Early Verdict
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 has the makings of being one of 2022's best laptops, thanks to its powerful components and eye-catching design.
Pros
- +
Stylish design
- +
Powerful GPU and CPU
- +
Advanced cooling features
Cons
- -
Big and bulky
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro earned top marks in our review. We found its design, solid build and powerful components made for a great portable gaming device. In the wake of the positive reception heaped upon that particular laptop, Lenovo has revealed its successor during CES 2022: The Legion 5 Pro Gen 7.
Like its predecessor, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 7 packs considerable power into its stylish chassis, as its configurable with the latest AMD Ryzen processors and Nvidia RTX 30-series laptop GPUs. Built with competitive esports in mind, the Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 has new cooling features to keep you playing longer. Based on our short hands-on time with the laptop, we think it may find inclusion in our best gaming laptops list.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7: Specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 |
| Price | from $1,429 |
| Display | 16-inch WQHD (2560 x 1600) IPS, 16:10 (up to 240Hz, 3ms) |
| CPU | Next-gen AMD Ryzen & 12th Intel Core processors |
| GPU | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 series GPU |
| RAM | Up to 32GB 4800Mhz DDR5 |
| Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe SSD |
| Ports | 3 USB-C, 3 USB-A, 1 HDMI 2.1, 1 Ethernet, 1 E-Shutter button, 1 audio combo jack, 1 DC-in |
| Size | Starting at 0.78 inches (thinnest point) |
| Weight | 5.48 pounds |
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7: Price and release date
The base model of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 starts at $1,429 and will be available sometime in April 2022. Lenovo didn’t reveal the pricing or specifications of other configurations. We can expect other models to have a higher MSRP than the entry-level SKU.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7: Design
The Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 has a thinner profile than the previous generation. It features a trimmed lid and hinge design with a zero bump hinge for added protection. Built from an aluminum and magnesium metal blend, the laptop is lighter than older models, though it is still heavy at nearly six pounds.
As befitting a modern gaming laptop, the Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 has RGB lighting beneath the keys. The lighting is controlled by the new Legion Spectrum RGB Lighting feature, which is a 4-zone backlight effects system developed especially for Lenovo Legion PCs and the company’s advanced Legion TrueStrike Keyboard. The built-in Lenovo Vantage software allows you to customize the RGB lighting to your preference.
What I like most about the design is how sturdy the Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 looks and feels. It looks straight out of a science fiction movie. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that it comes in two color variants: Storm Grey and Glacier White. I’m bringing up color because I was surprised by how striking the latter appeared – especially since I generally prefer electronics in black. Both the Glacier White and overall look and feel of the Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 make me eager to spend more time with the laptop.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7: Display
The Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 has a large 16-inch WQHD (2960 x 1600) 240Hz display, a 16:10 format with 100 percent sRGB color gamut and up to 3ms response time. The screen can reach 500 nits of brightness, which is something that will no doubt pair well with the supported Dolby Vision. Nvidia G-Sync will reduce screen tearing and make games run smoothly. I didn’t see games running first-hand but I still found the screen’s color representation and overall brightness impressive.
16:10 aspect ratios are becoming more common in both business and gaming laptops. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to it yet, but that aspect ratio still feels odd for gaming. With that said, the screen size is perfect for emails, web pages and documents since you’ll be able to see more of them. The aspect ratio means the Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 can be an effective work computer.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7: Ports
You’ll find no shortage of ports on this gaming laptop.
The left side of the unit has two USB Type-C (USB 3.2, Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4) ports while the right side has one USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, one Audio Combo Jack port and one E-Shutter button.
Over on the rear, you’ll find one USB Type-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1, Always-on 5V), one USB Type-A (USB 3.2 Gen 1), one USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2, DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery up to 135W), one HDMI 2.1, one RJ45 Ethernet and one DC-In power port.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7: Performance
You can choose between configurations with up to a 12th gen Intel Core i7-12700H processor or next-gen AMD Ryzen processors. Lenovo did not specify which processors will be available to choose from. This is also true for available graphic card options, with the company simply saying the laptop will have “up to the largest GeForce RTX 30 Series laptop GPU.” This is presumably the recently announced RTX 3070 Ti and 3080 Ti for laptops.
The Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 will have up to 32GB of 4800Mhz DDR5 RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe SSD (Gen 4) storage. Lenovo says the laptop reaches a maximum total graphics power of 165W.
The built-in cooling system will not only extend your game sessions but keep you from frying your lap. There is an updated fan system, larger exhaust area and improved penta heat pipe layout that funnels air in to lower the laptop’s surface temperature. A copper block sitting under the CPU acts as a heat sink to dissipate heat internally. The fan blades are slimmer by up to 40 percent from the previous generation and help keep the system quieter.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7: Battery life and charging
The laptop has a 80Whr battery and a rapid charge capability that can go from 0 to 80 percent battery life in 30 minutes, according to Lenovo. There is also support for up to 135W USB Type-C charging with a slimmer adapter delivering dedicated power between 230W up to 300W. Intelligent Mode initiates an AI-driven battery optimization feature that improves battery longevity and thermal performance.
Short battery life is common for high-end gaming laptops and it seems the Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 has several features to extend it. Of course, we’ll need to run the laptop through its paces to see how long its battery truly lasts.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7: Outlook
Based on my limited time with it, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 appears to be a worthy successor to the Legion Pro 5. The Alder Lake processor and RTX 30 series GPU will no doubt provide exceptional gaming performance compared to current-gen models. I love the space-age design and sturdy look and feel. I’m not keen on how heavy the laptop is, but that’s the only criticism I can think of right now. I’m looking forward to testing this rig when we get a review unit to see what it can deliver.
