Proof you don’t have to drop a pile of cash to enjoy gaming, the Lenovo Legion 5 15 is budget-friendly while still providing an immersive experience. Created as both a cost-effective option to the Pro series and an overall pick up to the highest quality of gaming, the Lenovo Legion 5 15 combines performance, portability and modern style into a powerful package for mainstream gamers.
Un-Pro, but not Unfancy The Lenovo Legion 5 15 doesn’t have the “Pro” title, but it basically has everything a casual to moderate gamer needs. It’s low-key in appearances as well with all-black surfaces and streamlined lines so you can game without drawing too much attention to yourself, and maybe even take it into work since it will fit into professional environments.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15 has a 15-inch display, and provide a nice mix between screen size and portability. It boasts a gorgeous OLED panel with a 165 Hz refresh rate, meaning games look that much better, with vibrant colors, deep blacks and silky-smooth motion. HDR gaming is a visual treat and for the most part the panel quality here (and right through its extended colour range) is going to be plenty for most people.
Performance, too, is a strong point for the Lenovo Legion 5 15. You also have your choice of processors with a slightly older but solid Zen 4 CPU, and if you’re willing to spend a little bit more, you have the option to go with newer Zen 5 or Intel chips. That flexibility means there’s a configuration of the Lenovo Legion 5 15 that’s right for just about any level of performance you need, without going broke.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is also super upgradeable, and this is what we like the most about it. And, it’s actually fairly easy to open and upgrade, meaning you can ramp up the machine’s RAM and expand its SSD storage as your needs grow – it’s a future-proofing software developer’s must-have. Such level of access to maintenance is uncommon in a budget gaming machine and brings a huge value to the Lenovo Legion 5 15.
On the graphics front, the Lenovo Legion 5 15 has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Laptop GPU to handle all the visuals. It’s reliable in Full HD, and you can even see some QHD gaming in a few titles. Raytracing is doable but you’d usually have to resort to DLSS4 upscaling or turn down the resolution to keep the frame-rate smooth. For the vast majority of gamers (especially those who are playing less demanding or slower paced games), this will be more than enough.
Naturally, some sacrifices had to be made to get to that lower price point. The Nvidia GPU runs without a multiplexer, which separates the Nvidia GPU from the Nvidia Optimus Intel GPU.The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16 ships with features such as Advanced Optimus or G-Sync that are missing from the Legion 5 15. But when even these extras would likely increase the price by a further €400, their lack seems more reasonable (and possibly justifiable) for the majority.
Even without, the Lenovo Legion 5 15 remains an extremely competitive gaming laptop at its price. It’s focused on the essentials, performance, screen quality and expandability, while cutting only those extras that many, but not all, users can live without.
Ultimately, the Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an excellent example of what happens when smart compromises and great engineering collide: you get a spectacular gaming laptop for less. Looking for a good deal without compromising too serious, the Lenovo Legion 5 15 is a great choice.
Have a closer look in our extensive Lenovo Legion 5 15 review to see the benchmarks, performance tests as well as pros and cons.
