With the LOQ 15i (Gen 9), Lenovo is trying to take the crown for the best not-so-expensive laptop. This device can cause a revolution in the budget segment thanks to its fair price and great hardware under the bonnet. The machine is jam-packed. You can find it with Raptor Lake HX or HX Refresh CPUs with a 55W base power. The GPU variants also look good - one RTX 3000 model and two Ada Lovelace chips with decent TGPs. The device has a standard 15.6 form factor. That's why the display aspect ratio is 16:9. The base panel is a 1080p model with a 144Hz refresh rate which sounds fine for this price class. You can also opt for the optional 1440p 165Hz screen for crisper image quality. If you choose this variant, maybe it's not a bad idea to get an 8GB video card because the newest gaming titles are getting more and more hungry for VRAM (especially above 1080p). The rest of the specs sound great. We can hint that the cooling is surprisingly big and it's called Hyperchamber (what?). The upgradability is good while the I/O is decent. It's nice to see that NVIDIA Advanced Optimus and G-SYNC are available for all devices. In terms of BIOS customization, the device is almost on par with the Lenovo Legion 5i (16, Gen 9). The LOQ sibling offers goodies such as "CPU Overclock", "Undervolt Protection", and a MUX switch. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-loq-15i-15-irx9-iax9-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-5-16irx9/downloads What's in the box? Inside the box, you can find the laptop itself and some manuals. The machine is bundled with a 170W or 230W charger depending on the CPU and GPU power. The LOQ M100 RGB USB Mouse is an optional accessory. Design and construction When the lid is closed, the Lenovo LOQ 15i (Gen 9) design isn't that different compared to the one of the Lenovo Legion 5i (16, Gen 9). The matte surface doesn't attract many smudges. The device is made entirely of plastic (PC-ABS). The lid is averagely flexible while the base is solid if we don't count the zone below the keyboard that can be bent a bit if you apply pressure on purpose. You can open the lid with a single hand. The dimensions are decent for a budget 15-incher with a sizable cooling- 2.38 kg weight and a 21.9-23.9 mm profile. The bezels are thin except the lower one which is notably thicker than the other three. The protrusion on the top helps to grip the lid easier during opening and it also houses a 720p or a 1080p Web camera with an E-shutter switch. You can almost open the lid to 180 degrees. The keyboard and the touchpad feel the same as the ones that can be found in the more expensive Lenovo Legion 5i (16, Gen 9). The board has a white backlight and you can also get an optional fancy 4-Zone RGB model. The keyboard has a NumberPad and big Arrow keys. The unit is comfortable for any kind of work because of the long key travel and the clicky feedback. The touchpad size is okay (75 x 120 mm). Its Mylar surface isn't that smooth but that shouldn't be a problem since the accuracy is on point. The bottom plate houses three rubber feet, two speaker cutouts, and three ventilation grills. The hot air is pushed through two vents on the back of the notebook. Ports There are no connectors on the left side. The back houses the majority of the ports - a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, an HDMI 2.1, LAN, another USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, and a power connector. On the right, we can spot a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, an Audio combo jack, an E-shutter switch, and a USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) port that supports DisplayPort 1.4 and 140W PowerDelivery. Display quality, Health impact (PWM), Sound Lenovo LOQ 15i (Gen 9) is equipped with a Full HD IPS panel, model number AUO B156HAN15.K (AUO7EAD). It comes with a 144Hz refresh rate. Its diagonal is 15.6" (39.6 cm), and the resolution - 1920 x 1080p. Additionally, the screen ratio is 16:9, the pixel density – 142 ppi, and their pitch – 0.18 x 0.18 mm. The screen can be considered Retina when viewed from at least 60 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 305 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 307 nits (cd/m2) average across the surface with a maximum deviation of just 3%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness is 6330K (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 70% Brightness (White level = 143 cd/m2, Black level = 0.1 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 – 1400:1. 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 LOQ 15i (Gen 9)'s color gamut coverage. Its display covers 96% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976 and 79% 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 LOQ 15i (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 = 20.3 ms. 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 LOQ 15i (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 49.7 GU). Sound Lenovo LOQ 15i (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 LOQ 15i (Gen 9) configurations with 15.6" AUO B156HAN15.K (AUO7EAD) (1920x1080) 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. CPU options The CPU options are the following - Intel Core i5-13450HX, Core i7-13650HX, and Core i7-14700HX. GPU options You get a choice of three GPU options - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (Laptop, 95W, 6GB), GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop, 105W), and GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop, 115W). 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 151 fps 126 fps 103 fps 84 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 173 fps 138 fps 97 fps 74 fps Far Cry 6 Full HD, Low (Check settings) Full HD, High (Check settings) Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) Average FPS 142 fps 112 fps 99 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 232 fps 163 fps 137 fps 109 fps The optional GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop) performs very well. Ultra details alongside high FPS values aren't a problem for this particular GPU model. [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 i5-13450HX (55W TDP) 0:02 - 0:10 sec 0:15 - 0:30 sec 10:00 - 15:00 min Lenovo LOQ 15i (Gen 9) 3.68 GHz @ 2.85 GHz @ 86°C @ 128W 4.10 GHz @ 3.33 GHz @ 89°C @ 128W 3.33 GHz @ 2.78 GHz @ 85°C @ 78W Lenovo Legion 5i (16, Gen 9) 4.03 GHz @ 3.23 GHz @ 85°C @ 117W 3.80 GHz @ 3.10 GHz @ 86°C @ 103W 3.72 GHz @ 3.08 GHz @ 86°C @ 99W Dell G15 5530 4.24 GHz @ 3.26 GHz @ 84°C @ 168W 4.04 GHz @ 3.17 GHz @ 86°C @ 143W 3.71 GHz @ 2.34 GHz @ 89°C @ 124W Interestingly, the Core i5-13450HX inside the Lenovo LOQ 15i (Gen 9) can maintain a bit lower clocks in short loads compared to the more premium Lenovo Legion 5i (16, Gen 9) with the same CPU. In medium loads, the LOQ sibling has the upper hand which is a curious case. In the long run, the clocks are more than adequate for a device of this caliber. Real-life gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min) GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min) Lenovo LOQ 15i (Gen 9) 2580 MHz @ 70°C @ 87W 2580 MHz @ 71°C @ 86W HP Omen 16 (16-wd0000) 2565 MHz @ 72°C @ 92W 2565 MHz @ 70°C @ 91W HP Victus 16 (16-s0000) 2565 MHz @ 68°C @ 92W 2550 MHz @ 69°C @ 92W Acer Swift Edge (SFX16-61G) 2550 MHz @ 78°C @ 95W 2548 MHz @ 81°C @ 96W ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402 (2023) Turbo mode 2565 MHz @ 77°C @ 101W 2565 MHz @ 82°C @ 104W ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402 (2023) Performance mode 2364 MHz @ 78°C @ 86W 2325 MHz @ 83°C @ 86W Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-51) 2520 MHz @ 67°C @ 92W 2520 MHz @ 67°C @ 91W MSI Thin GF63 (12V) 1735 MHz @ 69°C @ 45W 1729 MHz @ 70°C @ 45W The GPU can sustain the highest core frequencies that we've seen from a GeForce RTX 4050. Comfort during full load You can control the device's performance via four presets. In "Performance" mode, the fans are audible in idle and noisy during gaming (but not as noisy as a chainsaw cutting wood). Still, the keyboard gets a bit warm in the center but the section doesn't feel too hot which is enough for comfortable usage. You can tame the fans by selecting the "Balance mode" and enabling the "Legion AI Engine+" that will automatically adjust the CPU and the GPU power limits and clocks depending on the system load. The "Extreme" preset bumps the fan speed even more without resulting in a worthy performance increase. The "Hybrid iGPU-only" and the" dGPU-only" modes can be found in the Lenovo Vantage app. The former is suitable when the laptop relies on battery power and the other method is for max GPU power when the AC adapter is plugged in. During gaming, the custom "Extreme" and the "Performance" modes offer the same TGP value of around 86W. The "Balance" preset has a lot of potential with its 80W TGP and notably lower noise. The "Quiet" mode leads to ~60W TGP and nearly quiet fans. The max auto fan speed is 3500RPM but you can ramp it up to 4800RPM in manual mode. If you want to overclock the CPU via the Lenovo Vantage software, you have to enable the "Legion Optimization" in the BIOS. There, you'll also find the "Undervolt protection" option - you have to disable it if you want to lower the CPU voltage. 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 a 60Wh variant and it has enough juice for 3 hours and 8 minutes of Web browsing or 2 hours and 47 minutes of video playback. To achieve that, you have to select the "UMA Graphics mode" in the BIOS to use the iGPU. Then, select the "Balance" preset and turn on the "Adaptive Refresh Rate" function in the Lenovo Vantage app. Last but not least, apply the “Balanced” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance If you want to have a look at the internals, you must undo 10 Phillips-head screws. Then, pry the panel with a thin plastic tool starting from one of the top two corners. The plastic there feels a bit bendable so don't push too hard. After that, pop the back, then the sides - the front should be last. There are two thermal pads on the inside of the bottom panel for cooling the NVMe drives. Here, we have a 60Wh battery. To remove it, detach the connector from the motherboard and undo the 4 Phillips-head screws that keep the unit in place. The capacity is enough for 3 hours and 8 minutes of Web browsing or 2 hours and 47 minutes of video playback. The RAM zone is covered by a metal plate that has thermal pads on the inside for cooling the memory sticks. The two SODIMMs can handle up to 32GB of DDR5-4800MHz or 5600MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. Our notebook has just one 16GB memory module that works in single-channel mode. For storage, you can rely on two M.2 slots for 2242 or 2280 Gen 4 SSDs. The cooling looks good for such a laptop. It has two big fans, one thick heat pipe shared between the CPU and the GPU, and one more for each chip. There are also two heat sinks and two large metal plates. Storage performance The machine we bought has a 1TB Micron MTFDKCD1T0QFM-1BD1AABLA which is a Gen 4 NVMe. Its speeds are pretty decent for a QLC model. The SSD reached 70°C during our testing but we didn't observe thermal throttling. Verdict The Lenovo LOQ 15i (Gen 9) is a great budget gaming laptop. The CPU can maintain high clocks even in prolonged periods of max stress and that's possible because of the sizable cooling solution. The optional GeForce RTX 4050 (Laptop) can offer a 2580MHz core clock after 30 minutes of gaming. That's the highest frequency we've seen among all RTX 4050 that we have tested up to date. The 16:9 IPS display (AUO B156HAN15.K (AUO7EAD)) has good viewing angles and contrast ratio. The unit is also PWM-free and boasts 96% sRGB coverage. The designers who are looking to buy a machine at a decent price should be happy - the color accuracy reaches an average dE value of 1.2 with our "Design and Gaming" profile which is a great improvement compared to the 3.9 out-of-the-box result. The comfort during load depends on the power preset. In "Performance" mode the fans are audible even in idle and the video card power limit is around 86W. The "Balance" preset should be the way to go for most users since it offers a GPU TGP of 80W and much lower noise. If you don't want to switch between the modes frequently, just enable the "Legion AI Engine+" option and the LA1 AI chip will bump the clocks and the power limits of the CPU and the GPU if it detects gameplay. We tried this feature and actually, it works pretty well. You get two SODIMMs and two M.2 Gen 4 slots for future upgrades which is very good given the price tag of the notebook. The I/O is decent but there is just one Type-C port. At least it supports DisplayPort 1.4 and PowerDelivery (140W). The short battery life looks like the main con of this machine. Just like the Lenovo Legion 5i (16, Gen 9), the LOQ 15i (Gen 9) provides a "CPU Overclock" function, a MUX switch, and NVIDIA G-SYNC + Advanced Optimus. If you want to buy a new gaming laptop but your budget is limited, the Lenovo LOQ 15i (Gen 9) offers a lot of bang for its money like capable cooling, good performance, and a color-accurate display. You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-loq-15i-15-irx9-iax9-gen-9/