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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 9i offers superior performance, especially for 3D rendering, machine learning, and other engineering applications, due to its high-end main processor and powerful GPU. However, it is less portable, heavier, and comes with a higher price tag. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is more affordable, lighter, and offers better battery life and portability, making it more suitable for general use and those who frequently travel. The ThinkBook 13s also has a touchscreen and runs Windows 11 Pro, but it's not as powerful as the Legion 9i for gaming or intensive tasks. 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
- 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
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.8
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
682.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i excels in CPU and RAM, which are paramount for performance in general use, with a high-quality mini LED screen, although it's less portable and has shorter battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s offers a balance with portability and longer battery life, a good IPS display, and sufficient CPU and RAM for general tasks, but isn't as powerful as the Legion 9i.
Gaming and AI
9.2
6.4
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out for gaming and 3D applications with its powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, providing smoother graphics and better performance for demanding tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, offers modest gaming and 3D capabilities, more suited for general use than intensive applications.
Engineering and Design
9.6
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i excels in engineering and design thanks to its superior CPU, ample RAM, powerful dedicated GPU, and premium Mini LED screen, which together ensure top-notch performance and visual quality for demanding tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, while competent with a respectable CPU and integrated graphics, provides less power and a standard IPS screen, making it more suitable for less intensive engineering work and appealing to those prioritizing portability and cost.
Content Creation
8.7
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
8.3
7.7
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for software development, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
9.7
7.2
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
682.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion 9i excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to a high-resolution display, superior brightness, and wide color coverage, ensuring vivid and accurate visuals critical for these tasks. Although it boasts great colors and resolution, the lower refresh rate makes the Legion 9i less suitable for gaming and 3D work, where fluid motion is key. In contrast, the ThinkBook 13s also offers a good display for general use and engineering with decent brightness and resolution, but similarly falls short for gaming and 3D applications because of a standard refresh rate.
Battery
3.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 8 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
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.3in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has excellent portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.6
The Lenovo Legion 9i has very good build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,420
$1,000
$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 ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
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How the Lenovo Legion 9i and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 9i | Lenovo ThinkBook 13s |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,420 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | 11.7'' x 8.3'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.64 lbs | 2.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 11.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.93" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13980HX | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.9 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3200 x 2000 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 682 nits | 336 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 8.4/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 4 | |
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 ThinkBook 13s
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chin | July 2021
"The best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 9i or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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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