Lenovo is rolling out its annual update to its Legion laptops and desktops at CES 2023, but this year is different. The new Lenovo Legion Pro 7 and Legion Pro 5 (along with their Intel variants) include a dedicated AI chip that Lenovo says performs “graphical wizardry”.
The chip in question is Lenovo’s LA AI processor, which it claims is the world’s first dedicated AI processor in a gaming laptop. Coupled with the Lenovo AI Engine+ software, the chip leverages machine learning to tune the system’s performance in real-time.
Although it’s hard to tell what exactly the chip is tuning. Lenovo was light on details in its announcement, but we do know that the processor will monitor in-game frames per second (FPS) and adjust the system for optimal performance. Presumably, it’s done with power, as Lenovo points out that its new machines deliver up to 15% more power than the previous generation.
As for specs, Lenovo’s Legion updates come about as you’d expect. Both machines pack Intel’s latest 13th-gen processors or AMD’s Ryzen 7000 Mobile CPUs, along with Nvidia RTX 40-series graphics. The Legion Pro 7i includes an Intel Core i9-13900HX, while the Legion Pro 7 includes a Ryzen 9 7945HX. Lenovo hasn’t shared graphics details yet, but we expect this model to step up to the RTX 4090.
The Legion Pro 5i comes with the same Core i9-13900HX, but the AMD version falls slightly short with the Ryzen 7 7845HX. Once again, we don’t have details on the graphics front, but the 200W power limit suggests that these models won’t support the RTX 4090.
With both the machines, you are getting a 16-inch 16:10 display with 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and a refresh rate of 240Hz. It also supports variable refresh rates, and as you can read in our review of last year’s Lenovo Legion 5i Pro, it’s got one of the best displays you’ll find in a gaming laptop.
Lenovo also has updates for its Legion desktops. The Legion Tower 7i includes an Intel Core i9-13900K processor and Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU. For that, along with the RTX 4080 configuration, Lenovo is offering a 1,200W power supply, which is otherwise not available in its desktop range.
Lenovo says the Tower 7i includes an “airflow-amplifying front bezel” with optional liquid cooling capable of keeping the 260W CPU cool. You can cram up to three 2TB SSDs into the machine, offering a total of 6TB of storage.
The 26-liter Tower 5i and Tower 5 come with either the Intel Core i9-13900F or the AMD Ryzen 7900. We don’t have the specs for the graphics in this machine yet, but it tops out with an 850W power supply. This suggests that it will likely take advantage of cards like Nvidia’s RTX 40-series stack and possibly underpowered last-gen cards.
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