The final boss in the X3D wave will be 3D cache on the iGPU in a monolithic APU, sidestepping the cache density bottleneck that probably excluded recent RDNA APUs from having infinity cache.
Just ordered one with 2,5K Oled, 32gb lpddr, 512 ssd, amd 7840HS and rtx 4060. Everything for just 1500€ is just awesome for an aluminium 14" notebook.
It's funny how manufacturers just pour their heart out for 14" models these days. Flat out one of the best all-around machines in the market, especially given competition from the likes of Appel and Dell runs twice the price... This feels like a sensational option for someone that has a good desktop set-up, but also the need for mobility due work/study/travel. Just powerful enough that you can have plenty of fun with it, and the dimensions, endurance and screen are right up there with modern ultrabooks so you lose nothing on that side.
I totally agree, this could be the perfect secondary device, if you "just" need powerful enough. Or well, if you are looking for a primary, super portable notebook, that still packs quite the punch with out the "top-of-the-line" tax!
Personally I think it is a desktop replacement. Like the reviewer said the fact the laptops screen folds fully back and can slot under your monitor to let you use the keyboard for gaming whilst hooked up to a monitor is perfect. It runs games more than good enough at QHD, so connecting to an external 27-32 inch QHD monitor for longer gaming sessions it should manage no problem and then when you need portability off you go. I think the price of this is crazy good when you compare it to the 14 inch competition.
Slim 7 is slightly bit better to be honest as it does come with some room for upgrading RAM, better build quality, approx. the same price, can be specced with more powerful hardware and it has a full keyboard. It's slightly bit larger than 14", but unless you're literally insane person who carries laptop in a sleeve or a fashion accessory that looks like a backpack, there's no difference in portability whatsoever.
I am not sure why Lenovo has dropped USB4 from all their AMD gaming lineup this year. Last year, even the Legion 5 non-pro model got USB4 support via firmware update, whereas in this year, neither of any AMD based gaming laptop from them has it. That's a disadvantage against the competitions as both G14 and Blade 14 offer that. Also, G14 has a 4060 model, which is currently cheaper than this one in USA. G14 may not have OLED but it is brighter and has same color gamut as well.
It is easy usb 4.0 is not a necessity when gaming and oled is even with almost the same specs an upgrade because oled reaction time is extremly fast also u cannot Translate the specs 1to1
@@sentinelfox6937 Why OLED and USB4 needs to be mutually exclusive? And if USB4 /Thunderbolt is not necessary, why literally every company in their Intel based gaming laptops, starting from mid-range, has TB3/TB4? When you are buying USD 1000 laptops, then we expect something more than just necessary. And Lenovo has removed the USB4 from their Non-OLED AMD Gaming laptops as well.
@@adaml.5355 Do a bit fact check before making up stuffs an posting wrong information. If you don't know, then you don't. There are plenty of laptops with all the features you've described, using the exact same CPU and still has USB4. Example, the Acer Nitro 16 2023 with Ryzen 7000 series, Asus TUF A15 and TUF A16 2023 models, all have USB4 port, while having 2x Gen4 PCIe Slots, GPU and PCIe Wi-Fi. In fact, you don't even know the fact that WI-Fi card uses a PCIe Gen 2x2 M.2 interface which comes from the motherboard chipset. In fact, the CPU directly supports 2x USB4 40 GBps port, along with 20 PCIe Gen4 lanes. Next time, do a bit research rather than blabbering about things which you don't know.
Nicely done video. (I was watching it while awaiting inbound ROG... LOL!) IMHO: it appears that Lenovo is offering a very attractive balance of features in the 14" form factor here. The only notable short coming is the lack of high speed ports. The video may of mentioned if the RAM can be upgraded or not (missed it).
Thanks a ton. Which config of the G14 do you have on order? I agree with the port situation, especially the lack of USB 4 is quite the bummer, but I would assume they had to safe some cost somewhere ... And the RAM is soldered, unfortunately!
What none of the reviewers tell you is the amount of tweaking to get battery / noise / heat optimized. It runs 85-100 C on balance when using factory profiles. With extensive tweaking, I’m able to get power draw to 8-10 W / hour on battery. And peak temps
Super cool review, I wish you could make also videos with "top 10 gaming" notebooks, there are a lot of professionals that use 17 inch gaming laptops for work and for sure will appreciate it. By inserting clear categories like performance, battery life, screen and giving key features from your written reviews plus the video of the laptop many will be pleased. Keep up the good work!
For some reason 14" and 16" models have different keyboards. I love having PgUp/PgDn keys next to arrow keys (like on ThinkPads) because it increases my productivity. So I was happy ot see this as Legions are much (2x-3x) cheaper than ThinkPads with same specs. But 14" is a bit too small for sitting many hours in front of it. I wish 16" model had same keyboard layout (PgUp/PgDn keys next to arrow keys).
Page uo/down keys are fine but I absolutely HATE the numpad they attach to every fucking normal size laptop. It makes everything off centered and just make no sense cz the number row is there for a reason! In fact I think I'm considering the 14 inch because it doesn't have a numpad (finally!)
Was eyeing this, but the lack of USB4 is a mild issue - but that PWM is going to be a non-starter for me. I've found that very few OLEDs don't bother me. But otherwise, this machine looks great. Wish they offered an IPS or MiniLED option, instead.
Pretty interesting laptop. I wish there were more options for Ram upgrades. Maybe we will see a future Legion 7 and 9 with an Oled. Actually that reminds me, is Lenovo going to be sending Notebook Check a production version of the Legion 9? The early release preview was great, but the release version will give us performance results.
Absolutely, the soldered RAM is a pretty profound compromise, but at least they are offering a 32GB SKU. I hope to get a production unit for the Legon 9 within the next two weeks! Fingers crossed!
@@NotebookcheckReviews Thanks - I look forward to the written and video review of the Legion 9i when it is out. Yeah - in the case, soldered is bad for one other reason - the RAM is only DDR 6400, which can be bought on a DIMM. Soldered RAM can be faster, which is the only thing going for it (speeds of DDR4 7500 are common on soldered RAM).
@@NotebookcheckReviews Yes, DDR5 6400 SO-DIMMS exist. GSkill and other DRAM vendors have DDR5 6400 XMP SO DIMMS. Lenovo even offers a 6400 option on the Legion 9, if you build one on their website. For desktop, G.Skill offers a DDR5 8000, although in practice, only about 20% or so of Intel 13000 series CPUs can sustain that. No AMD Zen 4 CPUs can. Apparently Zen 5 is rumored to get a better memory controller.
Is it a a good deal to buy this Legion Slim 5 14 with upgraded specs Memory: 32 GB LPDDR5X-6400MHz (Soldered)selected upgrade Solid State Drive: 1 TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 TLCselected upgrade for 1325 $ or are there better deals this Black Friday?
Unfortunately gsync/freesync arent supported. (This seems to be a limitation of OLED displays in general) You can find much more information about temperatures in our written review: www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Legion-Slim-5-14APH8-laptop-review-120-Hz-2-5K-OLED-sweet-spot.753466.0.html#toc-7 For example, under full CPU only workoad, the Blade 14 is a bit cooler, but surface temps of the chassis are higher.
@@NotebookcheckReviews FreeSync is shown on the PSREF page, but shows as Not Supported in Radeon software (tried both in Hybrid and iGPU mode). Not too happy with Lenovo there as FreeSync is advertised as included.
I got the 32gb of ram in mine over the i9. I kept the i7. I did some research and the i9 wasn’t getting any noticeable performance especially for the extra price. A lot of newer games are demanding more ram and with things running in the background I wanted to be safe. Plus for the future. 32gb is only $50 more.
Having quite a hard time deciding between this and the Macbook Air M2 16GB RAM / 256 GB SSD. I'm a student, working in UX/UI design (Figma, Adobe CC...) and was on the verge of ordering the Mac until I saw this Lenovo. I'm looking for something practical, good build and performance. Something that can last whole school day without a charge. What really frustrates me about the Mac is the lack of ports, fans and upgradability/repairability. I'm a casual gamer, nothing hardcore, no FPS games and I am willing to sacrifice the gaming part if the swiftness of the Mac OS is worth it. But the graphical performance part is probably better on this Lenovo. Any advice?
Tough one since both of these are very, very different. With the slim 5, you get the better display, ports, and performance. The air wins when it comes to battery life and noise ...
Great video! I returned my G14 for this because of the OLED screen and cooler temperatures. Honestly I loved ASUS but I feel like their QC has gone a bit downhill. Really enjoying the slim 5 though.
While I love my G14 (4090) quite a bit, I can see why you went that way, if you are shopping in the 4060/4070 realm. And you are right .... that OLED .... :O
You can easily compare it to whichever notebook we have in our database on our website. In every section, we have a little search bar, if you look for a macbook, you can easily put them side-by-side. I agree with the soldered RAM, even though I think it is an "ok-ish" compromise to make, and they sell a 32GB option. As for the screen, well, Lenovo also offers a lot of 16" versions as well ... non of them are OLED tho.
Lenovo is like lifeline of AMDs mobility business. Also that 'slim 5' naming doesn't fit with product, I feel that this in class of its own just like blade 14 and g14
Couldn't agree more with the naming... This is your first OLED, Lenovo. Just call it Legion OLED 14? Bring attention to the key things that makes this special: 14 inches and an amazing display.
The G14 and the Legion 5 14 are essentially the same price in my area (UK). So with the price being the same which would you choose? I would likely be getting the 4060 of either laptop
Great review as always. Thank you. I just received one myself. Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 AMD 14" RTX 4060 32gig 1tb. I find I have a whistling fan noise at low RPM's kind of like a small baby jet engine. Did you find that was the case with your review laptop. Thank you.
Thanks Joszef! Do you, by any chance mean the XMG Pro 16 Studio? The review should be done within the next two weeks! I have something special planned for it!
@@NotebookcheckReviews no, I mean the Core 16, the one which was launched couple of days ago. An employee on their Discord server told me you guys were given a review sample before the launch.
Ah, sorry, I was sleeping on that one. I am unsure If I will be doing a full video about it. Let us see how the written review will go, I am unfortunately super busy with a lot of other devices for now! :/
All gaming laptop battery are poor. Due to a performance and power they consume, battery life is short and lifespan of battery is short as well. Good graphic card, power consumption for the game uses ram and 3k display. Would still recommend this product regardless of it's battery life
@@エネ-n1cbattery life is not going to last long if in performance mode or balanced mode while using the Nvidia gpu. However if you disable it and only use the integrated 780m (which is still quite powerful, it powers the legion go and rog ally for instance) it should last 6 to 8 hours for productivity tasks and media consumption.
Which laptop would you recommend between this and the Zenbook 14 pro, and which oled screen looks better in person between both? I noticed the oled screen on the Zenbook in videos looks to have a green tint and is not vibrant but not sure if thats the case in person. Thanks.
Both are amazing machines. I would personally prefer the Zenbook because of its faster core components and smaller chassis. But I am also working with my laptops to make a living, so when I would buy a notebook purely for entertainment or semi-professional work, I would get the Legion since it costs about half as much as the Zenbook. The Legion screen also has the edge since you will not get the "graininess" from the touch layer, which is something you would have to deal with on the Zenbook.
I can't say I am as attracted to it. Lack of ports, the price feels way too high at 1700+ euros. I would prefer one with a simple IPS 1080p screen for hopefully much lower price, more ports and more colors. But that's just me. Great video as always though.
@@NotebookcheckReviews No idea. Hmm, let me check. OK, yes several, starting from 1050 euros. MSI Cyborg 15 A12VF-266XPL 15.6" FHD 144Hz (i5-12450H/16GB/512GB SSD/GeForce RTX 4060/No OS) (US Keyboard) The others are a bit higher 1090 and 1150 and of course keep going up.
I should rephrase, with 100W RTX 4060s? Not all of them are equal, especially the one in the Cyborg for example just runs with 60W if I recall correctly, netting you significantly lower performance. But when it comes to smaller, premium 14“ the legion is quite a bit cheaper than the competition!
@@NotebookcheckReviews I read somewhere, I don't remember where, that most if not all of the laptop RTX 4060 GPU don't use over 65W, no matter what they are sold as, 60, 85, 69, whatever. You are right of course that the Cyborg apparently uses 45W!!!! and no more, so I would guess the performance to be lower. But, we are talking about real performance difference of 60%? Because that's how much cheaper the Cyborg is. If you find it on sale you can get two of them for the price of one of these. So yes I do NOT doubt that in points the Legion wins, but not sure if it is worth the huge difference in price. Of course I don't have a Cyborg (or one of the other lower priced ones) to test them, but I don't know...650+ euros difference is not that small even if you end up with a bit slower performing GPU. At least that's how I see things. :)
@@manuelgonzalez7422 original is 1600 euros but with a student discount it's 1440. There is a trade-in promotion right now for a 20% cashback for everyone, not just students (you need to trade in a working laptop or desktop that's younger than 10 years so just trade in an old pc). With the trade-in it's 1280 euros and with student discount and trade-in it's 1150
Thank you for your review! I'm about to buy this one or the Legion slim 7 amd for 150 euros more (same specs as the 14")... Which one would you suggest me? I travel a lot and not sure il the slim 7 is portable enough or justify the 150euro more then this 14. Thank you!
@NotebookcheckReviews Also, the Alienware 13 R3 (the one with the OLED screen from around 2016) also had OLED, but it was also touch enabled. I don't really think it's an excuse, especially given many creator laptops do have OLED touch screens!
Nice review and looking forward to buying it when it comes out, I have a question, from your experience would it be worth the upgrade in performance to the Ryzen 9 7940HS? Would the battery life be shortened if choosing the Ryzen 9? Will appreciate your help so much!
I just bought this laptop yesterday. I chose not to get the 7940HS because you can only get 16 gigabytes of ram. The ram is soldered on and there is no way to upgrade it. The 7840HS model allows you to spec it with 32 gb of ram.
The difference in performance is marginal, so as I said in the video, it is not worth the additional cost. And if you really can only get the 32 gigs of RAM (which I would certainly recommend), than definitly go for the 7840HS
@@FrankHaleyou're right! You can't configure the Ryzen 9 with 32gb ram, I would gladly read your first impressions with it regarding the battery and performance with the 7840H
Would you say because of the Oled Screen, getting a Yoga Pro 9i would make more sense when looking for a good all round laptop? I'm a bit afraid of burn in when doing long hours of work.
It's a tough call; the MiniLEDs in the Yoga are amazing, but I am somewhat partial to OLEDs. I just like the "look" a bit more. But on paper and specs-wise the MiniLEDS are the "better" panels. I use several OLED devices and have never had to deal with burn-in problems.
@NotebookcheckReviews Just bought a Slim 5 14" from the German Lenovo online shop. While in the product gallery on the website keyboard seems to have international keyboard layout, I noticed your laptop has a German layout (including language specific letters). Did you replace your keycaps or is gallery on the Lenovo website misleading here?
@@NotebookcheckReviews i value the most power because i mainly use it plugged in as a desktop replacement, with the option to take it to other studios/places ....i need power but not just on paper....no overheating, no throttling....straight power ....and no dpc-latency issues ...i watched so many videos, read so many reviews, still very undecided
@@snubdawg1386choose slime OLED if you don't have PWM flicring problem with your eyes,trust me it is better in every way,Ryzen 7 hx version get very hot I saw many videos it get to 90c in games
The screen is awesome but the fans are so insanely loud that I have to return it...I also bought a slim pro 9i and the fans are about 1/4 the volume with similar specs
Hi, if isn't for battery life and all with 4060,Slim 5 /7-7840hs vs Pro 5-7745HX witch is a all in all a better laptop at the same price , or really worth Pro 5-7945HX for 180£ extra?
I guess it really comes down to how much you value portability! The Legion Pro 5 is bigger but, therefore has a larger screen and many more ports. For the performance differences, you can put them side by side on our website. Just follow the link to our written review, and below every section is a search bar. Just type in the laptop or the CPU you are looking for; if we have tested it, it will show up! www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Legion-Slim-5-14APH8-laptop-review-120-Hz-2-5K-OLED-sweet-spot.753466.0.html
Sorry, I didn't understand well (I use subtitles with translator): is the chassis entirely made of aluminum or is only the cover made while the rest is plastic? Thanks in advance
It looks like the rog raikiri pro. But beware I heard it isn’t a good controller for the asking price. You would be better off with a stock Xbox series controller tbh.
I am always hesitant to say a laptop is "the best". It depends on a lot of factors. Do you want more performance in even smaller chassis? Than the G14 and the Blade are better, since they come with more powerful GPU options. Do you want the best bang for the buck? Get the Legion! Best display? Either the higher-end MiniLED configs or the Legion. Upgradable RAM? Get the Blade ... And so on and so on .... ;)
@@NotebookcheckReviews Totally understandable. Still, I wouldn't mind seeing its performance at native resolution considering the laptop's unusually high-quality display.
PSREF shows this as having FreeSync (and no GSync). However, in both iGPU mode and Hybrid, Radeon software is telling me FreeSync is not supported. HWINFO shows the display has no defined FreeSync range, despite it being on the product page. I’m going to return it in the 14 day window as hard to make use of 120Hz display with a 4060 without a VRR solution.
@@NotebookcheckReviews Yes, even the 240Hz Razer OLED had no VRR solution. Very strange. I’m spoiled as used to good desktop G-Sync on the LG CX and FreeSync on an Alienware AW3423DWF.
Should have made it just a slightly bit thicker to make enough space for upgradeable RAM and ethernet port. If there's lack of space for the ethernet, just get rid of memory card reader, as less than 0.01% of target audience even have a memory card in 2023.
@@NotebookcheckReviews Depends on the target audience. It's a gaming laptop, thus its features and specifications should be aimed toward gaming first, everything else second. Why would they bother with super fast response time display that only matters in competitive games if they are forcing you to play over wi-fi, which is undeniably worse latency-wise than ethernet cable? Also, how many people who are not doing content creation still use memory cards? The were only relevant when you could use them in phones, but those times are long gone. Pretty much the only people who still use them are photographers and film creators, who number 1 in 1000 in best case scenario.
No reason to wait. If you're doing it for brand loyalty, don't. Ever year each company releases new products, and you should judge the product individually instead of by company. Not saying you're doing this, but it seems to be that way for others.
Why doesn't Lenovo finally make a flip version of the Legion?! For a 14 inch version, it should be a no brainer to offer a 2 in 1 convertible option too, like the ASUS ROG flow X13. It's 2023 now but none of these manufacturers have made any significant innovating this year, while still asking outrageous prices for the same shit! I don't think I'll be upgrading this year either.
I think I have to disagree with you here. While it is true that Lenovo did not try anything "special" this year, they did so in their Yoga Line-Up. Prices, unfortunately, have been extremely high, especially when everything launched in the first quarter. Still, we have seen some exciting and fresh ideas in laptops over the past few months.
The final boss in the X3D wave will be 3D cache on the iGPU in a monolithic APU, sidestepping the cache density bottleneck that probably excluded recent RDNA APUs from having infinity cache.
ok ... :)
@@NotebookcheckReviews You know something we don't? 🙃
Whoops I commented on the wrong video
bro gave me a stroke...;|
Man this laptop would be fantastic for gaming and watching content in HDR. I love OLED panels for this reason and wish my laptop had proper HDR
Welcome burn in
@@mcelebi98
My 2017 Alienware 13r3 OLED has no burn in.
Granted I now use it mainly with an external monitor but the laptop screen has no burn in.
Yeah, with the rtx video upscaling and hdr even low bitrate sdr content looks amazing
@mcelebi98 oled burn in is a boogeyman. Technology has gotten allot better now.
Just ordered one with 2,5K Oled, 32gb lpddr, 512 ssd, amd 7840HS and rtx 4060.
Everything for just 1500€ is just awesome for an aluminium 14" notebook.
Yepp, that is a pretty sweet deal you got there!
Where did you find it 😊?
Sounds like a great laptop. I'm still on my legion 5 with 2060, still the best laptop I've owned with zero issues whatsoever
He said its not aluminum but plastic, or did he make a mistake?
It's funny how manufacturers just pour their heart out for 14" models these days. Flat out one of the best all-around machines in the market, especially given competition from the likes of Appel and Dell runs twice the price...
This feels like a sensational option for someone that has a good desktop set-up, but also the need for mobility due work/study/travel. Just powerful enough that you can have plenty of fun with it, and the dimensions, endurance and screen are right up there with modern ultrabooks so you lose nothing on that side.
I totally agree, this could be the perfect secondary device, if you "just" need powerful enough. Or well, if you are looking for a primary, super portable notebook, that still packs quite the punch with out the "top-of-the-line" tax!
Personally I think it is a desktop replacement. Like the reviewer said the fact the laptops screen folds fully back and can slot under your monitor to let you use the keyboard for gaming whilst hooked up to a monitor is perfect. It runs games more than good enough at QHD, so connecting to an external 27-32 inch QHD monitor for longer gaming sessions it should manage no problem and then when you need portability off you go.
I think the price of this is crazy good when you compare it to the 14 inch competition.
Slim 7 is slightly bit better to be honest as it does come with some room for upgrading RAM, better build quality, approx. the same price, can be specced with more powerful hardware and it has a full keyboard. It's slightly bit larger than 14", but unless you're literally insane person who carries laptop in a sleeve or a fashion accessory that looks like a backpack, there's no difference in portability whatsoever.
@@dainiusvysniauskas2049you don’t travel often do you?
@@jackal3770 Just weekly/bi-weekly 300 km round trips. And guess what, a 16" laptop still fits perfectly fine in a regular backpack.
I am not sure why Lenovo has dropped USB4 from all their AMD gaming lineup this year. Last year, even the Legion 5 non-pro model got USB4 support via firmware update, whereas in this year, neither of any AMD based gaming laptop from them has it. That's a disadvantage against the competitions as both G14 and Blade 14 offer that. Also, G14 has a 4060 model, which is currently cheaper than this one in USA. G14 may not have OLED but it is brighter and has same color gamut as well.
It is easy usb 4.0 is not a necessity when gaming and oled is even with almost the same specs an upgrade because oled reaction time is extremly fast also u cannot Translate the specs 1to1
@@sentinelfox6937 Why OLED and USB4 needs to be mutually exclusive? And if USB4 /Thunderbolt is not necessary, why literally every company in their Intel based gaming laptops, starting from mid-range, has TB3/TB4? When you are buying USD 1000 laptops, then we expect something more than just necessary. And Lenovo has removed the USB4 from their Non-OLED AMD Gaming laptops as well.
Literally not buying this laptop because of no USB4 support, well spoken
I think they are going to release a slim 7 14” model too, thats why they are cutting some features
@@adaml.5355 Do a bit fact check before making up stuffs an posting wrong information. If you don't know, then you don't. There are plenty of laptops with all the features you've described, using the exact same CPU and still has USB4. Example, the Acer Nitro 16 2023 with Ryzen 7000 series, Asus TUF A15 and TUF A16 2023 models, all have USB4 port, while having 2x Gen4 PCIe Slots, GPU and PCIe Wi-Fi. In fact, you don't even know the fact that WI-Fi card uses a PCIe Gen 2x2 M.2 interface which comes from the motherboard chipset. In fact, the CPU directly supports 2x USB4 40 GBps port, along with 20 PCIe Gen4 lanes. Next time, do a bit research rather than blabbering about things which you don't know.
Nicely done video. (I was watching it while awaiting inbound ROG... LOL!)
IMHO: it appears that Lenovo is offering a very attractive balance of features in the 14" form factor here. The only notable short coming is the lack of high speed ports.
The video may of mentioned if the RAM can be upgraded or not (missed it).
Thanks a ton. Which config of the G14 do you have on order?
I agree with the port situation, especially the lack of USB 4 is quite the bummer, but I would assume they had to safe some cost somewhere ...
And the RAM is soldered, unfortunately!
What none of the reviewers tell you is the amount of tweaking to get battery / noise / heat optimized. It runs 85-100 C on balance when using factory profiles. With extensive tweaking, I’m able to get power draw to 8-10 W / hour on battery. And peak temps
Can I ask what tweaks you did for temps and battery if you remember?
I’m a student and I’m so tempted to buy this in full specs instead of Mac air 15.
This is so much better than anything from apple it's not even a fair comparison. It is infinity superior
Super cool review, I wish you could make also videos with "top 10 gaming" notebooks, there are a lot of professionals that use 17 inch gaming laptops for work and for sure will appreciate it. By inserting clear categories like performance, battery life, screen and giving key features from your written reviews plus the video of the laptop many will be pleased. Keep up the good work!
For some reason 14" and 16" models have different keyboards. I love having PgUp/PgDn keys next to arrow keys (like on ThinkPads) because it increases my productivity. So I was happy ot see this as Legions are much (2x-3x) cheaper than ThinkPads with same specs. But 14" is a bit too small for sitting many hours in front of it. I wish 16" model had same keyboard layout (PgUp/PgDn keys next to arrow keys).
There is much less space in a 14" chassis, so they would have to make some sacrifices somewhere.
Page uo/down keys are fine but I absolutely HATE the numpad they attach to every fucking normal size laptop. It makes everything off centered and just make no sense cz the number row is there for a reason! In fact I think I'm considering the 14 inch because it doesn't have a numpad (finally!)
@@Adrenaline_chasercouldn't disagree more
I would say this is the best bargain without breaking bank
Finally high quality Zen 4 laptops are showing their power! took a while :(
Was eyeing this, but the lack of USB4 is a mild issue - but that PWM is going to be a non-starter for me. I've found that very few OLEDs don't bother me. But otherwise, this machine looks great. Wish they offered an IPS or MiniLED option, instead.
This looks like a good successor for those of us that got a G14 in 2021 with the 3060. Well done Lenovo!
In the 4060 class of devices with a smaller form factor you will have a hard time finding a better machine right now.
it seems like Lenovo has set themselves up very well for a vapor chamber cooled, RGB infested, dual SSD Legion slim 7 14
I am already dreaming about a Slim 9i with the carbon fiber top, vapor chamber, and watercooling loop ... that would be something.
@@NotebookcheckReviews
Touch screen at that size would be nice too.
THANX that you test and include the dpc-latency on your website....unfortunately dpc-latency seems not so good on this one
I feel like this has been a problem for most machines this year so far.
Pretty interesting laptop. I wish there were more options for Ram upgrades.
Maybe we will see a future Legion 7 and 9 with an Oled.
Actually that reminds me, is Lenovo going to be sending Notebook Check a production version of the Legion 9? The early release preview was great, but the release version will give us performance results.
Absolutely, the soldered RAM is a pretty profound compromise, but at least they are offering a 32GB SKU.
I hope to get a production unit for the Legon 9 within the next two weeks! Fingers crossed!
@@NotebookcheckReviews Thanks - I look forward to the written and video review of the Legion 9i when it is out.
Yeah - in the case, soldered is bad for one other reason - the RAM is only DDR 6400, which can be bought on a DIMM. Soldered RAM can be faster, which is the only thing going for it (speeds of DDR4 7500 are common on soldered RAM).
Is there notebook Si-Dimm 6400 Ram?
I do not think I have seen notebooks with 7500 soldered RAM yet …
@@NotebookcheckReviews Yes, DDR5 6400 SO-DIMMS exist. GSkill and other DRAM vendors have DDR5 6400 XMP SO DIMMS. Lenovo even offers a 6400 option on the Legion 9, if you build one on their website.
For desktop, G.Skill offers a DDR5 8000, although in practice, only about 20% or so of Intel 13000 series CPUs can sustain that. No AMD Zen 4 CPUs can. Apparently Zen 5 is rumored to get a better memory controller.
MiniLED>OLED imo, I just got a new laptop and have anxiety about OLED burn-in
Is it a a good deal to buy this Legion Slim 5 14 with upgraded specs
Memory: 32 GB LPDDR5X-6400MHz (Soldered)selected upgrade
Solid State Drive: 1 TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 TLCselected upgrade
for 1325 $ or are there better deals this Black Friday?
I wish they did a version of this with a 4070, that would be dope!
True!
nah not worth it, laptop 4070 is like 10% faster and also only has 8GB VRAM
@@KryssN1its 25+% faster bozo
@@jay-5061 no it's not, the laptop 4070 is at best 10% faster than laptop 4060 due to TDP
Check your facts instead of spouting nonsense.
A 4070 has no major difference from a 4060 only the price
Does it have gsync/freesync and in terms of temps how would you rank 1-3 between the g14, the Zenbook, and this Lenovo 5 slim?
Unfortunately gsync/freesync arent supported. (This seems to be a limitation of OLED displays in general) You can find much more information about temperatures in our written review:
www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Legion-Slim-5-14APH8-laptop-review-120-Hz-2-5K-OLED-sweet-spot.753466.0.html#toc-7
For example, under full CPU only workoad, the Blade 14 is a bit cooler, but surface temps of the chassis are higher.
@@NotebookcheckReviews
FreeSync is shown on the PSREF page, but shows as Not Supported in Radeon software (tried both in Hybrid and iGPU mode). Not too happy with Lenovo there as FreeSync is advertised as included.
@@NotebookcheckReviews Will V-sync help with screen tearing? I just got this laptop a few hours ago.
That thing costs about 2K € where I live, so not that well priced everywhere 😅
Well, it's well priced relative to the competition
Still cheaper than G14 tho :D
Hello, would you upgrate the ram to 32gb or would you prefer upgrading to a i9 processor from the i7 model. Thanks for your comments.
I got the 32gb of ram in mine over the i9. I kept the i7. I did some research and the i9 wasn’t getting any noticeable performance especially for the extra price. A lot of newer games are demanding more ram and with things running in the background I wanted to be safe. Plus for the future. 32gb is only $50 more.
Having quite a hard time deciding between this and the Macbook Air M2 16GB RAM / 256 GB SSD. I'm a student, working in UX/UI design (Figma, Adobe CC...) and was on the verge of ordering the Mac until I saw this Lenovo. I'm looking for something practical, good build and performance. Something that can last whole school day without a charge. What really frustrates me about the Mac is the lack of ports, fans and upgradability/repairability. I'm a casual gamer, nothing hardcore, no FPS games and I am willing to sacrifice the gaming part if the swiftness of the Mac OS is worth it. But the graphical performance part is probably better on this Lenovo. Any advice?
Tough one since both of these are very, very different. With the slim 5, you get the better display, ports, and performance. The air wins when it comes to battery life and noise ...
Great video! I returned my G14 for this because of the OLED screen and cooler temperatures. Honestly I loved ASUS but I feel like their QC has gone a bit downhill. Really enjoying the slim 5 though.
While I love my G14 (4090) quite a bit, I can see why you went that way, if you are shopping in the 4060/4070 realm.
And you are right .... that OLED .... :O
Paid1450€ (the slower Ryzen, 32GB, 1TB SSD, 4060) i think its nice , what do you think?
We liked the new Slim 5 14 a lot! Have fun with your new machine!
Wish it had at least one slot of removable RAM. Miss opportunity for an otherwise competitive 14" entry by Lenovo!
Agreed, but thankfully there is the option to buy a 32gb version!
costs like 60 euro to bump up the ram. to double
In this form factor you should compare with Macbooks also. This laptop have only two serious problems: solded RAM and small screen.
You can easily compare it to whichever notebook we have in our database on our website. In every section, we have a little search bar, if you look for a macbook, you can easily put them side-by-side.
I agree with the soldered RAM, even though I think it is an "ok-ish" compromise to make, and they sell a 32GB option. As for the screen, well, Lenovo also offers a lot of 16" versions as well ... non of them are OLED tho.
Lenovo is like lifeline of AMDs mobility business. Also that 'slim 5' naming doesn't fit with product, I feel that this in class of its own just like blade 14 and g14
Couldn't agree more with the naming... This is your first OLED, Lenovo. Just call it Legion OLED 14? Bring attention to the key things that makes this special: 14 inches and an amazing display.
The G14 and the Legion 5 14 are essentially the same price in my area (UK). So with the price being the same which would you choose? I would likely be getting the 4060 of either laptop
Legion 5 is cooler, quieter, stronger and better build. G14 looks better and has better speaker.
Can I ask where you downloaded that desktop background? Excellent Review!
If I remember correctly I found it on unsplash.com
@@NotebookcheckReviews Do you have the link maybe? I can't find it!
Great review as always. Thank you. I just received one myself.
Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 AMD 14" RTX 4060 32gig 1tb. I find I have a whistling fan noise at low RPM's kind of like a small baby jet engine. Did you find that was the case with your review laptop. Thank you.
Damn probably might pick this up, wish it had a smaller chin at the bottom with an rtx 4070
Nice video, chad laptop!
I've heard you got a review unit of the XMG Core 16. When can we expect that video?
Thanks Joszef!
Do you, by any chance mean the XMG Pro 16 Studio? The review should be done within the next two weeks! I have something special planned for it!
@@NotebookcheckReviews no, I mean the Core 16, the one which was launched couple of days ago. An employee on their Discord server told me you guys were given a review sample before the launch.
Ah, sorry, I was sleeping on that one. I am unsure If I will be doing a full video about it. Let us see how the written review will go, I am unfortunately super busy with a lot of other devices for now! :/
@@NotebookcheckReviews alright, thanks for the answer! Btw how is that Notebookcheck Discord server coming along? :)
where can we find more information on the methodology employed in the battery life test? thanks in advance.
All gaming laptop battery are poor. Due to a performance and power they consume, battery life is short and lifespan of battery is short as well. Good graphic card, power consumption for the game uses ram and 3k display. Would still recommend this product regardless of it's battery life
@@エネ-n1cbattery life is not going to last long if in performance mode or balanced mode while using the Nvidia gpu. However if you disable it and only use the integrated 780m (which is still quite powerful, it powers the legion go and rog ally for instance) it should last 6 to 8 hours for productivity tasks and media consumption.
Which laptop would you recommend between this and the Zenbook 14 pro, and which oled screen looks better in person between both? I noticed the oled screen on the Zenbook in videos looks to have a green tint and is not vibrant but not sure if thats the case in person. Thanks.
Both are amazing machines. I would personally prefer the Zenbook because of its faster core components and smaller chassis. But I am also working with my laptops to make a living, so when I would buy a notebook purely for entertainment or semi-professional work, I would get the Legion since it costs about half as much as the Zenbook.
The Legion screen also has the edge since you will not get the "graininess" from the touch layer, which is something you would have to deal with on the Zenbook.
Whats the Name of this wallpaper?
love it, problem non upgradable ram. So no, this wont be my next laptop just because of that
Is text clarity good on this oled display? Thx.
I can't say I am as attracted to it. Lack of ports, the price feels way too high at 1700+ euros.
I would prefer one with a simple IPS 1080p screen for hopefully much lower price, more ports and more colors. But that's just me.
Great video as always though.
But the OLED is the best part of it ;)
Are there any cheaper 14" 4060 notebooks out there?
@@NotebookcheckReviews No idea. Hmm, let me check. OK, yes several, starting from 1050 euros. MSI Cyborg 15 A12VF-266XPL 15.6" FHD 144Hz (i5-12450H/16GB/512GB SSD/GeForce RTX 4060/No OS) (US Keyboard) The others are a bit higher 1090 and 1150 and of course keep going up.
I should rephrase, with 100W RTX 4060s? Not all of them are equal, especially the one in the Cyborg for example just runs with 60W if I recall correctly, netting you significantly lower performance.
But when it comes to smaller, premium 14“ the legion is quite a bit cheaper than the competition!
@@NotebookcheckReviews I read somewhere, I don't remember where, that most if not all of the laptop RTX 4060 GPU don't use over 65W, no matter what they are sold as, 60, 85, 69, whatever. You are right of course that the Cyborg apparently uses 45W!!!! and no more, so I would guess the performance to be lower. But, we are talking about real performance difference of 60%? Because that's how much cheaper the Cyborg is. If you find it on sale you can get two of them for the price of one of these. So yes I do NOT doubt that in points the Legion wins, but not sure if it is worth the huge difference in price. Of course I don't have a Cyborg (or one of the other lower priced ones) to test them, but I don't know...650+ euros difference is not that small even if you end up with a bit slower performing GPU. At least that's how I see things. :)
I can get this for 1440 euros. The cheapest 14 inch variant with the same specs is almost 2000. So it's a no-brainer for me
I would be very interested to know where you found it for 1440 euros! All I can find is 1700 and up...
@@manuelgonzalez7422 original is 1600 euros but with a student discount it's 1440.
There is a trade-in promotion right now for a 20% cashback for everyone, not just students (you need to trade in a working laptop or desktop that's younger than 10 years so just trade in an old pc).
With the trade-in it's 1280 euros and with student discount and trade-in it's 1150
Thanks for the review!
Sure thing!
what do you think about lenovo legion 5 slim 2024 7735hs rtx4070 for 1085 dollors?
Thank you for your review! I'm about to buy this one or the Legion slim 7 amd for 150 euros more (same specs as the 14")... Which one would you suggest me? I travel a lot and not sure il the slim 7 is portable enough or justify the 150euro more then this 14. Thank you!
I dont get why they went with a glossy screen but didn't add touch screen support, especially given the 180 degree hinge!
Probably to circumvent the pattern/graininess you would get from the touch layer?!
@@NotebookcheckReviews I would only consider a glossy screen if it was touch enabled. Otherwise, I'd prefer matte.
@NotebookcheckReviews Also, the Alienware 13 R3 (the one with the OLED screen from around 2016) also had OLED, but it was also touch enabled. I don't really think it's an excuse, especially given many creator laptops do have OLED touch screens!
Nice review and looking forward to buying it when it comes out, I have a question, from your experience would it be worth the upgrade in performance to the Ryzen 9 7940HS? Would the battery life be shortened if choosing the Ryzen 9? Will appreciate your help so much!
I just bought this laptop yesterday. I chose not to get the 7940HS because you can only get 16 gigabytes of ram. The ram is soldered on and there is no way to upgrade it. The 7840HS model allows you to spec it with 32 gb of ram.
The difference in performance is marginal, so as I said in the video, it is not worth the additional cost.
And if you really can only get the 32 gigs of RAM (which I would certainly recommend), than definitly go for the 7840HS
@@FrankHaleyou're right! You can't configure the Ryzen 9 with 32gb ram, I would gladly read your first impressions with it regarding the battery and performance with the 7840H
@@NotebookcheckReviewsThanks for your reply! Your review made me decide to wether or not buy it, great video! :)
Would you say because of the Oled Screen, getting a Yoga Pro 9i would make more sense when looking for a good all round laptop? I'm a bit afraid of burn in when doing long hours of work.
It's a tough call; the MiniLEDs in the Yoga are amazing, but I am somewhat partial to OLEDs. I just like the "look" a bit more. But on paper and specs-wise the MiniLEDS are the "better" panels.
I use several OLED devices and have never had to deal with burn-in problems.
Is it possible to conect it to the workstation using USB-C ?
I love mine i just wish it had rgb keyboard i bet the 2024 version will 😮
I5 13500H or Ryzen 7840hs ?
i just got this laptop and my games are stuck at 120hz with v sync off, anyone got a solution?
seems like they updated the panel. it says matte in the configurator now
A matte OLED? That seems like a mistake?!
@NotebookcheckReviews Just bought a Slim 5 14" from the German Lenovo online shop. While in the product gallery on the website keyboard seems to have international keyboard layout, I noticed your laptop has a German layout (including language specific letters). Did you replace your keycaps or is gallery on the Lenovo website misleading here?
Hey, how much did you pay for it? Did you use any coupons?
@@sanmattew7221 Mine was €1850 ($1950) for the 7840hs, 32gb ram, 1tb ssd config. No coupons that I was able to get unfortunately.
legion 5 pro with 7745hx or slim 5 with 7840hs as main machine for music production?
That really depends on how much you value portability and the OLED in the Slim 5 14.
@@NotebookcheckReviews i value the most power because i mainly use it plugged in as a desktop replacement, with the option to take it to other studios/places ....i need power but not just on paper....no overheating, no throttling....straight power ....and no dpc-latency issues ...i watched so many videos, read so many reviews, still very undecided
@@snubdawg1386choose slime OLED if you don't have PWM flicring problem with your eyes,trust me it is better in every way,Ryzen 7 hx version get very hot I saw many videos it get to 90c in games
The screen is awesome but the fans are so insanely loud that I have to return it...I also bought a slim pro 9i and the fans are about 1/4 the volume with similar specs
Interesting, which Pro 9i did you get?
@@NotebookcheckReviews The 14.5 in but I have to say I like the 2.8k oled on the legion better than the 3.2k mini led
Hi, if isn't for battery life and all with 4060,Slim 5 /7-7840hs vs Pro 5-7745HX witch is a all in all a better laptop at the same price , or really worth Pro 5-7945HX for 180£ extra?
I guess it really comes down to how much you value portability! The Legion Pro 5 is bigger but, therefore has a larger screen and many more ports.
For the performance differences, you can put them side by side on our website.
Just follow the link to our written review, and below every section is a search bar. Just type in the laptop or the CPU you are looking for; if we have tested it, it will show up!
www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Legion-Slim-5-14APH8-laptop-review-120-Hz-2-5K-OLED-sweet-spot.753466.0.html
It's noted to get up to 7 hours but I'm only getting like 3 hours, and my battery is 99.% new, anything I'm doing wrong?
late to answer, but if you're running off the dgpu only that will drain the battery faster. the iGpu will yield better battery performance.
Gets hot hot hot?
Hi! Will you be reviewing the 2023 model Asus ZenBook Pro 16x oled?
Yepp, and very soon ;)
Sorry, I didn't understand well (I use subtitles with translator): is the chassis entirely made of aluminum or is only the cover made while the rest is plastic? Thanks in advance
The keyboard deck is plastic. To be honest, I am unsure about the base plate. It has been a while!
@@NotebookcheckReviews thanks
@@NotebookcheckReviewsthe base plate is also metal
How does this compare to the G14 with the 4060 and Ryzen 7?
That is an excellent question, but unfortunately, we have not been able to test that SKU of the G14 yet!
If it has USB4 this machine would've been mine, unfortunately no USB4
Yes, that is definitely a missed opportunity!
Did you get freesync working?
Neither G-Sync nor Freesync is supported unfortunately!
Does it overheat and burn your fingers on the keyboard?
The qhd benchmarks is in 1440p or the full 2.8k res of the screen?
1440p
what mouse are you using ??
Sorry for the off-topic question, but what gaming controller do you have? (sec 0:57)
It looks like the rog raikiri pro. But beware I heard it isn’t a good controller for the asking price. You would be better off with a stock Xbox series controller tbh.
Regardless of the price advantage of this Legion, would you say it is the best of the bunch (Razer Blade 14, Asus G14 and others like Yoga 9 Pro?)
I am always hesitant to say a laptop is "the best". It depends on a lot of factors. Do you want more performance in even smaller chassis? Than the G14 and the Blade are better, since they come with more powerful GPU options.
Do you want the best bang for the buck? Get the Legion!
Best display? Either the higher-end MiniLED configs or the Legion.
Upgradable RAM? Get the Blade ...
And so on and so on .... ;)
Zenbook Pro 14 beats them all overall apart from max performance cuz the G14 wins there
True but here in germany the legion 5 beats them all in price by a huge margin (700€) difference @@omegamalkior1874
good review bro
Well, thank you!
Please do you know where I can get the 32GB version?
Unfortunately you would have to check your local retailers, but I fear these are pretty hard to find now ...
@@NotebookcheckReviews Danke
I noticed you tested games at qhd, was that the native resolution or 1440p, so a little lower?
It was 1440p to make our results more easily comparable in our database!
@@NotebookcheckReviews Totally understandable. Still, I wouldn't mind seeing its performance at native resolution considering the laptop's unusually high-quality display.
I bought the 2022 Legion 7i
Can I do 3D modelling and rendering on it.
No. Your computer will explode. J/K..:it will work fine. Not a 4090, but it doesn’t have to be.
PSREF shows this as having FreeSync (and no GSync). However, in both iGPU mode and Hybrid, Radeon software is telling me FreeSync is not supported. HWINFO shows the display has no defined FreeSync range, despite it being on the product page. I’m going to return it in the 14 day window as hard to make use of 120Hz display with a 4060 without a VRR solution.
This seems to be a limitation of almost all OLED equipped notebook for now. Would be very interesting to find out why ...
@@NotebookcheckReviews
Yes, even the 240Hz Razer OLED had no VRR solution. Very strange. I’m spoiled as used to good desktop G-Sync on the LG CX and FreeSync on an Alienware AW3423DWF.
If it was 2 in 1 id buy it
There is also version with RTX4070. any comment about that one ?
Is there?
yes@@NotebookcheckReviews
I think that is only the 16" version of the slim 5 ...
Is there any chance they add usb4 through bios update?
Good question. We know nothing of the sort.
Should have made it just a slightly bit thicker to make enough space for upgradeable RAM and ethernet port. If there's lack of space for the ethernet, just get rid of memory card reader, as less than 0.01% of target audience even have a memory card in 2023.
I would actually argue that more people would rather have the SD-card reader than the ethernet port. But I might be wrong ...
@@NotebookcheckReviews Depends on the target audience. It's a gaming laptop, thus its features and specifications should be aimed toward gaming first, everything else second. Why would they bother with super fast response time display that only matters in competitive games if they are forcing you to play over wi-fi, which is undeniably worse latency-wise than ethernet cable? Also, how many people who are not doing content creation still use memory cards? The were only relevant when you could use them in phones, but those times are long gone. Pretty much the only people who still use them are photographers and film creators, who number 1 in 1000 in best case scenario.
Very true, I guess the safe bet for manufacturers would just be to add 1-2 more USB ports and include some adapters ;)
@@NotebookcheckReviews Yeah, a manufacturer tested adapter would be a reasonable solution
I'm still waiting if they release an intel model.
I do not think this is going to happen anytime soon!
No reason to wait. If you're doing it for brand loyalty, don't. Ever year each company releases new products, and you should judge the product individually instead of by company. Not saying you're doing this, but it seems to be that way for others.
Is the sodlered ram in single channel?
Should be dual-channel judging from our performance numbers
Nice, thanks!@@NotebookcheckReviews
is the screen gsync ?
Unfortunately, it is not!
@@NotebookcheckReviews and not even in dgpu mode? I read somewhere it should be in dgpu mode put unable to confirm
Nope, not even then.
@@NotebookcheckReviews ok, thanks
Cuppa tea for me 🤗
Do a follow up for 2024
You mean, compare it to all the new 14" gamers?
Good attempt Lenovo, but no...
Compared to Asus G14:
Much bigger
Flexible body
Can't increase RAM
Charging by type-с with only a proprietary charger
True in all aspects, but the Lenovo is a LOT cheaper ...
Onboard ram =/
Soldered RAM, that's annoying
Lpddr5, that's the only way it's available
Well you're not wrong. I'm not going to buy it
Too bad, but fair enough. ;)
Why doesn't Lenovo finally make a flip version of the Legion?! For a 14 inch version, it should be a no brainer to offer a 2 in 1 convertible option too, like the ASUS ROG flow X13. It's 2023 now but none of these manufacturers have made any significant innovating this year, while still asking outrageous prices for the same shit!
I don't think I'll be upgrading this year either.
I think I have to disagree with you here. While it is true that Lenovo did not try anything "special" this year, they did so in their Yoga Line-Up.
Prices, unfortunately, have been extremely high, especially when everything launched in the first quarter. Still, we have seen some exciting and fresh ideas in laptops over the past few months.
You mean 'this little puppy' lol?
:D missed oppurtunity right there :D
ok
Sure
Crap a coffee. Looool