[In-depth Comparison] Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) vs Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) – who is the real commander of the legion

It has been a few years since Lenovo introduced its line of Legion gaming laptops. Each iteration has featured a budget and a premium version respectively named Y5X0 and Y7X0 depending on the generation. Since the release of this model line, each new year Lenovo has addressed the problems of the predecessor, but each successor has had some bizarre problems. The Y720 suffered from poor display quality – this was addressed in the Y730, but the price was a bit too high for the hardware it provided and while the Y740 was a substantial upgrade, its battery life was laughable. So does this trend continue with the 4th generation Legion line, or does the change in the naming system mark the end of the strange drawbacks?

At first glance, the design of the Legion 7 looks almost exactly the same as the one of the Legion Y740. But first impressions can be deceiving and as we take a closer look, subtle yet substantial changes start to take our notice. However, it is the hardware where we can find most of the differences. The new model comes with almost the entire line of Comet Lake H-series CPUs and in top trim can be outfitted with the 90W GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q.

So to put it shortly is the Legion 7 just a facelift, or a substantial upgrade to its predecessor, and does the Legion Y740 still hold up?

Read our in-depth reviews here:
Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″): Detailed review
Lenovo Legion 7 (15″): Detailed review

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) configurations:


Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) configurations:

Contents


Design and construction

When looking at these laptops they look almost exactly the same, but subtle differences can help us make out which is which.

The Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) features a mostly aluminum body with some plastic elements. The design is nothing out of the ordinary with an elongated backside giving the impression that the lid is not placed properly, probably being one of its defining features. But in a way this simple and to some even bland design for a gaming laptop could be considered a good thing as it is not overly-aggressive and in your face like most of the machines in its class. The device stands at 19.95mm above the ground and weighs in at 2.20 kg which is average for a 15.6″ notebook. Opening the lid is easily doable with one hand and it goes all the way downwards, resulting in a 180-degree movement. While opened we can notice that the camera is beneath the screen which we reckon will give some funny angles while recording or in a video call. Apart from these quirks, the build quality is good for the price.

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

Now let’s take a look at the Lenovo Legion 7 (15″). Like its predecessor, it features a mostly aluminum body with some plastic elements. The design feels like an evolution of the Y740 again featuring an elongated backside and mostly conservative and non-intrusive looks, and again while bland to some this is of benefit to those which prefer a simple-looking laptop. The notebook takes up 19.9mm of vertical space and weights 2.25 kg – 50 grams more than its predecessor, but it is supposedly because of a better cooling design. Opening the lid is again easily doable with one hand and this time the camera is at a place where we expect it to be- above the screen. The build quality is good and at first glance, the Legion 7 (15″) feels like a facelift of the Legion Y740 (15″)

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

When looking at the keyboards you can see one of the more prominent differences between the devices.

The Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) features a keyboard without a NumPad. RGB illumination is optional, while standard models get a bluish single-colored backlight. The keyboard experience is decent: a relatively short travel and not very loud keystrokes

Respectively, the keyboard of the Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) includes a NumPad and while its keys are smaller than the rest, it is still better than not having one. Additionally, it features RGB backlighting which can be set to preferred color. The feedback of the keystrokes is clicky, and while the travel time is a bit shorter from what we would like, using the keyboard is still a nice experience be it for gaming or typing.

The trackpads of both laptops are nice, giving us precise tracking and a pleasant gliding feel, which we reckon is great for daily use, but these notebooks will probably be used with a dedicated mouse given their nature.

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

As for the cooling, both notebooks feature four cutout vents (one on each side and two at the back) for the hot air to escape. Moreover, almost half of the bottom of each device has a grill dedicated to helping the cooling. The Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) already had a great cooling solution and with the circular plastic holes gone in its successor in favor of a clean grill, the cooling area has expanded even further.

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

In order to disassemble the Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″), you have to unscrew 11 Phillips-head screws and use a plastic prying tool. After opening the laptop you can see three heat pipes, with one of them, shared between the chips. Metal plates cool the VRMs and GPU’s memory while there is a metal bracket over the two RAM slots. The device features a SATA port and an M.2 PCIe x 4 slot.

As for the disassembly of the Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) you have to remove 10 Phillips-head screws and use a plastic prying tool starting from either side on the front. Inside you won’t see a ton of pipes but something that looks like a vapor chamber and two tiny heat pipes that are supposed to cool the VRMs and the graphics memory. There are two RAM slots and two M.2 PCIe x 4 slots.

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

HeightWeight
Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″)19.95 mm (0.79″)2.20 kg (4.9 lbs)
Lenovo Legion 7 (15″)19.9 mm (0.78″)2.25 kg (5 lbs)

As for a comparison of the ports

On the left side of the Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″), we can see a USB Type-C 3.1 (Gen. 2) Thunderbolt connector and a headphone jack. On the back – a Mini DisplayPort 1.4, an HDMI 2.0 connector, an RJ-45 connector flanked by two USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen. 1) ports, finishing with a USB Type-A-sized charging port. And on the right – a single USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen. 2) port.

The ports of the Lenovo Legion 7(15″) are placed in this manner – on the left side: two USB Type-C ports – one Thunderbolt and one 3.1 (Gen. 1) with DisplayPort output, as well as an audio jack. On the back we have a proprietary power plug, a USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen. 2) port, an RJ-45 connector, and a USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen. 2) port, and it finishes with an HDMI 2.0 connector. Ultimately, there is no Mini DisplayPort here, however, with the inclusion of two Type-C ports, which can both output a DisplayPort signal, we don’t see the need for one. On the right, we have a single USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen. 1) port.


Display

Both laptops are equipped with 1080p 144Hz IPS panels. The Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) has a display with a model number LG LP156WFG-SPB2 (LGD05CF) while the Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) comes with a panel that has the following model number BOE NV156FHM-NY5 (BOE08EA). These panels are characterized by comfortable viewing angles and good contrast ratios – 940:1 for the Legion Y740 (15″) and a slightly higher one of 1170:1 for the Legion 7 (15″).

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

When it comes to sRGB color coverage, the Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) gives a respectable result of 95% which is a really good achievement. But the Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) tops that with an almost full sRGB color coverage of 99.4%.

Values of dE2000 over 4.0 should not occur, and this parameter is one of the first you should check if you intend to use the laptop for color-sensitive work.

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

Below you can compare the score of the two panels – both with already applied “Gaming and Web design” profile. Thanks to our profile, the display of the Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) can be very color-accurate with an average dE score of just 1.3 and a maximum score of 2.8. Sadly, the display of its successor the Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) isn’t very good in this category even when our profile is already applied as it gives an average of 3.3 and a maximum of 7.4.

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

One of the most important things about a display is its safety towards the user. Luckily, no matter the display, there are no signs of PWM usage so you can use them for prolonged periods of time (probably that includes long gaming sessions during night time).

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

Response time (Gaming capabilities)

We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa. We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time of 11 ms for the Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) panel and 8ms for the Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) display. Both of the panels have a great response time which is perfect for gaming, but the newer model just about edges out its predecessor.

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15)/Lenovo Legion 7 (15)

Our display profiles

Here at LaptopMedia, we create a set of custom-tailored profiles for every notebook we review. They boost the productivity of display and reduce negative effects such as blue light emissions and PWM. You can read more about them here.

Buy our profiles from here:

15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 144Hz, IPS (LG LP156WFG-SPB2 (LGD05CF)): Buy our profiles

15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 144Hz, IPS (BOE NV156FHM-NY5): Buy our profiles

Specs sheet comparison

Lenovo Legion Y740 (15") - Spécifications

  • HDD/SSD
  • jusqu'à 2000GB SSD + jusqu'à 2000GB HDD
  • RAM
  • up to 32GB
  • OS
  • Windows 10 Home, No OS, Windows 10 Pro
  • Batterie
  • 57Wh, 57Wh, 3-cell
  • Matériau du corps
  • Plastic / Polycarbonate, Aluminum
  • Dimensions
  • 361 x 265 x 19.95 - 23.85 mm (14.21" x 10.43" x 0.79")
  • Poids
  • 2.20 kg (4.9 lbs)
  • Ports et connectivité
  • 1x USB Type-C
  • 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Sleep and Charge
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
  • HDMI
  • 2.0
  • Displayport mini
  • Lecteur de cartes
  • Ethernet LAN
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ac (2x2)
  • Bluetooth
  • 4.1
  • Prise audio
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • Caractéristiques
  • Lecteur d'empreintes digitales
  • Caméra Web
  • 720p HD
  • Clavier rétro-éclairé
  • Microphone
  • Digital-array microphones
  • Intervenants
  • 2x 2W
  • Lecteur optique
  • Fente de verrouillage de sécurité

Tous Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) configurations

#CommissionsEarned

Lenovo Legion 7 / 7i (15" Intel, 2020) - Spécifications

  • BOE NV156FHM-NY5 (BOE08EA)
  • Précision des couleurs  5.0  3.3
  • HDD/SSD
  • jusqu'à 8000GB SSD + jusqu'à 1000GB HDD
  • Fente M.2
  • 2x 2280 PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 with RAID 0 support  Voir photo
  • RAM
  • up to 64GB
  • OS
  • Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Home, No OS
  • Batterie
  • 80Wh, 4-cell, 71Wh, 3-cell
  • Matériau du corps
  • Aluminum
  • Dimensions
  • 359.3 x 259 x 19.9 mm (14.15" x 10.20" x 0.78")
  • Poids
  • 2.25 kg (5 lbs)
  • Ports et connectivité
  • 1x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), Sleep and Charge
  • 2x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
  • 1x USB Type-C
  • 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), DisplayPort
  • 1x USB Type-C
  • 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort
  • HDMI
  • 2.0
  • Displayport mini
  • Lecteur de cartes
  • Ethernet LAN
  • 10, 100, 1000 Mbit/s
  • Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax
  • Bluetooth
  • 5.0
  • Prise audio
  • 3.5 Combo Jack
  • Caractéristiques
  • Lecteur d'empreintes digitales
  • Caméra Web
  • HD
  • Clavier rétro-éclairé
  • Microphone
  • Dual Array Microphone
  • Intervenants
  • 2x 2W, Dolby Atmos
  • Lecteur optique
  • Fente de verrouillage de sécurité
  • Kensington Lock

Tous Lenovo Legion 7 / 7i (15″ Intel, 2020) configurations

#CommissionsEarned

Battery

The Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) has a 57Wh battery pack, which quite frankly, is not enough, given the 144Hz screen with G-Sync. It managed just over three hours in both Web browsing and video playback. Miserable, but an inevitable price to pay for a 144Hz G-Sync screen.

On the other side, the battery of the Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) is a hefty 80Wh, which combined with the 144Hz screen makes it able to manage almost six hours of Web browsing and almost 7 hours of video playback.

Hardware and Gaming tests

CPU-wise the Lenovo Legion Legion Y740 (15″) is sold with the Coffee Lake-H processor options. They include the budget-friendly Core i5-8300h, the mid-range – Core i7-8750H, and the top of the line for the model is the Core i7-9750H.

The Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) is sold with the Comet Lake-H processor options. They include the budget-friendly Core i5-10300H, the most popular – Core i7-10750H, and the 8-core behemoths – the Core i7-10875H and the Core i9-10980HK.

Les résultats proviennent du test CPU Cinebench 20 (plus le score est élevé, mieux c'est).

Les résultats sont issus de notre test de référence Photoshop (plus le score est bas, mieux c'est)

Les résultats proviennent du test Cinebench 20 Multi-core (plus le score est élevé, mieux c'est).

GPU-wise the Legion Y740 (15″) can be configured with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR5), an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB GDDR6), an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q (8GB GDDR6) or an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q (8GB GDDR6)

The newer Legion 7 (15″) retains some of the GPUs used by its predecessor – the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR5), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB GDDR5), but the top of the line models use the newer GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q (8GB GDDR6) and the RTX 2080 Super Max-Q (8GB GDDR6).

Les résultats proviennent du benchmark 3DMark : Time Spy (Graphics) (plus le score est élevé, mieux c'est).

Les résultats proviennent du benchmark 3DMark : Fire Strike (Graphics) (plus le score est élevé, mieux c'est).

Les résultats proviennent du benchmark Unigine Superposition (plus le score est élevé, mieux c'est).

GTA-V-benchmarks

Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Very High (Check settings)Full HD, MAX (Check settings)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Legion Y740 (15))138 fps74 fps43 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q (Legion 7 (15))154 fps87 fps62 fps

Far Cry 5Full HD, Normal (Check settings)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Legion Y740 (15))97 fps89 fps84 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q (Legion 7 (15))129 fps119 fps113 fps

rise-of-the-tomb-raider

Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, Very High (Check settings)Full HD, MAX (Check settings)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Legion Y740 (15))110 fps63 fps41 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q (Legion 7 (15))167 fps93 fps66 fps

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon WildlandsFull HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Very High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Legion Y740 (15))78 fps69 fps45 fps
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q (Legion 7 (15))99 fps87 fps58 fps

Temperatures

In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.

Intel Core i7-8750H (45W TDP)0:02 – 0:10 sec0:15 – 0:30 sec10:00 – 15:00 min
Lenovo Legion Y7403.39 GHz (B+54%) @ 75°C3.24 GHz (B+47%) @ 81°C2.89 GHz (B+31%) @ 72°C
Intel Core i7-10750H (45W TDP)0:02 – 0:10 sec0:15 – 0:30 sec10:00 – 15:00 min
Lenovo Legion 7 (15)3.78 GHz (B+45%) @ 80°C3.69 GHz (B+42%) @ 83°C3.51 GHz (B+35%) @ 83°C

Although the new device seems to run hotter in long runs, we have to note that its clock speed is more than 600 MHz higher, which can definitely make a difference, especially when running 12 threads (simple math).

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min)GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min)
Lenovo Legion Y7401526 MHz @ 70°C1499 MHz @ 74°C
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q (90W)GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min)GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min)
Lenovo Legion 7 (15)1420 MHz @ 66°C1376 MHz @ 72°C

When it comes to the GPU temperatures, although these devices use different graphics solutions, we think that they manage their temperatures well-enough, as virtually both of them have the same TGP of 90W.

Gaming comfort

Both machines do get a bit loud when at maximum load but it is well within the acceptable limit. As for the temperatures, the palm-rest area of both is cool enough for a comfortable contact experience. The part where we measured the highest external temperature for both notebooks is the keyboard deck, with the Legion Y740 (15″) measuring at a 47.2C just above the “V” key and the Legion 7 (15″) at a 52.3C between the “J” and “K” keys.


Verdict

To conclude we just compared two Lenovo notebooks targeted at gamers – the older Legion Y740 (15″) and the newer Legion 7 (15″). Both machines feature an aluminum body with some plastic elements and have good build quality. Both look a bit tame for being gaming laptops, but in a sense, their simple and sleek form is a welcome change in a market dominated by overly-aggressive and edgy designs. Both come equipped with 1080p 144Hz IPS display panels. And both are reasonably quiet under heavy load.

The Lenovo Legion Y740 (15″) impresses with the good cooling of its components and low external temperature given the hardware it is packing. Furthermore, its color accuracy is almost perfect, and paired with its fast-responding 144Hz G-Sync panel would help one enjoy great gaming or watching experience. But the keyboard doesn’t feature a NumPad, the camera is in a strange position (below the screen) and the battery life is simply terrible for a device that is meant to be also used without having the power cord plugged in.

On the other side, the Lenovo Legion 7 (15″) got to higher CPU and external temperatures during our tests compared to its older counterpart and doesn’t have an SD card reader. But apart from that its processor runs at significantly higher clock speed, it offers better GPU options, it is basically an evolution of the Y740’s design, with the camera being in a position where one would expect it to be(over the monitor). The keyboard does have a NumPad, and even though its keys are smaller, it is still better than not having one. Its dE2000 rating may be worse than the one of Lenovo’s older offering but the display is better in every single other way. Furthermore, the notebook’s battery life is almost double the one of the Y740(15″) which would help one enjoy using his laptop on the move, without having to look for a power outlet after short usage.

All in all both notebooks are great and feature great performance and good quality at a reasonable price, but as with older iterations of the Legion series, so far the newer model is just better than its predecessor in almost every single way whilst lacking just that one component or having something positioned where one would not expect it to be. But these quirks and somehow give a strange charm to Lenovo’s Legion line of gaming laptops.

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