Legion 5 (5800H, 3050 Ti) Review: Is It Worth It?

by Alex Braham 50 views

Hey everyone! Today, we're diving deep into the Lenovo Legion 5 equipped with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. This laptop has been making waves in the gaming and content creation communities, so let's find out if it lives up to the hype. We'll cover everything from its design and build quality to its performance in various tasks and games, so you can make an informed decision.

Design and Build Quality

When it comes to design, the Lenovo Legion 5 strikes a good balance between a gaming aesthetic and a professional look. It's not overly flashy, which means you can comfortably use it in a variety of settings, from coffee shops to boardrooms. The chassis is primarily made of plastic, but it feels sturdy and well-built. There's minimal flex in the keyboard deck and the lid, which is always a good sign. The laptop feels robust, like it can withstand the rigors of daily use.

The color scheme is understated, with a dark gray finish that Lenovo calls "Phantom Blue." It's a subtle, mature look that I personally appreciate. The Legion logo is present on the lid, but it's not too ostentatious. The overall design is clean and functional, focusing on practicality rather than showiness. This makes it a great option for those who want a gaming laptop that doesn't scream "gamer" at first glance.

One of the standout features of the Legion 5 is its hinge design. The hinges feel smooth and allow you to open the laptop with one hand. The screen stays firmly in place once you adjust it, which is crucial for comfortable use. The laptop also has a good weight distribution, so it doesn't feel top-heavy. This is a small detail, but it makes a big difference in terms of overall usability.

The port selection on the Legion 5 is excellent. On the left side, you'll find a USB-C port and a headphone jack. On the right side, there's another USB-A port. The majority of the ports are located on the rear of the laptop, which helps keep your desk tidy. These include an additional USB-A port, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and the power connector. This rear port placement is a thoughtful design choice that minimizes cable clutter.

Overall, the Lenovo Legion 5 boasts a well-thought-out design and solid build quality. It's a laptop that feels premium despite its plastic construction. The understated aesthetics make it suitable for a wide range of users, and the robust build ensures it can handle daily wear and tear. If you're looking for a gaming laptop that doesn't compromise on build quality, the Legion 5 is definitely worth considering.

Display Quality

The display is a crucial aspect of any laptop, especially for gaming and content creation. The Lenovo Legion 5 comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS panel with a 165Hz refresh rate. This combination provides a smooth and responsive experience, whether you're gaming or simply browsing the web.

The color accuracy of the display is decent, covering around 65% of the sRGB color gamut. While this isn't ideal for professional-grade color work, it's more than adequate for gaming and general use. Colors appear vibrant and punchy, making games and movies visually appealing. The contrast ratio is also good, providing deep blacks and bright whites.

The 165Hz refresh rate is a major selling point for gamers. It makes fast-paced games feel incredibly smooth and responsive, reducing motion blur and ghosting. This can give you a competitive edge in online games, allowing you to react faster and track moving targets more easily. If you're used to a 60Hz display, the difference will be immediately noticeable.

The brightness of the display is sufficient for indoor use, but it may struggle in direct sunlight. The panel is rated for around 300 nits of brightness, which is typical for laptops in this price range. While it's not the brightest display on the market, it's perfectly usable in most environments.

The viewing angles are excellent, thanks to the IPS panel. Colors remain consistent even when viewed from extreme angles, which is great for sharing your screen with others. The matte finish of the display also helps reduce glare, making it easier to see the screen in bright lighting conditions.

Overall, the display on the Lenovo Legion 5 is a strong point. The 165Hz refresh rate and good color accuracy make it a great choice for gamers and casual users alike. While it may not be ideal for professional color work, it's more than adequate for most tasks. If you value a smooth and responsive display, the Legion 5 won't disappoint.

Performance: Ryzen 7 5800H and RTX 3050 Ti

Now, let's talk about the heart of the Lenovo Legion 5: its performance. This laptop is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card. This combination offers a great balance of power and efficiency, making it suitable for a wide range of tasks, from gaming to content creation.

The Ryzen 7 5800H is an 8-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock speed of 3.2 GHz and a boost clock speed of up to 4.4 GHz. It's based on AMD's Zen 3 architecture, which delivers excellent performance and efficiency. In benchmarks, the 5800H consistently outperforms its competitors in both single-core and multi-core tasks. This makes it a great choice for demanding applications like video editing, 3D rendering, and software development.

The RTX 3050 Ti is a mid-range graphics card based on NVIDIA's Ampere architecture. It features 4GB of GDDR6 memory and supports features like ray tracing and DLSS. While it's not the most powerful GPU on the market, it's capable of delivering smooth frame rates in most games at 1080p resolution. In demanding titles, you may need to lower the graphics settings to achieve a playable frame rate.

In gaming, the Legion 5 performs admirably. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Assassin's Creed Valhalla are playable at medium settings with frame rates hovering around 40-50 fps. In less demanding titles like Fortnite and Overwatch, you can easily achieve frame rates above 100 fps. The 165Hz display really shines in these fast-paced games, providing a smooth and responsive experience.

For content creation, the Legion 5 is also a capable machine. The Ryzen 7 5800H handles video editing and 3D rendering tasks with ease. The RTX 3050 Ti can accelerate these tasks using NVIDIA's CUDA cores, further improving performance. While it's not a replacement for a high-end workstation, it's more than adequate for hobbyists and aspiring content creators.

The Legion 5 also features a good cooling system, which is essential for maintaining performance under heavy loads. The laptop stays relatively cool and quiet, even during extended gaming sessions. The fans can get a bit loud when running demanding tasks, but it's not overly distracting.

Overall, the performance of the Lenovo Legion 5 is excellent for its price range. The Ryzen 7 5800H and RTX 3050 Ti provide a great balance of power and efficiency, making it suitable for a wide range of tasks. Whether you're a gamer, content creator, or simply need a powerful laptop for everyday use, the Legion 5 won't disappoint.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard and trackpad are essential components of any laptop, as they directly impact the user experience. The Lenovo Legion 5 features a comfortable and responsive keyboard with a decent amount of key travel. The keys are well-spaced and have a satisfying tactile feedback, making typing a pleasant experience.

The keyboard layout is standard, with no surprises. The function keys are easily accessible, and the arrow keys are full-sized, which is great for gaming. The keyboard also features a numeric keypad, which is useful for data entry and other tasks.

The keyboard is backlit, with two levels of brightness. The backlighting is even and doesn't bleed around the keys, making it easy to see the keys in low-light conditions. The backlighting can be turned off completely if desired.

The trackpad on the Legion 5 is decent in size and has a smooth surface. It supports multi-finger gestures, such as scrolling and zooming. The trackpad is responsive and accurate, making it easy to navigate the operating system and applications.

The trackpad buttons are integrated into the trackpad surface. They require a moderate amount of force to press and provide a satisfying click. The buttons are responsive and don't feel mushy.

Overall, the keyboard and trackpad on the Lenovo Legion 5 are well-designed and provide a comfortable user experience. The keyboard is great for typing, and the trackpad is accurate and responsive. If you value a good keyboard and trackpad, the Legion 5 is definitely worth considering.

Battery Life

Battery life is an important consideration for any laptop, especially if you plan to use it on the go. The Lenovo Legion 5 is equipped with a 60Wh battery, which provides decent battery life for a gaming laptop. In typical use, you can expect to get around 5-6 hours of battery life.

When browsing the web or working on documents, the Legion 5 can last for several hours on a single charge. However, when gaming or running demanding applications, the battery life will be significantly shorter. Expect to get around 1-2 hours of battery life when gaming.

The Legion 5 supports rapid charging, which allows you to quickly recharge the battery. You can charge the battery from 0% to 50% in around 30 minutes. This is a convenient feature if you need to quickly top up the battery before heading out.

Overall, the battery life on the Lenovo Legion 5 is decent for a gaming laptop. While it's not going to last all day on a single charge, it's sufficient for most users. The rapid charging feature is a nice addition that helps mitigate the short battery life when gaming.

Pros and Cons

To summarize, here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons of the Lenovo Legion 5 (Ryzen 7 5800H, RTX 3050 Ti):

Pros:

  • Excellent performance for the price
  • Smooth 165Hz display
  • Comfortable keyboard and trackpad
  • Good port selection
  • Solid build quality

Cons:

  • Mediocre color accuracy
  • Battery life could be better

Conclusion: Is the Lenovo Legion 5 Worth It?

So, is the Lenovo Legion 5 (Ryzen 7 5800H, RTX 3050 Ti) worth it? In my opinion, absolutely. This laptop offers a fantastic balance of performance, features, and price. It's a great choice for gamers, content creators, and anyone who needs a powerful and versatile laptop.

The Ryzen 7 5800H and RTX 3050 Ti provide excellent performance for gaming and content creation. The 165Hz display is smooth and responsive, making games feel incredibly immersive. The keyboard and trackpad are comfortable to use, and the port selection is generous.

While the color accuracy and battery life could be better, these are minor drawbacks compared to the overall value of the laptop. If you're looking for a gaming laptop that won't break the bank, the Lenovo Legion 5 is definitely worth considering.

I hope this review has been helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!