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Razer Blade 14 (2023) review: thin and light with big performance
7:00 pm | July 30, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Razer Blade 14 (2023): Two-minute review

This year’s Razer Blade 14 refresh has been outfitted with the latest specs, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, which sports a 5.2 GHz max clock speed and eight cores/16 threads, and up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. Despite containing such powerful and normally heavy components, it still manages to remain lightweight and thin, a contrast to the much larger laptop models like the 16-inch and 18-inch ones. And not only are the specs themselves impressive, but the overall performance is too. The laptop can get hot during more intensive gaming sessions but it never once stuttered, slowed down, or froze.

Its chassis is simply all black with the logo in green, the distinctive style of Razer products. There’s also a white version called Mercury, but unfortunately no Quartz from the 2022 model. It’s a little over four pounds with a thickness of less than one inch which, combined with the 14-inch display, makes it easy to carry around in most medium size bags. It’s ideal for those who need what might be one of the best gaming laptops to also be one of the best thin and light laptops for traveling.

The display is gorgeous, featuring a QHD+ resolution and a mind-blowingly high refresh rate of 240Hz, an impressive response time of less than 3ms, and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. Both its keyboard and touchpad are responsive and have a satisfying snap. The keyboard also has customizable RGB lighting It also sports a solid port selection including two USB Type-A ports, two USB Type-C ports, an HDMI port, a power port, a Kensington lock, and an audio jack, though unfortunately there’s no SD card slot or ethernet port. Even better is that it has a physical webcam privacy shutter with a mechanical switch, an incredibly rare feature that’s more than welcome on the Blade 14.

Out of all the laptops that Razer released this generation, this is the most impressive one to me. Being able to produce a high-performance laptop with solid benchmark scores while not compromising on the build quality is no mean feat. The only spec that was a bit disappointing is the battery life. Razer claimed it could last up to 10-12 hours, and if going by pure productivity work then it gets close to that with eight hours of life. However, if you stream movies or play games, that gets cut down to a paltry four hours. It does charge quickly at least.

Its benchmark results are quite excellent, comparable to plenty of other similar spec laptops on the market like the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro or the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16. It’s able to keep pace with machines with better specs in benchmark tests. And for general performance, its framerate either keeps up with or passes other laptops with better specs. Ventilation isn’t too shabby either, as even when it does heat up, the performance never suffers.

When it comes to other performance metrics, like framerate, it also delivers great results. For instance, playing Cyberpunk 2077 on maxed-out settings gets you close to 60 fps, and I netted similar results for Dirt 5. Total War: Warhammer III naturally performed far above that amount in its highest settings. Titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Final Fantasy VII Remake also able performed well, consistently able to reach 70 fps or higher on the highest settings and with both ray-tracing and DLSS 3 enabled.

Razer Blade 14 (2023): Price & availability

rgb lit keyboard

(Image credit: Future)
  • Starting at $2,399 / £2,499 / AU$4,499
  • Available now 
  • Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Razer laptops tend to be quite expensive and the Razer Blade 14 (2023) is no exception. Despite it being a 14-inch laptop, it commands a starting price point of $2,399 / £2,499.99 / 4,499 which only increases as the GPU improves. With all specs completely maxed out including an RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and the Mercury color which costs an extra $400 and defaults to 32GB RAM and RTX 4070, you’ll be paying $2,799.99 / £2,899.99 / AU$5,299.

Compared to other laptops with similar builds but larger display sizes like the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, you’re paying far more money. And other gaming laptops with somewhat similar specs but much larger sizes, like the Lenovo start around the same price range. Thankfully this laptop is available in the UK and Australia, which means no import fees or much higher shipping costs.

  • Price score: 4 / 5

Razer Blade 14 (2023): Specs

closeup of stickers

(Image credit: Future)

The Razer Blade 14 (2023) comes in two configurations, the base version is equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and comes in black. The second one has an RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and comes in the color Mercury. 

Only color, RAM, and GPU can be configured before purchase, and it's based on said color choice you make, with the Mercury version solely having access to the higher specs. Otherwise, it can’t be configured by the user after purchase.

  • Specs score: 4.5 / 5

black gaming laptop

(Image credit: Future)

Razer Blade 14 (2023): Design

  • Thin and light
  • Great audio system
  • Limited color choices

Razer is known for having some of the best thin and light laptops on the market. And while previously released 2023 models have bucked that trend by embracing the desktop replacement format, the Razer Blade 14 (2023) is a return to form. Despite being equipped with an RTX 4070 GPU at best, it’s a mere four pounds and is less than one inch thick. And thanks to the 14-inch display, it fits into most medium and up-size bags, making it easy to transport while barely feeling the weight.

It comes in two colors, black and Mercury, though the Quartz color from the 2022 version is not available. Disappointing as it set the laptop apart from the generic gamer aesthetic, which the other two colors unfortunately follow. Hopefully, Razer will release a refresh of the Quartz version later this year.

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rgb lit keyboard

(Image credit: Future)
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closeup of stickers

(Image credit: Future)
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black gaming laptop ports

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black gaming laptop ports

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black gaming laptop

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closeup of webcam switch

(Image credit: Future)

The display itself is beautiful with excellent performance thanks to the QHD+ resolution, a  refresh rate of 240Hz, a response time of less than 3ms, and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. The port selection is also solid as it includes two USB Type-A ports, two USB Type-C ports, an HDMI port, a power port, a Kensington lock, and an audio jack. On the downside, there’s no SD card slot or ethernet port, limiting your options to connect this laptop to another screen or a stable wired internet connection. It does come with a feature that many laptops lack, however, which is a physical webcam privacy shutter with a mechanical switch.

Both the keyboard and the touchpad have a satisfying snap when pressing down. The former’s keys are large enough to cater to most finger sizes and the latter is responsive with that clicky feedback I enjoy in a touchpad. 

Razer’s decision to have dual speakers on either side of the keyboard was a good one, as the sound quality is clear. Though the volume isn’t as loud as I would like it, the clarity in each musical instrument and audio cue while playing games or streaming is top-notch and more than worth the tradeoff. I wish the same could be said for the webcam’s visual quality, which isn’t bad but has the mediocre framerate and poor quality in low light that most gaming laptops suffer from.

  • Design score: 4.5 / 5

black gaming laptop with rgb lit keyboard

(Image credit: Future)

Razer Blade 14 (2023): Performance

  • Excellent gaming performance
  • Performs well in creative and editing projects
  • Can run hot at times
Razer Blade 14 (2023): Benchmarks

Here's how the Razer Blade 14 (2023) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 51,538; Fire Strike: 26,443; Time Spy: 11,021; Port Royal: 7,001
GeekBench 5: 2,006 (single-core); 11,121 (multi-core)
Cinebench: 15,058 (multi-core)
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 101 fps; (1080p, Low): 239 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 59 fps; (1080p, Low): 122 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 77 fps; (1080p, Low): 101 fps
25GB File Copy: 21.8
Handbrake 1.6: 4:45
CrossMark: Overall: 1,812 Productivity: 1,774 Creativity: 1,923 Responsiveness: 1,610
Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 8:34:52
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 3 hours and 54 minutes 

Despite the usual thin and light chassis of a Razor laptop, the Razor Blade 14 (2023) boasts excellent gaming performance that compares to other similar gaming laptops. Benchmark results are quite excellent, comparable to plenty of other similar spec laptops on the market like the Legion 7i Pro or the ROG Zephyrus M16. This is especially impressive considering that the test units of the other two laptops are more powerful than the Razer Blade 14, and yet the latter can nearly match scores. 

In terms of gaming performance, despite the difference in specs, it seems that the Blade 14’s CPU and GPU work much better in tandem, as frame rates usually match and in the case of Cyberpunk 2077, actually surpass the other laptops in high settings. In Marvel’s Spider-Man, the framerate doesn’t dip below 75 fps even under the highest possible settings. And thanks to the Blade 14 display’s high refresh rate, the gameplay looks and feels buttery smooth, a boon for hardcore and professional gamers.

Ventilation isn’t bad for such a relatively thin laptop; even though it does heat up when during an intense gaming session, I’ve never experienced any stuttering, freezing, or slowing down while playing. 

It also performs well for those needing a creative or editing machine, as it netted pretty solid 25GB File Copy, Handbrake, and CrossMark scores, not to mention the 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. It’s a well-balanced laptop that, while specializing in gaming, can also dabble in pretty much any other need you have and handle it well.

  • Performance score: 5 / 5

Razer Blade 14 (2023): Battery

closeup of battery life

(Image credit: Future)
  • Poor battery life
  • Charges quickly

According to Razer, the Razer Blade 14 (2023) is supposed to have up to 10 hours of battery life. And it does come close to that, eight hours just about, but only when used for productivity work. When used for streaming or gaming, that battery life is cut in half to four hours at most, which means you’ll be keeping it plugged in for any intensive usage.

It does have the benefit of charging quickly, with it taking only an hour to fully charge the battery. So if you need a productivity laptop that will last for about a full workday then it’ll last and charge right back up in no time.

  • Battery score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Razer Blade 14 (2023)?

Buy it if...

You want a thin and light gaming laptop
Just as Razer is known for, this laptop weighs surprisingly little for its specs and can fit into most bags and be carried around with ease.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
Razer laptops are not meant for those without excess cash flow and this model is no exception.

Razer Blade 14 (2023): Also consider

If the Razer Blade 14 (2023) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Razer Blade 14 (2023)

  • I tested this laptop for about two weeks
  • I tested the gaming performance as well as productivity work
  • I used a variety of benchmark tests as well as high-end PC games to test this laptop.

To test out the Razer Blade 14 (2023) I used a full suite of benchmarks to rank both CPU and GPU performance, with more emphasis on the latter. I also tested out frame rate performance on max settings with a range of high-end PC games like Cyberpunk 2077, Dirt 5, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, and more.

This laptop would primarily be used for gaming, specifically hardcore gaming. Due to its GPU and high color gamut, it can also be used for creative and editing projects, and its CPU means that productivity work is a breeze as well.

I’ve tested out many laptops, especially gaming ones, which gives me plenty of experience with properly benchmarking them. I also have extensive knowledge of testing out general performance such as framerate and graphics.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2023

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i review: mid-range to the max
7:55 pm | July 25, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: One-minute review

The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i is quite a machine. It might not be some premium desktop that defies labels, but it’s a solid, good-looking desktop that does what it’s supposed to and does it quite well. On top of that, the price is pretty good.

Being a mid-range desktop, it does have a few flaws such as the limitations that are inherent in mid-range hardware. Well, and some bloatware that I’ll mention later on. But, you shouldn’t expect a computer equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 to handle ultra settings with ray tracing on. 

That said, the total package is impressive enough that, for at least anyone looking for a good mid-range option, it might be one of the best gaming PCs available right now. While it doesn’t get cheap enough for those looking for budget gaming PCs, you should consider the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i if you can stretch your savings a little bit.  

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: Price & availability

  • How much does it cost? $1,249.99 (about £975, AU$21850) 
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US with limited configurations in UK 

Almost all of the configurations of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i come with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, 3060, or 3060 Ti. Only the kitted-out version comes with a 4000 series GPU, specifically the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, which will set you back $2,099.99 /  £2,150.00 (about AU$3114.88).

Interestingly, the base model that goes for $1,299.99 (about £975, AU$21850) is more expensive than the review unit, which seems to be a Best Buy exclusive. That means if you’re in the US, you can pay $1,249.99 / about £974.47 / about AU$21851.92 and save $50 while upgrading from an RTX 3050 to an RTX 3060 if you get the version from Best Buy.

To make matters more confusing, potential interested parties in the UK will be limited to more expensive builds with the RTX 4070 and those in Australia will only have access to the RTX 3050. Of course, we’re just discussing the configurations with Nvidia GPUs. If you prefer to go with Team Red, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5 (note the missing “i”) offer a whole set of configurations based around AMD, though we won’t dig into that in this review.

Looking beyond the various configurations, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i is a solidly mid-range model in the company’s gaming desktop line. And, paying around $1,300 for great 1080p performance is, while not a bargain, pretty darn good. For comparison, the HP Victus 15L, which is a smaller, more stripped down PC (ie very limited RGB lighting) has very similar specs but goes for a higher $1,399.99 /  £1,049.99 / about AU$2094.65. 

  • Price score: 5 / 5

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: Specs

The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i comes in a few different configurations, with the review unit being very similar to the base one. There's not a wide variation, with most coming with an Intel Core i5 and a mid-range Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 series, with the kitted out version being the only one with a 4000 series GPU. The RAM is the same across all models, though the storage space is different from configuration to configuration.

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: Design

  • Has a nice elegant gamer look
  • Plenty of nice RGB lighting
  • Plenty of ventilation

Aesthetically, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i strikes that elegant gamer look that, to my eyes, all Lenovo Legion products have. It’s a look I’ve always appreciated and that’s certainly the case here, especially since it’s on the larger side so is not the kind of computer you can discreetly place out of the way.

Part of its aesthetic is that almost matte-black color that Lenovo refers to as Storm Grey. But, part of it is the way Lenovo’s managed to give the case texture with its venting on the top and front without adding aggressive looking lines as you’ll find on many gamer-oriented products.

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Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

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Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

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Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

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On top of that, the RGB lighting comes through in a few ways so that you get a nice light show instead of just one or two small zones of lighting. Not only is “LEGION” emblazoned down the front of the case, but the venting on the front allows for the cooling fans, which all sport RGB lighting, to shine through.

The glass side panel, which is held in place by two screws, allows for the lighting from the back cooling fan as well as the name on the graphics card to be easily seen. And, of course, that side panel lets you gaze and see the internals, which are cleanly installed.

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Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Speaking of the ventilation on this case, I never felt that there were any issues with a thermal bottleneck or potential overheating here. Along with the three cooling fans, not counting the one on the CPU, even pushing this computer hard didn’t concern me regarding internal temperatures.

When it comes to ports, there’s plenty on hand, though the selection is not quite what I would like. The top panel holds two USB ports as well as a headphone and mic jack, but there’s no USB-C. For that, you’ll have to go to the back where there are just two. On top of that, there’s no optical out, which I was hoping to use with a gaming soundbar. 

  • Design score: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: Performance

  • Great 1080p performance for most games
  • Not powerful enough for ray tracing with high overall settings
  • Has some bloatware
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: PC benchmarks

Here's how the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 52,433; Fire Strike: 19,192; Time Spy: 8,992
GeekBench 5.5: 1673 (single-core); 11272 (multi-core)
CrossMark: Overall: 1754 Productivity: 1667 Creativity: 1899 Responsiveness: 1612
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 74 fps; (1080p, Low): 204 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 71.07 fps; (1080p, Low): 117.39 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 82.6 fps; (1080p, Low): 193.7 fps
Handbrake 1.6: 5:35 

Even though the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i reviewed is pretty close to the base configuration, it’s surprisingly powerful as long as you stay at 1080p. With a 13th-Gen Intel Core i5, 16GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, the 1080p performance is very strong.

Just look at our benchmarks. Cyberpunk 2077 hits over 70 fps on Ultra settings and that’s a fairly demanding title, even if it’s been out for a few years. Beyond the benchmarks, I ran Control, Far Cry 6 and Gotham Knights all at pretty high settings with great results. However, I still could see the limitations of the RTX 3060. I would get slight screen tearing in Control at max settings, while I had to stick with medium settings with Vsync on for Hogwarts Legacy to minimize screen tearing. And, even then I would get some stuttering.

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i on a side table

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

To that end, turning on ray tracing would negatively affect performance and I would get enough screen tearing to be very distracting. And, while I couldn’t test HDR with my current setup, you probably will have to adjust settings as well if you want to turn HDR on.

Using this PC in general is easy and straightforward as Lenovo has included some proprietary software that’s useful but limited, thankfully, to just a handful of apps. They do what you would expect from gaming computer apps like monitoring internal temperatures and doing slight overclocks or network boosts. And, as nice as the apps are, Lenovo has also included McAfee. If you use that brand of antivirus software, then this isn’t an issue. I don’t, however, and get bombarded regularly to activate my subscription. It’s a bit invasive. While it’s typical to get some extra software that requires a subscription, this one’s a bit much.

  • Performance score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i?

Buy it if...

You want a fantastic 1080p machine
While you’re limited by the hardware that you get, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i squeezes every bit of performance out of its components for rock solid 1080p performance in most situations.

You want a good-looking gaming desktop
It’s not overly aggressive with its styling, but this desktop manages to look in a gamer kind of way while not coming off as ostentatious.

Don't buy it if...

You want 4K or ray tracing
Though this is a killer 1080p machine, it’s not so killer when it comes to higher resolutions or maxing all the settings and turning ray tracing on. You’re still using an RTX 3060. That is, unless you upgrade to the kitted-out configuration.

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i: Also consider

If our Lenovo Legion Tower 5i review has you considering other options, here are two gaming desktops to consider...  

How I tested the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i

  • Tested for a week
  • Used it with a number of games including very demanding ones
  • Dived into included software

I tested the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i over the course of a week, playing a number of demanding games including Hogwarts Legacy, Control, Gotham Knights, Far Cry 6, and Battlefield 2042. While testing, I ran those games at different settings while also turning ray tracing and other VRAM-hungry features like Motion Blur on and off.

I paid attention to how the actual machine was running while under duress, not to mention taking a closer look at its physical attributes. I weighed the performance and design against its price as well as that of its competitors to come to a decision regarding the score and overall review.

Having spent the last few years reviewing tech of all sorts including for gaming, I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation. 

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2023

HP Omen 25L review: solid 1080p gaming in a monolith-like case
5:18 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

HP Omen 25L: One-minute review

As long as you’re not looking for cutting-edge gaming, the HP Omen 25L is more than enough for your needs. This gaming PC has a lot to offer for anyone willing to mostly stick to 1080p gaming. While we’ve reviewed a robust configuration here, just about any version of this PC will give you great results whether you’re escaping futuristic police in Cyberpunk 2077 or commanding fantastical armies in Total War: Warhammer III.

Whether it’s among the best gaming PCs out there somewhat depends unfortunately on the individual unit you get as there can be some quality control issues with more than a few. However, if you have one that performs as it should, you’ll have little to complain about except for maybe wanting an extra port or two. Plus, at its most basic configuration, it ranks among the best budget gaming PCs available.  

HP Omen 25L: Price & availability

  • How much does it cost?  $1,399.99 /  £1,049.99 / about AU$2094.65 
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US with limited configurations in UK 

Starting at $1,139.99, the HP Omen 25L is a solid mid-tier offering from the computer behemoth. That price tag will net you a base configuration of a 13th-Gen Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT, and 256GB SSD. 

As with most customizable PCs from HP or other big manufacturers, the different configurations listed under the HP Omen 25L name are confusing and all over the place. You can get models with Intel CPUs and Nvidia graphics, Intel CPUs and AMD graphics, AMD CPUs and Nvidia Graphics, and AMD CPUs and AMD graphics. And, they’re all presented under different listings instead of a single “HP Omen 25L” page with whatever upgrades you want to choose from.

The review model, unlike the cheapest configuration, sports an AMD CPU with Nvidia graphics, specifically an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G, 16GB, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, and a 512GB SSD with an additional 1TB hard drive. This configuration goes for $1,902.99, though it is usually on sale as most of this PC’s configurations.

For the most kitted-out configuration, you’re going to have to drop a cool $3,018.99 for the pleasure, which includes a 13th-gen Intel Core i7, 64GB RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, and a 1TB SSD with an additional 1TB SSD for extra storage. Considering these are all customizable, you can certainly pick and choose what you find important. Just be aware that upgrading the GPU or CPU is going to dramatically increase the price quickly. For example, going from a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 to the 3060 Ti is an additional $200.

However, if you’re in the UK, you’re limited to two configurations, a 13th-Gen i5, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD for £1,199.99 or an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD for £1,099.99. 

And, if you’re in Australia, you won’t have access to this model. Instead, you can either grab the more budget-friendly Victus 15L or the more robust HP Omen 45L.

  • Price score: 4 / 5

HP Omen 25L on the floor

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

HP Omen 25L: Specs

The HP Omen 25L comes in a few configurations, sporting both AMD and Intel processors as well as AMD and Nvidia graphics cards. 

HP Omen 25L on the floor

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

HP Omen 25L: Design

  • Striking all-white design with RGB bling
  • Easy tool-less access to internal components
  • Port selection is just okay

As a desktop tower, the HP Omen 25L cuts a striking almost monolith-like figure with its almost all-white design. It helps that the PC is on the taller side, dwarfing HP’s more budget-friendly Victus line.

That all-white design is accentuated by an RGB diamond on the front, while the side glass panel allows you to ogle the internals in all its RGB glory. And, yes, there’s plenty of lighting bling happening inside the case as well, including the fans and RAM sticks.

Getting inside the chassis is pretty easy as that side panel can be removed with a push of a button. No need to grab any tools to get access. On top of that, everything is pretty organized so you don’t have to worry about navigating the PC’s layout if you’re trying to replace a part. That said, there is a plastic placeholder covering the graphics card that you’ll have to unscrew if you ever need to replace it.

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HP Omen 25L on the floor

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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HP Omen 25L on the floor

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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HP Omen 25L on the floor

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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HP Omen 25L on the floor

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

As far as ports go, the selection is decent if not exceptional. The front ports, situated next to the power button on top of the tower, are limited to just two USB-A ports, a headphone and a mic jack. You’ll have to plug any USB-C peripherals into the back where there are just two on hand as well as four USB-A ports. 

HP does offer an optional keyboard and mouse for an extra $14 / about £11.01, and their quality is worth about that. These wired peripherals do the trick for a while, but they feel cheap and don’t come with any surprisingly robust features. You won’t be getting a mechanical keyboard in the deal.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

HP Omen 25L on the floor

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

HP Omen 25L: Performance

  • Solid gaming performance in 1080p
  • Not great for 4K gaming
  • Some reported performance issues when running games
HP Omen 25L: PC benchmarks

Here's how the HP Omen 25L performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 58,086; Fire Strike: 25,635; Time Spy: 11,086
GeekBench 5.5: 1525 (single-core); 8904 (multi-core)
CrossMark: Overall: 1457 Productivity: 1454 Creativity: 1545 Responsiveness: 1229
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 89.3 fps; (1080p, Low): 233.9 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 85.79 fps; (1080p, Low): 121.64 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 102.7 fps; (1080p, Low): 196.4 fps
Handbrake 1.6: 5:46 

As would be expected from a PC with an AMD Ryzen 7 chip and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GPU, the 1080p performance is very solid, more than capable of handling just about any game you throw at it. Cyberpunk 2077 might be a few years old at this point, but it’s still an incredibly popular game and one that needs a good amount of resources for good performance. So, the fact that this computer can deliver almost 86 fps on Ultra settings is pretty heartening. RTS fans will be happy to hear that I was able to get an equally impressive 89 fps in Total War: Warhammer III with Ultra settings on.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti still has easily reachable limitations, notably with higher resolutions. While I was testing the HP Omen 25L, I had it connected to a 4K monitor and was able to reach that limitation fairly quickly. While I was able to get through a full campaign on Battlefield 2042 on medium settings, I experienced enough stuttering to make running it in 1080p much more preferable.

Now, if you’ve done any googling of this particular model in HP’s gaming lineup, you’ll probably see more than a few results regarding issues with it freezing and rebooting any time someone tries to run a game, which is most likely an issue with either the graphics card or the power supply. I’m not sure if it’s an issue with quality control or if a bad batch hit the market, but this is one computer that you’ll want to be up to date on what your warranty options are.

  • Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the HP Omen 25L?

HP Omen 25L on the floor

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Buy it if...

You want solid 1080p gaming
The HP Omen 25L can deliver where it counts for anyone wanting to game in 1080p gaming, even on max settings for many demanding games.

You want an attractive and different-looking PC
This desktop looks like a monolith in white with RGB lighting. Not only is it attractive but in a way that’s slightly different than many other PCs out there.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
While it’s not egregiously priced, the HP Omen 25L is not a budget PC. Look to HP’s Victus line for that.

HP Omen 25L: Also consider

If the HP Omen 25L has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the HP Omen 25L

  • I tested for a week
  • I played a variety of games
  • I opened it up and checked out the internals

Having used the HP Omen 25L for a week, I played a variety of games on it, including Far Cry 6, Battlefield 2042, and Cyberpunk 2077. I tried them at different graphics settings as well as different resolutions. I also opened the computer up and took a look around to see how easy it is to access the internals in case of issues.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation. And, I’ve spent even longer playing computer games so I have an understanding of what gamers look for to get the most out of their titles.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2023

Origin Chronos V3 review: big performance, small package
9:02 pm | July 13, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Origin Chronos V3: One-minute review

Going as far back as 2014, the Origin Chronos line of gaming desktops have earned a reputation by providing incredible performance in a relatively compact shell. Throughout the years, design has gotten smaller as chip sets get more and more powerful, and the same goes for the Origin Chronos V3. 

Featuring a mid-tower ITX case set-up that’s 11 inches tall and 7 inches wide, the gaming desktop is small enough to pack in dozens of combinations split between various CPUs, GPUs, motherboards, RAM and SSD storage. 

It doesn’t matter what side of the Intel, Nvidia and AMD side of the fence one stands on, the amount of personalized options are remarkable. There’s even plenty of ventilation through its steel mesh panels that also allow up to 6 120mm fans to be used as well. This allows high-end gaming performance doesn’t become uncomfortably noisy when pushed to the max. 

However, this impressive package does come with some issues. Regardless of which configuration one finds themselves choosing, the Chronos V3 is going to cost a pretty penny. Starting at $1,501 for a build with an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU and no discrete graphics, you can customize your Chronos V3 to the tune of more than $5,500. Of course, the max configuration is a beast of a machine, so the price is absolutely in line with what you're getting.

Meanwhile, the smaller design means port access located at the top instead of the rear may be problematic. Most importantly, upgrading various parts over-time may be problematic due to its mini ITX case. These restrictions won’t make the Chronos V3 any less desirable but may be something potential buyers should take into consideration given how much money they're likely to drop on this bad boy. 

Origin Chronos V3: Price & availability

A Origin Chronos V3 gaming PC shipping crate

Yes, they ship this thing out in a crate like it's the Ark of the Covenant (if you're into that kind of thing) (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • How much does it cost? Depending on the configuration, expect to spend between $1,785 and $5,695  
  •  When is it available? It is available now in the US only 
  •  Where can you get it? From Origin’s online store 

Currently only available stateside through Origin’s online store, the Chronos V3 gaming desktop can come in a variety of spec configurations that’s split between two white and black colorways. 

Our review setup runs about $3,050 (about £2,830/AU$4,560) and came packed with an Intel Core i7-13700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD with an additional 2 TB SSD storage. 

The Chronos V3 is going to be an all around expensive purchase regardless of what options you go for, but it is still reasonable on the lower end and not out of step with the best gaming PCs from manufacturers like Dell or Lenovo. 

Still, if you're looking for something much more on this side of affordable, do check out our best budget gaming PC  page for more affordable alternatives.

Though the front case design comes with two USB-A and one USB-C ports alongside a 3.5 mm headset jack across all configurations, port selection may differ due to the amount of motherboards available as well. This review configuration was an MPG Z790I Edge Wifi that granted four USB-A ports, a singular USB-C, RealTek 7.1 Audio Out capabilities, 2.5 LAN Ethernet port in addition to Intel Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. 

At the cheaper end of the spectrum, users can get a viable build with an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU, Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 500GB SSD. That’ll cost around $1,785 (about £1,425, AU$2,675). 

On the high end, for around $5,521 (about £4,420/AU$8,280), individuals can blow up their specs to a 24-core Intel i9-13900KS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, 64GB DDR5 RAM, 8GB PCIe SSD storage alongside an extra 8GB SATA SSD and a bay-mounted, low-profile Blu-Ray writer because why the hell not? 

  • Value score: 3.5 / 5

Origin Chronos V3: Specs

A Origin Chronos V3 gaming PC on a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The Origin Chronos V3 currently comes in any number of configurations, letting the number of potential builds run well over 100. 

Origin Chronos V3 : Design

A Origin Chronos V3 gaming PC on a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • Has a very small footprint  
  • Ports are arranged at the top of the unit near a ventilation fan  
  • Design isn’t completely future proof

The Origin Chronos V3’s design is rather svelte, meaning it won’t take up much space and may remind many of the Xbox Series X. The case alone is around 5 lbs as additional components shouldn’t make the gaming desktop a heavy lift. Moving the Chronos V3 around didn’t take much effort at all. 

When it comes to aesthetics, the desktop looks great while offering a premium design. It doesn’t matter if buyers go with the white or black colorway either as the customizable RGB lighting makes it visually pop. Despite the small design and power it contains, there’s plenty of ventilation through the steel mesh panels that can easily be removed for cleaning eventual dust build-up. 

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A Origin Chronos V3 gaming PC on a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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A Origin Chronos V3 gaming PC on a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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A Origin Chronos V3 gaming PC on a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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A Origin Chronos V3 gaming PC on a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Due to the design of the Chronos V3, ports are placed at the top instead of the rear. To keep things cleaner, they are accessible through a removable panel with an opening at rear for cable management. 

Some may have an issue with ports being placed at the top instead of the back, as well as the ports being so close to a ventilation fan. As mentioned previously, there are various motherboard options which will lead to different port configurations, but our review set up had enough ports at the top alongside the two additional USB-A and single USB-C near the power bottom at the front panel’s lower portion.

By default, the biggest issue with the design will be upgradability. Replacing CPU, RAM and Storage won’t be much of an issue but the cramped space is going to make upgrading GPUs and motherboards in the future a problem. At the very least, Origin does offer options to send the gaming desktop back to have them upgraded if it becomes too much of a hassle.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Origin Chronos V3 : Performance

A Origin Chronos V3 gaming PC on a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • Our review configuration provided respectable 1440p gaming at max settings  
  • Quiet fans despite the performance specs and small design
  • Lack of flagship GPU options limiting native 4K performance  

Considering the smaller case design of the Origin Chronos V3, there’s some serious horsepower packed in. During testing, our Intel Core i7-13700K and RTX 4080 combo provided great native 1440p performance at high frame rates. Games ranging from Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Need For Speed Unbound and Diablo IV ran buttery smooth without issue. 

At those settings, there wasn’t a game the Chronos V3 couldn’t handle even with the addition of ray-tracing. Our standard test from Total War: Warhammer III and Dirt 5 provided frame rates that all went above 200 when using Ultra settings. If 1440p gameplay is all one is concerned about, this gaming desktop is more than enough. 

Just be mindful that the case will limit which GPUs the Chronos V3 can hold, and there aren't any options to preconfigure the PC with AMD and Nvidia's flagship GPUs, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. This means that native 4K performance will be a problem depending on the game, but thankfully, upscaling measures like Nvidia DLSS or AMD FSR can deliver 4K resolutions at high frame rates with some of the GPU options for the build. Those can come with issues like loss of visual details and input delay, though, so it's not a perfect substitute.

Individuals who want native 4K or even 8K performance may want to stay clear of this particular gaming desktop as the case understandably prevents bigger GPU sizes. One thing that is consistent is that fan cooling doesn’t get very loud during intense performance.

We also found the Chronos V3 to be a great workstation for creative tasks. Our PugetBench test for Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro delivered fantastic performance as well. Running Photoshop with high resolution photo files and multiple layers wasn't a problem at all while 4K video exports could be considered relatively snappy.

  • Performance score: 4.5/ 5

Should you buy the Origin Chronos V3?

A Origin Chronos V3 gaming PC on a desk

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Origin Chronos V3

I spent two weeks with the Origin Chronos V3, playing the latest PC games, used it for general computing tasks, and using various creative apps like Adobe Photoshop. 

Pushing the compact gaming desktop to its limits, I played games including Cyberpunk 2077, Need For Speed Unbound, Forza Horizon 5, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. 

More general computing use included using Google Chrome for various tasks ranging from Google Docs to utilizing various social media platforms. Outside of PugetBench tests, we also used Adobe Photoshop and Premier as well. 

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July 2023

HP Victus 15L review: solid if flawed gaming
5:19 pm | June 12, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

HP Victus 15L: Two-minute review

Budget gaming machines like the HP Victus 15L are always an exercise in compromise. They don’t require you to sell an organ just to afford them, but they do require that you live with turning down the settings in more demanding games, sticking to a 1080p resolution, and skipping features like HDR and ray tracing.

Those compromises are always going to be a part of the conversation with the best budget gaming PCs. Unlike some of the best gaming PCs, it’s just something you’ll have to accept when trying to keep the price down. 

The HP Victus 15L, reviewed here, is fairly capable at running even the latest games at medium settings at a 1080p resolution. And, its form factor makes it perfect for those with cramped spaces. Though it only really sets itself apart from the competition with its plethora of ports accessible on the front of the machine, it is a nice option for budget-minded gamers.

Unfortunately, part of the compromise with the HP Victus 15L is dealing with its tendency to overheat, causing performance issues when pushed too hard. If you can toe that line, you’ll be fine. Otherwise, you may want to save up for a more powerful machine.

HP Victus 15L: Price and availability

  • How much does it cost?  $1,399.99 /  £1,049.99 (about AU$2094.65)
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it?  Available in the US and UK 

The HP Victus 15L, as the budget option in HP’s gaming lineup, can be had for quite cheap. Its base configuration of an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G CPU, AMD Radeon RX 6400 GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD goes for $779.99 in the US. While those in the UK don’t have access to any of the AMD-equipped models, the cheapest configuration sporting a 13th-Gen Intel Core i5, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660, 8GB RAM, and 512 GB SSD will only set you back £699.98.

The kitted out model, reviewed here, comes with a 12th-Gen Intel Core i7, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, and a 512 GB SSD / 1TB HDD storage combo and goes for a reasonable $1,399.99 /  £1,049.99 / about AU$2094.65. If that seems a little high, just remember that HP likes to regularly discount its models.

As with most computer product lines, the HP Victus 15L can get a little confusing as you can get this kitted out configuration with a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7 for the same price. And, those in the UK will end up with an Intel Core i5 CPU as well as a 1TB SSD instead of the SSD and HDD combo.

Unfortunately, the Victus 15L doesn't seem to be available yet in Australia. But, based on the landing page for the company’s Australian website, it should eventually make its way there.

  • Value: 4.5 / 5

HP Victus 15L: Specs

The HP Victus 15L comes in a few configurations, sporting both AMD and Intel processors as well as AMD and Nvidia graphics cards.

HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

HP Victus 15L: Design

  • Basic no-nonsense design
  • Chassis is a little weak
  • Lots of ports on the front

A quick inspection of the HP Victus 15L will confirm the obvious. This is a budget machine, even in its most expensive configurations. It’s a pretty straightforward, no-nonsense affair only spruced up by a single RGB zone of lighting in the shape of a V cut into the front. Available in white or black, it eschews see-through glass panels of more expensive gaming desktops for an all-aluminum covering.

Where the cost-cutting is most obvious is in the chassis. Though this computer was well-packed, the back panel of the chassis where the graphics card and power supply screw in came slightly warped with the review model. While it didn’t affect performance, it is concerning. Also, when opening the computer up, the parts from the motherboard to the RAM are clearly of the most basic variety.

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HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

As someone who’s always been drawn to smaller form factors, the desktop’s diminutive size is a nice welcome. Measuring in at 6.1 x 11.71 x 13.27 in, it doesn’t require too much desk or floor space, ideal for more cramped situations like a dorm room.

I also appreciate the number of ports available on the HP Victus 15L, particularly on the front. There are four USB-A ports on the front, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack all lined up in a column below the power button. Usually, I find desktop computers, gaming or otherwise, to only sport a couple USB-A ports with maybe a USB-C thrown in on the front. As more peripherals move to wireless connectivity via a dongle, having easier access to a large number of ports is one of the more unique aspects of the Victus 15L.

The overall port count is probably on par with most gaming computers however, as there are just an additional four USB-A ports on the back, an audio in and out as well as mic input, as well as an HDMI and DisplayPort, not to mention the ones on the graphics card.

  • Design: 4 / 5

HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

HP Victus 15L: Performance

  • Solid gaming performance
  • Susceptible to overheating
  • Suite of apps can help finetune
HP Victus 15L: Benchmarks

Here's how the HP Victus 15L performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 56,085; Fire Strike: 19,868; Time Spy: 8,919
GeekBench 5.5: 1793 (single-core); 10774 (multi-core)
CrossMark: Overall: 1774 Productivity: 1726 Creativity: 1894 Responsiveness: 1581
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 72.2 fps; (1080p, Low): 200.4 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 68.35 fps; (1080p, Low): 108.70 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 80.2 fps; (1080p, Low): 186.8 fps
Handbrake 1.6: 5:14

If I had to use one word to describe the HP Victus 15L’s performance, it would be mercurial. I’ve managed to play Battlefield 2042 on decently high settings on 4K at 60Hz yet booting up Control at 1080p, though at its highest settings causes the PC to literally restart.

What this means is that the performance that you can expect from an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 is there. But, when you hit its limits, the HP Victus 15L will do more than just give you slow performance. I had this computer restart on me a few times when I pushed it too hard.

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HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)
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HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

I believe this is because there are some issues with the design of this PC that can contribute to overheating. The smaller chassis with its cramped internals doesn’t allow as much air circulation as you would find with bigger towers, while only a quarter of one side panel is vented.

This means that you have to be vigilant when getting the HP Victus 15L set up for gaming. To start, you’ll want to stick with a 1080p resolution. It can handle medium settings with aplomb. I personally don’t find ray tracing to add that much to my gaming immersion anyway, but I would keep that turned off here.

You can also take advantage of all the apps HP has included here to either troubleshoot issues including individual hardware checks or adjust settings for better gaming performance. The HP Omen app, which is pretty intuitive to use, is a great resource to keep tabs on internal temperature. More importantly, I was able to adjust performance settings including keeping the fans going to mitigate issues with overheating. Of course, those fans can get pretty loud.

  • Performance: 3 / 5

Should you buy the HP Victus 15L?

HP Victus 15L

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Buy it if...

You’re on a budget
PC gaming is an expensive hobby. If you want a desktop that won’t break the bank, then the HP Victus 15L might be the one for you.

You don’t have much space
The HP Victus 15L’s small form factor is ideal for those who have limited space. Most gaming PCs are going to be quite bigger (or much more expensive).

You need those accessible ports
All those front-facing ports, as minor as it seems, is a quality-of-gaming-life addition that I would love to see on more gaming PCs.

Don't buy it if...

You can afford something more robust
The HP Victus 15L makes some sacrifices to meet its price point. If you don’t have to limit your budget, you should consider something more robust.

You want to game at the highest settings or 4K
Even the most kitted out version of this computer has its limitations. So, if you care about playing at a 4K resolution, maxing out settings, or using Ray Tracing, you’ll want to get something with a bit more firepower.

HP Victus 15L: Also consider

If our HP Victus 15L review has you considering other options, you should consider… 

How I tested the HP Victus 15L

  • I tested for a week
  • I played a variety of games
  • I opened it up and checked out the internals

Having used the HP Victus 15L for a week, I played a variety of games on it, including Far Cry 6, Control, Battlefield 2042, and Cyberpunk 2077. I tried them at different graphics settings as well as different resolutions.

When I encountered issues with overheating, I went through all the diagnostics available and messed with the different apps. I also opened up the computer to see what it looked like inside and how everything was connected.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation. And, I’ve spent even longer playing computer games so I have an understanding of what gamers look for to get the most out of their titles.
 

First reviewed June 2023

Dell XPS 15 (2023) review: a well-rounded Ultrabook that pales to its predecessor
8:00 pm | May 6, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Two-minute review

The Dell XPS 15 (2023) laptop is a refresh of the phenomenal version from 2022, which scored a perfect five out of five stars from us. But while the 2023 model has mostly stayed the same in terms of design and offerings, there are some key differences between the two, both good and bad. 

From the outside, you see the same light silver chassis that sets it apart from many of the other best Ultrabooks. Though it feels comparable to the best light and thin laptops in terms of weight, the chassis still has a nice, hefty feeling to it. It’s also the exact same chassis from the previous model, which was also a work of art. It only makes sense not to alter a design that served it so well.

Opening it up, we also run into very familiar territory. Just like the 2022 version, this one has a thin bezel, with the areas surrounding the keyboard and touchpad a pleasant black matte texture that’s satisfying to the touch. The keys are still nice and wide, fitting for most fingers, and the touchpad itself is the mechanical type that gives you a sense of feedback, even though it's softened enough for there not to be an audible click. I personally miss it but others might not so it’s purely subjective.

Just like what was detailed in our Dell XPS 15 (2022) review, the 2023 model’s display is a stunning 15.6-inch HD+ screen, with a choice between FHD+ (1920 x 1200) or OLED 3.5K (3456x2160). The port selection is quite good as well, offering pretty much everything you need including Type-C and Type-A USB ports, an HDMI port, an SD slot, an audio jack, and more. It is missing an ethernet port, and having only one Type-A port pulls it away from perfection. Its audio quality is absolute perfection, however, delivering rich sound from its dual speakers. I would even go so far as to say this is a major area that the 2023 model improved over its predecessor.

Just as with any Dell laptop, there are a wide variety of configurations and specs to choose from, depending on what your needs are. This makes it quite balanced in terms of performance, as it handles pretty much any productivity or creative tasks thrown at it. It also shares with the 2022 version the ability to game at higher GPU specs, with the 2023 version having the added bonus of being able to ray-trace. 

However, the GPUs seem to be lower-powered in some aspects compared to the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, which features an RTX 4050, and there are benchmark tests that scored even less than the 2022 XPS 15. That leaves us to wonder if the Dell XPS 15 (2023) is worth the upgrade.

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Price & availability

closeup of keyboard

(Image credit: Future)
  • Starting at $2,799 / £2,649 / AU$4,500.10
  • Available now
  • Available in the US, the UK, and Australia

The starting price for the Dell XPS 15 at the basic configurations is $1,499 / £1,498.99 / AU$2,498.10, which is equipped with an Intel Arc A370M. And though the Arc A370M is a budget gaming GPU, if you want a higher-end model the starting price for an XPS 15 with an RTX 4050 is $1,899 / £1,849 / AU$2,998.60. 

The review unit sent to me is even more expensive than that, at $2,799 / £2,649 / AU$4,500.10, with this one equipped with a GeForce RTX 4070. In general, this laptop is quite pricey even by Ultrabook standards. And though we don’t consider the XPS 15 a gaming laptop, it’s more affordable than many other options.

When compared with its current direct competitors, like the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) or the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, its starting pricing is more affordable but quickly ramps as you go for higher configurations. But the Galaxy Book3 Ultra is still a bit pricier at higher specs as well, so if cost is what’s most important to you then the XPS 15 is your choice. 

On the other hand, the M2 MacBook Pro 16-inch is just under the XPS 15 in the US and Australia (and barely over in the UK) and blows away the latter in both Geekbench and Cinebench benchmarks, so the performance for creative and productive work there is superior. Of course, you’re giving up most PC gaming in return, so if that’s important to you then the latter is the better choice. Overall, it boils down to what your needs are. 

As always with Dell products, this laptop is readily available in the US, UK, and Australia. And the available configurations are the same across the board for the most part, so no one region is left out regarding what a buyer can choose from.

  • Price score: 4 / 5

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Specs

closeup of keyboard and touchpad

(Image credit: Future)

The specs for the Dell XPS 15 (2023) review unit sent to me are as follows: Intel Core i7-13700H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, 32GB of RAM, 1TB storage, and a 15.6-inch OLED 3.5K resolution screen. 

It also comes in several configurations that are customizable by the buyer. You can choose up to an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU, an RTX 4070 GPU, 64GB of RAM, 8TB of storage, and an OLED 3.5K display. Interestingly enough, the 3.5K version has 400 nits of brightness while the FHD+ (1920 x 1200) version has 500 nits.

The only real difference between regional configurations is that the UK model can’t go over 4TB while the US and Australian models can go up to 8GB. There are also some slight differences, like the Core i9 CPU only being available with certain other specs.

  • Specs score: 5 / 5

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Design

silver laptop sitting on purple desk

(Image credit: Future)
  • Beautiful, sturdy design
  • Great display, keyboard, and touchpad
  • Incredible audio quality

The Dell XPS 15 (2023) is a very lovely Ultrabook to look at, with a light silver chassis that glimmers in the light. Its weight is a little over four pounds or just under two kilograms, but its form factor is well-balanced so you don’t feel it, even when transporting it around in a bag. It has a nice heft to it as well, a nice solid build that promises to resist damage over time. 

On the inside is a black carbon fiber palm rest that has a great texture to it, as well as serving the practical purpose of keeping cool and preventing sweat build-up. The keyboard has nice wide keys that work well for people with larger fingers or conditions that require such, but I wish there was backlighting for late-at-night typing. The mechanical touchpad has great visceral feedback with every click, though I wish there was that audible click to match it.

The display is gorgeous, with both the FHD+ (1920 x 1200) or OLED 3.5K (3456x2160) being viable choices. But if you can, I would recommend you spend the extra money for the OLED version as it’s absolutely stunning to look at and everything, from games to creative works, to video and image projects, truly pop.

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silver laptop sitting on purple desk

(Image credit: Future)
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silver laptop sitting on purple desk

(Image credit: Future)
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silver laptop sitting on purple desk

(Image credit: Future)
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keyboard and touchpad

(Image credit: Future)

There’s a nice variety in port selection, including one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with DisplayPort, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2) ports, one headset (headphone and microphone combo) port, one SD slot, and one wedge-shaped lock slot. It is missing an ethernet port, which seems to be becoming the norm among laptops but no less disappointing if you wanted to plug up your machine for a stable internet connection.

What blew me away was the audio quality, which is some of the best I’ve ever heard from any laptop, including plenty of gaming laptops. The stereo woofers located on each side of the keyboard retain full sound quality at any volume, even when maxed out, the bass is incredible, and its audio clarity (which allows you to hear different elements clearly) is impeccable.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Performance

silver laptop sitting on purple desk

(Image credit: Future)
  • Great all-around performance
  • Underpowered GPU
  • Can perform ray-tracing
Dell XPS 15 (2023): Benchmarks

Here's how the Dell XPS 15 (2023) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 25,710; Fire Strike: 16,782; Time Spy: 7,124; Port Royal: 4,712
Cinebench R23 Multi-core: 8,088 points
GeekBench 5: 1,778 (single-core); 8,667 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 13
Handbrake 1.6: 5:01
CrossMark: Overall: 1,906 Productivity: 1,790 Creativity: 2,130 Responsiveness: 1,650
PCMark 10 (Home Test): 7,496
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 8 hours, 3 minutes
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: (1080p, Ultra): 69 fps; (1080p, Low): 115 fps
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 90 fps; (1080p, Low): 216 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 23 fps; (1080p, Low): 61 fps

The higher specs you can choose from allow it to churn out consistently high performance that essentially makes it a gaming laptop in everything but in name. It even has ray-tracing capabilities, though not very impressive compared to actual gaming rigs but it’s still there. And as for productivity and creative work, I found that it performed smoothly with no slowdown or struggle to speak of. Even during intensive work or play, the ventilation system did its job well and prevented the laptop from overheating.

However, benchmark testing tells a different story. When comparing some scores for tests like 3D Mark’s Time Spy and Fire Strike, the XPS 15 2023 beats out the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra and the XPS 15 2022 handily. But in other benchmarks like Night Raid, Cinebench R23, and GeekBench 5, either the scores match or are actually lower. This means that despite this being a 4070 GPU, it’s most likely a lower-powered one, which means that you’re getting a current-gen card that matches the 4050 of the Galaxy Book3 Ultra and even the 3050 Ti of the 2022 XPS 15.

Gameplay-wise, those benchmark scores play out in performance just as you’d think they would – mainly that the framerate is either barely higher than in the previously mentioned laptops, or in a few cases lower. Granted, for an Ultrabook you’re getting surprisingly good performance even with games like Cyberpunk 2077, but it feels almost misleading that you’re paying for a higher-end GPU and getting something not much better than last-gen’s offerings.

  • Performance score: 4 / 5

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Battery

closeup of time and date

(Image credit: Future)
  • Not bad but could be better
  • Charges fast

The battery life on the Dell XPS 15 (2023) isn’t bad per se, as it’ll almost carry you through the average eight-hour work day when using it for regular work, and just over that mark when it becomes a video streaming machine. But compared to the stellar battery life of the Dell XPS 15 (2022), this one definitely falls short. Most likely, it’s due to the 4000-series GPUs, as they seem to be battery drainers on every level. Still, it’s still a bit disappointing that you need to plug it in before your work day is over.

Thankfully it charges very quickly, reaching full charge in just under an hour when I tested it. Even more impressive is that it manages this even with the default low-powered AC adapter, which is most likely thanks to the Thunderbolt 4 charger.

  • Battery score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Dell XPS 15 (2023)?

Buy it if...

You want a lightweight laptop
Most likely the lightest laptop I ever reviewed, it's like lifting air. You won't feel anything at all carrying it around, even with such a large screen size.

You want a laptop with a great variety in specs
The choice of configurations is top-notch, with tons of different components, two displays, and more to really customize your Ultrabook.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
This is an Ultrabook through and through and it's steeply priced as such, especially as you start to upgrade the specs.

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Also consider

If the Dell XPS 15 (2023) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Dell XPS 15 (2023)

  • I tested the Dell XPS 15 (2023) for about a week
  • I tested it using a variety of productivity applications and video games
  • I stress-tested the battery using the TechRadar movie test

First, I tested the general weight and portability of the Dell XPS 15 (2023) by carrying it around in a laptop bag. After I set it up, I ran several benchmarks to thoroughly test out the processor and graphics card. Finally, I used a variety of programs and applications to test out both battery life and general performance during work-like conditions. 

The Dell XPS 15 (2023) is an Ultrabook that's meant to be both a portable laptop with a thin and light chassis, as well as an excellent productivity machine. I spent a good amount of testing not only on performance issues but looking for any ventilation issues. I also tested out battery life to see how long it could last off AC power.

I've tested plenty of gaming PCs and laptops, making me more than qualified to understand benchmark test results and how to properly stress test machines to see how well they perform as a work machine.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2023

Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD) review: a reliable budget gaming PC
6:00 pm | April 19, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD): Two-minute review

Lenovo continues to release budget gaming machines, including the Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD), for those who want the best PC games while keeping to a reasonable budget. This particular gaming PC features both an AMD CPU and GPU to keep costs down while still offering reliable performance.

This is a no-frills budget gaming PC through and through - among the best budget gaming PCs - so don’t expect a gorgeous chassis or stunning RGB lighting decorating the inside of the case. Despite having a glass panel that lets you peer inside to see all the components, the only way to actually tell if your PC is turned on is through the fan. On the plus side, the case is small and lightweight enough that you can carry it around with relative ease. It weighs about 30 pounds, much lighter than most PCs.

Its port selection is quite good as well, offering everything you could need including several Type-A USB ports, a Type-C USB port, an ethernet port, both HDMI and DVI support, an audio jack, a headphone jack, and a microphone jack. My only complaint is that there should be more Type-C ports. The audio itself is quite good, with a sound quality that doesn’t degrade too much as the volume increases, though you’ll most likely want to use a headset instead.

Performance-wise it’s rather impressive for the kind of CPU and GPU it’s equipped with. Benchmark scores are average, especially compared to other PCs on the market, but reflect the best gaming PC that delivers the kind of gaming experience you’d expect from a budget machine. While you can’t run games like Cyberpunk 2077 on anything higher than low settings (as at best you’ll get 47 fps) or Dirt 5 higher than medium if you want to race a little over 60 fps, it still runs any PC game you have quite smoothly as long as the settings are right.

Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD): Price & availability

black gaming PC with glass side

(Image credit: Future)
  • How much does it cost? $664.99 / £538 / AU$994
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US

The Legion Tower 5 Gen 6, particularly the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G CPU version, is a budget gaming PC through and through. It’s currently priced at $664.99 / £538 / AU$994 through a sale on the Lenovo online store, which sits it right at the low-end market of machines. The AMD version’s original pricing at $989.99 is reasonable enough, but the sale price is practically a steal. 

Meanwhile, there’s an improved version with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, as well as more memory and storage. It’s a price jump of about $300 but a solid option if you want to future-proof your PC, and thanks to the sale price, it’s still below $1,000.

Both versions are currently available in the US, though other regions like the UK and Australia were left high and dry in terms of availability. Judging from the pages for the latter two, models in the UK might go back in stock at some point while ones in Australia are permanently unavailable.

  • Price score: 5 / 5

Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD): Specs

black gaming PC with glass side

(Image credit: Future)

The Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD) comes in two configurations, one with an AMD GPU and the other with an Nvidia GPU. 

The one sent to me was: an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G CPU, Radeon RX 6500 XT 4GB GDDR6 GPU, 8GB DDR4 of RAM, and 512GB SSD PCIe Gen4 of storage. The other configuration was an AMD Ryzen 7 5800 CPU, RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB DDR4 of RAM, and 1TB of storage. 

Unfortunately, neither one of these models can be customized, which most likely is what keeps the price down as improved specs often spike the total.

  • Specs score: 4 / 5

Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD): Design

black gaming PC with glass side

(Image credit: Future)
  • Simple and bland design
  • Small and weighs less than most PCs

The Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD)’s design is a slightly mixed bag. On one hand, it’s efficient at not taking up unnecessary space and very lightweight for a gaming PC. I was easily able to carry it around my office, it was so light. On the other hand, it’s a plain black color with no interesting chassis shape and has a glass side panel with no RGB lighting to see inside, though I realize RGB is purely aesthetic, it’s a handy way to see whether your PC is turned on and I miss the feature. It’s a boring yet practical design and while it may be a little disappointing, your wallet with thank you.

black gaming PC with glass side

(Image credit: Future)

It does have a nicely varied port selection that includes four USB Type-A 3.2, two USB Type-A 2.0, one USB Type-C, one headphone jack, one microphone jack, one audio jack, one RJ45, one ethernet port, one HDMI port, and one DVI port. Though it could have used another Type-C USB instead of so many Type-As, especially since wireless accessories tend to support the latter.

The ventilation system, despite the PC being so small, is quite good and never overheated once even during extensive gaming and benchmark testing. No fancy liquid cooling system, but the fans do the trick, and well too. Surprising enough, this PC has its own audio built in, Dolby Atmos Gaming Effect 5.1 Channel Surround Sound to be specific. Its audio quality is pretty solid with a nice well-rounded sound that doesn’t lose too much as the volume goes up, though most gamers will want to use their own headset anyway.

  • Design score: 4 / 5

Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD): Performance

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closeup black gaming PC with glass side

(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
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closeup black gaming PC with glass side

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closeup black gaming PC with glass side

(Image credit: Future)
  • Solid but not exceptional performance
  • Can be used as a productivity machine
Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD): Benchmarks

Here's how the Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 39,529; Fire Strike: 13,699; Time Spy: 5,121
Cinebench R23 Multi-core: 10,423
GeekBench 5.5: 1,433 (single-core); 6,126 (multi-core)
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 48 fps; (1080p, Low): 89 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 23 fps; (1080p, Low): 47 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 16 fps; (1080p, Low): 171 fps
PC Mark 10 (Home Test): 6,779
Handbrake 1.6: 9.2

Performance-wise, the Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD) sits comfortably between the likes of the Acer Predator Orion 3000 and the MSI Trident 3 10th, with the former at the higher end and the latter the lower end. This is a consistent PC that delivers the kind of performance that you would expect from a budget machine.

Benchmark scores-wise, the Legion Tower 5 blows past the Trident 3 10th, scoring at some points nearly double of its competitor. However, the Predator Orion 3000 is this, with test scores far higher than Lenovo’s offerings. The positive is that the AMD model of the Legion is almost half the price as well, so if you’re willing to sacrifice on specs a bit, then it’s the better budget option by far.

With heavy titles like Cyberpunk 2077, it struggles to even approach 50 fps on average on the lowest setting, though it does manage that same framerate with Total War: Warhammer III on Ultra. And Dirt 5 can be played on Medium settings and hit over 60 fps consistently, though the lack of VRAM could be a problem. With many other PC games that are much less taxing, the Tower 5 runs perfectly well.

It also makes for a great productivity machine, as the 12th Gen CPU can handle plenty of work-related tasks with ease, as well as conference calls. But I wouldn’t bank on it handling any creative or editing projects with the below-average benchmark scores it received on that front.

If you want to play through your full PC game library on Steam without emptying your wallet, you have no problems compromising on settings, and you also want a reliable work machine, then this is a pretty solid budget PC to invest in.

  • Performance score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD)?

Buy it if...

You need a budget gaming PC

This is a great budget machine that will easily play most PC games well and can even handle plenty of high-end titles as long as you’re willing to adjust the settings a bit.

You want a solid port selection

This PC comes with tons of ports that most gamers and buyers in general, including tons of USB Type-A ones if you’re in need, and even has both HDMI and DVI support.

You want a smaller PC

This PC has a smaller form factor than most, which comes in handy for nearly any desk space both at home and at work.

Don't buy it if...

You want a gorgeous PC

This is a pretty standard-looking PC, barring the single glass side panel, so no wowing your guests with a beautiful RGB setup unless you do it yourself.

Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD): Also consider

If the Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD) has you considering other options, here are two more gaming PCs to consider...

How I tested the Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD)

  • I tested the Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD) for several weeks
  • I tested it using both benchmark tests and video game benchmarks
  • I stress-tested the PC with productivity and creative testing

First, I tested the general weight of the Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD) by lifting it up and around my apartment. After I set it up, I ran several benchmarks to test out both the processor and graphics card, as well as in-game gameplay performance. Finally, I stress-tested it out using titles like Dirt 5 and Cyberpunk 2077 in various settings to see both overall performance and ventilation quality.

The Legion Tower 5 Gen 6 (AMD) is specially made as a gaming PC, which meant the brunt of my testing revolved around checking game performance and looking for any ventilation issues.

I've tested plenty of gaming PCs and laptops, making me more than qualified to understand benchmark test results and how to properly stress test machines to see how well they perform as a work machine.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2023

Gigabyte G5 Review: A great gaming laptop for gamers on the go
8:00 pm | March 26, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Gigabyte G5: Two-minute review

Gigabyte has a solid track record in putting out pretty outstanding gaming laptops that deliver good performance for the asking price. They’re durable and simplistically designed, and despite being a little loud or a little heavy, they’re usually worth top marks - like the Gigabyte Aorus 17, which racked up a respectable 4 stars. Even in their non-gaming laptops they usually pack a powerful punch, like the 2021 Aero 17 model, which hit home with 5 stars and an abundance of praise for being the creative professional's dream. So, naturally, we had very high expectations for the Gigabyte G5.

This expectation was, predictably, met and at times surpassed by the Gigabyte G5 and we couldn’t reasonably ask for more from a gaming laptop with a sensible price tag like this one. After spending some time with this laptop we can definitely see it hanging with the best gaming laptops and holding its own.  

The model we tested had an Intel Core i5-10500H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card which places the laptop as a midrange entry in relation to other gaming laptops. There are many different (some more powerful) versions of the G5, some with newer RTX 4000-series GPUs from Nvidia, but to be quite honest even if you’re running a bunch of AAA titles at max settings you’re unlikely to need much more internal power, since this one performed really well in our benchmarks and the G5 only packs a 1080p display - so there’s no need to shoot for higher resolutions.

The laptop comes with a stunning 1080p 15.6-inch display with anti-glare technology and a thin bezel. Colors come to life and maintain a rather striking brilliance on the screen that never dulls. You can see this very clearly with games like Cyberpunk 2077 or even when you’re watching films or Youtube videos.

I popped on an episode of Bojack (Horseman, obviously) and it really felt like I was watching the show on a cute and compact TV rather than a little laptop screen. 15.6 inches doesn't sound like a lot on paper but it arguably looks a lot bigger than it is, so don’t be too worried if screen real estate is a big concern for you. 

Aside from the sound benchmark scores and pretty face, the Gigabyte G5 is just a really nice bit of hardware. It has some weight to it, but not as much as you would expect for a gaming laptop; I threw it in my backpack on multiple occasions and it didn’t drag me down or make itself consistently known, never screaming ‘I’m here! And heavy! And fragile! Good luck to your shoulders!’

Gigabyte G5 review: Price and availability

  • Starts at $1,099.99 / £1,293.49 / AU$2,349
  • UK version tested costs £1,800
  • Massive variety of configurations

The Gigabyte G5 RTX 3060 configuration starts at $899.99 in the US which is pretty decent for the specifications you’re getting and the package those specs come in. The RTX 4060 version costs $1,099, but in the US you can only get this version with 8GB of RAM, and not the 16GB of RAM you can get in the UK with an RTX 4060. As standard, we'd advise that any gaming laptop should have 16GB of RAM as the baseline.

As I said, I don’t think there are many cases for upgrading to the more expensive configuration unless you are looking to fully ‘future-proof’ your investment. The RTX 3060 graphics card is perfectly sufficient to be able to play just about any game at 1080p right now, but if you’re worried about things getting ahead of you, it’s worth considering moving up if you have the cash to spare. If not, our version is perfectly fine.

Gigabyte G5 2023

(Image credit: Future)

In the UK our review model costs £899.99 (AU$1,499) which is basically dead on with the US pricing, and is still a pretty decent asking price for what you get. The models are the same across the US and UK barring that one caveat we mentioned above, though again, we can’t really justify dropping that extra cash when the cheaper model is still really impressive.

The Gigabyte G5 has a good chance of gracing our best cheap laptops list for sure, as it offers strong performance and a lot of dazzling features for the asking price.

  • Price score: 4/5

Gigabyte G5 review: Specs

The Gigabyte G5 comes in two variations. The model we tested comes with the RTX 3060 graphics card, and the other configuration comes with RTX 4060.  

In terms of CPUs, it can come with ever an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor - ours uses the i5 version. The RAM and SSD capacity varies between the two models. You can check out the specs of our version below:

Gigabyte G5 2023

(Image credit: Future)

Gigabyte G5 review: Design

  • Sturdy design
  • Ports on the rear edge of laptop
  • Pretty lightweight for gaming laptop 

The design of the Gigabyte G5 is pretty bog-standard in terms of aesthetics; nothing specific or unique to write home about, but I don’t actually mind that. It’s still a very handsome laptop and the classic chassis design is a breath of fresh air from other gaming laptops that try a little too hard to scream ‘gaming’ as loud as possible.

It isn’t riddled with flashy RGB that demands attention and maintains a very classy appearance. There’s slightly blue-tinted LED backlighting for the keyboard and if you’re like me (read: not a fan of excessive RGB), that is enough.

The G5 is super portable, so much so that I forgot about the laptop being in my backpack at times - not just because of the lightness, but because the build is very durable. I’ve accidentally dropped my bag with the G5 inside on the office floor and been knocked around on public transport, but I never felt worried because this thing is very robust.

Despite its sturdy build quality, it’s definitely one of the more portable 15-inch gaming laptops I’ve reviewed, so if you’re after a machine you can take with you on adventures, this is it. Like most of the best laptops, the physical appearance of the laptop is sleek, and slightly futuristic and doesn't go too crazy with RGB lighting that offends the eyes. 

Gigabyte G5 2023

(Image credit: Future)

Some of the USB ports and the headphone jack are on the side of the laptop with more of the physical ports along the back edge. However you feel about port positioning, we must admit that rear ports can be super convenient if you’re planning to plonk the laptop down on your desk and never move it, letting you keep your workspace free of cable clutter. Though with how easy this is to carry around it may be a little inconvenient if you want to plug in a USB mouse or a flash drive.

You get an adequate amount of ports and a somewhat unusual keyboard layout. Personally, as someone with smaller hands, I found the keys to be a little too spaced out for me when typing on the keyboard, but it felt fine when playing games with it. I asked someone with larger hands to give it a go and they felt the keyboard was well spaced out and rather comfortable, so be warned smaller hand gang! Do some finger stretches before you start writing that novel on the Gigabyte G5.

  • Design score: 4/5

Gigabyte G5 review: Performance

  • 1080p is ideal for most games
  • Might be weaker on CPU-heavy tasks
  • Relatively quiet when gaming
Benchmarks

Here's how the Gigabye G5 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Night Raid: 38,189; Fire Strike: 17,723; Time Spy: 7,572
Cinebench R20 multi-core: 2,660
GeekBench 5: 1,205 (single-core); 6,345 (multi-core)
PCMark 10 (Modern Office): 5,694
PCMark 10 (Battery life test): 3 hours and 51 minutes
TechRadar Battery Life Test: 4 hours and 1 minute
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 63 fps; (1080p, Low): 173 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 68 fps; (1080p, Low): 91fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 69fps; (1080p, Low): 137 fps 

 All things considered, the performance of the Gigabyte G5 is pretty hard to beat at this price point. The RTX 3060 is a decent affordable graphics card and while it may not delight you with 4K gaming, it’ll deliver excellent performance at 1080p with the best PC games. You can play the most demanding games without dropping to abysmal framerates.

The FHD display does a great job, and you'll definitely appreciate its stunning clarity when you’re gaming, watching a film, or scrolling through photos.

 The Intel Core i5 processor at the heart of the gaming laptop is pretty standard - as you may have noticed, it's an older 10th-gen Intel chip that doesn't have the fancy split core architecture of those newer 12th and 13th generation processors, but it's not so old that it'll cause any noticeable performance bottlenecking - you can do most basic CPU-bound tasks without causing the laptop to stutter. However, CPU-intensive workloads like real-time strategy games may struggle to run on the Gigabyte G5.

Gigabyte G5 2023

(Image credit: Future)

From the decidedly average scores in benchmarks like Cinebench R20 and GeekBench 5, you probably won’t be able to run a lot of heavy workloads like video editing or 3D animation but it should be able to handle some lower-level creative work. You can dabble in a little music creation or some very basic home video editing, but that might be where the bar lies. 

The fan design within the Gigabyte G5 is emphasized quite a bit by Gigabyte and rightly so: the laptop doesn’t have a nuclear meltdown when playing games for extended periods of time, and when the fans do kick in they’re relatively quiet for a gaming laptop. The laptop does get a little warm but never uncomfortably hot to the touch. The cooling technology comprises two gigantic fans and four heat pipes all vented out through the three exhaust slots. 

  • Performance score: 4/5

Gigabyte G5 2023

(Image credit: Future)

Gigabyte G5 review: Battery life

  • Lasts about 4 hours
  • A little disappointing for a gaming session
  • Pretty quick charge

If you're planning to take the laptop around with you and game on the go, the four hours the Gigabyte G5 lasted in our battery life benchmark doesn't really feel like a lot. The power brick is not that heavy, but it's inconvenient to carry both the laptop and the brick in a backpack.

So the battery life is not great, but fairly middle-of-the-road for a gaming laptop. When playing triple-A games on the G5, you're not likely to get more than two hours of use without plugging it in - less if you're got a bunch of wired peripherals connected. Keep in mind that if you don't plan to keep the laptop on your desk and move around with it, you'll be searching for wall sockets a lot.

  • Battery life: 3/5

Should you buy the Gigabyte G5?

Buy it if...

You want to game on the go
As we've said, the Gigabyte G5 is incredibly portable. You can whack this bad boy into any backpack and roam (and shoulder strength) for more.

You plan to use the laptop as a mini TV
With the clarity and vividness of the display any game gets a breath of new life on the Gigabyte G5, it would be a shame to relegate it to just gaming. Any movie or TV show streaming from the laptop would defiantly shine on this device.

Don't buy it if...

You're planning on doing anything creative
If you're planning on doing some serious video editing, 3D modeling, or animation work, the older CPU means this may not be the laptop for you.

You want an office laptop
There are loads of laptops that double as gaming laptops, and if you're doing very basic admin you might get away with it on the G5 - but ultimately, this is a gaming laptop and should really be kept that way.

Gigabyte G5 review: Also consider

If our Gigabyte G5 review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...  

How I tested the Gigabyte G5

Gigabyte G5 2023

(Image credit: Future)
  • Played games in the evening
  • Did some light work during the day
  • Took with me between work and home 

As with most of my gaming laptop reviews, I tried to swap the Gigabyte G5 into my daily life and place myself into the vibe of a potential user. I used it for both work and play and really got to know the product.

I did regular tasks like writing emails, basic web surfing, and some long-form writing. In the evening I played the Sims 4 on it and a little bit of Cyberpunk 2077 too.

Most of the general-use testing I did was with the laptop running on battery power, leaving it to charge to full power before using it till it died to get a better sense of what it would be like relying on the battery when carrying it around. Naturally, our benchmarking tests were conducted with the laptop plugged in for maximum performance.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2023

MSI Raider GE67 HX review: Big, bold, and bright
11:27 pm | March 24, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

MSI Raider GE67 HX: Two-minute review

The MSI Raider GE67 HX is a bit of a beast. 

Not, perhaps, as much as the ludicrously powerful and bulky MSI GT77 Titan (which really lives up to its name), but still a chunky, weighty gaming laptop that promises top-notch performance and - I’m pleased to say - delivers in spades, able to keep up with the best gaming laptops on the market.

At over two kilograms and packing a 15.6-inch display, the Raider GE67 HX is certainly a big-boy laptop, sitting firmly within ‘desktop replacement’ territory - sleek and portable, this device is not. But that chunky chassis contains some mighty components, most importantly a powerhouse Intel Core i9-12900HX (from which the laptop takes part of its namesake) and up to an RTX 3080 Ti graphics card for crisp, high-fidelity gaming.f

Straight out of the box, the MSI Raider GE67 HX feels durable and robust, with a premium design that sets it apart from some of MSI’s more budget offerings. Firing it up, the thick RGB lightbar that runs along the front edge spills rainbow lighting onto your desk, and the quality of the display becomes immediately apparent.

I’ll dig into the details further down in this review, but the screen is the obvious selling point of this laptop: it’s bright, colorful, and offers a crazy-fast 240Hz refresh rate, perfect for esports gaming. The keyboard - built in collaboration with gaming keyboard veterans SteelSeries - is also a highlight, quite literally since it also packs per-key RGB backlighting.

The MSI Raider GE67 HX photographed on a wooden desk with RGB lighting turned on.

(Image credit: Future)

In terms of performance, the RTX 3080 Ti in this review model more than pulls its weight: the screen resolution is 1440p, which means you’re practically guaranteed to clear 60fps in just about any game, higher if you use Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling software. In my time messing around with (sorry, carefully testing) the GE67 HX, I found that it ran all the games I played smoothly and looked good doing it.

Now, I had my gripes with the Raider GE67 HX, but they feel fairly petty in the face of its excellent performance and solid physical design. Yeah, it’s heavy, and sure, the battery life is typically lackluster (something even the best gaming laptop is going to struggle with), but these aren’t major failings as far as I’m concerned. My only major issue with the GE67 HX was how noisy the fans got, but if you’re going to use this laptop at home with a gaming headset atop your noggin, you should have no problems whatsoever - this is an excellent heavyweight choice, deserving to stand among the best laptops we’ve reviewed so far this year.

MSI Raider GE67 HX review: Price and availability

  • Starts at $2,499.99
  • UK version costs £3,099, as tested
  • Three different models available

With a starting price of $2,499.99 (around £2,030 / AU$3,730) for the RTX 3070 Ti model and a hefty $3,499.99 (£3,099, around AU$5,220) for the high-spec RTX 3080 Ti model I’m reviewing here, the MSI Raider GE67 HX isn’t exactly cheap. In fact, it sits towards the more expensive end of gaming laptops with the same GPU - but that’s not the only factor to consider here.

Most gaming laptops in the same weight class as the GE67 HX have normal laptop CPUs from Intel, denoted by an ‘H’ at the end of the name rather than this model’s HX variant. The HX chips are essentially desktop processors with more cores squeezed into a laptop profile, meaning that the CPU performance of this Raider will beat many of its peers. You’re also looking at a premium to pay for that gorgeous display, but I’d argue it’s worth the price - though anyone on a budget should definitely look at the best cheap laptops instead.

The MSI Raider GE67 HX photographed on a wooden desk with RGB lighting turned on.

(Image credit: Future)

Since this is an MSI product, you can’t buy it directly from the manufacturer in the US or Europe. Fortunately, MSI laptops are generally pretty easy to find on Amazon or similar big retailers; in fact, I spotted the 3070 Ti model of this laptop going for just $1,999 on Amazon, a seriously good deal.

  • Price score: 3.5/5

MSI Raider GE67 HX review: Specs

There are three main versions of the MSI Raider GE67 HX, which use the RTX 3080 Ti, 3080, and 3070 Ti respectively. The latter two models can come with a slightly cheaper 12800HX processor instead of the 12900HX found in my review unit; all come with 32GB of DDR5 RAM as standard, with up to a 2TB SSD depending on the model.

The MSI Raider GE67 HX photographed on a wooden desk with RGB lighting turned on.

(Image credit: Future)

MSI Raider GE67 HX review: Design

  • Beautiful display
  • Sturdy (if heavy) chassis
  • Great range of ports

First things first: wow, that’s a gorgeous screen. The 1440p OLED panel used in the MSI Raider GE67 HX is fantastic, offering VESA-certified TrueBlack 600 HDR with amazing contrast and great color reproduction along with a 0.2ms response time and 240Hz. I was consistently impressed with just how good the display looked across a variety of games, with colors that popped and deep, true blacks.

That means that it doesn’t just make games look great and provide super-snappy responsiveness and framerates for fast-paced games - it’s also capable of pulling double duty for content creators such as digital artists and video editors, thanks to the RTX 3080 Ti GPU. If you’re looking for a gaming machine that can also support your hobby (or professional work), this is a great pick.

Looking at the physical chassis, we’ve got a nice robust finish that practically screams ‘gaming’. From the prominent MSI branding on the lid and the large heat vents to the RGB lightbar and keyboard, this is a gamer’s product through and through. In other words, if you’re looking for something that won’t stand out in an office environment, this might not be the laptop for you.

The MSI Raider GE67 HX photographed on a wooden desk with RGB lighting turned on.

(Image credit: Future)

Connectivity is as good as it gets, with three USB-A ports and two USB-Cs (one of which is Thunderbolt 4 enabled) joined by HDMI video output, an Ethernet port, and an SD card reader - the latter of which has become something of a rarity on gaming laptops, and will no doubt appeal to photographers. These ports are quite evenly spread around the left, right, and rear edges of the laptop, with the charging port located on the back edge so it’s not in the way when you’re using it - since you’ll want to have it plugged in whenever possible.

The SteelSeries-designed keyboard is excellent, comfortable to use whether you’re typing or gaming, with a good level of key travel and no sponginess or noticeable input latency. The per-key RGB lighting can be easily synchronized with other SteelSeries products too, so if you’re planning on hooking up one of the best gaming mice or any other peripherals from SteelSeries, your whole setup can look fly as heck.

The trackpad is a bit less impressive; it’s not as large as I’d like for a laptop of this size, and the click feels a tad flimsy and unsatisfying. It’s not terrible, but if there’s one area where the Raider GE67 HX’s physical exterior falls down, it’s that. Fortunately, the ‘Duo Wave’ speakers deliver impressive audio in both volume and clarity - a department where many gaming laptops fall down badly. The webcam is also a decent 1080p offering, which makes a noticeable difference in video calls compared to its 720p brethren.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

MSI Raider GE67 HX review: Performance

  • Strong 1440p gaming performance
  • Intel HX-class processor is powerful
  • Fans do get seriously noisy
Benchmarks

Here's how the MSI Raider GE67 HX performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Night Raid: 55,726; Fire Strike: 26,805; Time Spy: 11,914
Cinebench R20 multi-core: 8,862
GeekBench 5: 1,888 (single-core); 15,841 (multi-core)
PCMark 10 (Modern Office): 9,079
PCMark 10 (Battery life test): 3 hours and 6 minutes
TechRadar Battery Life Test: 3 hours and 55 minutes
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 92 fps; (1080p, Low): 218 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 109 fps; (1080p, Low): 266 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 134 fps; (1080p, Low): 293 fps 

Unsurprisingly given its powerful internal components, the MSI Raider GE67 HX made short work of our benchmarking suite. Buttery-smooth gaming at either 1080p or 1440p is no trouble at all for the RTX 3080 Ti, and there’s the option to turn on DLSS should you want to kick all the ray-tracing settings on in games like Cyberpunk 2077.

Our standard testing sees us benchmark games at 1080p resolution as a baseline standard, but I also tested all three games at 1440p to match the GE67 HX’s screen resolution, and all three cleared 60 frames per second at Ultra graphical settings without needing DLSS. This undeniably impressive showing demonstrates that even if the RTX 3080 Ti might be a generation behind now, this gaming laptop is still pretty darn future-proof.

Performance in synthetic graphical tests such as 3DMark Time Spy was similarly strong, and that HX-series CPU just sings in multi-core benchmarks, showing very strong scores in GeekBench 5 and Cinebench R20. Everyday workloads should be zero trouble here either, as evidenced by good performance in the PCMark 10 ‘modern office’ benchmark.

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The MSI Raider GE67 HX photographed on a wooden desk with RGB lighting turned on.

(Image credit: Future)
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The MSI Raider GE67 HX photographed on a wooden desk with RGB lighting turned on.

(Image credit: Future)
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The MSI Raider GE67 HX photographed on a wooden desk with RGB lighting turned on.

(Image credit: Future)

Just going back to the topic of future-proofing for a moment, this is a good place to mention that the RAM and SSD found in the MSI Raider GE67 HX are user-upgradable, meaning you can swap out your memory and storage for higher-capacity options further down the line should you so wish. I’d attest that the 32GB of DDR5 RAM in our review model is more than sufficient, but 1TB of storage won’t be enough for some users so it’s nice to see upgrading is an option here.

While the overall performance was very strong, I did have one point of contention while testing the GE67 HX: this thing is loud. Twin fans and seven heat pipes appear to do a reasonably good job of cooling the laptop (it certainly does get a bit warm, but nowhere near as hot as some of the gaming laptops I’ve reviewed), but those fans sound like a pair of tiny helicopters crammed into the plastic casing when you’re playing the best PC games.

Noisy fans are somewhat par for the course when it comes to gaming laptops these days so this is hardly a dealbreaker, but that doesn’t make me any less annoyed by it. It’s doubly frustrating here, where the performance is so good and the speakers are excellent - realistically, the best way to use this laptop is to grab yourself one of the best PC gaming headsets to block out the fan drone.

  • Performance score: 4/5

The MSI Raider GE67 HX photographed on a wooden desk with RGB lighting turned on.

(Image credit: Future)

MSI Raider GE67 HX review: Battery life

  • Giant battery doesn’t really salvage the battery life
  • Less than two hours of gaming
  • Less than five hours of light use

Gaming laptops are hardly famed for their stellar battery life, but the MSI Raider GE67 HX still disappoints. Despite packing a ginormous 99.9Whr battery (just barely below the legal limit allowed on airplanes!), it isn’t able to make it through an eight-hour workday even with the brightness on 50% and a workload of nothing more straining than web browsing and word processing.

Gaming is predictably even worse; I unplugged it at full battery one evening and played some Apex Legends with the volume at 50% and brightness at maximum, and it perished just shy of the 90-minute mark. Sure, most of its peers sit in the exact same boat, but it’s a shame to see when MSI trumpets the power of its titanic battery in the Raider’s marketing material.

Ultimately, the battery life falls in the middle of gaming laptops around the same price range: not the worse, but far from the best. Naturally, it’s worth bearing in mind that the lower-spec models of the GE67 HX have the same internal battery, so should offer somewhat better battery life. It also takes quite a while to charge to full (around two and a half hours) despite its chunky AC adaptor.

  • Battery life: 3.5/5

Should you buy the MSI Raider GE67 HX?

Buy it if...

You want a desktop replacement
The MSI Raider GE67 HX isn't the most portable of laptops, weighing over 2kg and possessing a fairly bulky chassis. If you just want to set it up and mainly use it in one place, it's the perfect replacement for a full-scale desktop PC.

You want to play esports games
Looking to play competitive titles like Valorant or Overwatch 2? That powerful GPU and snappy 240Hz OLED display mean you'll never have to worry about frame drops or input latency again.

You're a gamer and a creative
Oddly, this gaming laptop has a bunch of features that will likely appeal to creative types. A tonne of ports including an SD card reader and a high-quality display make this a good choice for photographers and video enthusiasts.

Don't buy it if...

You need something portable
This Raider is just a bit too big and heavy to easily carry around in a bad - consider something like a Razer Blade 14, or the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

You want a laptop for the office
There are plenty of minimalist gaming laptops that won't look out of place in a professional office environment - the MSI Raider GE67 HX, however, is not one of them. This is clearly a gaming product, and that's an aesthetic that won't suit everyone.

You're on a budget
The GE67 HX isn't ludicrously expensive for its components, but it's certainly on the pricier end of the gaming laptop scale. If money is tight, look for something with an RTX 3060 or 3050 Ti instead.

MSI Raider GE67 HX review: Also consider

If my MSI Raider GE67 HX review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...  

How I tested the MSI Raider GE67 HX

The MSI Raider GE67 HX photographed on a wooden desk with RGB lighting turned on.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Used for a week's regular work at home
  • Played games on it during the evenings
  • Took it with me to a friend's house

As with most gaming laptops I review, I simply replaced my everyday computers (an HP 2-in-1 from 2019 and my custom-built gaming desktop) with the MSI Raider GE67 HX for about a week, using it both for work and play.

This meant I used it for about eight hours a day to do all sorts of regular tasks, then squeezed in some gaming (on various titles including Warframe and Overwatch 2) whenever I could in the evenings - I have a fiance and a dog who frequently demand my attention, but I did my best. Naturally, this was in addition to running our usual suite of benchmarking tests.

Most of my testing was conducted with the laptop plugged in, but I'm always sure to use it unplugged for a while to gauge its real-world battery life. I also threw it in my messenger bag and took it on public transport to a friend's house, which I wouldn't really recommend - it's heavy, and so is the charger.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2023

Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) review: Lenovo delivers again – and it won’t cost the world
4:01 pm | March 17, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Lenovo Legion 5i (2022): Two-minute review

Lenovo’s Legion line of gaming laptops has been putting out bangers for years. Back in 2021, we reviewed the previous model of this laptop - the RTX 2060-equipped Lenovo Legion 5i - and were generally impressed by the solid performance and fair pricing. More recently, we awarded the Legion 5 Pro a rare 5-star review, again citing its excellent gaming capabilities and sensible price tag.

We’re pleased to report that having spent some time with the most recent 2022 model of the Lenovo Legion 5i, it remains able to trade blows with the best gaming laptops and packs a punch despite its humble appearance.

The model we tested came with an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, which puts it pretty squarely in the mid-range space as far as gaming laptops go. There’s a variety of other models with different processors and GPUs, all of which look to offer a comparable price-to-performance ratio to our review unit.

The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) gaming laptop on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Although this model of the Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) comes with a 1440p display, the RTX 3060 inside it is arguably more of a 1080p card. You can squeeze some extra frames out of it at 1440p using Nvidia’s nifty DLSS tech, however, so the pairing isn’t entirely foolish. There are models of the Legion 5i (and the AMD Ryzen-powered Legion 5) that use a 1080p display instead, but we think opting for the higher resolution is worth it here since the display on our review model is actually excellent for the asking price.

On top of generally solid performance and specs, the Lenovo Legion 5i is also just a very nice piece of hardware. It might sound like a silly thing to fixate on, but all of the best laptops have an appealing physical design, and the Legion 5i is no exception; a sleek metallic grey finish with a backlit keyboard and a robust hinge.

Lenovo hasn’t skimped on the features here either, with a solid selection of physical ports and the latest Wi-Fi 6E capabilities. The DDR5 memory is a great added bonus (especially since a lot of more affordable gaming laptops are still rocking DDR4, and it’s not a mandatory upgrade for the 12th-gen Intel CPU), and we were surprised to see not just regular USB-C ports but also a Thunderbolt 4 port.

It’s a bit on the heavy side, and the battery life is unsurprisingly garbage, two pitfalls that almost every gaming laptop trips into. Ultimately though, this isn’t a laptop for on-the-go gaming; it’s a desktop replacement system, and it does that just fantastically.

Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) review: Price and availability

  • Starts at $1,099.99 / £1,293.49 / AU$2,349
  • UK version tested costs £1,800
  • Massive variety of configurations

The Lenovo Legion 5i starts at $1,099.99 in the US, which gets you essentially the same system as the one we’ve reviewed here, but with a 1080p display and an RTX 3050 Ti instead of an RTX 3060. For our money, the 1080p RTX 3060 model available in the US is a massively better value since it’s only marginally more expensive at $1,229.99.

The highest-spec model - which packs double the RAM and an RTX 3070 Ti GPU - costs $2,499.99 - not quite as much bang for your buck, in our opinion. There are also the Legion 5i Pro models and Legion 5 models of both (which use AMD Ryzen CPUs; note the lack of ‘i’ denoting ‘Intel’). The cheapest Legion 5 available costs $1,049.99, but we wouldn’t recommend getting the bottom-dollar model.

The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) gaming laptop on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Our review model is a UK unit that costs £1,500 (AU$3,169), which doesn’t quite hold up to the US pricing but is still decent considering the 1440p screen and i7 processor (the cheaper models in the US use a Core i5-12500H). It looks like this exact model isn’t available in the US; if you want a higher resolution, it means opting for a slightly bigger screen. We ran our tests in 1080p, though, so the performance stats found below will be useful for both British and American readers.

Overall, it’s not going to touch the best cheap laptops out there if you’re looking for a super-budget device, but it does offer a strong level of performance and a wide feature set for the asking price. It’s also worth noting that Lenovo has regular flash sales on its own online store, and many of its gaming laptops come with a free 3-month trial of PC Game Pass, further adding to the value.

  • Price score: 4.5/5

Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) review: Specs

The Lenovo Legion 5i comes in a wide range of configurations, with the CPU and GPU being the primary varying factor. It can come with an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and a variety of Nvidia RTX 3000 GPUs, from the 3050 up to the 3070 Ti. RAM and SSD capacity also vary between models; you can see the version we received below, along with the highest-spec and lowest-spec configurations.

The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) gaming laptop on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) review: Design

  • Robust, well-designed chassis
  • Relatively thin, but heavy
  • Ports are mostly on the rear edge

Lenovo hasn’t made any huge changes to the physical design of the Legion laptop line for a little while, but that’s fine by us. This Legion 5i is a good-looking laptop with a relatively minimalist style, a far cry from the gaudy RGB-laden products that typically populate the gaming laptop section of your local tech hardware store.

The exterior is mostly brushed metal, which gives the chassis a solid, durable feel that should hold up to bumps and drops. It’s also thinner than many gaming laptops in its power and price class, making it a bit more portable, but this is somewhat counteracted by the metal construction resulting in increased overall weight. It’s not the heaviest gaming laptop we’ve reviewed, but at two and a half kilos for a 15-inch model, it’s certainly not lightweight.

While there are some USB ports and a headphone jack on the sides of the laptop, most of the physical ports are situated along the back edge. This will be a matter of personal taste; we’re divided here on the TechRadar team as to whether these rear ports are actually more convenient. Some gaming laptops position literally all the ports on the rear edge, which can make plugging in a USB mouse or flash drive inconvenient, so it’s good to see that at least some of the ports are more accessible here.

The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) gaming laptop on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

The keyboard isn’t doing anything particularly revolutionary here, but it’s comfortable to use and the slightly curved shape of the keycaps means that your fingers easily find each key when you’re typing. Lenovo has done a good job of packing in a full-scale keyboard with a numpad here. Nothing feels cramped, and the arrow keys jut out slightly from the keyboard’s outline to avoid compacting the up and down buttons (as many laptops do).

The touchpad is perfectly fine but isn’t likely to see much use since this is a gaming laptop, and anyone using it for extended periods is almost certainly going to connect a gaming mouse. The same goes for the twin stereo speakers, which are functional but decidedly unimpressive. Know that you’re going to want a proper gaming headset - though again, this is a criticism we could level at the majority of gaming laptops.

  • Design score: 4/5

The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) gaming laptop on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) review: Features

  • Wi-Fi 6E and Thunderbolt 4 support
  • Good display
  • Legion software suite is just okay

The Lenovo Legion 5i’s display is a pretty straightforward 1440p panel, which offers a snappy 165Hz refresh rate for esports gaming and generally pretty excellent color reproduction. We do wish the blacks were a little deeper, but considering the price point here, we couldn’t reasonably expect visual perfection. Some cheaper versions are available with a 1080p display instead (specific model availability varies a lot between regions, though).

Above the display is a 720p webcam and mic array, which feel like a bit of an afterthought but are a welcome inclusion nonetheless for anyone who might want to use this laptop for video calls. We were pleased to see a physical kill switch for the camera on the side of the laptop, so you can disable it when you’re not using it. Don’t expect to use it for streaming, though, since we’d say 1080p is really the minimum for that.

All models of the Legion 5i (including the entry-level configurations) use Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1. The former has been around for a while in more premium gaming laptops, so it’s good to see that it’s now becoming the norm - replacing the slower Wi-Fi 6 standard - in more budget-friendly devices too.

The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) gaming laptop on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

There’s also Thunderbolt 4 support, specifically for one of the USB-C ports on the laptop's right-hand side. It can’t be used for input power delivery so you won’t be able to charge the laptop with this port, but the speed of Thunderbolt 4 will no doubt be a boon for users who intend to take advantage of the USB-C ports.

Lastly, we need to discuss the preinstalled software that comes with the Legion 5i. Lenovo Vantage is a relatively straightforward utility software for monitoring and tweaking your system performance; it’s nothing groundbreaking, but it does the job well enough. There’s also the Legion AI Engine, which uses deep learning to intelligently redirect power between the CPU and GPU to optimize performance.

Legion Arena, on the other hand, is pointless. It’s a ‘shared launcher’ tool that allows you to launch games from different apps (like Steam, Epic, or GoG) all in one convenient place. Every gaming laptop seems to have a version of this now, and it’s broadly useless. What’s wrong with desktop shortcuts?

  • Features: 4.5/5

Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) review: Performance

  • 1080p is ideal; 1440p is an option for most games
  • 12th-gen Intel i7 CPU works hard
  • Gets a little warm when gaming
Benchmarks

Here's how the Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark Night Raid: 52,681; Fire Strike: 20,792; Time Spy: 9,753
Cinebench R20 multi-core: 7,313
GeekBench 5: 1,768 (single-core); 12,904 (multi-core)
PCMark 10 (Modern Office): 8,062
PCMark 10 (Battery life test): 3 hours and 32 minutes
TechRadar Battery Life Test: 3 hours and 59 minutes
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 66 fps; (1080p, Low): 175 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 70 fps; (1080p, Low): 113 fps
Dirt 5 (1080p, Ultra): 75 fps; (1080p, Low): 159 fps 

Considering the price point, the overall performance of the Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) is incredible. Sure, that RTX 3060 isn’t going to blow you away with 4K gaming delights, but it provides excellent framerates at 1080p in all the best PC games. You can comfortably play Cyberpunk 2077 at maxed-out settings in FHD without your fps dropping below 60.

It’s definitely competent enough to make full use of the 1440p display in our review model, too - provided you dial back the graphical settings a bit. You can also use DLSS to boost the framerate at higher resolutions. We don’t feature these in our benchmarking tests since they’re not running natively, but you should be aware that it’s an option!

The Intel Core i7-12700H at the heart of this Legion laptop is fantastic; the upgraded performance/efficiency split core architecture of Intel’s 12th-generation processors produces amazing multicore performance, meaning that the Legion 5i sings in CPU-intensive games such as real-time strategy titles. DDR5 memory support is also a nice bonus here; Lenovo could’ve easily stuck with cheaper DDR4 instead.

The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) gaming laptop on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

CPU performance outside of games is great too, with decent results in the Cinebench R20 and GeekBench 5 multicore tests. The midrange GPU means that this isn’t going to be the perfect machine for high-end workloads like video editing or 3D animation, but it should be able to handle some casual creative work - something that is in increasing demand among younger users.

The twin fans that comprise the Legion 5i’s cooling solution aren’t too noisy - a rare sight among gaming laptops these days, which frequently sound like they’re about to blast off Team Rocket-style - but the laptop’s metal casing does get a bit warm on the underside during extended use.

It’s nothing too egregious (we’ve reviewed laptops that could double as space heaters) but it’s too hot to actually put it on your lap while you’re gaming. If you’re planning on using this laptop for long gaming sessions, you might want to invest in one of the best laptop cooling pads - or just get a hardback book to prop up the back edge and give the fans underneath some breathing room.

  • Performance score: 4.5/5

The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) AC adapter on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Lenovo Legion 5i review: Battery life

  • Maxes out at four hours
  • Significantly less for actual gaming use
  • Supports fast charging

We could fill this entire section in basically every gaming laptop review with a single sentence reading ‘look, it’s a gaming laptop; the battery life is bad’. But we won’t, because we’re professional journalists (and our editorial overlords would shout at us).

This wasn’t a shock. With any modern gaming laptop you’re going to spend most of your time near a wall outlet, and the overall battery life isn’t terrible, so we can’t count it too much against the Legion 5i. On the bright side, it charges very fast indeed, topping the battery up by as much as 80% in just half an hour. 

  • Battery life: 3.5/5

Should you buy the Lenovo Legion 5i (2022)?

Buy it if...

You want bang for your buck
While there are certainly cheaper laptops out there, the Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) offers a perfectly sound price-to-performance proposition with affordable entry-level configurations.

You need lots of ports
The Legion 5i has basically every physical connection you could want from a gaming laptop, including Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and an Ethernet port to ensure your internet connection remains speedy and stable.

You like esports games
The 165Hz screen is great for twitchy esports shooters like CS:GO and Valorant, where high refresh rates are king, and the RTX 3060 GPU should be able to easily handle running those games at buttery-smooth framerates. 

Don't buy it if...

You’re a streamer
Anyone hunting for a gaming laptop to stream on Twitch with should probably be looking at some slightly higher-end hardware; the 720p camera and RTX 3060 on offer here aren’t quite going to cut it.

You don’t want to wear a headset
While most gamers will be perfectly happy with donning a pair of cans to play, some prefer speaker audio - and in this area, the Legion 5i underdelivers. If you want to be playing music, movies, or game audio out loud, you may be better served elsewhere.

You want ultra portability
The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) is actually fairly thin and compact for a gaming laptop, but its all-metal construction makes it quite heavy overall, and it’s still a 15-inch laptop so it won’t fit in smaller bags.

Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) review: Also consider

If our Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...  

How I tested the Lenovo Legion 5i (2022)

The Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) gaming laptop on a wooden desk.

(Image credit: Future)
  • I used the laptop for everyday work for two weeks
  • I played games on it for just under eight hours in total
  • I dropped it on my kitchen floor

Anyone who knows me won't be shocked to hear that I've reviewed dozens upon dozens of gaming laptops, and at this point, my testing process is quite refined. I spent close to eight hours just playing games such as Destiny 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 on the Lenovo Legion 5i (2022) - outside of work hours, to be clear - as well as using it for general tasks during the day.

I specifically used it to write the majority of this review (along with some other articles) in order to get a good feel of the keyboard quality, and specifically used it without a mouse for the majority of my non-gaming time with it - something I would never normally do, but it's useful for gauging the performance of the trackpad.

I also, upon first unboxing the Legion 5i, managed to drop it directly onto the wooden floor of my kitchen. This was not an intentional piece of durability testing, but the laptop was mercifully undamaged, allowing me to remark on its robust chassis. While years of testing laptops may have attuned me to their strengths and flaws, it has not made me any less of a klutz.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2023

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