The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i generally costs less and is lighter for better portability, while the Lenovo Legion 7, although more expensive and heavier, offers a higher refresh rate display and stronger graphics performance for intensive gaming and demanding applications. Both laptops have similar screen size and resolution, but if long battery life and a quality keyboard are important, the IdeaPad Pro 5i stands out. Conversely, the Legion 7's superior heat management and build quality, plus extra ports, are beneficial for heavy users and gamers. Ultimately, budget-conscious users seeking a balance of performance and portability may lean toward the IdeaPad, whereas those prioritizing gaming and high-performance tasks would find the Legion 7 better suited. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion 7.
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 7
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
If you prioritize a rich, sharp display for office work or browsing, both the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Legion 7 offer excellent image quality with their bright screens and high resolution. For tasks like engineering or graphic design that require accurate colors, the Legion 7 stands out for its superior color range. However, for gaming or 3D modeling where fluid motion is key, these laptops may not be ideal due to lower refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visuals.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$950
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $950 and the Lenovo Legion 7 costs $1,500.
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is well-suited for general use due to its balance of a strong CPU, ample RAM, high-quality screen, and moderately lightweight design, which supports portability along with a reasonable battery life. The Lenovo Legion 7 also excels in general use with similar CPU and memory capabilities, a superior screen with better color accuracy, and enhanced speaker and keyboard quality; however, it is heavier and might be less convenient to carry around.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a screen that refreshes at 120 Hz, both attributes facilitating smooth gaming and 3D performance, while the Lenovo Legion 7 boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a higher 165 Hz screen refresh rate, offering even greater capabilities for demanding gaming and 3D tasks. Both laptops have quality IPS displays and capable CPUs, but the Legion 7's superior GPU and refresh rate make it a superior choice for intense gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
8.2/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Legion 7 are both suited for engineering and design due to their high-quality CPUs, ample RAM, and powerful GPUs that can handle demanding applications. While the IdeaPad Pro 5i features a high pixel density IPS screen for sharp visuals, the Legion 7 exceeds with a superior screen refresh rate and GPU, providing smoother graphics rendering, though it's heavier and thus less portable than the IdeaPad Pro 5i.
Content Creation
7.7/10
7.9/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for content creation.
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
7.7/10
7.6/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Lenovo Legion 7 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 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
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and Lenovo Legion 7 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the Lenovo Legion 7 compare to other laptops
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
"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 Pro 5i 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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