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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 9i, being a high-end gaming laptop with a powerful processor and graphics card, is suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, but it does come with a higher price tag and is heavier, making it less portable. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, priced a bit lower, offers a premium build and is lighter and thinner, with longer battery life, making it more suitable for business professionals and general use. While its performance is not as robust as the Legion's for gaming or heavy engineering tasks, its OLED touchscreen and excellent screen resolution make it ideal for content consumption and creative work that benefits from high color accuracy. 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 9i
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Best in class overall display quality
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.2
6.7
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 9i is considered excellent for gaming and 3D applications as it boasts a high-end Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a high refresh rate screen, ensuring smoother visuals and better graphics handling. In comparison, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 comes with an AMD RX 6500M GPU and a lower refresh rate screen which, while still good, offers less graphical performance and lower screen smoothness than the Legion 9i.
Engineering and Design
9.6
8.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i is equipped with a more powerful Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics, making it excellent for demanding engineering and design tasks, whereas the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers a solid AMD Ryzen 7 processor and AMD RX graphics, along with an OLED screen, which is very good but slightly less suited for the most intensive tasks compared to the Legion 9i.
Screen Quality
9.7
8.5
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
682.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Lenovo Legion 9i's screen stands out due to its high resolution and brightness, making text clear and colors pop, crucial for daily activities like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, its excellence is attributed to its wide color coverage, ensuring accurate color rendering for detailed graphical work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Legion 9i's lower refresh rate holds it back, as fast-moving images might not be as smooth as on screens designed specifically for high-frame-rate gaming.
Battery
3.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$3,420
$1,120
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a price of $3,420 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.4
8.6
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
682.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Lenovo Legion 9i are both very good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 9i offers a powerful CPU and high RAM capacity, a Mini LED screen with high pixel density and bright colors, which makes it excellent for multi-tasking in general use, but falls short with its heavier weight and lower battery life.
Content Creation
8.7
8.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo Legion 9i and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very 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
8.3
8.2
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Lenovo Legion 9i and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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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How the Lenovo Legion 9i and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 9i | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,420 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.64 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.93" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13980HX | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.9 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3200 x 2000 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 682 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.8/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
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 | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 9i or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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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