Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 Review: Power, Performance, and Precision

When discussing the finest gaming laptops, the Lenovo Legion line invariably commands attention. While the Legion Pro 7i Gen8 showcases Lenovo’s utmost capabilities and power with its “top-of-the-line” configuration and equally formidable price tag, we must explore whether the Legion Pro 5i caters to most gamers and upholds the essential qualities of a high-end gaming laptop. Our Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 review will shed light on these aspects.

With a starting price of $1,269.99, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 offers a gaming laptop configuration that can reach up to an Intel Core i9-13900HX processor, RTX 4070 GPU, and 32GB of RAM. Notably, the device includes the premium Legion Ultimate Support (LUS) warranty service, which is exclusively available to Lenovo’s high-end gaming laptops. The LUS service boasts a team of seasoned technicians who are readily available to provide 24/7 technical support and advice, ensuring a smooth and worry-free gaming experience.

Wherever one talks about the best gaming laptops, the Lenovo Legion line is bound to be there. While the Legion Pro 7i confirms Lenovo’s top capabilities and power, with a “top-of-the-line” configuration and an equally serious price tag, is the Legion Pro 5i accessible to most gamers and does it retain the important qualities of a high-end gaming laptop? All this will be known in this Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 review.

Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 has a starting price of $1,269.99, the gaming laptop configuration is up to Intel Core i9-13900HX, RTX 4070 GPU, and 32GB of RAM. Of course, the device also comes with the premium Legion Ultimate Support (LUS) warranty service exclusive to Lenovo’s high-end gaming laptops, with a team of seasoned technicians ready to provide 24/7 technical support and advice.

Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 Review

Design

The Legion Pro 5i Gen 8, akin to its recent predecessors, maintains an understated exterior, marked by discretion and silence, in stark contrast to its sibling, the Legion Pro 7i, which lacks any RGB LED strips. Though its appearance may not command immediate attention, concealed within lies an awe-inspiring power.

Our Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 review unit comes in an Onyx Gray hue, leaving uncertainty about whether Lenovo will continue offering a white version akin to last year’s Gen 7. The gray color exudes sophistication; however, it tends to accumulate fingerprints, especially on the aluminum A-side, with the remaining areas constructed of ABS plastic. Despite this, we find that the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 still exhibits a robust build quality that surpasses Lenovo’s lower-tier gaming models like IdeaPad Gaming or Legion 5i 2022 (REVIEW).

Compared to its predecessor, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 adopts a more rounded overall design, its softer edges serving as heat sinks. This year’s Gen 8 of the Legion Pro series comes equipped with the 5th generation Coldfront cooling system, which optimizes airflow and efficiently dissipates heat – a feature we shall delve into in the subsequent part of this Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 review.

Lenovo, a frontrunner in relocating connection ports to the back edge of gaming laptops, enhances the laptop’s sides for improved heat dissipation, while also granting gamers more space for peripherals like keyboards and mice.

The array of connections on the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 is notably impressive, encompassing 2 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 for image output, Thunderbolt 4 for high-speed data transfer, a 140W PD charging port, 4 USB-A ports, the latest HDMI 2.1, RJ-45 Ethernet port, 3.5mm jack, and a webcam quick-toggle button.

The Thunderbolt 4 ports facilitate transforming the laptop into a comprehensive and immersive gaming station. Delivering blazing-fast connections at 40 gigabits per second, Thunderbolt ensures sufficient bandwidth to boost performance, whether engaged in gaming or work. Additionally, the wireless connections include superfast Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1, facilitating effortless pairing with wireless devices.

Display and other features

The Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 boasts a 16-inch screen featuring a QHD+ IPS panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 500 nit brightness, and an impressive 240Hz refresh rate.

This marks a notable upgrade from the Gen 7, where the highest option is capped at 165Hz. The 240Hz refresh rate offers a discernible improvement, particularly for avid FPS gamers who indulge in titles like CS: GO or Valorant, as it effectively reduces ghosting. While the leap may not be as apparent as going from 60Hz to 144Hz, in fast-paced games where split-second decisions matter, every advantage counts.

Additionally, the Legion Pro 5i’s screen attains DisplayHDR 400 and Dolby Vision certifications, ensuring exceptional entertainment and user experience. Surprisingly, despite being a gaming laptop, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 comes color calibrated by X-rite straight from the factory. In our practical experience, we’ve come to admire the display quality of this screen: The 16-inch size provides sharp and spacious imagery, while the color reproduction remains deep and vibrant, even without an OLED panel.

Regrettably, the speakers and webcam are among the few aspects that remain unchanged from the previous generation. The dual 2x2W down-firing speakers might fall short of serious gaming needs, although the Nahimic Audio application does offer some improvement, albeit not significantly. Meanwhile, the laptop’s 1080p webcam serves adequately for online meetings or video calls.

Keyboard and touchpad

Lenovo laptops, be they Legion, ThinkPad, or ThinkBook, are consistently reliable when it comes to the keyboard and typing experience.

The Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 maintains its use of the Legion TrueStrike keyboard, featuring 1.5mm deep key travel, light tactile feedback upon pressing, and a 4-zone LED setup (previously exclusive to the Legion Pro 7i). Moreover, the curved keycaps enhance typing comfort. With the spacious 16-inch screen size, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 seamlessly incorporates a full range of numpad keys and arrow keys without compromising on their size.

While the touchpad may not hold much significance for a gaming laptop like the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 – since most gamers prefer using a gaming mouse – it does come with a sizeable area and a plastic cover. The click response is commendable, but its position is somewhat close to the WASD cluster. Consequently, during gaming sessions, we often disable the touchpad to prevent accidental touches.

Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 review test

Performance

Our Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 review unit comes equipped with the “max option” configuration, featuring an Intel Core i9-13900HX processor, an RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB of DDR5 5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.

The spotlight naturally falls on the Core i9-13900HX chip, a powerhouse from Intel’s Raptor Lake generation. Boasting 24 cores and 32 threads, it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the mightiest CPU, the Core i9-13980HX, albeit with a slightly lower clock speed (5.4 GHz single core vs. 5.6 GHz). Nonetheless, with eight high-performance P cores, 16 power-efficient E cores, and 36MB of Smart Cache, the Core i9-13900HX on the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 breezes through any task you throw its way, be it AAA gaming or 4K video editing.

Simultaneously, the RTX 4070 GPU, the highest option for the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8, proves itself formidable, as Lenovo generously set the maximum TGP to 140W, while most manufacturers and Nvidia settle for approximately 30-115W. Accompanied by 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM and 4,608 CUDA cores, this GPU delivers exceptional performance.

With the entire machine’s total TDP set at 200W, Lenovo’s AI Engine+ takes charge of balancing the power supply to optimize performance. Incorporated into the Lenovo Vantage application, this feature monitors ongoing tasks through the AI LA1 chip and makes necessary adjustments accordingly. Users can easily switch between performance profiles (Quiet, Balanced, Performance) using the Fn + Q keyboard shortcut.

And now, without further ado, let’s delve into the benchmark results for the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8: 

Cinebench R23 was used to gauge the CPU performance of rendering tasks, with the Intel Core i9-13900HX on the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 achieving an impressive score of 2,015 in the single-core test and 29,004 in the multi-core test.

Moving on to GeekBench 6, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 garnered 2,734 points in the single-core test and 16,737 points in the multi-core test. However, it’s important to note that direct comparisons with the previous generation are challenging since we previously utilized GeekBench 5 for measurements.

In the GeekBench 6 OpenCL benchmark, the RTX 4070 exhibited a remarkable score of 111,403.

Shifting our focus to everyday multitasking tasks, PCMark 10 was employed, and the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 displayed commendable performance, achieving an average of 8,062 points.

3D Mark Fire Strike Extreme

3D Mark Time Spy

In regards to the gaming emulator, we conducted two tests: 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme (2K DX11) and Time Spy (2K DX12). The Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 achieved a score of 14,192 points in Fire Strike Extreme and 13,016 points in Time Spy. While these scores are relatively close to those of the RTX 3070 Ti, the RTX 4070 boasts additional advantages like DLSS 3, superior Frame Generation technology, and Ray Tracing, which the benchmark scores may not fully demonstrate.

The performance of the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 in popular games proved to be highly impressive, especially when the games support DLSS.

For instance, in Guardians of the Galaxy, with graphics settings set to High, DLSS Quality, and a QHD+ resolution, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 achieved an average FPS of 160 after completing the benchmark.

In the case of Final Fantasy XV Benchmark, at QHD resolution and High-Quality graphics settings, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 recorded a score of 8,750 in the High-performance level.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider, a reliable benchmark for testing, demonstrated the prowess of the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 with an average FPS of 142 at the Highest graphics setting, QHD+ resolution, and DLSS Quality.

As for data storage, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 is equipped with Samsung’s NVMe PCIe 4.0 PM9A1 SSD. Crystal Disk Mark measurements reveal that this SSD achieves impressive sequential read/write speeds of 6,666 MB/s and 4,990 MB/s, respectively.

The temperatures of key components like the Intel Core i9-13900HX CPU and the RTX 4070 GPU largely depend on the specific tasks being executed and the allocation of power managed by AI Engine+.

For instance, during Cinebench R23 benchmarking, we observed that the Intel Core i9-13900HX CPU can consume up to 137W for the entire package, resulting in temperatures of up to 100 degrees Celsius in an air-conditioned room. Thanks to Coldfront 5, which sustains peak performance for extended periods, turning off the benchmark promptly cools down the laptop.

Conversely, the RTX 4070 GPU demonstrates a relatively lower power consumption of approximately 120-125W during Time Spy Extreme benchmarking (4K DX12). To push the consumption to a maximum of 140W, the “last trick” of Furmark is required. Consequently, it’s not unusual to find the CPU or GPU not running at full throttle as initially declared since AI Engine+ modulates the power to optimize performance based on the specific task at hand.

Battery

Similar to its predecessor, the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 features an 80 WHr battery. However, in reality, this configuration falls short, especially when running on battery, which significantly diminishes the device’s performance. To combat this, the device comes with a powerful 300W charger that can charge 80% of the battery in just 30 minutes. While it’s possible to charge the laptop via USB-C PD at 140W, we do not recommend this method as it fails to provide sufficient power for optimal performance.

Final line

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 is a powerful and well-designed gaming laptop that caters to gamers seeking top-tier performance and features. Its sleek and understated exterior hides the immense power concealed within, with configurations that can reach up to an Intel Core i9-13900HX processor, RTX 4070 GPU, and 32GB of RAM.

The 16-inch QHD+ display with a 240Hz refresh rate and DisplayHDR 400 certification offer a highly immersive gaming experience with sharp imagery and vibrant colors. The performance benchmarks of the Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 reveal its prowess in handling demanding tasks, including gaming and content creation, thanks to its Intel Core i9-13900HX and RTX 4070 GPU combination.

The laptop’s keyboard and touchpad provide a comfortable and reliable typing experience, while the wide array of connection ports, including Thunderbolt 4, further enhances its versatility as a gaming station.

Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 is a formidable gaming laptop that impresses with its powerful performance, excellent display, and thoughtful design. While it may not be the most budget-friendly option, it certainly upholds the essential qualities of a high-end gaming laptop, making it a worthy consideration for gamers looking to invest in top-notch gaming performance and support.

Pros:

1. Powerful performance with Intel Core i9-13900HX and RTX 4070 GPU.
2. Impressive 16-inch QHD+ display with 240Hz refresh rate and DisplayHDR 400.
3. Premium Legion Ultimate Support (LUS) warranty service.
4. Abundant connection ports, including Thunderbolt 4.
5. Efficient Coldfront 5 cooling system.

Cons:

1. Limited battery life, especially when running on battery power.
2. Fingerprint magnet on the aluminum A-side.
3. Speakers and webcams could be improved for a gaming laptop.
4. Relatively high starting price, making it less accessible to budget-conscious gamers.

Price and availability

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 gaming laptop is available for purchase starting at $1,269.99 from various online stores, including Amazon.com, Newegg.com, and Bhphotovideo.com.