Lenovo has unveiled a slew of powerful new gaming laptops under its Legion brand at CES 2024 this week. The new Legion lineup comprises updates across Lenovo’s premium Legion 9i, 7i and 5i series, as well as the more affordable Legion Slim series. Let’s take a closer look at what Lenovo has in store for gamers this year.
Legion 9i Brings Cutting-Edge Power and Display
The flagship Legion 9i has been updated with Intel’s latest 14th-gen Core i9-14900HX CPU, allowing professional gamers and content creators to push limits. Combined with up to an Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, 32GB DDR5 memory and 2TB PCIe SSD, the Legion 9i packs best-in-class performance for tackling demanding AAA games and creative workloads.
But it’s not just processing muscle – the Legion 9i also sports a vibrant 31.5-inchMini-LED display with a blistering 240Hz refresh rate and 3K resolution. 500 zones of local dimming allow inky blacks while still providing stellar brightness peaking at 1600 nits. With Dolby Vision support, games and media will look stunning on the Legion 9i.
Rounding off the package is an improved vapor chamber cooling system to keep performance consistent during long gaming or creative sessions. Improved thermals also allow for reduced fan noise compared to previous generations.
Refined Looks for Legion 7i and 5i Series
Joining the flagship 9i is the updated Legion 7i and more affordable 5i series. While following the 9i’s refinements under the hood with 14th-gen Intel Core CPUs and latest Nvidia RTX graphics, the Legion 7i and 5i stand out with more understated styling.
The Legion 7i pairs its processing power with a 16-inch 2560 x 1600 IPS display with Dolby Vision, a 165Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. The Legion 5i offers similar display specs but in a 15-inch form factor, allowing more compact dimensions while still delivering buttery smooth visuals.
Both the Legion 7i and 5i also feature Lenovo’s new hybrid aluminum and magnesium chassis design, reducing weight while maintaining stiffness. Improved thermals from vapor chamber and 5th gen Lenovo Legion Coldfront cooling technology allows the Legion 7i and 5i to unleash more sustained performance during intensive gaming or creative workloads.
| Model | CPU | GPU | Display | Memory/Storage | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legion 9i | Up to i9-14900HX | Up to RTX 4090 | 16″ QHD+ 240Hz 3K Mini-LED | Up to 64GB DDR5 / 4TB SSD | TBA |
| Legion 7i | Up to i9-14900HX | Up to RTX 4080 Ti | 16″ QHD+ 165Hz | Up to 64GB DDR5 / 4TB SSD | 14 x 10 x 0.8in |
| Legion 5i | Up to i9-14900H | Up to RTX 4070 Ti | 15″ QHD+ 165Hz | Up to 64GB DDR5 / 2TB SSD | 14 x 10 x 1in |
Table summarizing key specs across Lenovo’s new Legion 9i, 7i and 5i gaming laptop lineup
More Affordable Legion Slims Get Power Boost
At CES 2024 Lenovo also introduced updates to its more affordable yet powerful Legion Slim series. The new Legion Slim 5i and 7i balance potent performance with thinner and lighter magnesium-aluminum chassis compared to their regular Legion counterparts.
Legion Slim laptops are equipped with AMD’s latest Ryzen 8040H “Hawk Point” processors based on the “Phoenix” Zen 4 architecture. Combined with up to RTX 4070 graphics, 16-inch QHD displays, DDR5 RAM and PCIe SSD storage, the Legion Slim models have the specs to drive smooth AAA gaming.
The Legion Slim series stands out by packing impressive performance in sleeker chassis compared to regular Legion models. The Legion Slim 5i measures just 0.77in thin while the Slim 7i comes in at 0.67in. With narrow bezels surrounding their displays, Legion Slim laptops make for more portable gaming rigs or content creation machines.
Yoga Pro Lineup Also Sees Generational Upgrades
Lenovo hasn’t neglected its premium 2-in-1 convertible lineup either. The latest generation Yoga Pro laptops were also unveiled at CES 2024, bridging the gap between the Legion series focused purely on gaming performance versus the more versatile Yoga design.
The new Yoga Pro 9i, Pro 7i and Pro 7 models pack either Intel’s latest 14th-gen Core CPUs or AMD’s new Ryzen chips. Combined with RTX graphics up to the 4070, 14 to 16-inch OLED or Mini-LED displays, plus abundant DDR5 memory and storage, the latest Yoga Pros pack a punch for gaming, creative work and productivity use cases.
Unique to the Yoga lineup is of course their versatile 2-in-1 convertible design. With 360-degree hinges, users can easily switch between laptop and tablet modes. The bundled Lenovo Stylus also allows pen-based creative work or note taking.
For those wanting powerhouse performance with convertible functionality, Lenovo’s newest Yoga Pros aim to deliver the complete package. From the top-end Pro 9i with its vibrant 16-inch Mini-LED display and Ultra-performance Intel chips down to the more affordable AMD-powered Yoga Pro 7, creatives and professionals on the go have compelling options to weigh up.
What Does This All Mean for PC Gamers and Creatives?
With potent new CPUs and GPUs from Intel, AMD and Nvidia now shipping in volume, 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting year for demanding laptop use cases like gaming and content creation. Lenovo is wasting no time in refreshing Legion and Yoga models to leverage the latest silicon for hits of power and efficiency.
The productivity and efficiency uplifts from technologies like AI and accelerated ray tracing also make their way from data centers onto 2024’s premium laptops. For instance Lenovo has infused dedicated AI processing and tools like provisional image generation into machines like the Legion 7i. Features that aid gaming, creative and workflow productivity will be more embedded into premium portables this year.
Lenovo has also listened to user feedback in finessing aspects like design, thermals, acoustics and portability for demanding users. While uncompromised performance lies at their heart, 2024 machines like the refined Legion 7i and 5i or svelte Legion Slim models better balance power, practicality and aesthetics.
The latest Legion and Yoga models unveiled at CES this year are expected to launch later in Q1 and Q2 2024. With refreshed internals across its gaming and creative laptop lineups Lenovo is striving to raise the bar for power users reliant on cutting edge portables. Performance junkies should have much to ponder as upgraded Legion and Yoga models ship in coming months.
But innovation marches on. Looking beyond 2024, even more extreme silicon like Intel’s hybrid xPUs, next-gen GPU architectures, high-bandwidth memory and advanced displays could usher a new level of experience for gaming and creative laptops.
What are your thoughts? Which of the new Legion or Yoga models stand out to you? Let’s discuss in the comments!
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
