While waiting for the new Legions announced at CES 2021, Lenovo continues to offer its other war machines. This version of the Legion 7 is a true flagship for gaming. He is super powerful, full of undeniable qualities. However, he magnifies the full box too. a few pixels. The Legion 7 is the most doped 15.6 inch in the entire fleet, and it comes in a lot of configurations on the market. It is not equipped with the latest GeForce RTX Series 3000, from Nvidia, but with a very large Series 2000 chip, the RTX 2080 Max-Q.

The Legion 5 is one of the many new Lenovo gaming laptops available in recent weeks. This 15.6-inch model is undoubtedly one of the most attractive in its category since its price is barely 1200 USD and on paper, nothing seems to be missing. Legion 5 is an entry-level gamer machine. It has a simple but effective configuration for those who want to play, from time to time, a lot of games without wanting to go into all the details at all costs.

Pros and Cons

General Info

	Lenovo Legion 7	Lenovo Legion 5
$	CHECK PRICE	CHECK PRICE
Brand	Lenovo	Lenovo
Model	Legion 7	Legion 5
Weight	2.1 Kg	2.5 Kg
OS	Windows 10 Home (64-Bit)	Windows 10 Home (64-Bit)
Dispay	15.6 Inch	15.6 Inch
Storage	1 TB	1 TB
Colors	Black	Black

Lenovo Legion 7

The Legion 7 looks a lot like its little brother the Legion 5 in many ways. The case is sober but efficient, entirely designed in magnesium alloy. There are also some plastic parts but they do not show too much and are well made. Silver gray, this 15.6-inch laptop PC blends in well with the surroundings and would almost pass for a work laptop.

Lenovo Legion 5

The glittery gray magnesium alloy and the sober lines of the device really remind us of more mainstream machines (the IdeaPad or Yoga ) or even the pro versions of Lenovo, the Chinese brand’s ThinkPads. The case, moreover, does not suffer from any problem of assembly or adjustment between the different parts that compose it.

Specification

Performance

Lenovo Legion 7

The Intel Core i7-10875H processor is capable of climbing to 5 GHz in some cases. There is also 32 GB of DDR4 memory and 2 TB of SSD in PCIe NVMe format. So installing a good amount of games will not be a problem at all.

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2080 will take care of displaying all the polygons of your favorite games. However, the Max-Q version is in charge of this task. It is therefore a little less powerful than the classic version, but it consumes less, too. With its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, however, it is more than equipped to display all games in Full HD on the screen of the machine or in 1440p on an external screen.

The Lenovo Legion 7 stands out as one of the five most powerful portable gaming machines of the moment, almost as powerful as the Aorus 17 YA and much more comfortable, in 90% of cases, than the very atypical Apex 15 from XMG.

Lenovo Legion 5

Regardless of the Legion, whether powered by Intel or AMD, it’s only GeForce GTX or RTX cards that take care of the graphics. The memory is necessary of the DDR4 type and there is more or less SSD. And, above all, all want to be very discreet. No neons or LEDs galore, Lenovo wanted them as refined as possible.

Display

Multimedia

Lenovo Legion 7

On the right, as can be seen below, there is only a full-size USB 3 socket. On the back, the HDMI video output compared to the version. But we find, more or less, the same inputs/outputs as on the other 15.6 inches. Two USB Type-C sockets, one in Thunderbolt 3 format, three USB 3.2 Gen 1, one HDMI output (2.0b), one wired network socket, the stereo output/microphone input combo of use. The sides are properly trimmed. Add a Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.0 card and the owner’s tour is complete.

The keyboard retains the very good keys of the Legion family, very pleasant to navigate when chatting or fretting on the fly. Its shape is a bit exotic but you get used to it quickly and the fact that each key is a little hollow in the middle helps the fingers stay in place.

Lenovo Legion 5

Most of the Legion 5 sockets are located at the rear of the machine. This is great, this is where the connectors should be on a gaming laptop.

On the sides, Lenovo, however, left two USB sockets (one on each side). And the analog headphone jack. Well, we still don’t like having a USB socket on the right, but the brand probably didn’t have a choice. In all, there are 4 USB ports on the machine, including the two sockets on the back (all are USB 3.1 Gen 1).

Battery

Conclusion!

Lenovo Legion 7

Lenovo is still improving but still cannot claim to compete with the tenors of the laptop gaming sector. The Legion 7 has however enough to thrill more than one Dell, Asus, or MSI machine on the technical level. He could even give them some lessons in ergonomics and sobriety.
However, we feel that Lenovo is a fairly young brand in the world of gaming because it does not offer a Full HD screen up to the requested 3,700 euros, and in accordance with current standards. The refresh rate should be higher, the brightness and contrast much more consistent, and the color fidelity a hint more polished.

Especially since, as we said, this type of machine is aimed before all players but can also appeal to creators who need to have an almost perfect screen, a lot of power, and a machine that goes almost everywhere. The last two conditions are met but not the first.

Lenovo Legion 5

With the Aero HDR range, Gigabyte has put content creators in the spotlight with a clear commitment to bring the best possible screen: OLED panel, 4K, HDR, and certified by Pantone and X-Rite. Even having a high price, it seems to us one of the most complete laptops on the market. The AORUS 17G incorporates the latest generation of Intel processors. It is accompanied by a 17 “240Hz screen and an Nvidia 2070 Super Max-Q to enjoy excellent gaming performance that, thanks to its mechanical keyboard, we can use with precision and comfort.

 

 

Pros and Cons

General Info

Gigabyte AERO

For years, those who were looking for a powerful laptop for professional tasks were forced to choose between options designed for gamers full of details and aggressive colors, RGB lights … however something is changing in the market. And Gigabyte is one of the brands that is betting heavily on the sector of professionals and content creators with its AERO range.

Externally, the AERO 17 HDR shares the same chassis as its gamer brother, the AORUS 17G that we were able to test recently, with an angular design that focuses efforts on maximizing cooling and that differs from a very nice matte black finish, but which is a real magnet for fingerprints, and some small aesthetic details like the grid pattern on the keyboard or the AERO logos.

The AORUS 17G from Gigabyte is a computer that mounts an Intel 10º Gen processor and an NVIDIA 2070 Super Max-Q, to be able to enjoy the games to the fullest on its wonderful 17 ″ and 240Hz screen. Do you want to know more about this laptop? Well, in this review I will tell you everything interesting.

The exterior of the AORUS 17G does not attempt to camouflage that it is a gaming laptop. It has a bold design with the corners and edges ending in impossible shapes and angles. It is mounted on an aluminum chassis and both the upper and lower covers appear to be of the same material. The most remarkable thing is its low thickness and weight, only 26mm high and 2.7Kg in weight.

Display

Gigabyte AERO

Gigabyte AERO comes with 17.3 ″ OLED panel with minimal bezels, 4K and HDR400 resolution, finished in matte and with a perfect factory calibration certified by X-Rite and Pantone, which gives us total security to be able to edit our photos and videos with the maximum color accuracy.

Gigabyte AORUS

The screen that mounts the AORUS 17G uses a panel of 17.3 ″ in size, with FHD resolution and a refresh rate of 240Hz. But possibly the most striking thing is that it comes individually calibrated under Pantone’s X-Rite standards.

Specification

Performance

Gigabyte AERO

Now that we have seen the laptop on the outside, we have to see what it has under the hood. In the unit we have an Intel i7-10875H processor with 8 cores and 16 threads that work at 2.3GHz but can go up to 5.1GHz, accompanied by two 8GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM modules, although they are configured at only 2933MHz.

For the graphics, we have the RTX 2070 Max-Q, with 2560 Cudas, 320 Tensor Cores, 40 cores and 8GB GDDR6 Samsung, in addition to the integrated UHD-630 from Intel, a combination that will allow us to reduce consumption in light tasks with the UHD-630, while the RTX 2070 Max-Q gives us all the power in demanding tasks such as hardware acceleration of our programs or a specific game when the day ends.

And as storage we have a Samsung NVME MZVLB512HBJQ, basically an OEM version of the Samsung 970 Evo with 512GB of storage and read/write speeds of around 3000MB / s, but we can add a second M.2 disk if we need more capacity.

Gigabyte AORUS

All gaming equipment has to have a CPU and GPU up to the task and this AORUS 17G is no wonder. The 17G-XB that integrates an Nvidia 2070 Super Max-Q but there is another model available with 2080. Max-Q means that it is a low consumption version of the 2070 Super but do not be fooled by its reduced consumption, performance is still spectacular.

Then we have the processor that is none other than the brand new Intel i7-10875H with 8 cores and 16 threads working at a 2.3Ghz frequency and a 5.1Ghz turbo. The main memory is made up of a couple of DDR4 modules at 3200Mhz in Dual Channel that, curiously, are only working at 2933Mhz.

Multimedia

Gigabyte AERO

At the connection level, we are more than enough, with 2 USB 3.2, microphone and headphone jacks, SD UHS-II card reader and a Gigabit port with Killer E2600 controller on the left side of the laptop.

While on the right are the DC connector, an HDMI 2.0, miniDP 1.4, a third USB 3.2 and a USB type C connector that allows Thunderbolt 3 connection, in addition to being able to use it to connect a monitor or use the fast charge of our mobile. And at the wireless level, we have the Killer AX1650 controller that combines  Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

Gigabyte AORUS

The AORUS 17G more than delivers. Not only does it have a good number of ports but it also has the latest technology. On the left we have: a Gigabit port with a Killer E2600 controller, an SD UHS-II card reader, two USB 3.2 ports and the 3.5mm jacks for microphone and headphones.

Then on the right side: another USB 3.2 port, a Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) port, a mini-DP, an HDMI connector, and the barrel connector for power. Finally, for wireless connectivity, we have at our disposal a Killer AX1650 controller that combines Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

As you can see, it is really good but if you have to look for a fault it would undoubtedly be in the space between connectors. Some are very close together and the distribution does not seem entirely right to me.

Battery

Gigabyte AERO

In terms of battery, we have a capacity of 94Wh, much higher than other models focused on creators that tend to be around 80Wh, capable of giving us between 5 and 7 hours of autonomy depending on the intensity of our tasks. But we must be careful with the level of brightness since due to the high performance of the screen, it can significantly reduce autonomy.

Gigabyte AORUS

For those of us who think that there is not a gaming team with enough autonomy with this laptop, we have a dilemma. And is that the AORUS 17G mounts an extensive 94Wh battery that is capable of providing almost 5 hours of autonomy. Even so, we can get up to 7 hours if we lower the brightness, make use of the energy savings and deactivate the unnecessary.

Which is better!

With the Aero HDR range, Gigabyte has targeted content creators (photographers, designers, video editors, architects, etc.) with a clear commitment to bringing the best possible screen: OLED panel, 4K, HDR, and Pantone and X-Rite certified.

With Omen 15, HP confirms that it deserves its place among the best manufacturers of PCs for gamers. Powerful, complete, and well made, we really liked this machine, despite a few flaws. The Omen 15 is supposed to offer a level of 3D performance worthy of a desktop PC, thanks to a powerful Nvidia GeForce 1070 GTX Max-Q chip, a high-end display, and Harman-Kardon speakers. HP is also highlighting the possibility of easily replacing the machine’s storage modules (SSD and hard drive) with higher capacity models.

Dell’s first “thin and light” laptop dedicated to gaming, the Alienware m15 integrates a powerful configuration with an Nvidia GTX 1070 3D chip, in an elegant case weighing only 2.2 kilos. With this Alienware m15, Dell is competing in a booming family of computers, that of “thin and light” laptops dedicated to video games. Machines that are at the same time very powerful, elegant, and truly nomadic.

Pros and Cons

General Info

Display

HP Omen 15

The screen holds some very good surprises. and some disappointments. Gamers will be in heaven, with a Full-HD (1920 x 1080) panel certified G-Sync, Nvidia’s adaptive synchronization system which optimizes the fluidity of games. As a bonus, the HP Omen panel can display up to 144 images per second. To play or to work, we also appreciate the matte coating of the panel, which greatly limits reflections.

Very well. But we also note, under Windows, that the panel lacks uniformity: we quickly perceive small differences in brightness on the edges of the screen. Our measuring devices also show a small deficit in brightness (289 cd / m²) and contrast (769: 1).

Another disappointment, the camera placed above the screen is not an infrared model, which makes it incompatible with Microsoft’s Windows Hello biometric recognition system. No way, suddenly, to open a Windows session without entering your password, as on the small ZenBook 13 from Asus or the Blade Stealth 13 from Razer previously tested by the editorial staff.

Dell Alienware m15

On the screen side, Dell retains a 15.6-inch panel in Full HD definition (1920 x 1080 pixels), framed by fairly wide borders. On our high-end model, this screen offers a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz (the basic version is limited to 60 Hz). The image is very clean, crisp, and homogeneous, even if the brightness of the panel (314 cd / m²) and especially its contrast ratio (987: 1) are a little low. Namely, Dell does not offer – for the moment? – a QHD (2560 x 1440) or 4K (3840 x 2160) panel for its Alienware m15, even with the most expensive options offered on its site.

Small disappointment on this Dell yet high-end, the camera housed above the screen is not compatible with the Windows Hello biometric identification system. As with other laptops like the Asus ZenBook 13, it does not allow you to automatically open your Windows session by recognizing your face. The Alienware m51 also lacks a fingerprint reader, the other biometric sensor managed by Windows Hello.

Specification

HP Omen 15

HP offers its device in several versions, accessible from 999 euros. Here we are testing the most high-end version of the Omen 15 (complete reference: 15-dc0002nf), which costs nearly 2300 USD. At this price point, we are entitled to a very solid configuration, based on an excellent 6-core processor from Intel, the Core i7-8750H (2.2 GHz for the base frequency, up to 4.1 GHz at top speed), and 16 GB of DDR4 RAM.

For storage, HP combines an ultra-fast 256 GB SSD, in M.2 format (NVMe), and a 1 TB mechanical hard drive, a nice little Hitachi at 7,200 rpm. The Windows 10 operating system and the various HP utilities are obviously installed on the SSD.

Dell Alienware m15

The Alienware m15 can be personalized via a large set of options offered on its website. One of the only common, unchangeable elements is the processor, an excellent 6-core Intel model (Core i7-8750H). In its basic version at 2000 USD, the Alienware m15 also includes 8 GB of DDR4 memory, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 chip, and a 256 GB SSD storage module.

Performance

In terms of performance: for playing or for work, the Omen 15 is an excellent companion. For many, many users, it will make a great replacement for an aging desktop PC.

On the Alienware m15, the chip is helped, it is true, by the impressive power of the Intel processor, a large amount of RAM, and the responsiveness of the SSD module. This high-end configuration is obviously very suitable, beyond the game, for all “heavy” applications such as photo and video editing, 3D creation, website management.

Powerful and versatile, the Dell machine is also, unfortunately, very noisy as soon as it is called upon a little. Clearly audible, but bearable, during image editing or intensive office work. No big problem insight if you play with headphones on the m15.

Multimedia

Battery

The only real big weak point of the HP, even if we hardly expected miracles from such a powerful machine, is really low when it comes to battery life. At best, we can count on 3 hours and 20 minutes of battery freedom for light use surfing the Internet, viewing photos, messaging. The battery life drops to 2.50 hours for continuous HD video playback: just what it takes to distract yourself with a good movie during a train trip. And to play, let’s be clear, you have to stay very close to an electrical outlet.

Gaming laptops rarely make very good travelers. If the reasonable dimensions and weight of the Alienware m15 make it easy to carry around, its battery does not last very long: no more than three hours on average in our various tests imposed, streaming video, surfing the Internet, or office applications.

Which is better!

Powerful, complete, and pleasant to use, this HP Omen laptop will be a good replacement for a large desktop computer, including for gaming. This HP machine is indeed very well equipped, with a large 6-core processor, a chip 3D Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, and a G-Sync certified Full-HD display. The correct set of sockets allows the use of many devices. Relatively compact and discreet for a gaming machine, however, the HP Omen is not a big traveler. It’s a bit heavy – 2.5 kilos for the case, and its battery only gives it three hours of battery life on average.

The Alienware m15 is a powerful gaming machine, housed in a surprisingly thin and light portable case, weighing just over 2 kilos. Capable of running all recent games in Full HD with a very good level of detail, this highly customizable gaming laptop is also a good multimedia creation tool (video editing, 3D imagery, etc.). Unfortunately, this excellent technical record is tarnished by a major defect, the very annoying noise of the ventilation when the machine is under heavy strain. Hopefully, the problem can be corrected by updating the drivers or the Bios.