Lenovo Legion is the company’s dedicated sub-brand for PC gaming, and now includes a new family of six gaming PCs – the Lenovo Legion Y730 and Y530 Laptops, T730 and T530 towers and C730 and C530 cubes.
Allan D reviewed the Lenovo Legion Y530
Price range
From about R14 000.00 (excl VAT).
Intended audience and use
The Lenovo Legion Y530 is targeted at budget-conscious gamers who are also students or commercial users.
Quick product description
This is an entry-level gaming machine. It is designed for gamers but can also be used for other functions like work.
It is a neat black machine with some great design features like the “O” in Legion that lights up.
The Lenovo Legion Y530 weighs in at 2,3kg and measures 365mm x 260mm x 24,2mm (14,37 inches x 10,24 inches x 0.95 inches). So its not the smallest or lightest laptop on the market but it’s design is fit for purpose.
Technical specifications
Processor: 8th Generation Core i7-875H
Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Display: 15,6-inch IPS FHD; 1920 x 1080 pixels, up to 144Hz and 300 nits
Graphics: nVidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
Battery: 52,5 WHr
Memory: Up to 32Gb DDR4 2666MHz
Storage: This device came with a 128Gb primary PCIe SSD (solid state drive) and a 256Gb secondary PCIe SSD
Audio: Harman speakers with Dolby Audio
Ports: Three USB 3.1 Type-A, one USB 3.1 Type-C, one Mini DisplayPort 1.4, one HDMI 2.0, RJ-45, one audio combo jack, one NOVO hole
Connectivity: WiFi 2×2 AX + Bluetooth 4.2
Unique features
It’s a 15,6-inch notebook with a thin bezel, so you get the best possible use out of all the screen real estate. The display rotates to 180 degrees.
The two intake and exhaust fans work hard in this machine, but it’s easy to remove and clean the dust filter by unscrewing just one screw, and not opening the laptop’s casing.
Many of the ports are on the back of the device so there aren’t a lot of cables getting in the way (apart from the basic USBs for a mouse or joystick, which are still on the side).
My impressions
It is a gaming machine, but not too big, or too obviously for gaming – it is neat and elegant, so it can be used in the boardroom or classroom as well.
This gaming ultrabook is designed to be compact and light, with a great display. Personally, I would have preferred better outdoor visibility, but if you’re playing or working mostly indoors this won’t be an issue.
Upgradability should be standard with new products today. The Legion Y530 is upgradeable, but I wish there was a quicker and easier way to install new components – having to remove the screws and prise the back open is always risky.
The graphics are decent for the price, with moderate to high game play and many of the most demanding titles possible. The nVidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti works well with the 1920 x 1080 display. If a new model with a 4k display is launched, it would do better with a graphics card like the nVidia GeForce 1070 Ti, although this could impact battery and heat generation.
In terms of the battery, I got about four hours between charges, so you’d need to bring your charger along if you’re planning a long gaming session or a full day’s work.
The laptop itself is pretty thin and light, and it’s not too obviously a gaming machine, so you can use it for work as well.
Having additional room for ventilation around the back is a nice touch. This helps with the dissipation of heat away from one’s lap or desk. The fact that it is behind the monitor also helps to keep down the noise from the fan.
The new number pad, with the direction arrows above the numbers, could take some getting used to, but I liked it and found it easier to navigate.
Start-up
Time to start-up was 15,3 seconds.
Sound
The sound is adequate, maybe a bit above average for the price range.
Noise
Despite the fact that it runs on an SSD, there was still a fair amount of noise from the fans, especially during boot-up and under heavy loads.
Power/battery
This model gave four hours of battery, so you would need to charge during the day.
Temperature and performance
The performance is what you’d expect from a machine in this price range, and with this graphics card. The laptop itself has the ability to perform better, and would probably do so with a better graphics card, although this might reduce the battery life.
It did start running a bit hot, but the fans did a pretty good job of dissipating it. The removable fans, and the ability to clean them without having to open the whole machine, helps a lot with this.
Quality of construction
It is made of plastic, but still solid and pretty rugged. There isn’t much flex on the keyboard, which I like in a gaming machine.
Final thoughts
For the price, the Lenovo Legion Y530 packs a lot of punch, so it will suit the budget-conscious user who still wants a great experience. Plus it’s all upgradeable, so there’s plenty of scope to improve as you go.