#Lenovo Goes All-in on AMD with New Legion Gaming Laptops – Review Geek

Lenovo’s absolute torrent of CES announcements continues. This time around it’s gaming laptops, and like much of its competition, Lenovo is mixing it up with models based both on AMD hardware. Most of the new entries will be available in late spring or early summer at a variety of prices. Lenovo is also showing off an interesting headset and charging station for your desktop.

Legion 7

The Legion 7 is Lenovo’s top-of-the-line gaming laptop. The big news this year is an upgrade to a 16-inch 16:10 screen—about the same width as a standard 15-inch model but a little taller. By default it comes with QHD resolution (2560×1600 with that extra height). It’s an IPS panel that tops out at 165Hz for buttery-smooth gameplay, locked in with NVIDIA G-SYNC.

Other upgrades include the latest Ryzen 5000-series processors and RTX 3000-series GPUs, an electronic shutter on the webcam with dedicated button, multiple RGB zones around the body and exhaust fans, and an optional upgrade to Killer-brand Wi-Fi. RAM tops out at 32GB, with a 2TB maximum M.2 SSD drive. Ports spread across the sides and rear include three, count ’em, three USB-C, three USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, and a proprietary power plug.

Lenovo is oddly proud of the interior of the Legion 7, claiming that has “black-out components plus a special message and QR code label for you to scan hardware information and service options.” Sadly, there are no photos of this interior makeover. It’s also boasting a rather beefy 80Wh battery. The Legion 7 starts at a pricey $1,770, launching in June.

Legion Slim 7

The slim variant of the Legion leader doesn’t get that updated screen: It has to make do with 15.6 inches. But there is an optional upgrade to 4K, the better to show off the combination of AMD processors and RTX graphics cards, or a 1080p 165Hz option. The sleek magnesium alloy body is more conventional, but packs all that power into just 4.2 pounds in either shadow black or storm grey colors. It’s also cramming a fingerprint reader into the power button, a feature apparently missing from the larger machine.

Lenovo calls the Legion Slim 7 the “thinnest and lightest gaming laptop in Lenovo Legion history,” but doesn’t mention specific dimensions. It’s coming in May, with prices still to be determined.

Legion 5

The mid-range Legion 5 comes in both 15-inch and 17-inch varieties, both packing the latest Ryzen and GeForce RTX chips. The 15-inch version can go up to 2TB of storage and 32GB of RAM, which is odd, because the larger laptop only gets 1TB and 16GB, respectively, on the high end. Screens on the 15-inch model are all 1080p, at 60, 120, or 165Hz, while the 17-inch screen (same resolution) has 60 and 144Hz choices.

Both of the chunkier laptops get a range of ports: two USB-C, four USB-A, Ethernet, SD card reader, Ethernet, and HDMI, plus that dedicated camera shutter button. The 15-inch version has white, blue, or 4-zone RGB keyboard options, while the 17-inch has any color you want (so long as you want white). Both come to market in March, starting at $770. Curiously, there’s no mention of “5i” variants with Intel chips, as are currently offered.

Legion 5 Pro

The upgraded version of the Legion 5 comes only in the smaller size, but it makes up for it with that improved 16-inch G-SYNC screen, rocking 2560×1600 resolution and 165Hz refresh rate. It also has access to more powerful Ryzen 5000 processors (7 tier) on top of the RTX cards. Lenovo wanted to highlight the four-sided slim bezels,  with a 90% screen-to-body ratio (clearly meant on the top lid only).

Memory tops out at 16GB, storage at 2TB, with optional upgrades to a 4-zone RGB keyboard and the same port selection as the Legion 5 above. Prices start at $1,000, launching in March.

IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Accessories

Weirdly, Lenovo’s entry-level gaming laptop goes with its general IdeaPad branding over Legion. There’s an existing model of the IdeaPad Gaming 3 on sale right now, a 15.6-inch machine that uses Ryzen 4000-series processors and a GTX 1650 GPU. Lenovo doesn’t say what improvements will be made to the new model—that GTX 1650 is still being used by budget gaming laptops—but it’ll be available in June starting at $670.

Lenovo’s also announcing a new budget Legion-branded headset, the H200. More interesting is the H600 (above), a premium option that adds 50mm drivers, a flip-down mic boom, wireless audio, and POGO charging through the band. (Presumably it can charge via cable, too.) Both the H200 and H600 will go on sale in April for $50 and $100, respectively.

Of course, if you have a wireless charging headset, you need to pair it with a wireless charger. The S600 Gaming Station charges the H600 headset through its band, but adds on a Qi pad for your phone or mouse underneath. There are also USB charging ports for boring old gadgets that need antiquated wires. The charging station will be an extra $90.