Lenovo Legion 5: RTX 3060, Ryzen 5 - Review

by Jhon Lennon 44 views

Hey everyone! Today, we’re diving deep into the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H, a gaming laptop that packs quite a punch with its RTX 3060 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600H. If you're in the market for a new gaming rig that balances performance and price, you've probably heard about this machine. Let’s break down what makes this laptop tick and whether it’s the right choice for you. We will explore everything from its design and build quality to its gaming prowess and thermal performance. So, buckle up and let’s get started!

Design and Build Quality

When it comes to design, the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H strikes a good balance between a gaming aesthetic and a professional look. It's not overly flashy, which means you can comfortably bring it to a meeting or a coffee shop without feeling out of place. The chassis is primarily made of plastic, but it feels sturdy and well-built. There's minimal flex in the keyboard area and the lid, which is always a good sign. The laptop weighs around 2.4 kg (5.3 lbs), which is pretty standard for a 15-inch gaming laptop. It's not the lightest, but it’s manageable for carrying around in a backpack. The Legion 5 features a clean, minimalist design with the Legion logo subtly placed on the lid and the hinge. The overall matte finish helps to resist fingerprints and smudges, keeping the laptop looking clean and presentable. One of the standout design elements is the port placement. Most of the essential ports are located on the rear of the device, which helps to keep your desk tidy and cable-free. This includes the HDMI port, Ethernet port, USB ports, and the power connector. On the sides, you'll find additional USB ports and a headphone jack for easy access. The hinge design allows the screen to open to 180 degrees, which can be useful in certain situations. Overall, the design and build quality of the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H are solid, offering a blend of durability and understated aesthetics that should appeal to a wide range of users.

Display and Audio

The display on the Lenovo Legion 5 is a crucial aspect, especially for gaming and multimedia consumption. The model we're focusing on typically comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS panel. What's great about this display is its 165Hz refresh rate, which provides a smoother and more responsive gaming experience compared to the standard 60Hz panels. This high refresh rate is particularly beneficial in fast-paced games where every millisecond counts. The color accuracy is decent, covering around 60-70% of the sRGB color spectrum. While it's not the most color-accurate display for professional content creation, it's more than adequate for gaming and general use. The brightness usually hovers around 300 nits, which is sufficient for indoor use but might struggle a bit in direct sunlight. The viewing angles are wide, thanks to the IPS technology, ensuring that the picture doesn't distort when viewed from different positions. The anti-glare coating on the display helps to reduce reflections, making it easier to see the screen in brightly lit environments. Moving on to the audio, the Lenovo Legion 5 features dual 2W speakers, which are located on the bottom of the laptop. The sound quality is reasonable for a laptop, with clear mids and highs. However, like most laptops, the bass is lacking, so you might want to use headphones or external speakers for a more immersive audio experience. The laptop also supports Nahimic Audio, which allows you to customize the sound settings to suit your preferences. This can enhance the audio experience, particularly for gaming, by providing virtual surround sound. Overall, the display and audio on the Lenovo Legion 5 are well-suited for gaming and multimedia, offering a smooth visual experience and adequate sound quality.

Performance: RTX 3060 and Ryzen 5 5600H

Now, let's talk about the heart of this machine: the performance. The Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 and an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H. This combination offers a sweet spot for gaming and productivity. The RTX 3060 is a powerful GPU that can handle most modern games at high settings with smooth frame rates. You can expect to play titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Call of Duty: Warzone at 1080p with settings cranked up. The GPU also supports ray tracing and DLSS, which can further enhance the visual quality and performance in supported games. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a 6-core, 12-thread processor that provides excellent performance for both gaming and CPU-intensive tasks. It's based on the Zen 3 architecture, which offers significant improvements in IPC (instructions per clock) compared to previous generations. This means that the CPU can handle more tasks simultaneously and efficiently. In terms of gaming, the Ryzen 5 5600H ensures that there are no CPU bottlenecks, allowing the RTX 3060 to perform at its full potential. For productivity, the CPU can handle tasks like video editing, content creation, and software development with ease. The laptop also comes with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which is sufficient for most users. However, if you plan on doing a lot of multitasking or running memory-intensive applications, you might want to consider upgrading to 32GB. The storage is typically a 512GB or 1TB NVMe SSD, which provides fast boot times and quick loading speeds for games and applications. Overall, the performance of the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H is excellent, offering a smooth and responsive experience for both gaming and productivity.

Thermals and Cooling

Thermals are a critical factor in any gaming laptop, and the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H does a commendable job in this area. The laptop features a dual-fan cooling system with multiple heat pipes to dissipate heat effectively. Lenovo calls this their Coldfront 3.0 cooling system. Under heavy load, such as during intense gaming sessions, the CPU and GPU temperatures remain within acceptable limits. The CPU typically hovers around 80-90°C, while the GPU stays in the 70-80°C range. These temperatures are well within the thermal limits of the components, preventing thermal throttling and ensuring consistent performance. The cooling system is also relatively quiet, even under load. The fans do ramp up, but they don't become overly noisy or distracting. This is a significant advantage, as some gaming laptops can sound like a jet engine when the fans are at full speed. The design of the chassis also contributes to the cooling performance. The vents are strategically placed on the sides and rear of the laptop to allow for optimal airflow. The elevated design of the laptop also helps to improve airflow underneath the device. However, it's worth noting that the keyboard area can get warm during extended gaming sessions, particularly in the center. This is common in gaming laptops, but it's something to be aware of. Overall, the thermal management of the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H is excellent, ensuring that the laptop remains cool and quiet even under heavy load.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard and trackpad are essential components of any laptop, and the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H doesn't disappoint in this area. The keyboard features a standard layout with well-spaced keys, making it comfortable to type on. The key travel is decent, providing a tactile feedback that enhances the typing experience. The keys are also backlit, allowing you to type in low-light conditions. The backlighting is customizable, so you can choose from different colors and effects to suit your preferences. The keyboard also features anti-ghosting technology, which ensures that all key presses are registered, even when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously. This is particularly important for gaming, where quick and accurate inputs are crucial. The trackpad is adequately sized and responsive. It supports multi-finger gestures, such as scrolling and zooming, which makes it easy to navigate the operating system. The surface of the trackpad is smooth, allowing your fingers to glide effortlessly. The integrated buttons provide a satisfying click, and they're not too stiff or too sensitive. Overall, the keyboard and trackpad on the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H are well-designed and functional, providing a comfortable and responsive user experience.

Battery Life

Battery life is typically not a strong suit for gaming laptops, and the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H is no exception. The laptop comes with a 60Wh battery, which provides decent battery life for general use but won't last long during gaming sessions. You can expect to get around 4-5 hours of battery life when browsing the web, watching videos, or doing light productivity tasks. However, when gaming, the battery life drops significantly, typically lasting for around 1-2 hours. This is because the CPU and GPU consume a lot of power when running demanding games. To extend the battery life, you can try lowering the screen brightness, disabling the discrete GPU, and using the battery saver mode in Windows. However, these measures will also reduce the performance of the laptop. It's also worth noting that the laptop supports rapid charging, which allows you to charge the battery to 80% in about an hour. This is a useful feature, as it allows you to quickly top up the battery when you're on the go. Overall, the battery life of the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H is adequate for general use but limited for gaming. If you plan on gaming for extended periods, you'll need to keep the laptop plugged in.

Pros and Cons

To summarize, here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons of the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H:

Pros:

  • Excellent performance with RTX 3060 and Ryzen 5 5600H
  • High refresh rate display (165Hz)
  • Effective cooling system
  • Comfortable keyboard and trackpad
  • Solid build quality
  • Good port selection

Cons:

  • Mediocre battery life
  • Display color accuracy not ideal for professional content creation
  • Speakers lack bass

Final Verdict

So, is the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H worth it? Absolutely! If you're looking for a gaming laptop that offers excellent performance, a high refresh rate display, and an effective cooling system, this is a great choice. The combination of the RTX 3060 and Ryzen 5 5600H provides a smooth and responsive experience for both gaming and productivity. While the battery life and display color accuracy aren't the best, they're not deal-breakers, especially considering the overall value of the laptop. For gamers and students alike this laptop represents a great value at the current price point and should be considered if it fits within your budget. Whether you're a student, a gamer, or a content creator, the Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH6H is a versatile machine that can handle a wide range of tasks with ease. So go ahead, give it a try, and experience the power and performance for yourself! Thanks for reading, and happy gaming!