Lenovo Legion Slim 7 Review: Portable Gaming That Doesn’t Compromise

In case you are a gamer who travels round, you may end up in a decent spot. Most gaming elements carry out however accomplish that after weighing in just a few kilos in any case. Properly, laptop computer makers in 2022 acknowledged the necessity for portability and are popping out with their very own light-weight gaming laptops. One such firm is Lenovo, which launched the Lenovo Legion 7 Slim in India almost a month in the past. And this can be a gaming laptop computer that you could really carry round with out it feeling like a brick. However how does the Legion Slim 7 gaming laptop computer carry out, are there any compromises, or does it really reside as much as its guarantees? I used to be inquisitive about the identical, so I made a decision to check out the Legion Slim 7 for just a few days and see for myself. Right here’s what I give it some thought.

Lenovo Legion Slim 7 Evaluate (2022)

Since I speak in regards to the finer features of this laptop computer in nice element, I’ve divided the evaluate into numerous sections, together with design, show, efficiency, construct high quality, and extra. To shortly take a look at a specific part you’re thinking about, use the desk beneath.

Lenovo Legion Slim 7: Specs Sheet

Earlier than I share my opinions on this gaming machine, right here’s a fast have a look at the specs sheet of the Legion Slim 7:

Design and Construct High quality

A giant a part of a conveyable machine is the design language that goes with it. Lenovo opts for an intricate mixture of modern {and professional} design. Whereas a primary have a look at the laptop computer could have you ever mistaken it for a piece laptop computer, the gamer-esque aesthetic while you open the lid shortly corrects that assumption.

Your entire physique of the Legion Slim 7 has been crafted from high-grade steel that feels premium to the contact and boasts a sturdy construct. The highest exterior has been divided into two sections on the hinge. The A-panel (or lid) carries an iridescent Legion emblem on the prime left and the Lenovo tag on the backside proper. It gives a minimal aesthetic, which I actually like, however the lid can be a little bit of a fingerprint magnet.

The hinge separates the lid from a small part with light-up icons for the charging and I/O ports that you should use to plug-in units. The I/O ports are flanked by air cooling vents on both facet.

The underside of the laptop computer follows the identical premium aesthetic and has a big rectangular vent for air flow with rubber ft for stability. Whereas the general design does sport rounded corners, they nonetheless really feel a bit sharp and is perhaps a supply of discomfort every so often.

Opening up the lid by the inside cut-out reveals the interiors that look as superb because the exteriors. The inside physique follows the identical language and has easy steel as the bottom for the keyboard and trackpad, which is of ample dimension. The show itself has little to no bezels, aside from the underside bezel, which is a bit giant. I really feel Lenovo might have finished away with that and maybe added a much bigger show with a 16:10 facet ratio. Nevertheless, the laptop computer compensates for that with a cool Legion emblem and an influence button beneath it, which doubles up as a fingerprint sensor. The hinge of the Slim 7’s show is skinny but robust.

The construct high quality of the laptop computer itself is implausible, and it’s sturdy each in seems to be and really feel. There’s little to no physique flex even when making an attempt to deliberately accomplish that. Whereas the show itself does wobble round only a bit, I can hardly see a scenario when that may very well be an issue. Plus, for individuals who is perhaps inclined, the show has a 180-degree hinge and could be opened with only one finger.

With the clue within the title, I made a decision to select up the laptop computer and it stands true to its title. Weighing in at 1.9 kilograms, the Legion Slim 7 is a light-weight gaming laptop computer that’s simple to carry and carry round. With an general physique thickness of 15.9mm, this laptop computer is extraordinarily slim and even beats the Infinix INBOOK X1, which is an inexpensive and light-weight work laptop computer.

Combining a easy but skilled design, sturdy construct high quality, and portability that’s no-nonsense, the Legion Slim 7 actually impressed me when it got here to the general design. When you’re a gamer who travels round so much and needs a laptop computer that’s light-weight and likewise seems to be the half, the Legion Slim 7 will do it for you.

Show

A laptop computer with good elements, however a nasty show could as properly don’t have anything in any respect. Thankfully, the Legion Slim 7 has the show to again up its design and {hardware}. The laptop computer encompasses a 15.6-inch WQHD show with a decision of 2560 x 1440 pixels and a refresh price of 165Hz. When you might imagine coloration accuracy can be uncared for, the show additionally has 100% sRGB help. Paper specs apart, I made a decision to check this laptop computer’s show by a mix of each day media utilization, work, and play.

I’m joyful to say that the Legion Slim’s 7 show totally impressed me in all features. Be it watching 4K reveals, motion pictures, and movies on Netflix and YouTube or enjoying Apex Legends daily, the laptop computer delivered a satisfying viewing expertise. Additionally, the excessive decision made positive extra detailed content material was supported on the show, which made it all of the extra enjoyable.

A giant doubt I had with the show was the height brightness of 300 nits. Nevertheless, it proved to be sufficient and I didn’t discover myself wanting to show the brightness up whereas consuming content material indoors. The matte show right here additionally helped issues as shiny shows all the time annoy me. However understand that the show naturally has no HDR help.

The coloration accuracy of the show itself is beautiful with colours showing extraordinarily vivid whereas not being oversaturated. The black tonality matches the identical be aware and I noticed deep wealthy blacks with minimal graying across the show. The identical coloration accuracy was met, regardless of whether or not I used to be working, gaming, or doing the rest. And in case you are somebody who desires to fiddle with coloration profiles, the X-Ceremony Colour Assistant lets you choose completely different coloration profiles for that good choose.

In case you are somebody involved nearly each day work, the Legion Slim 7’s show has your again right here too. The textual content is sharp and legible, whereas the general evenness of the show means you’ll be able to go on working lengthy hours with out eye pressure.

The Lenovo Legion Slim 7’s show will get a number of issues proper regardless of which utilization case you wish to use the machine for. Whereas the 300 nits of brightness and no HDR may irk some customers, there are greater than sufficient perks on provide to downcast these.

Efficiency

Packing an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU in a light-weight laptop computer isn’t any small (pun meant) feat. That is additional bolstered by dual-channel 16GB RAM operating at 3200Mhz. When it comes to storage, you’ve got a 1TB NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD with learn/ write speeds of 3571 and 2969 MB/s, respectively.

With specs like these, one would assume that every little thing can be a breeze. The Legion Slim 7 evaluate unit I examined had these identical specs, however I made a decision to test the efficiency for myself. I examined out this laptop computer in several situations to see the way it really performs. Learn on and discover out for your self.

Each day Utilization

My each day utilization as a author is just not too heavy with regards to {hardware}. Nevertheless, there are occasions when stuff ramps up, and I discover myself with 20 completely different tabs open whereas a number of movies/ songs play within the background. I made a decision to check out the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 with the identical utilization, and it impressed me so much.

The Ryzen 7 5800H-powered laptop computer dealt with all of the browser tabs and apps I threw at it on the chin. Even whereas modifying pictures on Paint.internet with a number of 4K movies enjoying ion YouTube n the background, the CPU utilization solely went as excessive as 22%. I encountered completely no lag or stutter whereas utilizing the laptop computer, and the efficiency was the identical on the battery as on the adapter. The RAM too confirmed the identical resilience with the system dealing with every little thing completely. Even in occasions when RAM-hungry Chrome used as a lot as 4GB in a single session, I had lots extra to spare of this 16GB 3200Mhz setup and had no issues.

Regardless that I don’t use software program like Premiere Professional usually, I made a decision to try it out on this laptop computer. The identical end result got here by as there was no lag whereas modifying and rendering movies. Whereas the CPU did accumulate some warmth, it was robotically and dissipated by way of Lenovo’s sensible cooling tech, which I’ll discuss beneath.

When you’re a gamer who is worried their laptop computer received’t be capable to deal with each day utilization, you’ve got one other factor coming. The Legion Slim 7 can’t solely deal with each day utilization, however crush it simply.

Benchmarks

Whereas sensible use is all the time a greater indicator in comparison with benchmarks, I ran all of them to see how the Slim 7 handles it. I made a decision to run the ever-popular Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, and 3DMark Hearth Strike to see how the machine fares. That is what I discovered.

Geekbench 5

Working Geekbench 5 was a fast course of and gave out some spectacular scores. With single-core scores coming at 1415 within the end result, the Legion Slim 7 comes proper beneath the Ryzen 9 5900HX, which is a higher-end chip. The multi-core rating is equally spectacular at 7064, and the CPU is shut with the Intel Intel Core i7-9700K which is an unlocked desktop chip.

Cinebench R23

One other intensive benchmark on the CPU, Cinebench R23 is a benchmark that stresses the CPU so much. I ran the only and multi-core scores to see the way it fares. The outcomes had been once more spectacular because the scores surpassed the edge for each day use and even efficiency laptops.

Cinebench R23 scored 1274 and 12212 in single and multi-core scores, respectively. Each the scores are fairly excessive and go towards barely older desktop chips just like the Intel i9-9960X and Ryzen 9 3950X with regards to single and multi-threaded efficiency. Yeah, regardless of in case you’re somebody operating a single app or utilizing up all of the cores of the Ryzen 7 5800H, these scores translate to nice efficiency.

CrystalDiskMark

The Legion Slim 7 encompasses a quick 1TB SSD that can provide and maintain excessive ranges of learn/write speeds. I examined the corporate’s claims with CrystalDiskMark. Working by 5 passes of an 8GB file, the disk gave out learn speeds of 3571 MB/s and write speeds of 2969 MB/s, respectively.

Whereas the SSD speeds usually are not as quick as the newest Gen 4 speeds, that makes little to no distinction as efficiency continues to be exceptionally excessive. Moreover the excessive rating, all my copy and paste work was virtually prompt and identical was the case for loading time in video games and purposes.

3DMark Hearth Strike

The Hearth Strike benchmark is an intense one and is designed to check out the system’s GPU and see how properly it runs. The RTX 3060 laptop computer GPU has a 6GB GDDR6 VRAM with wattage that may go as excessive as 100Watts. Whereas that’s naturally not the perfect of what’s on the market, I can see why Lenovo would lower out TGP in change for making your entire setup lighter.

Nonetheless, 3DMark Hearth Strike rendered out a powerful rating of 18187, which turned out to be higher than 82% of all outcomes. Checking additional, the outcomes point out that the Legion Slim 7 can simply run AAA titles at various resolutions of 2K and FHD with ease and get 65+ and even 100+ FPS in well-optimized video games.

As you’ll be able to see for your self, all of the benchmark outcomes are spectacular and level in the direction of a laptop computer that may deal with rather more than its gentle building. Whereas utilization proved the identical, it’s time to see how the Legion Slim 7 performs within the space it’s made for – gaming.

Gaming

Coming to the centerpiece of what the Lenovo Legion 7 is made for, gaming is one thing the machine ought to be capable to deal with simply. The RTX 3060 laptop computer GPU with a TGP of 100Watts is able to pushing its full 6GBGDDR6 reminiscence simply. Nevertheless to get precise metrics, I made a decision to run just a few video games like Rainbow Six Siege, Elden Ring, and GhostWire: Tokyo. I made a decision to make use of the native 2K and FHD resolutions on Extremely settings to see a various vary of efficiency. That is what I discovered:

Rainbow Six Siege

R6 Siege itself is a well-optimized recreation in 2022. Nonetheless, additionally it is a recreation that makes use of a number of CPU/ GPU energy when run on excessive settings. Being a Siege participant with over 3000 hours clocked in, I’m no stranger to enjoying this recreation. I made a decision to try it out in various settings and the outcomes had been very spectacular.

Runnning on 2560×1440 decision with every little thing set to Extremely, the recreation outputted a mean FPS of 137. The body efficiency remained fixed on completely different maps. Detailed textures like setting destruction, uniform and weapon particulars, and map textures had been all vivid and with out break.

As I went roaming round whereas enjoying Caveira by Clubhouse, the FPS jumped as excessive as 159. Whereas the GPU did attain the 80 diploma Celsius mark, it didn’t go a step additional because the Legion 7’s glorious cooling didn’t let it.

Decreasing the decision to 1920 x 1080, the FPS averaged at 180 frames and went above the display screen’s refresh price. Whereas the textures had been naturally downgraded by a bit, the upper FPS delivered even smoother gameplay. As earlier than, the Legion Slim 7 even pushed the FPS as excessive as 214 which is solely insane.

The general efficiency at each resolutions was extraordinarily spectacular, and I had a number of enjoyable pixel peeking spawn peekers in Siege.

Elden Ring

Elden Ring is making waves as of late, and it was apparent I needed to strive it out on this machine. Nevertheless, the devs have additionally carried out a 60FPS lock PC. Discovering a means round that, I examined the sport out in numerous settings.

Working the sport on Native 2K with Extremely settings, Elden Ring dished out a fixed 70+ FPS. Whereas this may sound low in comparison with Siege, have in mind Elden Ring is extraordinarily vivid and options maps which might be extremely detailed. Even with all of the add-on stress, Elden Ring maintained its excessive FPS, and I had enjoyable dying over and over.

I additional pushed the sport all the way down to 1080p on Extremely, which gave me over 100+ FPS and even reached round 120 in sure situations. Like earlier than there was no lag or micro stutters and the general expertise was very fulfilling.

GhostWire: Tokyo

Whereas viewers reception of GhostWire: Tokyo has been divided, I merely cherished ending this recreation. Additionally understanding that the sport itself is demanding due to its results and Ray Tracing, I examined it out.

The usual 2K Extremely pre-set rendered round 55+ frames with sure conditions pushing it over 60. Whereas sub 60 FPS may sound horrible to you, keep in mind that GhostWire is an especially demanding recreation that’s not that optimized. Nevertheless, regardless of that I had an fulfilling expertise.

Ray Tracing on 2K, nevertheless, was not a easy expertise. With RTX on at low, the GPU might handle was 35+ FPS on regular gameplay. Whereas there have been no stutters, this low FPS took away from the expertise, and I didn’t have enjoyable. I nonetheless needed Ray Tracing at medium, so I turned it all the way down to 1080p decision. The expertise there was higher as I received 50+ FPS which continues to be an enormous increase. When you’re a stickler for Ray Tracing, I like to recommend preserving the sport at Low/Medium graphics on FHD decision to get the perfect efficiency.

Extremely 1080p efficiency as anticipated didn’t break a sweat as I received over 100+ FPS whereas I battled away a number of Slendermen with KK. So, I discovered gaming on the Legion Slim 7 an fulfilling expertise. Whereas the low Ray Tracing efficiency is a priority, it’s apparent that the low 100Watt TGP is partly a trigger for it.

Whereas Lenovo might have gone a bit additional with the wattage, it’s a compromise that comes with a light-weight gaming laptop computer. Regardless of this, nevertheless, the Legion Slim 7 stands tall with regards to high-performance gaming and gives stable efficiency to wattage ratio.

Software program and Lenovo Vantage

Virtually each laptop computer producer lately offers specialised software program that acts as a management heart for the machine. The Legion Slim 7 isn’t any exception, because the built-in Lenovo Vantage software program is the command hub for the machine, which comes with Home windows 11 out of the field. That includes real-time CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD utilization, Vantage permits a person to watch their laptop computer’s efficiency continuously.

Nevertheless, that’s not the place its benefit lies. Vantage additionally serves as the house to Lenovo’s custom-tuned thermal profiles that kick in when the laptop computer wants them. Categorised beneath Efficiency, Steadiness, and Quiet Mode, these thermal modes robotically modify the laptop computer’s efficiency and fan pace to suit the scenario.

Moreover this, Vantage holds an immense variety of settings, together with one to activate/off Hybrid mode to your liking. Lenovo Community Enhance prioritizes your recreation whereas overdrive minimizes the response time of the show even additional. You may as well fine-tune many different settings, together with webcam, mic, keyboard, battery optimization, and extra.

Thermal Efficiency

Whereas I’ve already defined the laptop computer excels at gaming, I wish to shortly discuss thermals. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 encompasses a turbo twin fan design with a number of exhausts on the edges and again. Whereas mistaken for one thing small at first, the Slim’s 7 cooling system is surprisingly environment friendly.

Throughout my hours of enjoying by numerous video games, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 constantly remained beneath 80-degree Celsius. Contemplating the truth that the GPU utilization was all the time 99%, that is significantly spectacular. Lenovo’s sensible Coldfront Cooling basically seems to be the arduous work away because the system began its increase cooling as quickly because the temps went up. I solely wanted to place my palms close to the vents to see how arduous the followers had been working.

When you’re a gamer who likes to ramp the settings up for eye sweet, you’ll admire the Slim 7’s cooling because it retains the temps down and the efficiency excessive.

Keyboard, Trackpad, and Fingerprint Sensor

Whereas the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is a gaming laptop computer, that doesn’t imply its keyboard shouldn’t be a pleasant one to sort on. The Legion Slim 7 options an RGB backlight keyboard that’s appropriate with Corsair iCUE expertise. There’s additionally a devoted numpad that sits snugly on the fitting facet of the laptop computer.

Typing on the Legion Slim 7 keyboard itself is a pleasant expertise. Hitting the keys give off an impression that whereas not too tactile hits the fitting notes and feels good to the fingers. The important thing journey itself is sort of low, so I didn’t discover myself ready to push your entire key down repeatedly. The keycaps have a U-shape, which makes sustaining good typing kind simple. It helped remove fats fingering for me, regardless of in work or gaming. Whereas I’m already accustomed to typing, my typing take a look at outcomes went even additional with 70WPM.

Gaming on the keyboard itself is as enjoyable as typing. The WSAD keypresses are swift and responsive and all video games registered my actions shortly. For the occasions I felt like having RGB results on my keyboard, I opened up the Corsair iCUE app and cycled by the assorted keyboard gentle results so as to add extra enjoyable to my gaming expertise. I additionally appreciated the truth that urgent Fn solely highlights the perform keys on the keyboard, which is helpful and funky.

The Legion Slim 7 encompasses a glass floor multi-touchpad that works properly. The trackpad itself lacks any texture, which suggests your fingers simply slide throughout it. It naturally helps precision gestures which might be simple to carry out repeatedly. Whereas the clicks on the trackpad do really feel a bit tough, I received used to it shortly sufficient. Nevertheless, the trackpad is positioned in an awkward place to the left which typically had me registering annoying misclicks on the laptop computer. This, I suppose, will take extra time to get used to.

When you’re somebody who values their safety and privateness, the energy button homes a fingerprint sensor that works very well. As soon as registered, the sensor registered my fingerprint in microseconds and the laptop computer unlocked simply. The facility button too has a cool ring gentle round it that appears good.

Regardless of that, nevertheless, each the trackpad and keyboard are spectacular and can see a gamer/ informal person by their each day move simply.

Ports and Connectivity

The Legion Slim 7 encompasses a modest set of I/O ports that may work for an on a regular basis gamer. The left facet of the laptop computer homes a 4-in-1 SD card reader with a mic/ headphone jack. That’s it. The suitable facet of the Slim 7 has 2 Kind-C ports, that are each DP and USB 3.1 Gen 2 appropriate. And people searching for extra, the laptop computer’s again has a pair of USB Kind-A ports, with one port having an always-on perform, and Energy In.

You’ll instantly discover that the laptop computer doesn’t have an HDMI or Ethernet port. Nevertheless, given the main target Lenovo has for the Slim 7, that is hardly a shock. Given how each the ports will improve the general thickness of the laptop computer, the corporate determined to eliminate them. Whereas I can nonetheless substitute the HDMI with the DP, I discovered the shortage of a LAN port disturbing.

When it comes to wi-fi connectivity, the Legion 7 Slim does include Killer Wi-Fi AX1650 and Bluetooth 5.1. Nevertheless, there are occasions when one simply wants a great previous ethernet connection to hook their PC up and obtain video games shortly. Having no port as such means I now have to hold round a USB dongle for a similar factor. Relying on what sort of person you might be, this can be an issue or a blessing. That I depart as much as you to resolve.

Audio

I don’t count on a lot from laptop computer audio system as most fashions ship sub-par audio efficiency and barely get the job finished. Regardless that it’s all crammed in such a small design, the Lenovo Slim 7 has audio system that shocked me. The twin speaker set-up sits on the backside of the laptop computer. The audio system are tuned by Harman Kardon and likewise function help for Nahimic audio. I examined out the audio system utilizing my each day Spotify/ YouTube playlist and was left impressed.

For starters, the audio system on the Slim 7 can get fairly loud for his or her dimension. The 2 backside firers, when run on 100% quantity, have what some would name room-filling sound. There’s no audio distortion or crackling even at max quantity. The bass, as is common, can’t be actually felt however you do hear some thump every so often.

The built-in Nahmic software program does assist amp up the audio expertise, making it louder and a bit richer. The software program additionally has different pre-set modes like Music, Films, Video games, and extra that will help you discover that good profile. Whereas the audio system on the Slim 7 usually are not loud sufficient for giant events, they are going to simply get you thru your leisure periods.

Webcam and Microphone

The webcam and microphone on the Legion Slim 7 are as commonplace as they arrive on laptops. The 720p webcam captures pictures and movies decently with little high quality loss. There’s grain right here and there as I used to be anticipating. Nevertheless, mixed with its bodily privateness shutter, the webcam does a adequate job and can get you thru your day-to-day video calls.

The microphone onboard can be common at recording sounds. The recorded sound is evident more often than not however typically will get muddy, which is annoying. I additionally sat in an Echo room to see how properly Nahimic Echo cancellation works, and it sadly didn’t make a distinction in any respect. For players and customers who wish to shortly get on video calls, the digicam and mic are okay at finest. Skilled customers ought to get their very own gear to attach with the laptop computer. Take a look at the best 4K webcams to buy right here.

Battery and Charging

As a laptop user who loves high screen brightness, I sense the Legion 7 Slim was scared of me and my extensive use. However, the laptop’s 73Wh battery did a decent job of maintaining its life while I worked away. Setting the brightness to 100%, the laptop’s battery at the best power efficiency and moderate use lasted me around 4.5 hours before I had to plug it back in.

While Slim 7 does not offer the best battery life, it was cut short by me watching YouTube videos and occasionally playing with the RGB lights on the keyboard. Lenovo’s Rapid Charge that you need to enable via Lenovo Vantage was helpful as it helped the system charge up quickly and without delay. The provided 230W charging adapter, while not the most lightweight, is slim enough. And I doubt that you will get up to the advertised 8 hours of battery life, but you can stretch it to 6 hours, given you take it easy on the system.

Lenovo Legion Slim 7: Pros and Cons

Lenovo Legion Slim 7 Review: Portable Gaming That Doesn’t Compromise

The pursuit of a lightweight gaming machine is one that can get difficult quickly. While you may appreciate the extra power in a laptop, it may be bogged down with extra weight. Others offer lighter chassis but don’t give the GPU wattage required to deliver the best experience in today’s AAA titles. However, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 manages to hit the sweet spot between portability and performance. With a solid combination of CPU, GPU, and a display that actually performs, the Legion Slim 7 is a lightweight machine capable of a lot.

While the average GPU wattage may deter gamers who want the best of everything, what they get in return is a machine that doesn’t break your back while carrying it. Starting at a price of (₹144,990), the Slim 7 is a laptop computer that doesn’t come low-cost. However, the advantages outweigh the value tag. Nevertheless, in case you are a gamer with a tighter price range, options just like the MSI Stealth 15M (₹1,19,000) or the ASUS TUF Sprint F15 (₹114,990) may curiosity you extra. Nevertheless, be aware that these laptops have their very own compromises (and positives) that you’ll have to weigh in.

Nevertheless, for a gamer out and about and keen to spend a dime further for portability, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 strikes a great stability of portability, efficiency, and value. And properly, that’s all for this evaluate. What are your ideas on this gaming laptop computer? Do you suppose it’s value dropping GPU wattage/ some ports to make the machine lighter? Give us your two cents within the feedback beneath!