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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 7 is a more budget-friendly option with a good balance of features for general use and gaming, and its AMD Ryzen processor paired with an Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card offers solid performance. It's also slightly lighter, which might be advantageous if portability is important to you. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 9i is a premium laptop that provides top-tier performance with the latest Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics, suitable for the most demanding engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and machine learning work. The Legion 9i also boasts a higher-resolution mini LED display with better color accuracy, which might be crucial for work that requires precise color representation. However, it comes at a higher price point and offers less battery life, making it less ideal if you frequently work on the go. Both laptops are not the most portable, with mid-range portability scores, but the Legion 7 is slightly more portable and has a longer battery life, which could be a deciding factor if you need a machine that can last longer unplugged. 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 7
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
469.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i offers superior general use capabilities with its more advanced Intel i9 processor and double the RAM of the Legion 7, enhancing multitasking and demanding applications. Also, the higher screen quality and battery life contribute to the Legion 9i’s better suitability for extended and varied use, although it may be less portable due to size and weight.
Gaming and AI
7.8
9.2
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
165Hz
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 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i offers superior graphics performance over the Legion 7 thanks to its more advanced RTX 4080 GPU which enhances gaming and 3D experiences; additionally, the Legion 9i's Mini LED screen boasts higher resolution, brightness, and color coverage than the Legion 7's IPS display, contributing to better overall screen quality for these tasks. Both laptops share the same screen refresh rate, balancing the visual fluidity during gaming and 3D rendering activities.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.6
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is very good.
The Lenovo Legion 7, with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, offers robust performance for engineering and design, but the Lenovo Legion 9i takes it up a notch with an Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, delivering even higher quality performance for the most demanding tasks.
Content Creation
7.9
8.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 7 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
7.6
8.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 7 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.
Screen Quality
8.3
9.7
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
469.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 7 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, both the Lenovo Legion 7 and Legion 9i have excellent displays that offer crisp visuals due to their high resolution and brightness, with the Legion 9i edging out with a slightly superior panel that provides even better clarity and color reproduction. For engineering and design, the Legion 9i's screen stands out because it covers a wider range of colors, essential for precise work that demands color accuracy, making it preferable over the Legion 7. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short as they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and fast-paced action, despite their otherwise high-quality panels and resolutions.
Battery
6.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo Legion 7 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,500
$3,420
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a price of $1,500 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo Legion 9i both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 7 and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 7 | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.5 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.27" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 469 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 9.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"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."
Lenovo Legion 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 7 or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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.
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