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Lenovo is back at CES this year with a wide collection of new Legion gaming PCs, and this includes the new and improved Legion 9i Gen 9 gaming laptop, powered by AI and the latest CPUs and GPUs.
Like many of the other brands, AI is a big part of the Legion lineup this year. With regards to the Legion 9i, Lenovo has baked in some really cool software called Smart FPS. This tracks FPS (frames per second) data output while gaming in addition to the power usage between hardware components. It then runs captured frames per second data through some algorithms to optimize the CPU and GPU power that impacts the frames per second. Lenovo says this promises to provide smoother gameplay so you can focus less on screen tearing and hitches, and more on those clutch moments that can get you the win.
In addition to the new Legion 9i, Lenovo is also announcing refreshed Legion Pro 7i and Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 laptops, as well as Gen 9 versions of the Legion 7i, Legion 5i, and Legion Slim 5. Lastly, it’s announcing two new desktops too. The Legion Tower 7i and Legion Tower 5i.
All of the Legion PCs will come with powerful 14th Gen Intel CPUs except the Legion Tower 5i. This comes with the top-end 13th Gen Intel chip instead. All the new PCs will come with NVIDIA’s 40-series GPUs, with options for up to an RTX 4090 in the Legion 9i Gen 9, Legion Pro 7i and 5i, and up to an RTX 4070 in the Legion 7i, 5i, and Legion Slim 5.
The Legion 9i Gen 9 “redefines unique”
For those who don’t want to compromise on their gaming rig, the Legion 9i Gen 9 is the machine you want to consider it seems. While pricey at a starting cost of $4,399.99, the laptop is offering the peak of performance across the board. It comes with an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU. It also features 64GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage. Not to mention a 16-inch 3.2K Mini-LED display with a 165Hz refresh rate.
All of that of course seems pretty standard for a top-end flagship gaming laptop. Where it “redefines the unique” as Lenovo says, is through the AI smarts. The SmartFPS feature mentioned above is one of those ways this laptop sets itself apart from the pack. However, it also has a really neat Smart Control feature for customizing performance profiles and adjusting things like fan speed, thermal settings, and more. And if you like your RGB lighting, the Legion Aurora Sync feature uses AI to sync the RGB lights on the keyboard to the audio in your games for a more immersive experience. This is all powered by the Lenovo LA3-P AI chip. A newer version of the chip it announced last year.
None of these things are absolutely necessary in a gaming laptop. But it likely enhances the experience a lot. And that comes at a price with these components. Thankfully, Lenovo has other less expensive options. Even if they do forfeit some of the performance power. And as a nice bonus, all of the devices will come with 90 days of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free.
Lenovo has new entry-level gaming PCs too
Outside of the Legion line, Lenovo has new entry-level gaming PCs coming from its LOQ line. These will include the LOQ 15IRX9, 15IAX9I, 15AHP9, and the LOQ Tower 17IRR9. All of these will be available in North America except for the 15AHP9 model, which Lenovo says will only be coming to the EMEA.
Pricing and availability
Lenovo plans to launch all of these by mid to late April although some will start launching as soon as this month. The Legion 9i Gen 9 will be the first to hit shelves in January with a starting price of $4,399.99. For something more affordable, the Legion Pro 5i will also launch this month starting at $1,499.99.
The Legion 7i, Pro 7i, and LOQ 15AHP9 will launch in March with starting prices at $2,099.99, $2,699.99, and 1049€ respectively. Finally, in April, consumers can pick up the Legion 5i starting at $1,399.99, the Legion Slim 5 at $1,499.99, the Legion Tower 7i at $2,699.99, the Legion Tower 5i at $1,249.99, the LOQ 15IAX9 and 15IAX9I at $749.99, and the LOQ 15IRX9 at $799.99.