A Comprehensive Review of the Lenovo Legion LOQ: Is it Worth the Investment?

Lenovo has been a prominent player in the gaming laptop market for quite some time now, offering a range of powerful machines designed to cater to the needs of gamers. However, one of their more recent releases, the Legion LOQ, initially left consumers scratching their heads due to its high price point and seemingly lackluster specifications. Despite this, Lenovo has recently dropped the price of the Legion LOQ to under $700, making it an intriguing option for budget-conscious gamers. In this comprehensive review, we'll take a closer look at the Legion LOQ, examining its features, performance, and overall value proposition.

Design and Build Quality

The Legion LOQ sports a sleek and modern design, with a black chassis accented by the signature Legion branding. The build quality feels sturdy, and the laptop has a substantial yet manageable weight, making it portable enough for gaming on the go. The keyboard is backlit with customizable RGB lighting, adding a touch of flair to the overall aesthetic. Additionally, the laptop features a range of connectivity options, including USB-C, USB 3.0, HDMI, and an Ethernet port, providing ample options for peripherals and external displays.

Display and Audio

The Legion LOQ boasts a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, offering smooth and immersive visuals for gaming and multimedia consumption. The colors are vibrant, and the viewing angles are respectable, ensuring an enjoyable viewing experience from various positions. The audio quality is decent, with dual speakers providing clear sound output, although serious gamers may still prefer to use headphones or external speakers for a more immersive audio experience.

Performance and Hardware

Under the hood, the Legion LOQ is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 4600H processor, combined with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and a 256GB NVMe SSD. The inclusion of the Ryzen 5 processor is a notable highlight, as it delivers excellent multi-threaded performance, making it well-suited for both gaming and productivity tasks. On the graphics front, the laptop features an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, which, while not top-of-the-line, is still capable of handling modern games at respectable frame rates, especially when paired with the 120Hz display. The 8GB of RAM is sufficient for most gaming scenarios, although power users may want to consider upgrading to 16GB for optimal performance. The 256GB SSD provides fast boot times and snappy application loading, although it may quickly fill up with the sizeable game installations.

Gaming Experience

When it comes to gaming performance, the Legion LOQ holds its ground, delivering smooth frame rates and responsive gameplay across a range of popular titles. Games such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Overwatch run admirably at medium to high settings, with the 120Hz display adding an extra layer of fluidity to the overall experience. More demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 can also be enjoyed with decent performance, although users may need to tweak the graphics settings to achieve the ideal balance between visuals and frame rates. While the GTX 1650 GPU may not deliver the same level of performance as higher-end graphics cards, it still provides a respectable gaming experience, especially considering the laptop's newly reduced price point.

Cooling and Thermal Performance

One area where gaming laptops often fall short is in thermal management, but the Legion LOQ does a commendable job in this regard. The laptop features a dual-fan cooling system that effectively dissipates heat during intense gaming sessions, keeping temperatures at manageable levels and preventing thermal throttling. This ensures that the CPU and GPU can maintain consistent performance without suffering from excessive heat-related issues, contributing to a more reliable and enjoyable gaming experience.

Software and Additional Features

Lenovo's Legion laptops come with a suite of useful software features, such as the Lenovo Vantage app, which provides system diagnostics, updates, and personalized settings for the laptop. Additionally, features like Dolby Audio and Lenovo Q-Control, which allows users to switch between different thermal modes, add value to the overall user experience. The inclusion of these software features enhances the functionality of the laptop, providing users with additional customization options and control over various aspects of the system.

Potential Drawbacks

While the Legion LOQ offers compelling features and performance at its reduced price point, there are a few potential drawbacks to consider. The 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, while suitable for many users, may be limiting for those who require more extensive multitasking or have large game libraries. Additionally, the GTX 1650 GPU, while capable of delivering decent performance, may fall short for users looking to play the latest titles at higher graphics settings or resolutions. Furthermore, the battery life of the laptop is average at best, with intensive gaming sessions quickly draining the battery, necessitating frequent recharging for extended use.

Value Proposition

With the Legion LOQ now available at under $700, the value proposition of this gaming laptop becomes much more appealing. At its original price point, the specifications may have felt underwhelming compared to the competition. However, with the current price drop, the Legion LOQ offers an enticing combination of performance, design, and features that make it a compelling choice for budget-conscious gamers. The inclusion of the Ryzen 5 4600H processor, 120Hz display, and dedicated GPU at this price point makes the Legion LOQ a strong contender in the mid-range gaming laptop segment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Lenovo Legion LOQ, once a questionable choice at its original price, has now become a much more enticing option with its reduced price tag. The laptop offers respectable gaming performance, a sleek design, and useful features that cater to the needs of budget-conscious gamers. While it may not compete with higher-end gaming laptops in terms of raw performance, it delivers a compelling user experience at its current price point. Overall, the Legion LOQ presents a solid value proposition for those seeking an affordable gaming laptop that doesn't compromise on essential features and performance. If you're in the market for a capable gaming machine on a budget, the Legion LOQ is certainly worth considering.