Lenovo Legion 5 and 5i bring great gaming specs without breaking the bank

Lenovo Legion 5i Hero Press
Lenovo Legion 5i Hero Press (Image credit: Lenovo)

What you need to know

  • Lenovo announced its new Legion 5 and 5i gaming laptops.
  • The laptops are available in 15-inch and 17-inch sizes.
  • Prices start at $759.99 with Intel and AMD's latest processors, along with NVIDIA RTX and GTX graphics.

Following up on the recent launch of Intel and AMD's latest batch of mobile processors, Lenovo is bringing them to its Legion gaming lineup. Sitting right in the middle of the pack are the new Legion 5 and Legion 5i, which tap into the increased power of these new chips without starting at an absurd price. What's more, they come in two sizes depending on whether you want to go big or bigger.

First up are the two 15-inch models, which is where you'll see the most differentiation. The Legion 5i includes Intel's 10th Gen H-series processors, including Core i5 and i7 options. The Legion 5, meanwhile, goes for AMD's Ryzen 5 4600H and Ryzen 7 4800H chips instead. No matter which model you choose, you'll get NVIDIA GeForce GTX or RTX graphics, ranging from a GTX 1650 or 1650 Ti to an RTX 2060.

Lenovo Legion 5i and 5 (15-inch)

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CategoryLegion 5iLegion 5
OSWindows 10 HomeWindows 10 Home
Processor10th Gen Intel H-series
Intel Core i5
Intel Core i7
AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
GraphicsUp to NVIDIA RTX 2060NVIDIA GTX 1650
NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti
Memory8GB, 16GB DDR4
Two slots
Upgradeable
8GB DDR4
Two slots
Upgradeable
StorageUp to a 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD
Includes HDD bay and SATA cables
Up to a 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD
Includes HDD bay and SATA cables
Display15.6 inches
1920x1080 (FHD)
60Hz, 300 nits, 100% sRGB
120Hz, 250 nits, 45% sRGB
144Hz, 300 nits, 100%sRGB, G-Sync, Dolby Vision HDR
240Hz, 500 nits, 100% sRGB, G-Sync, Dolby Vision HDR
15.6 inches
1920x1080 (FHD)
120Hz, 250 nits, 45% sRGB
60Hz, 300 nits, 100% sRGB
PortsFour USB-A 3.1 (Gen 1)
USB-C 3.1
HDMI 2.0
RJ45 Ethernet
3.5mm audio
Four USB-A 3.1 (Gen 1)
USB-C 3.1
HDMI 2.0
RJ45 Ethernet
3.5mm audio
KeyboardLenovo TrueStrike
Four-zone RGB or white backlight
1.5mm travel
Lenovo TrueStrike
Four-zone RGB or white backlight
1.5mm travel
TouchpadPrecision
One-piece
Precision
One-piece
AudioDual 2W speakers
Dolby Atmos
Dual 2W speakers
Dolby Atmos
CameraFront-facing 720p
Above display
Privacy shutter
Front-facing 720p
Above display
Privacy shutter
Wireless802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
Bluetooth 5.0
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
Bluetooth 5.0
Battery60Wh60 Wh
Dimensions14.3 x 10.2 x 1.0 inches
(363mm x 260mm x 25.5mm)
14.3 x 10.2 x 1.0 inches
(363mm x 260mm x 25.5mm)
WeightFrom 5.5 pounds (2.53kg)From 5.5 pounds (2.53kg)
ColorPhantom Black
Hunter Moss Green
ABS chassis
Phantom Black
ABS chassis
PriceFrom $830From $760
Expected releaseMay 2020May 2020

With the pricing starting at $830, these laptops comes with some solid displays. There are options ranging from 60Hz up to 144Hz, but you also get Dolby Vision HDR and a respectable 300 nits peak brightness on some panels. Lenovo says it has also increased the trackpad size by 39 percent, pairing it up with its new TrueStrike keyboard, which features 1.5mm travel. The addition of Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) is also nice to have as the standard continues to roll out.

The 15-inch Legion 5 and Legion 5i are expected to launch in May starting at $760 for the former and $830 for the latter.

Lenovo Legion 5 (17-inch)

Lenovo Legion 5i 17 Press

Source: Lenovo (Image credit: Source: Lenovo)

Moving on up in the size department, there's the 17-inch Legion 5. You'll get a similar set of options here, including up to a 144Hz display with Dolby Vision HDR. However, there is no AMD option for fans of the Ryzen series.

Like its smaller siblings, the 17-inch Legion 5 leans on 10th Gen Intel H-series chips, along with up to an NVIDIA RTX 2060. The design has been updated like the rest of the lineup as well, with vertical venting and improved thermals thanks to the fan design.

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CategorySpec
OSWindows 10 Home
Processor10th Gen Intel H-series
Intel Core i7
GraphicsUp to NVIDIA RTX 2060
MemoryUp to 16GB DDR4
Two slots
Upgradeable
StorageUp to 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD
Includes HDD bay and SATA cables
Display17.3 inches
1920x1080 (FHD)
60Hz, 300 nits, 72% NTSC
144Hz, 300 nits, 72% NTSC, Dolby Vision HDR
PortsFour USB-A 3.1 (Gen 1)
USB-C 3.1
HDMI 2.0
RJ45 Ethernet
3.5mm audio
KeyboardLenovo TrueStrike
White backlight
1.5mm travel
TouchpadPrecision
One-piece
AudioDual 2W speakers
Dolby Atmos
CameraFront-facing 720p
Privacy shutter
Wireless802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
Bluetooth 5.0
Battery80Wh
Dimensions15.84 x 11.41 x 1.03 inches
(402.4mm x 290mm x 24.3 - 26.2mm)
WeightFrom 6.57 pounds (2.98kg)
ColorPhantom Black
ABS chassis
PriceFrom $1,130
Expected releaseMay 2020

The 17-inch Legion 5 is a little pricier to start, as would be expected, but you get fewer color options. It's also fairly hefty at 6.57 pounds, so it won't be something you'll want to carry all day every day. Still, it's a solid option for anyone who needs a reliable gaming PC on the go with a huge screen.

The 17-inch Legion 5 is also expected to launch in May starting at $1,130.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl