The Legion Pro machines always offer something extra compared to their non-Pro siblings. We already have a review of the Lenovo Legion 5i (16", Gen 9) which is a great gaming laptop that surprises us with its snappy performance. Now, it's time to test the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", Gen 9) which isn't that different compared to the standard Legion 5i but the more expensive device has some useful tricks up in its sleeve. Here, you get only 14th Gen Intel Raptor Lake-HX Refresh CPU options which bring higher clocks and (some of them have) more cores compared to their 13th Gen counterparts. All the GPU options boast 140W max TGP limits. The most powerful combo for the series is the Core i9-14900HX + GeForce RTX 4070 (Laptop). The Legion ColdFront 5.0 thermal system looks massive with its many thick heat pipes and a pair of large fans. Three 1600p IPS display options are available. The base one is a 165Hz unit while the other two stand out with a 240Hz refresh rate and HDR support. NVIDIA G-Sync and Advanced Optimus are standard for all devices - nice! We can hint that the port selection and the upgradability are also very good. The connectivity is up-to-date (Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2) and you get features such as a backlit keyboard and a Web camera with an E-shutter. Nowadays, everything in the IT industry is about AI functionality and that's why this notebook has an LA1 chip that can dynamically tune the performance depending on the system load. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-legion-pro-5i-16-gen-9/ Specs, Drivers, What's in the box Drivers All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/legion-series/legion-pro-5-16irx9/downloads What's in the box? In the box, we found a 300W charger and a Lenovo Legion Gaming Speed Mouse Pad (option). Some devices can be bundled with a Legion M300 RGB Gaming Mouse and that's a region-dependant extra. Design and construction The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16, Gen 9) seems almost similar to the Lenovo Legion 5i (16, Gen 9) with a few changes here and there. The color here is called Onyx grey. Again, the anodized finish doesn't attract a lot of smudges, especially on the body. The lid is aluminum and the base is plastic (PC-ABS). The dimensions look normal given the hardware - 2.50 kg and 21.99 - 26.95 mm profile thickness. The stable lid can be opened smoothly with a single hand. The base is also solid. There is a bit of flex below the Arrow keys and above the touchpad but that only happens when you press down these sections on purpose. The bezels around the 25600x1600p display are super thin except for the lower one. The protrusion on the lid is for easier opening and it also houses a 720p or an optional 1080p Web camera with an E-shutter switch that can be found on the right side of the notebook. As you can see, the maximum angle of the opening is very wide and it almost reaches 180 degrees. The power button is separated from the keyboard with a NumPad and big Arrow keys. The board can glow in a white or blue color. You can also opt for the fancy Legion TrueStrike 4-zone RGB model. The unit is comfortable for all kinds of usage because of the long key travel and clicky feedback. The touchpad with Mylar surface feels similar to the one of the non-Pro version of the laptop. The size is the same (75 x 120 mm). Overall, the pad isn't something spectacular but it's good enough for normal work since the accuracy is on point. Three rubber feet and three ventilation grills can be seen on the bottom panel. The heat is pushed through four vents - two on the back and two on the sides. Ports On the left side, you can see a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port and a USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) port that supports DisplayPort 1.4. The rear houses a LAN, a USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) port with DisplayPort 1.4 and 140W PowerDelivery functionality, an HDMI 2.1 for up to 8K 60Hz external displays, two USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) ports (the latter has an Always on extra) and a power connector. On the right side, you can spot a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, and E-shutter, and an Audio combo jack. Display quality, Health impact (PWM), Sound Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", Gen 9) is equipped with a WQXGA (Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array) IPS panel, model number BOE NE160QDM-NYC (BOE0B38). It comes with a 165Hz refresh rate. Its diagonal is 16.0" (40.6 cm), and the resolution - 2560 x 1600p. Additionally, the screen ratio is 16:10, the pixel density – 189 ppi, and their pitch – 0.13 x 0.13 mm. The screen can be considered Retina when viewed from at least 46 cm (from this distance, the average human eye can’t see the individual pixels). Viewing angles are good. We offer images at different angles to evaluate the quality. Also, a video with locked focus and exposure. The maximum measured brightness is 383 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 364 nits (cd/m2) average across the surface with a maximum deviation of 13%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness is 6560K (average). In the illustration below you can see how the display performs from a uniformity perspective. The illustration below shows how matters are for operational brightness levels (approximately 140 nits) – in this particular case at 63% Brightness (White level = 145 cd/m2, Black level = 0.12 cd/m2). 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 (a maximum tolerance of 2.0 ). The contrast ratio is good – 1230:1. To make sure we are on the same page, we would like to give you a little introduction to the sRGB color gamut and the Adobe RGB. To start, there’s the CIE 1976 Uniform Chromaticity Diagram that represents the visible specter of colors by the human eye, giving you a better perception of the color gamut coverage and the color accuracy. Inside the black triangle, you will see the standard color gamut (sRGB) that is being used by millions of people on HDTV and on the web. As for the Adobe RGB, this is used in professional cameras, monitors, etc for printing. Basically, colors inside the black triangle are used by everyone and this is the essential part of the color quality and color accuracy of a mainstream notebook. Still, we’ve included other color spaces like the famous DCI-P3 standard used by movie studios, as well as the digital UHD Rec.2020 standard. Rec.2020, however, is still a thing of the future and it’s difficult for today’s displays to cover that well. We’ve also included the so-called Michael Pointer gamut, or Pointer’s gamut, which represents the colors that naturally occur around us every day. The yellow dotted line shows Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", Gen 9)'s color gamut coverage. Its display covers 97% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976 and 80% of DCI-P3. Our “Design and Gaming” profile delivers optimal color temperature (6500K) at 140 cd/m2 luminance and sRGB gamma mode. We tested the accuracy of the display with 24 commonly used colors like light and dark human skin, blue sky, green grass, orange, etc. You can check out the results at factory condition and also, with the “Design and Gaming” profile. Below you can compare the scores of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", Gen 9) with the default settings (left), and with the “Gaming and Web design” profile (right). The next figure shows how well the display is able to reproduce really dark parts of an image, which is essential when watching movies or playing games in low ambient light. The left side of the image represents the display with stock settings, while the right one is with the “Gaming and Web Design” profile activated. On the horizontal axis, you will find the grayscale, and on the vertical axis – the luminance of the display. On the two graphs below you can easily check for yourself how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display, the calibration, the viewing angle, and the surrounding light conditions. 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 = 7.9 ms. Short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes. Gamers should be happy. After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude. Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering) Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is an easy way to control monitor brightness. When you lower the brightness, the light intensity of the backlight is not lowered, but instead turned off and on by the electronics with a frequency indistinguishable to the human eye. In these light impulses, the light/no-light time ratio varies, while brightness remains unchanged, which is harmful to your eyes. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM. Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", Gen 9)'s display doesn't flicker at any brightness level. This makes the screen comfortable for long periods of use. Health Impact: Blue light emissions Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates PWM but also reduces the harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate. If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light. Health Impact: Gloss-level measurement Glossy-coated displays are sometimes inconvenient in high ambient light conditions. We show the level of reflection on the screen for the respective laptop when the display is turned off and the measurement angle is 60° (in this case, the result is 49.0 GU). Sound Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", Gen 9)'s speakers produce a sound of very good quality. Its low, mid, and high tones have no deviations from clarity. Buy our profiles Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", Gen 9) configurations with 16.0" BOE NE160QDM-NYC (BOE0B38) (2560x1600) IPS. *Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at bg.laptopmedia@gmail.com. Read more about the profiles HERE. Performance: CPU, GPU, Gaming Tests All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Performance” profile activated plus the "GPU Overclock" function is turned on in the Lenovo Vantage app. Also, the “dGPU-only” mode is selected in the BIOS and in the Lenovo software. In addition, the “Best performance” preset is applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and the "Performance mode setting" is set to "Extreme". CPU options This laptop can be found with Intel Core i5-14500HX, Core i7-14650HX, Core i7-14700HX, or Core i9-14900HX. GPU options The GPU options are the following - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop, 140W), GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop, 140W), and GeForce RTX 4070 (Laptop, 140W). Gaming tests Assassin's Creed Valhalla Full HD, Low (Check settings) Full HD, Medium (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) Average FPS 199 fps 169 fps 140 fps 120 fps Borderlands 3 Full HD, V.Low (Check settings) Full HD, Medium (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Badass (Check settings) Average FPS 229 fps 194 fps 145 fps 115 fps Gears 5 Full HD, Low (Check settings) Full HD, Medium (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) Average FPS 291 fps 214 fps 188 fps 154 fps The 140W version of the GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop) has plenty of power for playing games on Ultra quality with high FPS. [eBook Guide + Tools] How to MAX OUT your Laptop Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life Max CPU load 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. Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power Intel Core i7-14700HX (55W TDP) 0:02 - 0:10 sec 0:15 - 0:30 sec 10:00 - 15:00 min Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16″, Gen 9) 3.73 GHz @ 3.28 GHz @ 82°C @ 179W 3.57 GHz @ 3.19 GHz @ 87°C @ 164W 3.34 GHz @ 2.91 GHz @ 83°C @ 130W Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-72) 3.73 GHz @ 3.09 GHz @ 72°C @ 157W 3.69 GHz @ 3.04 GHz @ 85°C @ 157W 3.24 GHz @ 2.68 GHz @ 74°C @ 100W The 28-thread Core i7-14700HX is a serious challenge for every cooling solution. The thermal system of the Legion Pro 5i (16″, Gen 9) is doing a great job because the CPU can sustain impressively high clocks even in long periods of 100% load. Real-life gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min) GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min) Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16″, Gen 9) 2535 MHz @ 74°C @ 129W 2535 MHz @ 75°C @ 130W Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-41) "Turbo" preset 2535 MHz @ 66°C @ 121W 2535 MHz @ 67°C @ 122W Acer Nitro 17 (AN17-41) "Performance" preset 2475 MHz @ 72°C @ 123W 2475 MHz @ 73°C @ 123W The GeForce RTX 4070 can maintain 2535 MHz and 130W after 30 minutes of gaming. The Nitro 17 (AN17-41) can achieve the same core clock in "Turbo" mode but the Acer laptop is notably noisier than the Legion Pro 5i. Comfort during full load Just like many other Lenovo gaming laptops, you can find three performance presets alongside a "Custome Mode" in the Lenovo Vantage app. During gaming, the fan noise is average (in "Performance" mode) which is okay for such a notebook. In this case, the keyboard feels slightly warm to the touch. Since it's not scorching hot, you can use the board comfortably for long hours of gaming. The "Hybrid iGPU-only" mode is the right choice when the charger isn't connected. The" dGPU-only" mode is suitable for gaming when you need the full power of the video card. The "Performance" preset offers ~130W TGP and you get ~80W plus lower noise levels if you switch down to the "Balanced" preset. The "Quiet" mode with its 56W power limit is appropriate for not-so-demanding games. In this scenario, the fans are quiet. You can manually bump the fans to 5400RPM if you want to lower the temperatures of the internals. In auto mode, the fans can reach ~ 3700 RPM. If you enable the "Legion Optimization" in the BIOS, the "CPU Overclock" function will pop up in the Lenovo Vantage software. This will allow you to undervolt the CPU to lower its temperatures and power consumption. Of course, you can try to overclock the chip as well. Battery Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Better performance setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 120 nits, and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. The battery is an 80Wh model that lasts for 12 hours and 30 minutes of Web browsing or 5 hours and 53 minutes of video playback. To achieve that, you have to select the "Dynamic Graphics mode" in the BIOS and the "Optimus" Display Mode in the NVIDIA Control Panel in order to use the iGPU. Then, select the "Balance" preset, turn on the "Adaptive Refresh Rate" function, and select the iGPU-only mode in the Lenovo Vantage app. Last but not least, apply the “Balanced” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance To gain access to the internals, you have to undo 10 Torx-head screws. Then, pry the panel with a thin plastic tool starting from the central zone of the back. After that, work your way around the sides and the front. Here's how the bottom plate looks on the inside. Here, we have an 80Wh battery. To take it out, detach the connector from the motherboard and undo the 5 Phillips-head screws that keep the unit in place. One of the screws is hidden below the metal SSD cover on the left so we have to remove it as well. The capacity is enough for 12 hours and 30 minutes of Web browsing or 5 hours and 53 minutes of video playback. The RAM area is covered by a metal plate and you have to pop it with a lever tool to access the slots. According to Lenovo, the two SODIMMs support up to 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. However, since the CPU can support up to 192GB, this laptop likely wouldn't have issues running a larger amount of memory than the official manufacturer's specified limit. In terms of storage, you can rely on two M.2 slots for 2242 or 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. Both of them are protected by metal shrouds that are held in place by three 3 Phillips-head screws for each metal plate. The two metal covers have a thermal pad on the inside. As you can see, the cooling looks seriously big. It has two large fans, one thick heat pipe shared between the CPU and the GPU, one more for the processor, and two solely dedicated to the video card and its memory and voltage regulators. We can also see four heat sinks and two huge metal plates. The one on the left is also for cooling the chipset which is a nice touch. Storage performance Our laptop has a 512GB SAMSUNG MZVL2512HDJD-00BL2 which is a fast Gen 4 NVMe. Below you can see some benchmarks of this SSD. Verdict There is no doubt that the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", Gen 9) is a capable gaming machine. Compared to the non-Pro sibling, the device in front of us offers a heftier thermal system with additional metal shrouds for cooling the SSDs and even the base CPU option is a 14th Gen Intel HX chip. The cooling is potent and that's why the processor can show very high clocks in long 100% loads. The optional GeForce RTX 4070 (Laptop) can sustain stable 2535 MHz and 130W TGP after half an hour of gaming. At the same time, the two fans aren't as loud as a jet fighter. In addition to the great performance, the default 1600p display (BOE NE160QDM-NYC (BOE0B38)) is also good. It's PWM-free and has a 165Hz refresh rate alongside pretty snappy pixel response times for an IPS unit. The panel is suitable for color creation or color-sensitive work thanks to the 97% sRGB coverage and the great color accuracy that can be achieved with the aid of our "Design and Gaming" profile. The I/O seems modern with its five USB ports and an HDMI 2.1. You get two SODIMMs and a pair of M.2 slots for Gen 4 NVMe drives. The battery life is a pleasant surprise - more than 12 hours of Web browsing on a single charge. That's possible when you force the "Hybrid iGPU-only" mode in the Lenovo Vantage app. There, you can find many useful features such as keyboard backlight control, power presets, custom performance mode, GPU OC function, and an option for adaptive refresh rate. The laptop supports CPU overclock / undervolt which can interesting for the enthusiasts out there. The keyboard is comfortable and it's great to see that the NVIDIA G-Sync and Advanced Optimus are available for all devices of the series. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (16", Gen 9) is a gaming laptop that impresses with its great cooling solution, color-accurate PWM-free display, and long battery life. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-legion-pro-5i-16-gen-9/