Lenovo's Legion 5i Gen 10 gaming laptop presents a compelling package with its outstanding OLED display and premium aesthetics, all at a surprisingly affordable price. However, a significant flaw—the lack of a dual-channel RAM configuration from the outset—holds back its overall performance, particularly in tasks that demand higher memory bandwidth.
Design and Display
The Legion 5i impresses with its sophisticated design, eschewing overt "gamification" for a sleek, slim, and understated look. Its all-black chassis is complemented by a clean RGB keyboard and minimal branding, making it suitable for both gaming sessions and professional environments. While compact, this design does contribute to higher fan noise and temperatures under load. A notable drawback is its tendency to attract fingerprints, quickly smudging its otherwise clean exterior.
The standout feature is undoubtedly the 15.1-inch OLED display. With a crisp 2560x1600 resolution and a fluid 165Hz refresh rate, it delivers exceptionally vibrant colors and stunning visual clarity. Games like Power Wash Simulator 2 and Sort Them Ducks are rendered beautifully, making the display a constant draw for extended use.
Performance Concerns
Despite its powerful Intel Core i7 13650HX processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 8GB GPU, the Legion 5i's performance is significantly hampered by its single-channel DDR5 RAM setup. While the laptop ships with 16GB of RAM, it's configured as a single 16GB stick running at 4800 MT/s. This configuration creates a notable bottleneck in memory-intensive tasks and games, especially when compared to competitors that offer dual-channel setups even in budget models.
This limitation is particularly evident in demanding scenarios. For instance, in Cyberpunk 2077 with Ray Tracing Ultra enabled at 1440p and without DLSS, the Legion 5i averaged a mere 11 fps with 3 fps minimums, a stark contrast to the MSI Katana 15 HX's 20 fps average. This performance deficit occurs despite the Legion 5i drawing more power and running its GPU at higher clock speeds, highlighting the critical impact of memory bandwidth.
File compression tasks also suffer, with the Legion 5i scoring considerably lower than its competitors. While the laptop performs adequately in older titles and less demanding applications, the single-channel RAM configuration means that users seeking to push AAA games at native resolution, especially with ray tracing enabled and DLSS disabled, will experience a significant drop in performance. The manufacturer's justification of allowing future upgrades by the user is seen as a flawed approach, forcing consumers into potentially costly and complex upgrades for performance that should be standard.
Thermals and Battery Life
Under load, the Legion 5i can become quite warm, with average CPU temperatures around 76°C and GPU temperatures around 81°C, peaking at 99°C for the CPU. This necessitates a robust cooling solution, leading to noticeable fan noise during gaming sessions. The laptop also comes with pre-installed McAfee software, which the reviewer recommends uninstalling in favor of Windows Defender.
Battery life is another area where the Legion 5i falls short. The PCMark 10 gaming test yielded just 64 minutes of usage, placing it among the shortest-lasting gaming laptops tested. The 80 WHr battery, combined with the power-hungry OLED panel, struggles to provide longevity away from a power source.
Value and Conclusion
At £1,348 in the UK, the Lenovo Legion 5i offers a visually stunning OLED display and a capable core configuration for its price. The US model, priced at $1,499, includes an even more powerful CPU. However, the decision to implement single-channel RAM is a critical misstep that severely compromises the laptop's gaming potential and overall value proposition. While the premium design and exceptional screen are commendable, the performance bottleneck introduced by the RAM configuration makes it difficult to recommend for serious gamers who expect consistent performance across demanding titles.