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日本Lenovo Legion Slim 5i Gen 8 (16″ Intel, 2023) review – compact gaming device with powerful hardware
Verdict
If you need a portable gaming device, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i Gen 8 (16″ Intel, 2023) is for sure one of the possible options on the market. The device can be configured with powerful and modern hardware and at the same time, it’s not too big and heavy like the high-end gaming devices. At the same time, the hardware under the bonnet is more than enough for resource-heavy games.
The 165Hz 1600p display (CSOT MNG007DA1-Q (CSO161D)) supports G-Sync so if you pair it with a GeForce RTX 4060 or with the more powerful RTX 4070, the laptop will be a true gem for gaming on the go. Speaking of the display, the 16:10 unit also has comfortable viewing angles and good sRGB coverage (98%) so it’s hard to moan about something here. In addition, it offers a fast pixel response time of just 7.9 ms, and with the aid of our Design and Gaming profiles, the color accuracy reaches an average dE value of just 0.9! That is suitable for any kind of color-related work so this device can be used for content creation too.
The port selection is quite good and it features two USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) ports with DisplayPort capabilities and one of them can offer 140W charging – nice. There are also two fast USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 2) ports in the mix so it looks like the slow USB 2.0 ports are part of the history (for good). We definitely like the presence of the HDMI 2.1 and the SD card reader – both can be handy extras for content creation and even for regular usage.
The battery life is very adequate for a gaming laptop, a single charge is enough for more than 8 hours of Web browsing and almost 8 hours of video playback. Still, if you are the guy who is always working overtime, maybe you should carry the charger with you as well. Don’t forget to turn on the Hybrid mode in Lenovo Vantage – the system will dynamically switch between the integrated graphics and the dedicated video card depending on the load. This reminds us that the laptop has a MUX switch as well for maximum graphics performance while gaming or for some other graphics-heavy tasks.
On the other hand, the thin profile comes with some disadvantages. The CPU maintains good frequencies and power limits no matter the stress, but the processor temperature is always around 90°C. The RTX 4060 is described as a 140W in the NVIDIA Control Panel (Lenovo is claiming a TGP of 125W) but in reality, the power limit of the graphics cards is always around 60W which is low. Still, most of the RTX 4060s and 4070s that we have tested so far struggle to reach their max TGP values but yeah, a 60W TGP isn’t something to write home about.
However, if we put this aside, the overall performance is very good, heavy games like Far Cry 6 and Borderlands can be maxed out without a problem. The laptop feels snappy during every task so with a big external monitor this machine can be even a good desktop replacement. Comfort during 100% stress is on point, the WASD section and the palm rest area are cool enough for long hours of gaming or for some similar heavy loads. The 4-zone RGB keyboard is a real gem, the key travel and the feedback are great and that’s why the board is suitable for both typing and gaming. The touchpad could be a bit bigger but it’s smooth and accurate so we like it.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i Gen 8 (16″ Intel, 2023) feels (almost) like a complete package. You can choose between a decent variety of CPU, GPU, and display options, the laptop looks modern and stealthy at the same time. In addition, size-wise, it’s not an 18-inch monster so it’ll fit in most backpacks with ease because of the thin profile (for a gaming laptop). The CPU can maintain good clocks under any load and the only letdown is the GPU TGP which is low but as we said, the performance of this machine is always there when you need it so yeah, the laptop feels snappy and responsive at any moment.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/lenovo-legion-slim-5i-s5-16-intel-2023/
Pros
- The overall performance is good
- 2x M.2 PCIe x4 Gen 4 slots, 2x DDR5 RAM SODIMM slots in dual channel
- Snappy panel with quick response times (CSOT MNG007DA1-Q (CSO161D))
- Covers 98% of the sRGB color gamut and has accurate color representation (CSOT MNG007DA1-Q (CSO161D))
- 165Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support (CSOT MNG007DA1-Q (CSO161D))
- No PWM (CSOT MNG007DA1-Q (CSO161D))
- Compact, for a gaming laptop
- Great keyboard
- A good amount of ports
- The Lenovo Vantage program offers plenty of useful options
- Has a MUX switch
Cons
- The TGP of the RTX 4060 under load is 60W
hi, may i know the thermal pad thickness and size, my laptop was only have 1 thermal pad on the left side , while the main ssd is losing it’s thermal pad 😀
I’m curious about the 60W GPU limit on this model. There are any possibility of Nvidia change this in a future update? Or this is something that Lenovo controls? Or they probably won’t change that? Seems insane you advertise the laptop with a up 140W and limit it to run at less than half of that.
Read the review, in particular the section on the Vantage software.