If you’re looking for a high-performance gaming desktop that offers excellent value without sacrificing quality, the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i is worth considering. With a price tag of over $3,000, it isn’t cheap, but it provides flagship components and performance at a lower cost than its competitors. In this detailed review, we’ll examine the specifications, design, upgrade potential, and performance of the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i to help you decide if it’s the right gaming desktop for your needs. I will say this before we get started Lenovo has definitely come a long way since our last Legion Tower 5i review not only with the PC itself but Intel has covered most of the ground on AMD in the processor game.
Specifications:
The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i comes with significant upgrades over its predecessor, featuring a 13th-gen Intel Core i9 processor and an Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card. These improvements ensure that this gaming desktop can handle the latest games and applications with ease. While the current model is expensive, it is likely that Lenovo will offer more affordable configurations in the future to cater to a wider range of budgets. The GPU upgrade alone accounts for a $500 increase in price compared to the previous generation. However, the Tower 7i remains competitively priced when compared to similar configurations from other manufacturers, such as Alienware and MSI, which are often more expensive.
Design:
The Tower 7i offers a simple yet stylish stealth-like design that stands out from other prebuilt gaming desktops. I would say it’s like Borg meets a Stealth Bomber with a sprinkle of RGB. With a standard mid-tower chassis, subtle curves, and a sandblasted finish, the Tower 7i looks super dope. A tempered glass side panel allows for a full view of the components, which adds to the overall aesthetic appeal. The RGB lighting on the Tower 7i is minimal and tasteful, providing just enough illumination without being overly flashy. However, some users might feel that additional RGB lighting, such as fans or LED strips, could improve the overall appearance and make it more cohesive. Fortunately, the design allows for easy customization, so you can add more flair to the build if you wish. This means if you are like me we are taking our lighting game all the way up to Las Vegas standards.
Upgrade Potential:
One of the strengths of the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i is its upgrade potential, allowing you to keep your gaming desktop relevant as technology advances. The standard mid-tower case is similar to many popular PC cases on the market, making it easy to swap out components or add new ones. The case also features two drive sleds in the basement and two SSD mounts at the back, with SATA connections pre-routed for easy storage expansion. This flexibility ensures that you can keep your storage up-to-date as your needs grow. Airflow through the case is solid, with a well-designed cooling system that includes a radiator in the front and multiple fans for intake and exhaust. Noise levels are comparable to custom-built PCs, ensuring a quiet gaming experience even under heavy loads.
Performance:
The Intel Core i9-13900KF processor in the Legion Tower 7i is a powerful 24-core CPU that delivers top-notch performance in synthetic benchmarks like Cinebench and Geekbench. This exceptional performance ensures that the Tower 7i can handle demanding tasks, such as video editing or 3D rendering, with ease. However, the RAM speed is lower than advertised, which could result in some performance being left on the table for certain tasks. Despite this discrepancy, the CPU performs well in most applications, including Adobe Premiere Pro, where it demonstrates strong video editing capabilities.
Even with fantastic CPU performance, some users may prefer a cheaper option that still offers similar gaming performance. A chip like the Core i7-13700KF would shave some money off the price while offering comparable gaming performance. Hopefully, Lenovo will introduce more affordable configurations in the future to accommodate a wider range of budgets and requirements.
The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i is a great value gaming desktop that offers excellent performance, a stylish design, and the potential for future upgrades. Although the price is on the higher side, it is still competitively priced when compared to similar offerings from other manufacturers. The RAM speed discrepancy is a minor concern, but it doesn’t significantly impact the overall performance of the system in most tasks.
If you’re looking for a gaming desktop that strikes a balance between performance, design, and upgradeability, the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i is an excellent choice. While more affordable configurations would be a welcome addition, the current model still provides a good value for gamers seeking a high-performance machine that can handle the latest games and applications. The understated design and standard component sizes make the Tower 7i a future-proof investment that can be easily customized and upgraded over time, ensuring you get the most out of your gaming experience.
