The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is a more budget-friendly option that's lightweight and has a decent battery life, which makes it suitable for general use and portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 7 costs more but offers significantly higher performance for demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. The Legion 7 also features a more premium build and display quality. If you need a laptop for everyday tasks and appreciate a lower price point and portability, the IdeaPad may be the right choice, but if you require a powerful machine for intensive tasks and can afford the higher price, the Legion 7 would be a better fit. 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 IdeaPad 1 15"
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 7
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for general use, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is good for general use due to its light weight and long battery life, combined with ample RAM and a solid CPU which are sufficient for everyday tasks while being highly portable. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 7 boasts a higher-performing CPU, more RAM, and superior screen quality making it also suitable for general use but with the added ability to handle more demanding applications such as gaming; however, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which may affect its portability.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
7.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is less suited for gaming and 3D applications because it uses an integrated GPU and has a standard screen refresh rate, making it more suitable for non-intensive tasks. In contrast, the Legion 7 is equipped with a high-performance Nvidia GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which are essential for smooth and more demanding gaming and 3D experiences.
Engineering and Design
6.6/10
8.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a fair combination of processing power and RAM for moderate engineering tasks, but its integrated GPU means it's less suited for intensive design work; the screen is also less sharp and dimmer compared to higher-end models. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 7 boasts stronger CPU and RAM, a dedicated high-performance GPU, and a higher-resolution, brighter display, making it very good for demanding engineering and design applications, but this also results in a heavier build and lower portability.
Content Creation
7.4/10
7.9/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
8.3/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a screen that provides enough clarity and brightness for everyday tasks and casual use, but its lower resolution and limited color range might not suffice for detailed engineering work or offer the vibrancy required for high-quality design tasks. The Lenovo Legion 7 offers a superior display with higher resolution and a wider color gamut, making it suitable for detailed engineering graphics and professional design work, ensuring accurate color reproduction. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid motion and slower response times during fast-paced action or when rendering complex 3D scenarios.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Lenovo Legion 7 both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$741
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the Lenovo Legion 7 costs $1,500.
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for software development.
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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the Lenovo Legion 7 compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" or the Lenovo Legion 7
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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