not a problem for any type of gaming postproduction content. If you are looking to reach a higher peak of performance with the 7I, Legion makes a product called BoostStation which allows you to connect a PCI graphics card and more hard drives to your gaming laptop. We were able to live stream at max Twitch settings while playing triple-A titles like Call of Duty: Warzone at medium to high settings without dropping any frames or having any lag issues. Of course, any triple-A title can be played at max settings on the 7I. This laptop will perform any facet of gamer or broadcaster related duties.
The price for all the 7I models is justified. When you are buying a gaming laptop like this you need to be prepared to pay a pretty penny. One major thing to think about when purchasing a gaming laptop most might not is where does the technology come from? TSM one of the most successful Esports organizations in the world has a partnership with Lenovo, providing them with day-to-day information from some of the best players on the planet. Keep that in mind when shopping for any gaming product.
Tech Specs
| Processor |
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| Operating System |
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| Graphics |
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| Display |
*G-Sync available on select models |
| Memory | Up to 32 GB DDR4 2933MHz |
| Battery | Up to 7.7 hours with 80Wh, 4 Cells All battery life claims are approximate and based on results using the MobileMark® 2014 battery life benchmark test. Actual battery life will vary and depends on many factors such as product configuration and usage, software use, wireless functionality, power management settings, and screen brightness. The maximum capacity of the battery will decrease with time and use. |
| Storage |
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| Backlit Keyboard | Corsair® iCUE RGB support |
| Audio | 2 x 2W Dolby Atmos® Speaker System for Gaming with Chamber |
| Camera | 720P HD |
| Dimensions | 360mm x 255mm x 20mm / 14.1″ x 10″ x 0.8″ |
| Weight | Starting at 4.6 lbs (2.1 kg) |
| Color | Slate Grey |
| Wireless Connectivity |
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| Ports/Slots | Right Port:
Rear Ports:
Left Ports:
*The actual transfer speed of the USB 3.2 Gen 1 will vary and, depending on many factors, such as the processing capability of host and peripheral devices, file attributes and other factors related to system configuration and your operating environments, will be slower than a speed of 5 Gbit/s. **The actual transfer speed of the USB 3.2 Gen 2 will vary and, depending on many factors, such as the processing capability of host and peripheral devices, file attributes and other factors related to system configuration and your operating environments, will be slower than a speed of 10 Gbit/s |
| Preloaded Software |
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| What’s in the box |
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Christian L
Well said Review. thanks for the read.