Lenovo LOQ 2024 - Full Review with Pros and Cons
In 2024, Lenovo released its latest LOQ series of gaming laptops, claiming they’re the best for the price. These laptops have the newest processors and cool features, aimed at gamers who want both power and efficiency. We’ll look at a detailed review, focusing on the i5-13450HX with RTX 3050 GPU and i5-12450HX with Intel Arc GPU and comparing them to other choices. We’ll also see if these laptops are the best budget option and who should consider buying them.
Build and Quality
Starting our discussion with the build, this laptop has a polycarbonate construction. It exhibits minimal keyboard and top lid flex. Weighing approximately 2.4 KG, it is heavy in a general context but acceptable for a gaming laptop. As a gaming laptop, it is relatively thick, which may pose portability issues. However, the weight balance is spot on, providing a comfortable feel. At first look, it gives you the feel of a perfectly built gaming laptop with its stunning design and look.
Design, Ports & Connectivity
Lenovo’s LOQ series shares design similarities with Lenovo’s Legion and Ideapad series, boasting a sleek and pleasing appearance. It features an HDMI port, 2 USB Type-A ports, and a charging port on the backside, which is a welcome addition for a clean gaming and working experience. Additionally, it offers USB Type-C and Type-A ports, along with a 3.5 mm audio jack on the sides for extra connectivity. Furthermore, it includes air exhausts on both sides and the back which effectively cools down the system during heavy multitasking. Also, they have a webcam shutter for privacy maintenance. It also supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.
Input devices
Keyboard – As mentioned earlier, the design features similarities to Lenovo’s previous Legion generation. The i5-13450HX laptop variant sports a 4-zoned RGB backlit gaming keyboard with smooth key landing and anti-ghosting keys. Additionally, it comes with swappable keycaps, a welcomed feature. But the Intel Arc (i5-12450HX) variant has only a single-color backlit keyboard.
Trackpad – Equipped with a fully clickable trackpad, it offers smooth operation, although not as premium as the Lenovo Legion series. Nevertheless, it supports multi-gestures and functions without issues regarding size or operation.
Webcam – The Lenovo LOQ features a 1080p webcam suitable for most daily needs. It includes a slider on the laptop’s right side to disconnect the webcam, preventing background applications from accessing it. It can fulfill our day-to-day demands like video conferencing, and Facetime.
Display
This Lenovo LOQ laptop boasts a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080p and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The display panel utilizes an anti-glare IPS technology, providing 100% sRGB coverage and 300 nits peak brightness. Whether engaging in creative projects, watching shows, or editing videos, the visuals are stunning. Furthermore, the display offers a 144Hz refresh rate, enhancing gaming experiences. The MUX switch feature allows for easy switching between iGPU and dGPU modes using the Lenovo Vantage software. The display of this laptop stands out as it is better than ASUS TUF Gaming and Lenovo Ideapad which are in this price range.
Performance
Now, let’s discuss the performance. The Lenovo LOQ series variant houses an Intel Core i5-13450HX processor, delivering superior performance compared to H-type processors. It is a 13th-generation processor with a hybrid architecture, which enables you to perform intensive workloads like heavy gaming at high settings, rendering on software like Aftereffects and Blender, and efficient operation during regular use. Additionally, it includes futuristic features like a MUX switch and a dedicated AI chip, which detects the usage and optimizes the settings according to usage needs. With a dedicated NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPU (6 GB) and DDR5 RAM, it excels in gaming and GPU-intensive tasks.
Another variant features an Intel Core i5-12450HX processor and Intel Arc A530M 4GB GPU, offering slightly lower performance. These laptops come in both 8GB and 16GB variants but we recommend going for 16GB variants as most of the latest software uses more memory.
Speakers
Regarding audio, it includes 2 X 2 W HD Stereo Speakers and Nahimic Audio. At the same time, the sound quality is just average, with modest bass and volume levels. Don’t expect more with this, it can still give you a decent multimedia experience. The sound is adequate for casual gaming sessions, but those who enjoy immersive experiences will likely want to use headphones. Even though this laptop has a great display, its speakers fail to cope with the quality, which is disappointing.
Battery Life
The Lenovo LOQ series is equipped with a 60-watt-hour battery, accompanied by a 170-watt adaptor and 115-watt TDP. Charging the laptop fully takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Although it offers a rapid charging mode, which is only 10-15 minutes faster than the normal mode, the battery life is not particularly satisfactory. However, the MUX switch allows for battery optimization through various modes, offering room for improvement. If you are a person who doesn’t care about battery life, plays, or works with the charger connected then you can consider this laptop.
Software Experience
Featuring Windows 11 OS and preinstalled MS Office Home 2021, this Lenovo laptop provides a smooth software experience. The Lenovo Vantage software simplifies PC customization, allowing users to personalize settings such as GPU working modes and charging modes. With four modes available via the MUX switch—Hybrid, dGPU, iGPU only, and Hybrid-auto—the software efficiently manages display, performance, and battery life.
The hybrid mode automatically balances dedicated and integrated GPUs according to the needs. Hybrid-auto mode is smarter, it uses dGPU when the system is on power and iGPU when it is on battery. These facilities give you the freedom to customize your graphic card’s usage.
Storage
Equipped with a 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 Gen 4 SSD for the operating system and primary applications, this laptop ensures fast boot times and game loading. Moreover, Lenovo offers user-upgradeable storage, allowing for additional M.2 SSD installation or upgrading to higher-capacity drives, thereby extending the machine’s longevity.
Also, you have an option to customize your own Lenovo LOQ laptop, which will be delivered to you within 21 days. More info.
You may also check out the Full Review of the Apple MacBook M3 and M3 Pro here.
- Pros
- Excellent system customizations and features.
- Phenomenal CPU and GPU performance.
- Great display.
- Good value for money.
- Cons
- Below average battery life.
- Heavy and less portable.
- Poor speaker quality.