Lenovo LOQ is the brand new house for Lenovo’s pretty inexpensive gaming laptops. Final 12 months, you might need thought of a Lenovo Legion 5 or IdeaPad Gaming. This 12 months, it is all about LOQ.
Or is it? There are of course some sacrifices when procuring to a funds. You do not get per-key RGB lighting. There are not any aluminium panels to class-up the joint, and at current an Nvidia RTX 4060 is your high graphics card choice.
Nonetheless, that is one in all my favorite inexpensive gaming laptops of the 12 months up to now. It would not appear low cost in individual, there are some considerate touches all through, and because of Lenovo’s sensibly priced upgrades, it would not really feel like you’re getting screwed if you wish to bump up a element or two.
My evaluation unit has a few of these upgrades, and I might suggest indulging in a few of them, significantly the upgraded 165Hz show. It implies that whereas the Lenovo LOQ 15 household begins at $950/£899, the spec reviewed right here prices round $1249/£1245 direct from Lenovo, and contains bumps to CPU, GPU, RAM, show and extra.
Lenovo
Lenovo LOQ 15i (2023)
Really helpful
This can be a high quality funds gaming laptop computer with only a few main points so long as you dig into just a few of the obtainable upgrades – most notably the show. One probably off-putting bit stays. The followers are fairly loud and noticeable underneath pressure in contrast with these of the highest Lenovo Legion fashions.
- Good efficiency per pound
- High quality keyboard
- Considerate design for an inexpensive gaming laptop computer
- Cooling system is sort of loud
- Fundamental touchpad
Design
- 359.6mm x 264.8 x 25.2mm
- Plastic shell
- 2.4kg
Lenovo has taken the design fundamentals of its common, and barely higher-end Legion collection gaming laptops and opened them as much as a brand new viewers with Lenovo LOQ.
For instance, in contrast to the typical entry-level gaming laptop computer design, the LOQ has connectors throughout three of its sides. It makes handsome cable administration far simpler to realize. The LOQ additionally has a stick-out thermal platform, which you would possibly consider as a warmth sink “butt”, one other design contact we normally affiliate with high-end fashions.
There is a sense, then, that Lenovo has gone not less than a bit past the fundamentals right here, and that is nice. It doesn’t prolong to getting you next-level construct, although. The Lenovo LOQ 15 outer is all-plastic. Some Lenovo laptops have steel lids and keyboard plates, however there isn’t any aluminium right here past the little shiny Lenovo logos on the lid and inside.
Nonetheless, that these brand plates are literally steel is a contact that reveals elegant consideration to element.
All this implies the Lenovo LOQ 15 is without doubt one of the better-looking funds laptops, just because it has these parts not at all times seen down the cheaper finish. It is nonetheless very a lot a gaming laptop computer, although. At 2.4kg and 25mm thick, we would not suggest utilizing this as a transportable PC, or one for college use until you’re lifeless set on a gaming laptop computer.
Show
- As much as 2560 x 1440 pixel decision
- Virtually full sRGB protection
- 380 nit brightness
Lenovo sells two principal display screen specs of the LOQ 15. There’s the essential 1080p model and a 1440p one, which we have now right here. Whereas we will solely converse to the standard of this one, from our testing it is simply well worth the improve value.
The decision bump makes an enormous distinction at this dimension when merely doing work. Textual content goes from a bit scraggly and pixellated-looking to pretty easy.
This higher-grade of LOQ show additionally has considerably higher color than the entry-level one, in accordance with Lenovo’s personal specs. I discovered the 1440p display screen to have respectable color saturation with out offering the wide-gamut color of one of many latest, fashionable (and costly) OLED laptops. However to my eyes, it seems to be nice, with 98.7% protection of the traditional sRGB color gamut.
You do not get this vibe with the bottom spec, although, as the usual 1080p show has poor color saturation. You may have been warned.
The LOQ 15’s most brightness of 380 nits is above common for an inexpensive gaming laptop computer, with out breaking any information. Nonetheless, if you mix that brightness with an anti-glare display screen, you find yourself with a laptop computer that may get by for work outdoor.
It shines for gaming, although, simply as you’d hope. It has a most refresh price of 165Hz, nearly 3 times the norm. As soon as once more, Lenovo has gone a bit additional to go considerably past merely offering the easy stuff.
Keyboard and touchpad
- 1.5mm key journey
- White or 4-zone color backlight
- Plastic touchpad
The excellent news continues with the keyboard, not less than on the substantive aspect. Lenovo appears to make use of a really related keyboard right here to the one in an older revision of the Lenovo Legion 5 I examined some time again.
It has very stable 1.5mm key journey, and no tactile signal that is something lower than a super-solid higher mid-range gaming laptop computer keyboard. Certain, some laptops made for video games have fab mechanical keys I might take over this. However that is sometimes a function of a a lot pricier PC.
The value compromise is discovered within the backlight, not the important thing really feel. Lenovo’s LOQ 15 has RGB backlighting, nevertheless it’s break up into simply 4 zones, not the per-key type seen in high-end fashions. Our recommendation: develop up and realise these backlights look significantly better when set to a single, constant color.
You possibly can even ditch RGB lighting altogether and get a easy white backlight, however the financial savings aren’t large.
There’s additionally a NUM pad to the correct. I might a lot quite this wasn’t right here from a pure ergonomic perspective, however on the service of one of many Lenovo LOQ’s few weak elements, the touchpad.
I really feel the restricted funds far more right here, as a result of it is a traditional plastic pad made as much as appear like a textured glass one. It would not really feel wherever close to pretty much as good. However, to be truthful to Lenovo, to make use of glass on this laptop computer can be a complete misallocation of money, and the clicker feels wonderful.
My greatest challenge right here is one thing extra easy. The NUM pad finally ends up shifting the touchpad far left sufficient that you find yourself making unintentional proper clicks on a regular basis. To keep away from positioning your proper arm all the way in which over to the left, simply go full MacBook and use a two-finger faucet to entry the correct clicker (a regular Home windows function). Or do what Lenovo truly expects you to do, and use a mouse as an alternative.
Efficiency
- As much as Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU
- thirteenth Gen Intel CPUs
- Considerably annoying fan tone
Lenovo despatched me one of the spectacular variations of the LOQ 15 to evaluation, and it packs an actual punch. It has the Intel core i7-13620H, 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD able to learn speeds as much as 4065MB/s.
This is not leading edge SSD efficiency lately, however there are few apparent compromises elsewhere.
Nvidia’s RTX 4060 graphics card with 8GB vRAM is the star right here, and as standard Lenovo hasn’t messed it up by utilizing an underpowered model. Maxed-out, the cardboard can draw 115W. The cardboard itself is proscribed to 90W in accordance with the software program, however it may well borrow extra juice from the CPU pile to achieve the claimed 115W.
Cyberpunk 2077 performs properly nearly maxed-out at 1440p decision, and you’ll even use the laptop-melting Overdrive ray tracing mode. Nonetheless, this depends closely on the RTX 40-series playing cards’ killer function: body technology.
You possibly can consider this as a super-smart model of the body interpolation in your TV. Besides the place that sort of mode is horrible, this one is superior. You will additionally wish to drop down the decision to 1080p for one of the best outcomes.
My favoured setting is to drop right down to Extremely ray tracing, for a easy 60fps. Whereas this is not a world-beating gaming laptop computer, for the cash it is a powerhouse.
There’s additionally a nerd-friendly GPU overclock mode that enhances efficiency by round 4 per cent with the default increase settings. For the benchmark nerds on the market, I received a high 3D Mark Time Spy rating of 11020, in comparison with 10600 with out the overclock.
Nonetheless, there is a sense you are essentially restricted by the cooling system right here – even if you happen to improve to the non-obligatory 230W energy provide. In additional CPU-intensive video games, GPU punch drops a bit as a result of it is not allowed to borrow additional energy.
The Lenovo LOQ 15 would not have essentially the most interesting cooling system I’ve heard from a gaming laptop computer lately both. Whereas it may well shift air successfully, blasting sizzling stuff out of either side and the again, there may be a few of that traditional “jet engine” character to the tone I by no means like to listen to.
Lenovo averted this far more efficiently within the Legion 5 and seven collection, presumably as a result of they have been designed as all-rounder higher-end gaming laptops. I am utilizing the supremo, most power-sapping mannequin within the household right here, in spite of everything.
The cooling system works wonderful although, protecting the CPU and GPU properly underneath inside their limits. I simply don’t love the way it sounds an excessive amount of.
Battery life
- Honest battery life, with a bit effort
- As much as 230W energy provide
- Proprietary cost connector
Numerous laptops that look a bit just like the Lenovo LOQ have monster 99Wh batteries, an usually futile try to offset the vastly energy hungry parts inside.
The Lenovo LOQ 15 has a considerably extra extraordinary 60Wh battery, a capability you would possibly see in an honest productiveness laptop computer or a bigger ultraportable.
At default settings, we discovered the Lenovo LOQ’s stamina to be fairly mediocre, at simply 4 hours and 50 minutes of sunshine work. Nonetheless, you are able to do higher with just a bit effort.
Once I set the laptop computer to make use of the built-in graphics quite than the Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card, and introduced the display screen refresh right down to 60Hz, it lasted a much more satisfying six hours and 49 minutes.
Clearly, this isn’t a laptop computer you’ll be able to depend on to final for a full day of labor, however I by no means anticipated that anyway. Slightly below seven hours just isn’t a foul end result in any respect.
The Lenovo LOQ additionally comes with an unusually slimline energy adapter. Gaming laptops want much more energy than an ultraportable, and this normally ends in a thick, heavy adapter. This one appears objective made to suit fortunately right into a rucksack. Nonetheless, simply to reiterate: this isn’t a perfect laptop computer for get for on a regular basis moveable use.
Connectivity and options
It feels far more at house, properly, at house. That is additionally the place the rear-mounted connectors shine. There is a separate HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, and two reasonably quick 10Gbps USB-A ports alongside the again.
These are joined by a headphone socket and USB-C on the left, a gradual USB 2.0 on the correct, which is clearly made for a mouse. There isn’t a ultra-fast Thunderbolt 4.0 port right here, which appears much less of a difficulty when most of the day-to-day fundamentals are lined. However there’s additionally no SD card slot, which could trouble some a bit extra.
The Lenovo LOQ 15 has a 1080p digital camera, an enormous minimize above the 720p gaming laptop computer norm. Its picture nonetheless seems to be undersaturated within the common reasonably lit room, nevertheless it is much better than the dangerous outdated gaming laptop computer commonplace. And the audio system? As anticipated, they’re dangerous. Restricted quantity, zero bass. However they are not offensive, displaying Lenovo has put about the correct amount of funds into them – not a lot.
Verdict
The Lenovo LOQ 15 is an above common inexpensive gaming laptop computer, significantly if you happen to fork out for a number of the obtainable upgrades.
Lenovo’s 165Hz 1440p show? Price it, as the bottom show is undersaturated. The Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card? Completely. And in contrast to another manufacturers’ upgrades, these ones are sensibly priced.
The keyboard is nice, as is the general appear and feel of the Lenovo LOQ 15. It simply would not appear as low cost and primary as a lot of the competitors.
There’s only one half I want was higher – the tone of the fan noise. So long as you are proud of this, the mediocre touchpad and lack of ultra-fast connectivity, it is a actually nice choice.
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