The Legion Pro 7 is highlighted as a top-performing 16-inch gaming laptop, particularly praised for its AMD Ryzen 9955HX3D chip, which offers superior gaming and professional workflow performance over competitors, despite a compromise in idle battery life.
Introduction to the Legion Pro 7
- Anticipation for a special AMD chip in a laptop that "does it right" after previous iterations failed.
- Lenovo's Legion Pro 7, paired with an RTX 5080 and a 1600p OLED panel, is lauded for delivering record performance.
- The review is sponsored by AMD and Lenovo to showcase the product early.
AMD Ryzen 9955HX3D Chip
- Identified as the "most powerful laptop CPU," outperforming Intel chips.
- Offers 10-15% faster frame rates in many games, significantly more in some.
- Features AMD's 3D V-cache (extra L3 cache stacked on the CPU die).
- 3D V-cache improves performance across games and applications, providing higher and more consistent frame rates, especially for competitive shooters.
- Performance gains are most noticeable at 1080p and 1440p but also present at 4K.
- Delivers faster compile and render times for professional workflows.
- Combines 3D V-cache with the highest thread count of any mobile chip.
Graphics Card (RTX 5080)
- The laptop ships with an RTX 5080.
- A 5090 version might be released later if there is sufficient demand, as the 5080 is currently seen as the popular choice.
Build Quality and Cooling System
- Full aluminum build.
- Considered one of the best-built and appropriately priced gaming laptops.
- Uses Legion Coldfront tech with a triple-fan setup and a vapor chamber.
- Two fans cool the CPU and GPU, while a third fan cools the hyperchamber.
- Achieves good temperatures with quiet fan noise, a key differentiator from competitors.
- Chassis is expected to handle an RTX 5090 with good thermals if released.
Ports
- Three USB-A, two USB-C, Ethernet, and HDMI.
- All ports are side-mounted; no more rear-mounted ports.
- The change in port placement is attributed to optimizing thermal design for high-wattage components.
- All USB ports are USB 3.2; no USB 4 or Thunderbolt connectivity.
Display
- Lenovo PureSight OLED 16-inch screen (2560x1600 resolution).
- Fast 240 Hz refresh rate with 0.08ms response time.
- Excellent for fast-paced games with no ghosting.
- Vibrant colors, deep blacks, high brightness, and factory color calibrated.
Keyboard, Trackpad, and Controls
- Features the comfortable, classic Legion 7 keyboard.
- Includes a glass trackpad.
- Expected lighting and controls, with quick-switching fan profile hotkeys.
Battery Life
- Large 99.9 Wh battery.
- Respectable battery life under load, comparable to other high-performance laptops.
- Idle and light-use battery life is "not great" due to the AMD chip's inefficiency in light tasks.
Internal Accessibility and Upgradability
- Two RAM slots, two NVMe drive slots, and a Wi-Fi 7 chip are accessible.
Pricing
- Starts at $2280 US for the base model.
- The 3D V-cache version is slightly more expensive.
- Anticipated RTX 5090 configurations for those willing to pay more.
Overall Product Summary
- A superior product for high-end performance users, whether for multi-threaded work or gaming.
- The benefits of 3D V-cache make it a better choice despite the shorter idle battery life.
- Highly recommended for users who prioritize mobile performance while plugged in.
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