What you need to know
- Lenovo announced new Legion 5, Legion 5i, Legion 5 Pro, and Legion 5i Pro gaming laptops at CES 2022.
- The Legion 5 and 5i are 15-inch devices, while the Pro versions are 16-inch devices.
- The laptops are thinner, cooler, and more powerful than the previous generation.
- Intel versions are expected in February, while AMD versions are expected in April.
Lenovo's Legion 5 lineup of gaming laptops is made up of four parts: The 15-inch Legion 5 (AMD) and Legion 5i (Intel), as well as the 16-inch Legion 5 Pro (AMD) and Legion 5i Pro (Intel). Announced at CES 2022, all four of these laptops are getting an update to a seventh generation, bringing them even more in line with the best gaming laptops.
Legion 5 and Legion 5i (Gen 7)
Let's take a look first at the Legion 5 and Legion 5i (Gen 7) laptops. These are both 15-inch gaming laptops through and through, and they're now more compact and quiet than the previous generation. Lenovo achieved this by buffing the fan size by 40% and also adding 45% more exhaust area to get rid of the hot air. The laptop is 15% thinner than Gen 6 models, with more aluminum and magnesium being used for the body to better dissipate heat.
The Legion 5 and 5i come in either Storm Grey or Cloud Grey colors, with either four-zone RGB or white backlighting for the TrueStrike keyboard. Lenovo claims the keys are 33% quieter than Gen 6 keyboards, and you still get a comfortable 1.5mm of key travel. Following are the listed specs for the new Legion 5 and Legion 5i (Gen 7)
| Category | Legion 5 | Legion 5i |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 HomeWindows 11 Pro | Windows 11 HomeWindows 11 Pro |
| Processor | Up to next-gen AMD Ryzen 6000 | Up to 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H |
| RAM | Up to 32GB DDR5-4800MHz | Up to 32GB DDR5-4800MHz |
| Graphics | Up to NVIDIA RTX 30-series Laptop GPUs | Up to NVIDIA RTX 30-series Laptop GPUs |
| Storage | Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD | Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD |
| Display | 15 inches2560x1440 (QHD)16:9 aspect ratioUp to 165Hz, 3ms100% sRGB, 300 nitsDolby VisionNVIDIA G-Sync | 15 inches2560x1440 (QHD)16:9 aspect ratioUp to 165Hz, 3ms100% sRGB, 300 nitsDolby VisionNVIDIA G-Sync |
| Ports | Three USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2)USB-A 3.2 (Gen 1)HDMI 2.1Ethernet3.5mm audio | Thunderbolt 4Two USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2)Two USB-A 3.2 (Gen 1)HDMI 2.1Ethernet3.5mm audio |
| Audio | Dual 2W speakersNahimic audio | Dual 2W speakersNahimic audio |
| Connectivity | Up to Wi-Fi 6EBluetooth 5.1 | Up to Wi-Fi 6EBluetooth 5.1 |
| Camera | eShutter | eShutter |
| Keyboard | TrueStrike4-zone RGB backlightWhite backlight1.5mm travel | TrueStrike4-zone RGB backlightWhite backlight1.5mm travel |
| Battery | 60Wh | 80Wh |
| Dimensions | From 0.79 inches (19.99mm) | From 0.79 inches (19.99mm) |
| Weight | From 5.29 pounds (2.4kg) | From 5.29 pounds (2.4kg) |
| Color | Storm GreyCloud Grey | Storm GreyCloud Grey |
| Availability | April 2022 | February 2022 |
| Price | From $1,130 | From $1,200 |
Note that these laptops will have either AMD's latest Ryzen 6000 or Intel's new 12th Gen Core CPUs (up to an i7-12700H), accompanied by the latest NVIDIA 30-series Laptop GPUs. With up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage space, you should be able to absolutely crush modern games.
The 15-inch display available in both laptops has a QHD resolution, refresh rate up to 165Hz, and response time as low as 3ms. You get 300 nits brightness, 100% sRGB color, Dolby Vision, and NVIDIA G-Sync. There are a couple of notable differences between the AMD and Intel versions. The Legion 5i (Intel) has a larger 80Wh battery and a Thunderbolt 4 port.
The Legion 5 is expected April 2022 starting at $1,130, while the Legion 5i is expected February 2022 starting at $1,200.
Legion 5 Pro and Legion 5i Pro (Gen 7)
The Legion 5 Pro (Gen 6) is still one of my favorite gaming laptops available, and its Gen 7 upgrades only improve the device. Like the standard Legion 5 lineup, the Pro models are available with AMD and Intel hardware. The 5 Pro comes with AMD's next-gen Ryzen CPUs, while the 5i Pro has up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H for even more power. They're accompanied by NVIDIA's latest RTX 30-series Laptop GPUs with up to a 165W TGP (15W higher than Gen 6), up to 32GB of DDR5-4800 RAM, and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.
All that power translates to high frame rates, which are accommodated by the larger 16-inch QHD+ displays. The Pro lineup features a taller 16:10 aspect ratio, up to a 240Hz refresh rate with 3ms response time, 100% sRGB color, HDR 400, Dolby Vision, and NVIDIA G-sync. The Legion 5 Pro's display apparently also supports AMD FreeSync Premium. Lenovo stresses that these are the world's first 16-inch gaming laptops with QHD+ resolution and 240Hz refresh rate. They also bring TÜV Rheinland Gold certification for low blue light.
Following are the listed specs for these new laptops.
| Category | Legion 5 Pro | Legion 5i Pro |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 11 HomeWindows 11 Pro | Windows 11 HomeWindows 11 Pro |
| Processor | Up to next-gen AMD Ryzen 6000 | Up to 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H |
| RAM | Up to 32GB DDR5-4800MHz | Up to 32GB DDR5-4800MHz |
| Graphics | Up to NVIDIA RTX 30-series Laptop GPUs | Up to NVIDIA RTX 30-series Laptop GPUs |
| Storage | Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD | Up to 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD |
| Display | 16 inches2560x160016:10 aspect ratioUp to 240Hz, 3ms100% sRGB, IPS, 500 nitsUp to HDR 400, Dolby VisionFreeSync Premium, G-Sync | 16 inches2560x160016:10 aspect ratioUp to 240Hz, 3ms100% sRGB, 500 nitsUp to HDR 400, Dolby VisionNVIDIA G-Sync |
| Ports | Three USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2)Two USB-A 3.2HDMI 2.1Ethernet3.5mm audio | Thunderbolt 4Two USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2)Two USB-A 3.2HDMI 2.1Ethernet3.5mm audio |
| Audio | Dual 2W speakersNahimic audio | Dual 2W speakersNahimic audio |
| Connectivity | Up to Wi-Fi 6EBluetooth 5.1 | Up to Wi-Fi 6EBluetooth 5.1 |
| Camera | eShutter | eShutter |
| Keyboard | TrueStrike4-zone backlightBlue backlight | TrueStrike4-zone backlightBlue backlight |
| Battery | 80Wh | 80Wh |
| Dimensions | From 0.79 inches (19.99mm) | From 0.79 inches (19.99mm) |
| Weight | From 5.48 pounds (2.49kg) | From 5.48 pounds (2.49kg) |
| Color | Storm GreyGlacier White | Storm GreyGlacier White |
| Availability | April 2022 | February 2022 |
| Price | From $1,430 | From $1,570 |
To keep everything cool, Lenovo has added a new cooling system with larger exhaust, more robust heat pipes, and slimmer fan blades for quieter spinning. The body is thinner than Gen 6 models and uses a mix of aluminum and magnesium for the chassis, plus it's insulated for better noise reduction. These laptops are available in Storm Grey and Glacier White color schemes, offset by a blue or four-zone RGB backlight for the TrueStrike keyboard.
The Legion 5 Pro is expected April 2022 starting at about $1,430, while the Legion 5i Pro is expected February 2022 starting at about $1,570.
