Gaming laptops have come a long way from the days when “portable” meant lugging around a bulky, plastic heat generator that barely ran games without sounding like a jet engine.
In 2025, the line between a powerful gaming machine and a versatile everyday laptop has blurred and the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is a prime example of this evolution.
When Lenovo first introduced the Legion 5 Pro series a few years back, it quickly gained a reputation for offering something that not all gaming laptops could manage: a perfect balance between power, build quality, and a display so good that even creative professionals took notice.
Fast forward to today, and the Legion 5 Pro still holds its ground in a fiercely competitive market. It’s going head to head with heavy hitters like the ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Acer Predator Helios 16, both of which promise blistering performance and eye catching designs. Yet, Lenovo’s approach is slightly different it feels like a gaming laptop made for gamers who also live in the real world.
I’ve spent weeks using the Legion 5 Pro not just for gaming marathons, but also for writing, video editing, and even the occasional Netflix binge. And while no machine is perfect, this one has earned my respect for more reasons than I expected.
In this review, we’ll dive deep into every aspect design, display, performance, and those little quirks that only show up when you live with a laptop day to day. I’ll also compare it with its closest rivals so you can decide whether the Legion 5 Pro deserves a spot on your desk… or in your backpack.
1. Design & Build Quality
It doesn’t scream “gamer” with wild RGB zones or angular spaceship like vents. Instead, it’s more of a refined warrior sleek, solid, and built to endure long campaigns.
The chassis is a combination of aluminum and high quality polycarbonate, giving it a sturdy feel without becoming a hernia risk. At around 2.45 kg (5.4 lbs), it’s not ultrabook light, but it’s still manageable enough to slip into a backpack without feeling like you’re carrying a set of dumbbells.
The Legion logo is tastefully embossed on the lid, and the overall matte finish does a decent job resisting fingerprints although you’ll still catch yourself giving it the occasional wipe down. The edges are clean, the corners slightly rounded, and the whole design feels purposefully engineered rather than just thrown together for style points.
One of the smartest design decisions Lenovo made was moving most of the ports to the back. It might not sound like a big deal, but anyone who’s ever dealt with cable spaghetti on their desk will appreciate this. Power, HDMI, Ethernet, and most USB ports live on the rear, so your workspace stays clean. You only get a couple of quick access ports on the sides for plugging in a flash drive or headset.
The hinge mechanism is solid and well balanced. You can open the lid with one hand a small but satisfying sign of thoughtful engineering. It also tilts back far enough for comfortable viewing angles, though it doesn’t go fully flat like some of Lenovo’s business laptops.
Compared to competitors like the ASUS ROG Strix G16, which leans heavily into aggressive gamer aesthetics, the Legion 5 Pro feels like it could just as easily belong in an office boardroom as in a gaming setup. The Acer Predator Helios sits somewhere in between, with a chunkier frame and more aggressive branding.
In short, the Legion 5 Pro nails the “premium without pretension” look. It’s a gaming laptop that doesn’t try too hard to be one, and that’s part of its charm.
2. Display Quality
We’re talking about a 16 inch WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio a rarity in gaming laptops even now. That extra vertical space might not sound like much on paper, but in practice it’s a productivity blessing. You can see more lines of code, more rows in a spreadsheet, or more of your editing timeline without constant scrolling.
The refresh rate is a buttery smooth 240 Hz, paired with a 3ms response time. In competitive games like Valorant or CS2, this makes motion look incredibly fluid. But unlike some high refresh displays that trade off color for speed, Lenovo has managed to hit a sweet spot. The panel covers 100% of the sRGB gamut and offers VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification, meaning your Netflix binges, Photoshop sessions, and game worlds all look vibrant without blowing out the highlights.
Brightness peaks at around 500 nits, making it perfectly usable outdoors or near a sunlit window. That’s a big advantage over many competitors, like the ASUS ROG Strix G16, which typically hovers around 300–350 nits. The Acer Predator Helios 16 comes closer in brightness but often sticks to a 16:9 panel, which feels a little cramped after you’ve used the Legion’s taller display.
Another neat touch, Lenovo includes Dolby Vision support. If you’re watching HDR content, you’ll notice deeper shadows and richer highlights without the overblown look you sometimes get on cheaper HDR panels. In Cyberpunk 2077, for instance, neon lights glow with just the right intensity, and dark alleyways retain enough detail that you don’t feel like you’re staring into an ink blot.
The anti glare coating is subtle but effective. It doesn’t mute colors the way some matte screens do, and it keeps reflections in check a lifesaver if you’re gaming in a room with overhead lighting.
All in all, the Legion 5 Pro’s display is one of its most defining strengths. It’s not just “good for a gaming laptop”. It’s good, period good enough that you might find yourself doing more creative work simply because the screen makes everything look better.
3. Performance & Gaming Benchmarks
A beautiful display is only as good as the hardware driving it, and Lenovo didn’t skimp on the internals here. Depending on the configuration, the Legion 5 Pro can be equipped with AMD Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 processors, or Intel Core i7 / i9 in newer models, paired with NVIDIA Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, 8GB GDDR6 (140W), 2175MHz Boost Clock.For this review, I’ve been using the Ryzen 7 7745HX + RTX 4070 model, which sits in that sweet spot of price to performance for most gamers. Out of the box, the system boots into Windows 11 and opens Lenovo’s Vantage software, where you can tweak performance profiles. I mostly stuck with Balanced for daily tasks and switched to Performance mode for gaming, which kicks up the fans and power draw.
Synthetic Benchmarks
In 3DMark Time Spy, this configuration scored 11,250, putting it comfortably in the upper tier of gaming laptops under $2,000. Cinebench R23 multi core scores were equally impressive, hovering around 16,500 points, which means CPU heavy workloads like rendering or compiling code are handled without breaking a sweat.Gaming Performance (1080p & QHD)
All tests were run at native 2560×1600 resolution unless otherwise noted:- Cyberpunk 2077 (Ultra + RT Medium) – ~72 FPS native QHD, ~95 FPS with DLSS Balanced
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest) – ~124 FPS QHD
- Valorant (High) – ~310 FPS QHD (competitive gamers rejoice)
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (Ultra) – ~88 FPS QHD
- Hogwarts Legacy (High) – ~76 FPS QHD, ~102 FPS with DLSS
Productivity & Creative Work
I threw Adobe Premiere Pro at it with a 4K multi cam project, and it rendered a five minute video in under four minutes impressive for a laptop. Photoshop was equally snappy, and multitasking between a dozen Chrome tabs, Spotify, and Discord didn’t slow it down.One area where it beats the Acer Predator Helios 16 is sustained CPU performance under heavy workloads. The Helios tends to throttle sooner, while the Legion stays stable for longer, likely thanks to better thermal tuning.
Everyday Responsiveness
Boot times are under 10 seconds from a cold start, apps launch instantly, and Windows animations feel buttery smooth. The NVMe SSD is lightning fast, hitting read speeds of ~7,000 MB/s inCrystalDiskMark.
Simply put, the Legion 5 Pro doesn’t just run games well it handles everything you throw at it with quiet confidence. This isn’t a laptop that forces you to compromise between gaming and productivity.4. Keyboard, Trackpad & Usability
Typing Experience
The keys have a soft landing, which makes them comfortable for long typing sessions, but they’re also a little on the mushy side compared to something like the ASUS ROG Strix G16’s keyboard. If you’re coming from a mechanical keyboard, you might find yourself missing that crisp, clicky feedback. That said, the spacing is generous, and once you adapt, it’s perfectly fine for writing essays, coding, or in my case, hammering out this review.One thing you’ll notice: the layout is slightly shifted to the left to make room for the numpad. It’s a small adjustment, but it can throw you off for the first day or two. The arrow keys are full size (thankfully), and dedicated media controls up top make it easy to skip tracks or adjust volume without fiddling with function keys.
RGB & Customization
If you opt for the RGB model, you can customize lighting through Lenovo Vantage. It’s not as flashy or granular as Razer Synapse or ASUS Armoury Crate, but it gets the job done. You can pick from static colors, breathing effects, or a basic rainbow wave. Personally, I kept mine on a static white backlight it looks cleaner and doesn’t distract during gaming.Trackpad
Here’s where the Legion 5 Pro takes a small step back. The trackpad is centered to the spacebar (not the chassis), and while it’s responsive enough for everyday navigation, it’s a bit small and slippery compared to the oversized glass trackpads on some premium laptops.Worse still, some users have reported occasional unresponsiveness or “phantom touches” I didn’t experience any major glitches during my time with it, but scrolling felt slightly less precise than on the ASUS or Acer alternatives. Let’s be real, though if you’re gaming, you’re going to be using a mouse 99% of the time anyway.
Everyday Usability
For non gaming tasks, the Legion 5 Pro’s keyboard is a workhorse, and the touchpad is fine for light use. But if you’re particular about tactile feel or depend heavily on trackpad gestures, it’s worth trying it in person before you commit.In short:
- Keyboard – Comfortable but a bit soft; layout takes getting used to.
- Trackpad – Serviceable but underwhelming for a premium machine.
5. Audio & Cooling
When it comes to gaming laptops, audio and cooling are like the unsung heroes (or villains) of the experience. They’re not the first things you notice, but they can make or break your long term satisfaction. The Legion 5 Pro does a lot right here… but also leaves a bit of room for improvement.Audio Quality
Let’s start with the speakers. They’re positioned on the underside of the chassis, angled slightly outward. This means the sound bounces off your desk before reaching your ears, which can help with volume but doesn’t do much for clarity.At moderate volume, the Legion’s speakers are perfectly fine for YouTube videos, casual Netflix binges, or a quick gaming session without a headset. But push them past 70% volume, and the limitations start to show bass becomes a faint suggestion rather than a presence, and highs can get a little tinny.
If you’re listening to music, tracks like Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” or Hans Zimmer’s “Time” just don’t have the same depth you’d expect from premium speakers. In competitive gaming, the positional audio is serviceable, but for serious immersion (or hearing enemy footsteps in Valorant), you’ll want a good pair of headphones.
Compared to the ASUS ROG Strix G16, which offers slightly richer mids, and the Acer Predator Helios 16, which has more balanced treble, the Legion 5 Pro’s audio is its most “average” feature.
6. Cooling Performance
Now, onto the more important side of the equation cooling. Lenovo has clearly put thought into the Legion’s thermal design. The laptop uses a combination of dual fans, large heat pipes, and strategically placed vents along the back and sides.In Performance mode, the fans ramp up aggressively under heavy load, keeping CPU temps in the mid 80s °C and GPU temps around the low 70s °C during extended gaming. That’s impressive for a machine pushing high frame rates at QHD resolution.
The flipside? Fan noise. When the Legion 5 Pro is giving its all, it’s not whisper quiet you’ll definitely hear it over game audio unless you’re wearing headphones. It’s a steady whoosh rather than a high pitched whine, so it’s not unbearable, but if you game in a shared space, people around you will know.
In Balanced mode, the fans stay much quieter for everyday tasks like browsing or streaming, and temps hover in the comfortable 40–50 °C range.
Thermal throttling is minimal, which is where the Legion 5 Pro really outshines some competitors. The ASUS ROG Strix G16 can get slightly warmer on the GPU, and the Predator Helios 16 tends to spike in CPU temps during prolonged productivity workloads.
Everyday Comfort
One more thing worth noting: the Legion 5 Pro’s keyboard deck stays surprisingly cool. Even after a long Cyberpunk 2077 session, the WASD area remained only mildly warm, meaning your hands won’t slowly roast during marathon gaming nights.7. Battery Life - The Trade off of Power
Battery life has always been the Achilles’ heel of powerful gaming laptops, and the Legion 5 Pro is no exception. Packing an 80Wh battery, it’s certainly not tiny, but when you’re driving a high refresh rate, high resolution display alongside a power hungry CPU and GPU, physics takes its toll.In typical productivity usage web browsing, document editing, and streaming music you can expect around 5 to 6 hours on a full charge with hybrid mode enabled (where the laptop switches between integrated and dedicated graphics). However, if you keep the RTX GPU active for gaming, battery life drops drastically to 1.5 to 2 hours.
The saving grace here is Lenovo’s Rapid Charge Pro technology, which can charge the battery from 0 to 50% in roughly 30 minutes. This is especially handy if you’re gaming on the go and need a quick top up before the next session.
Realistically, the Legion 5 Pro is best used plugged in for gaming to unlock its full performance potential. Still, for a gaming laptop, the battery performance is decent enough for casual mobile work sessions.
Conclusion: A Gaming Laptop That Truly Delivers
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro isn’t just another gaming laptop trying to ride the hype wave. It’s a carefully engineered machine that strikes a rare balance between performance, design, and usability. From the gorgeous 16 inch QHD+ display with its buttery smooth 240Hz refresh rate to the robust build quality that feels reassuring every time you lift the lid, everything about this device exudes confidence.What sets it apart is its versatility. Yes, it’s built for gamers who demand high frame rates and responsive controls, but it’s equally capable for creators, developers, and professionals who need raw power without sacrificing portability. Whether you’re deep into an intense battle in Cyberpunk 2077, editing a 4K video project, or simply streaming your favorite show, the Legion 5 Pro handles it with ease and grace.
Of course, no machine is perfect. Its weight and battery life may not make it the ideal travel companion for those constantly on the move. But if your priority is performance and you’re willing to trade a little portability for a lot of power, this laptop makes a compelling case.
In the end, the Legion 5 Pro feels like a trustworthy partner one that doesn’t just meet expectations but often exceeds them. It’s a gaming powerhouse that also knows how to work hard, making it a smart investment for anyone who values both play and productivity.