Lenovo Loq 16 Gaming Laptop Review: Where Is The Hitch Compared To The More Expensive Legion?

With the brand new LOQ collection, Lenovo provides in particular reasonably priced gaming laptops that business the IdeaPad Gaming collection of prior years. We have now been already able to check the 15-inch LOQ 15 with an AMD processor and are in reality taking a look on the reasonably upper LOQ 16 with an Intel CPU, 16 inch show, and 16:10 shape issue. How does the computer fare against the competition, and are avid avid gamers getting an actual cut price correct proper right here?

We principally switch one elegance upper than with the LOQ 15 correct proper right here, since as a substitute of an RTX 4050, our take a look at type makes use of an RTX 4060, as a substitute of absolute best 8 GB of RAM, there are 16 GB, and as a substitute of the Complete-HD show, we now get QHD.

The competition come with different price range gaming laptops with a an identical graphics card, such given that Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630, the Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41 (sadly absolute best with an RTX 4050), and as well as the Captiva Difficult Gaming I74-121. Issues get reasonably dearer with the Legion Slender 5 16APH8 inhouse competitor and the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Benefit Style FA617XS.

The Lenovo LOQ collection seems to be additional cumbersome and big than the costlier Legion collection. This isn’t least because of the cooling instrument sticking out all over the over again that reminds us of the Alienware fashions. The over again fan vent additionally holds the one colourful accents that stand out in smart blue from the another way grey design. The entrance edge is reasonably rounded, and the most productive displays the Lenovo and LOQ logos. The surfaces are stored very clean, and there aren’t any steel parts like all over the Legion.

Whilst the computer can also be opened simply with a unmarried hand as much as a most opening viewpoint of 160 levels, the 2 hinges on the other hand clutch the show in position reasonably neatly. The palm rests and keyboard floor encompass a unmarried plate with the latter being minimally decreased. 

Although the bottom produces a couple of creaking noises when we attempt to warp it, all of the factor remains to be sufficiently tricky general. The workmanship is first charge, and we don’t understand any upper gaps between the fabrics.

In our comparability, the LOQ 16 is one of the greatest and specifically additionally heaviest 16-inch units. On account of the cooling instrument sticking out all over the over again, the computer is a ways deeper than a variety of the festival. Most straightforward the Acer Nitro 16 has a an identical length, on the other hand it on the other hand weighs 100 gram (~3.5 oz.) not up to our LOQ take a look at unit. All of the different fashions are lighter than that.

When it comes to connection apparatus, the price range gaming laptop absolute best provides essentially one of the crucial a very powerful. You get a whole of 4 USB ports with 3 of them operating at 10 Gbit/s. Even though there’s a unmarried USB-C port, it lacks Thunderbolt. We additionally glance in useless for an SD card reader. 

We love the website online of the ports which can also be located on 3 sides, providing enough space in between. Plenty of the ports are all over the over again, with absolute best two ports at the left and a unmarried port at the correct leaving fairly a lot of space for the mouse hand.

Although the Intel AX203 module delivers Wi-Fi 6, its tempo is surpassed by means of the AX211 utilized by a variety of the festival. Additionally it isn’t in a position to connect with the 6-GHz crew.

Whilst the switch charges are consistent, at round 800 MB/s, they continue to be behind the ones of the competition, which steadily reach greater than 1 GB/s.

Lenovo has located a Complete-HD virtual digicam within one of the crucial sensible fringe of the show bezel. We respect the lifetime of an (digital) privateness shutter at the correct aspect. 

The virtual digicam itself produces some reasonably top colour deviations, on the other hand it’s on the other hand enough for making the occasional video determine in just right delicate should haves.

TPM is in spite of everything incorporated, although the LOQ lacks a fingerprint sensor or a Kensington lock.

Those that be expecting some equipment should glance a couple of price categories upper. With the exception of for the computer itself and its charger, the sector absolute best comprises some paperwork. 

In Europe, Lenovo provides two years of guaranty with courier pickup or supply by means of the patron. At an extra price, you’ll be able to additionally achieve Lenovo Best elegance Care (Plus) with 24-hour buyer strengthen.

The cooling instrument sticking out all over the over again makes taking away the ground of the case reasonably tougher than in a large number of laptops. You first have to take away ten Philips screws. On the other hand watch out: The 4 screws in entrance are considerably shorter and set at an viewpoint, so as that you’re going to have not to make the error of attempting to make use of one of the most a very powerful very important longer screws correct proper right here.

Ahead of you’ll be able to take away the ground plate, you first have to slip the quilt of the sticking out cooling instrument against the over again, since underneath that, the ground plate is fixed with 3 further screws. After taking away the ones, you’ll be able to pry open the ground plate ranging from the entrance with no want to make use of any longer equipment.

Within, you get get entry to to the fanatics, the battery, the Wi-Fi module, the 2 RAM slots which can also be covered by means of some foil, the SSD, and the second one SSD slot. It appears, Lenovo makes use of a temporary SSD all over the M.2 2230 shape issue, despite the fact that there can also be enough space for a regular-size M.2 2280 SSD and the screwing body for it’s also already there.

Regardless of having a brand new determine, the LOQ quasi inherits the keyboard of the IdeaPad Gaming 3. The format seems to be blank, with the arrow keys separated and moved against the ground, allowing them to have entire length. A narrow quantity pad is squeezed in at the correct.

The protected keys have a just right length and are rounded on their backside edges. The essential issue stroke is not specifically lengthy, and the comments can have been just a bit tighter, although it’s on the other hand adequate. The keyboard we could in for speedy typing, on the other hand some customers would possibly to look out the stroke just a bit comfy. The typing noise is also particularly reasonable.

In darkish atmosphere, the white, two-level keyboard illumination is helping, on the other hand there aren’t any delicate results, separate zones, or RGB.

The touchpad has a just right length with about 12 x 7.5 cm (~4.7 x 3 in). It provides just right sliding traits for dry arms, on the other hand motion of wet arms can stutter simply. 

The press spaces built-in on the backside are fairly laborious, with just a very speedy stroke. The comments remains to be transparent. Clicking noises are louder than typing, on the other hand on the other hand appropriate.

The matte 16:10 IPS show in our take a look at unit comes from AU Optronics, provides a solution of two,560 x 1,600 pixels, and helps 165 Hz. On the other hand, you’ll have to on the other hand take a greater glance prior to a purchase order order order, since there is also an alternate model that provides just a 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution and 144 Hz refresh price.

The brightness is 369 nits on reasonable, on the other hand at 85%, the brightness distribution is not very even, and we measure greater than 400 nits all over the middle. 

Sadly, the black price is just a bit top, preventing upper distinction values.

On the other hand general, the show is first charge. The reaction occasions are reasonably speedy, and PWM is not used for brightness keep an eye on. Backlight bleeding additionally does not seem to be a topic in our take a look at unit.

No less than, the sRGB colour space is roofed almost about completely. On the other hand AdobeRGB and DisplayP3 are covered to simply 70%. Whilst this makes the show of the LOQ 16 appropriate for gaming it appears that evidently, it’s also adequate for the occasional, non-professional symbol and video processing.

The show already provides a excellent calibration all over the state of supply, and we measure absolute best low deviations all over the colours and grayscale. An extra calibration using our Xrite colour duration instrument and Calman tool is in a position to reasonably lower the DeltaE deviations even additional.

You’ll be able to obtain our calibrated ICC colour profile without spending a dime using the hyperlink above.

On account of the matte show floor and a minimum of first charge brightness, you’ll be able to additionally see the show contents simply outdoor. What’s sought after although, is a shady position and keeping off direct daylight or very steep viewing angles.

The Core i7-13620H in conjunction with an RTX 4060 identifies the instrument as a gaming laptop that should permit collaborating in almost about all of the supply video video video games in a minimum of Complete-HD resolution and as well as at entire element settings. Even all over the local QHD resolution, the computer will have to now not get started shedding its breath in a number of video video video games. 16 GB of operating reminiscence are suitable for an inexpensive gaming laptop.

On the other hand at 512 GB, the garage is just a bit tight allowing for the immense space necessities of supply AAA video video video games, on the other hand thankfully you’ll be able to enhance correct proper right here later.

The producer of our take a look at unit calls its keep an eye on middle Lenovo Vantage. Lenovo has overdone it correct proper right here, since in conjunction with the very important efficiency possible choices and additional settings, the tool comprises numerous ads. The advertisements now not absolute best come with inhouse advertisements for guaranty extensions, for more than a few products and services and merchandise similar to “cloud-based coverage answers,” and for insurance coverage in case of water injury, injury from falls, and so on, on the other hand in addition to for tool from third-party distributors similar to Spotify, Amazon, YouTube, for the Legion Video video video games Store, for McAffee – the checklist is going on and on.   

Along with, there are fairly a lot of preinstalled tool apps similar to Lenovo Space, Lenovo Hotkeys, Lenovo Now, and trial variations of Workplace and McAffee, and so on. 

With all this useless stuff, you almost about forget that the producer in spite of everything makes use of the keep an eye on middle tool to provide the very important efficiency settings and different very important possible choices to justify its existence. The LOQ 16 comes with 3 energy modes: Quiet Mode, Balanced (with and with out AI), and Efficiency Mode. Along with, there is also a knowledge mode, which lets you modify many parameters individually. We run all of the benchmarks all over the Efficiency Mode.

The Core i7-13620H comes from the existing Raptor Lake era and provides all six P cores on the other hand absolute best 4 of the 8 E cores in comparison to the i7-13700H. Along with, absolute best 64 of the 96 EUs are activated all over the 13620H, providing a clock tempo of as much as 1.5 GHz. All through the configurator from Lenovo, the i7-13700H absolute best prices 20 Euros (~$21) additional, whilst on the other hand, the i5-13500H prices 110 Euros (~$117) so much a lot much less and the i5-13420H, 120 Euros (~$127).

All through the Cinebench R15 loop, the efficiency drops after the primary two runs, prior to it stabilizes. All the way through all tests, the LOQ 16 plays almost about precisely on the anticipated point. The TDP in Efficiency Mode absolute best briefly reaches 135 W all over the primary run. In the remaining runs it’s briefly at 120 W, prior to dropping to 70 W for the remainder of the run.

In Balanced Mode with AI strengthen, an preliminary TDP of 110 W is reached, prior to it continues to drop to nearly 60 W all over the remainder of the run. The Quiet Mode begins at almost about 60 W, then dropping to 45 W.

All through the comparability, our take a look at unit puts all over the sector. It appears, the efficiency is on the brink of the i7-13700H all over the Inspiron 16 in Cinebench R15, whilst on the similar time, the i5-13500H plays higher all over the Captiva. 

Will have to you unplug the computer from the power, the TDP stays stably between 40 and 50 W, leading to a rating of one,704 as a substitute of two,492, which corresponds to a efficiency drop of about 38%.

Even though the computer efficiency may be very highest minimally not up to the on a regular basis in PCMark 10, all of the comparability units position forward of the LOQ 16. This displays that the i7-13620H lacks a couple of threads in comparison to the i7-13700H.

Subjectively, the instrument runs merely and speedy, and we don’t understand any abnormal delays.

The LOQ 16 does not have any issues opening the browser on the other hand absolute best opening a large number of browser tabs on our Homepage, and the LatencyMon instrument notes the primary latencies correct proper right here. 

Taking part in our 4K/60-fps YouTube movement footage, those are once more higher. On the other hand a minimum of, we can not bitch about any dropped frames. Prime95 does not increase the latencies additional. Whilst the competition have latency values which can also be in a similar fashion top, the LOQ 16 takes the unlucky first position on this elegance.

Lenovo makes use of a reasonably unknown SSD with 512 GB of space for storing all over the small M.2 2230 shape issue.

Although there are sooner garage modules to be had, specifically compared to the SSD all over the Legion Slender 5, the efficiency remains to be adequate correct proper right here, in particular allowing for that it stays consistent over an extended time period.

You should have the selection between an RTX 4050 and an RTX 4060. Our take a look at unit makes use of the latter, and it’s allowed to eat a most of 115 W in conjunction with Dynamic Spice up, which isn’t such a lot. As an example, the similar GPU is authorized to eat 140 W all over the Captiva Difficult Gaming.

On the other hand, the GPU all over the LOQ 16 remains to be able to do what it’s going to need to do, or much more than that. In comparison to the competition, it reaches 2d position all over the 3DMarks behind the Captiva.

When gaming, the LOQ 16 does a very good higher procedure, surpassing even the Captiva with its 140-W RTX-4060 and simply fairly attaining first position. Even the costlier Legion Slender 5 is overwhelmed by means of about 14%.

The gaming efficiency isn’t impacted negatively in the least by means of the reasonably priced price of the LOQ 16. Supply video video video games should run merely in Complete-HD resolution even using the best top quality settings, and in portions this additionally is going for the local QHD resolution.

The body price of The Witcher 3 stays very consistent all over one hour, absolute best appearing the standard day/evening variations all over the sport.

The TDP of the CPU lies at 35 W on reasonable, and it reaches a temperature of about 75 °C (167 °F).

In Balanced Mode, the GPU clock tempo decreases steadily all over the hour, on the other hand the total drop may be very highest 100 MHz, from 2.4 to two.3 GHz. The temperatures increase steadily as much as 72 °C (162 °F) in spite of everything. The on a regular basis TGP this is reached is 80 W.

In Quiet Mode, the GPU clock speeds begins absolute best reasonably upper than 2 GHz on the other hand in addition to does not drop to any price underneath that. On the similar time, the temperature absolute best assemble up to 65 °C (149 °F), with a TGP of about 45 W. On the other hand, the noise point is considerably decrease, as you’ll be able to see all over the desk underneath:

All the way through idle operation, the fanatics steadily – on the other hand now not at all times – stay quiet. Underneath load, the fan habits is not up to optimum. Already in 3DMark 06, the fanatics roar at entire quantity against the highest of the run, they maximum frequently won’t even get louder all over the hour-long force take a look at. Different laptops do a greater procedure correct proper right here, generating not up to the utmost noise point beneath reasonable load.

On the other hand, the utmost noise point is not strangely top, and excluding the quieter Acer Nitro 16, the competition produce a an identical most noise point. The variation is they keep quieter longer.

The most up to date position all over the LOQ 16 is on the backside, the place we measure almost about 60 °C (140 °F) all over the tension take a look at all over the central space against the show. The most productive remains a minimum of 10 levels cooler (as much as 122 °F). The hotspots also are all over the middle against the show correct proper right here. The WASD keys get so much a lot much less sizzling at as much as 40 °C (104 °F), whilst the palm rests keep cool.

The CPU cores get began the hour-long force take a look at with Prime95 and Furmark operating concurrently briefly with a clock tempo above 4 GHz. After about 30 seconds, the clock tempo drops, prior to leveling out at 2,300 MHz after about 3 mins. On the similar time, the TDP drops from 135 to a in spite of everything consistent 45 W. The CPU heats as much as about 80 ºC (176 ºF).

On the other hand, the GPU clock tempo stays at a reasonably consistent 2,200 MHz over the entire take a look at length, and the garage tempo is two GHz. All the way through this time, the GPU heats as much as a most of 84 ºC (183 ºF). The facility intake is 87 W on reasonable.

The audio device be afflicted by the standard signs of reasonably priced laptop fashions: too quiet, hardly ever any bass, and the highs are the one frequencies you’ll be able to absolute best determine linear and balanced.

An answer is to glue headphones or different exterior audio units by means of the mixed audio port, amongst different possible choices.

The LOQ 16 is not an effective laptop and specifically all over idle operation, the intake is simply too top. Underneath load, the intake is suitable allowing for the efficiency.

With a an identical efficiency, the Captiva consumes simply as such a lot energy, and in addition the Asus TUF. All the way through gaming, the Dell Inspiron 16, the Acer Nitro 16, and the Legion Slender 5 eat considerably so much a lot much less energy, on the other hand they in reality have a decrease 3-d efficiency.

We measure a short lived most top of 211 W, which the incorporated 230-W energy provide has no hassle dealing with.

Our take a look at unit accommodates a battery with a 80 Wh capability, on the other hand Lenovo additionally makes use of a battery with absolute best 60 Wh capability, so that you’re going to must be cautious. All through the configurator, the bigger battery prices only some Euros additional.

With the bigger battery, the LOQ lasts greater than 6 hours in our Wi-Fi and video tests at an adjusted brightness. At entire show brightness, it absolute best lasts for five.5 hours. That is strangely speedy, since one of the crucial festival with in a similar fashion massive batteries ultimate considerably longer. Most straightforward the Legion Slender 5 is in a similar fashion vulnerable. It seems that, the power saving mechanisms aren’t best with Lenovo on the other hand. Specifically the idle intake on the other hand should be decrease. Possibly the overloaded Keep watch over Middle that we complained about previous has a component on this.

Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 are to be had ranging from about 1,000 Euros (~$1,060), even in 16-inch construction. For the supposedly reasonably priced Lenovo LOQ 16 (1,500 Euros, ~$1,591), the producer specifically saves all over the apparatus and fabrics in comparison to the costlier Legion collection. Along with, the LOQ is reasonably heavier and additional cumbersome. 

What stays is the rest on the other hand a computer filled with difficult compromises. As a substitute, it is a greater than solid gaming laptop that focusses at the 3-d efficiency. Whilst the QHD show is also able to stay alongside of the Legion collection, the Complete-HD model is a ways a lot much less able to take a look at this.  

The fan habits and battery life give causes for criticism: The fanatics temporarily get started roaring at most noise point even beneath reasonable load. And in spite of the reasonably massive battery, we absolute best get underneath reasonable runtimes. Possibly Lenovo should do away with the advertisings in its Keep watch over Middle and preinstall so much a lot much less bloatware.

The Lenovo LOQ 16 with QHD show is a succesful and reasonably reasonably priced gaming laptop that barely lacks the rest on this price vary, on the other hand that also wishes some optimizations of the battery, the fan habits, or the Keep watch over Middle. 

Some possible possible choices also are to be had: The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 prices simply as such a lot, and despite the fact that the efficiency is reasonably decrease, it’s additional atmosphere delightful and provides an extended battery life and a 1,600p show. The reasonably additional reasonably priced Acer Nitro 16 is also reasonably slower, on the other hand shines with a just right battery life and its show helps G-Sync.

You’ll be able to achieve the Lenovo LOQ 16 immediately from Lenovo for ~$1,160. Fairly numerous variations are to be had ranging from $880, and Amazon additionally provides a couple of configurations.

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