For a balance of performance and cost, the Lenovo Legion 5 16 is a strong choice with its powerful Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, making it suitable for demanding tasks and some gaming, though it's less portable due to its weight and battery life is average. The Legion Pro 5i, while slightly pricier, offers an upgraded Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU which provides better performance for gaming and intensive graphics work, but has half the RAM at 16GB which could limit multitasking capabilities unless upgraded. Both have excellent screens for general use and engineering work, but the Pro 5i's 165Hz refresh rate offers smoother visuals for fast-paced gaming. Consider the Legion 5 for a more cost-effective solution with robust performance, and the Pro 5i if you prioritize superior graphics performance and are willing to potentially upgrade the RAM for heavy multitasking. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024)
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024).
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.7/10
8.1/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
500.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Cost
$1,200
$1,450
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) has a price of $1,200 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) costs $1,450.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
8.5/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) are both very good for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
9.0/10
8.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) to be very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.0/10
7.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Battery
3.5 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has 3.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024) compare to other laptops
"The midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i (2024)
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
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