TechRadar Verdict
The Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) offers solid gaming performance, especially with more competitive (and less graphics-demanding) titles while staying cool under pressure. It is a bit on the heavy side and the port placement can be awkward for anyone who moves their laptop regularly. But, considering the price, this is a very good option for new or budget-minded gamers.
Solid gaming performance
Fast refresh rate
Good thermal efficiency
Inconvenient port placement
On the heavy side
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Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD): One-minute review
TheLenovoLOQ 15 (AMD) is just one of the severalNvidiaGeForce RTX 4050-equipped laptops vying for budget-level PC gamers while still offering current-gen level performance. Like those models, the quality of gaming on offer is much better than a lot of other cheap offerings sporting older generations of GPUs such as an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050.
While the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) is not necessarily going to top thebest gaming laptops, it can certainly compete with thebest budget gaming laptops. The question then is how it compares to those more affordable alternatives.
As we’ll see, the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) is a solid consideration for cash-strapped gamers since it can handle most gaming tasks without too much sacrifice. There are some drawbacks, but they’re mostly intrinsic to lower-priced gaming laptops. That said, none of those are enough to discount this gaming laptop, especially considering the price.
Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD): Price & availability
The Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD), also designated as model 15APH8, is priced very reasonably. You get an AMD Ryzen 5 7640S, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 8GB RAM, and 1 TB SSD for $1,189.99 / £1,080 / AU$2,199. If you want a little more power, you can upgrade to AMD Ryzen 7 7840S, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB RAM, and 1 TB SSD, which will set you back a total of $1,379.99 / £1,300 (Aussies won’t be able to upgrade to the RTX 4060).
The test unit reviewed here is much like the base model but with the more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7840S, which has 8 cores and 16 threads to the AMD Ryzen 5 7640S’ 6 cores and 12 threads. This upgrade adds $40 / £40 for a price of entry of $1299.99 / £1,120.
Compared to other gaming laptops with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, you can spend a little less if you want. TheMSI Katana 15 (2023), for instance, is a bit cheaper at $999 (about £785 / AU$1,543). However, its battery life is a bit worse during everyday non-gaming use, its trackpad is worse, and it has a somewhat cheaper look to it.
Remember to check out the latestLenovo coupon codesfor ways to save on this laptop and more computing devices from the manufacturer.
Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD): Specs
Lenovo has a very limited range of options for the LOQ 15 (AMD) model. You can only choose between two AMD CPUs, the AMD Ryzen 5 7640S and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840S, and you can only choose between two GPUs as well, namely the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060. Likewise, RAM options are either 8GB or 16GB, while you can only choose between 512GB or 1TB for the SSD.
Outside of internal component considerations, there are only two other places where you have options, namely the webcam and the display. And, strangely this is only in the UK. You can upgrade the 720p webcam to 1080p for £10 and you can upgrade from a 1080p @ 144Hz display to a 1440p one with a 165Hz refresh rate. That will cost you £50. Oh, and if you care about RGB lighting, an extra £20 will upgrade the keyboard’s backlighting from white to 4-zone RGB.
Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD): Design
One of the things that I appreciate about Lenovo gaming laptops is that they have a distinctive look. Just likeRazeror Alienware, when you see a gaming laptop from Lenovo, you’ll recognize it as such.
To start, they all seem to come in what Lenovo calls Storm Gray, which is an imposing, brooding color that sounds boring on paper but works much better than a plain matte-black would.
Interestingly, like Alienware laptops, the lid opens up from about an inch into the laptop, meaning there’s a section that juts out. Just like Alienware, this is where some important heat piping is located to keep things cool. And, when under duress, the Lenovo LOQ 15 manages to do a pretty good job of that.
As this is Lenovo’s budget line, it is on the heavier side, weighing in at 5.3lbs. Compare that with the slightly bigger, slightly better, and slightly more expensive Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and its 5.07lb weight and you’ll see that keeping the weight down is not going to be as much of a factor when the price is lower.
Moving on to the display, it’s not going to wow with color accuracy orHDR, but it’s a solid 1080p IPS panel with 350 nits of brightness. Its best feature is probably its 144Hz refresh rate.
There’s a 1080p webcam that’s adequate if a bit choppy. At least, Lenovo included a manual toggle located on the side of the computer to open or close a privacy shutter.
The keyboard might not have backlighting, and its travel is not on par with an external keyboard. However, it’s easy and comfortable to type on. The trackpad is similarly capable. Since this is a gaming laptop, you’ll still need a mouse.
Lastly, the port placement is going to be a blessing or a curse depending on your preference. While there’s a USB-C port and 3.5 mm audio jack on the left side and USB-A port to go along with that privacy shutter toggle on the right, most of the ports are on the back. Along with power, an HDMI, ethernet, and two USB ports are centered along the back. This might be great for anyone who likes a clean desk and doesn’t plan on moving their laptop regularly. But, I like to have easy access to all the ports and I found having to reach behind to plug or unplug something to be a chore.
Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD): Performance
Here’s how theLenovo LOQ 15 (AMD)performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Port Royal:4,773;Fire Strike:19,991;Time Spy:8,858GeekBench 6:2,367(single-core); 8,157(multi-core)25GB File Copy:27.5Handbrake 1.6:6:24CrossMark: Overall:1,571Productivity:1,588Creativity:1,636Responsiveness:1,345Far Cry 61080p (Ultra)68 fpsCyberpunk 2077: 1080p (Ultra)21.66 fpsWeb Surfing (Battery Informant):6:29:49PCMark 10 Battery Life (Gaming):0:46
One of the impressive things about this recent slate of Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050-equipped laptops is the fact that they all are capable of good 1080p performance and that’s certainly the case with the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD). Obviously, there are plenty of limitations – just look at its performance during ourCyberpunk 2077benchmark where it got just 22 fps on Ultra. For comparison’s sake, theMSIKatana 15 gets almost 39 fps in the same game, which might be due to the fact that it comes with 16GB to the Lenovo LOQ 15’s 8GB.
In more real-world testing, I was able to get playable though not completely smooth results inCyberpunk 2077,Hogwarts Legacy, andStarfieldon medium settings. I did experience a little bit of stuttering but it was a minor amount. But, playing those taxing games on low settings was rock solid.
Outside of these top-tier and well-known resource-heavy games, not to mention two of them are brand new and the other just got a 2.0 update, everything I played includingBattlefield 2042was rock solid. While you probably won’t be hitting that 144 fps that the display is capable of on more taxing games, the hardware is there for competitive games that are a bit more lightweight. For example,Rocket Leaguewas smooth as silk.
In essence, this is great for those playing competitive games while good enough to experience heftier AAA titles though with some limitations.
The sound quality of the built-in speakers is very serviceable. It won’t make you give up on your favorite gaming headset, but it still offers a somewhat decent soundstage and frequency response. It will sound a bit boxy and don’t expect rumble, but it’s more than adequate. Plus, there are some controls through the Nahimic app for EQ and spatial audio that are nice if a bit subtle.
Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD): Battery life
When it comes to battery life, the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) isn’t setting any gaming laptop precedents. Under a heavy load such as the PCMark 10 Battery Life gaming benchmark, it lasts a paltry 46 minutes. I even experienced its weak battery life inadvertently when I left it unplugged but asleep for a few hours only to find the battery completely empty.
However, for basic use as shown in our Battery Informant benchmark, it can last a decently long six and a half hours. That’s pretty good compared to other gaming laptops not named Rog Zephyrus. Of course, that’s not anything special compared to most other portables.
Should you buy the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD)?
Buy it if…
You want good 1080p performanceThis laptop is more than capable with most games available right now. And, all but the most demanding can run on fairly high settings.
You want to play competitivelyThere’s more than enough power to run any competitive game on max settings. And, the 144Hz refresh rate is perfect for providing a smooth, speedy gaming experience with those titles.
Don’t buy it if…
You want excellent performance no matter the gameWhile you can get great performance in some games, there are already some games, as mentioned above, that you can’t play with the settings maxed out. If you want to see a game likeStarfieldat its full potential, you’ll need something more powerful.
You care about portabilityThe battery life is better than many budget gaming laptops, but it’s not great. On top of that, this laptop is a bit on the heavy side.
Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD): Also consider
If ourLenovo LOQ 15 (AMD)review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider…
MSI Katana 15 (2023)The MSI Katana 15 (2023) might offer subpar battery life (like most gaming laptops) and look a bit outdated, but it’s an ideal entry-level gaming laptop. That’s not only thanks to its relatively affordable price, but the fact that it still manages to provide good 1080p performance with a fast refresh rate no less at that accessible price point.
Read our fullMSI Katana 15 (2023) review
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15The Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 is the closest one can get in a gaming laptop to that Ultrabook experience. It’s fairly petite and light weight with a respectable eight hour battery life. Plus, it has excellent performance for a fairly reasonable price.
Read our fullAsus ROG Zephyrus G15 review
How I tested the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD)
I used the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD) for a couple of weeks, playing several demanding games like Starfield, Hogwards Legacy, Control, and Cyberpunk 2077. While doing so, I ran the games at various settings, particularly at the highest ones with ray tracing on wherever possible, and took note of the results. I also tested each aspect of the laptop from the keyboard and trackpad to the webcam and speakers.After spending time with the Lenovo LOQ 15 (AMD), it’s clear that the company managed to balance solid performance with an accessible price point for those wanting great gaming on a budget.I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.
Read more about how we test
First reviewed October 2023
James Holland loves checking out gadgets of all sorts, whether it’s audio equipment, laptops, or vacuums (especially of the robot variety), and does so for a number of Future Publications including TechRadar, Top Ten Reviews, Homes & Gardens, and T3. He’s built up an expertise for in-depth reviewing over the last four years. When he’s not putting in the work on the latest tech, he loves to travel, play music, and eat questionable food.
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