Lenovo provided the LOQ, on loan, for the purpose of this article and the embedded video. None of the links in this article are monetized.
The mid-range gaming laptop market is wild. Every laptop has multiple compromises if you’re comparing it to any of the flagship laptops. It can be the display quality, cooling technology, chassis quality, and more. Lenovo’s LOQ 15IRX9 has compromises. It’s chassis is pure plastic. But it feels great. The keyboard only has three stages of lighting, but the keyboard itself is excellent. The top specification includes only a 115 watt RTX 4060, but performance at 1080p is solid. The major compromise with this LOQ is the display. It’s a gaming-friendly 1080p with 144Hz and a 16:9 aspect ratio. But the quality of the display is subpar. Here’s the real punchline, however, that you have to consider: the laptop’s MSRP is just $1100 USD. And right now, it’s on sale for $770.
Most gaming laptops, nowadays, do not scream “gaming laptop.” I miss the days when you could identify a gaming laptop with ease. I like the aggressive styling of the old Lenovo laptops. The LOQ, however, does have some of that older charm. I just wish it went further. Its minimalist aesthetic features clean lines, a durable plastic chassis, and a hint of gamer flair with a three-stage illuminated keyboard. The 15.6-inch display is surrounded by thin bezels, and a high refresh rate of 144Hz. I do wish the 1080p display was of higher quality. The contrast is weak, unfortunately. The color accuracy and brightness are decent, with 100% sRGB coverage, making it suitable for light photo and video editing. However, in bright outdoor settings, the display struggles slightly due to its 300 nits peak brightness. The 16:9 aspect ratio is built with gamers in mind. The hinge allows the display to go all the way back too – a hallmark of all Legion laptops. In fact, the LOQ borrows much from the Legion line. Including putting the majority of ports in the rear and bringing the display forward towards the user.
Technical Specifications
| Processor | 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-13450HX Processor (E-Core Max 3.40 GHz, P-Core Max 4.60 GHz with Turbo Boost, 10 Cores, 16 Threads, 20 MB Cache) 13th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-13650HX Processor (E-Core Max 3.60 GHz, P-Core Max 4.90 GHz with Turbo Boost, 14 Cores, 20 Threads, 24 MB Cache) |
|---|---|
| Graphics | NVIDIA® GeForce RTX® 4060 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6 (115W) 2370MHz Boost Clock (VR ready, G-SYNC support, Advanced Optimus (DDS) support) NVIDIA® GeForce RTX® 4050 Laptop GPU 6 GB GDDR6 (105W) 2370MHz Boost Clock (G-SYNC support, Advanced Optimus (DDS) support) NVIDIA® GeForce RTX® 3050 Laptop GPU 6 GB GDDR6 (95W) 1732MHz Boost Clock (G-SYNC support, Advanced Optimus (DDS) support) |
| (40 Series) NVIDIA® Supported Technologies | NVIDIA DLSS 3.5NVIDIA Ada Lovelace ArchitectureNVIDIA Suite Technologies: Advanced Optimus, Optimal Playable Settings, Rapid Core Scaling, CPU Optimizer, Dynamicboost, DLSS and Resizeable BAR |
| Memory | Up to 16GB 4800MHz* DDR5 *Actual memory speed may vary depending on system specifications. |
| Storage | Up to 1 TB M.2 2242 PCIe Gen 4 SSD 2 x PCIe Gen 4 SSD slots (one pre-installed SSD, one for expansion) |
| Battery | 4-cell 60WhrSuper Rapid Charge Pro: 40% in 10 minutes, 80% in 30 minutes, 100% in 60 minutes |
| Audio | 2 x 2W speakers with Nahimic® Audio |
| Camera | 720p HDE-Shutter |
| Ports/Slots/Buttons | Right: USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (DisplayPort™ 1.4 + 140W Power Delivery) Headphone / mic comboE-Shutter button Rear: 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 Ethernet (RJ45) HDMI 2.1 Power-in |
|---|---|
| Wireless | Intel® WiFi 6 802.11AX (2 x 2)Bluetooth® 5.1 |
| Display | 15.6” FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, anti-glare, 16:9, 144Hz, 100% sRGB, 300nits, NVIDIA® G-SYNC® |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 21.9-23.9mm x 359.86mm x 258.7mm / 0.86″-0.94″ x 14.17″ x 10.19″ |
| Weight | Starting at 2.38kg / 5.25lbs |
| Keyboard | 1.5mm key travelWhite backlight100% anti-ghosting |
Performance
Under the hood, the LOQ 15IRX9 is powered by the latest 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13420H or AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processors, paired with an NVIDIA RTX 4050/4060 GPU. This combo is a sweet spot for 1080p gaming and creative tasks like video editing or 3D modeling. Lenovo’s inclusion of 16GB of DDR5 RAM ensures smooth multitasking, while storage options up to 1TB NVMe SSD using a PCIE 4.0 interface keep load times snappy.
In gaming tests, including Dead Space, Days Gone, and Elden Ring, I experienced good gameplay around “high” settings. The RTX 4060 in my unit had a max wattage of 115 with Dynamic Boost, which may not sound like a lot, but the rate of diminishing returns hits the 4060 around 90w. And the LOQ does not have the robust cooling technology implemented in the Legion Pro series, which is a concern at high wattages. The dual-fan cooling system keeps the internals at manageable temperatures, even under heavy loads. During extended gaming sessions, surface temperatures stayed comfortable, with only mild warmth on the WASD area. Fan noise is noticeable but not obnoxious, thanks to Lenovo’s intelligent tuning.
Days Gone and Elden Ring, as you’ll see in the video, performed really well. I was getting really high frames of a locked 60 in Elden Ring and over 100 in Days Gone. Dead Space, a demanding title, struggled with consistency. In my experience, it’s the game itself, not the LOQ that accounts for this.
Battery Life
Gaming laptops are notorious for poor battery life, and the LOQ 15IRX9 is no exception. On average, it lasted around 5 hours of mixed-use (web browsing, video playback, and light office productivity).
Who is this For?
The Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 is a shining example of how to deliver value without cutting corners. One could consider a more premium laptop with more gaming capability or better battery life, but then you run into the price issue. The LOQ is very well priced and carries with it Lenovo’s stellar reputation. It strikes an impressive balance between performance, build quality, and affordability, making it an excellent choice for gamers and creators on a budget.
If you’re in the market for a laptop that won’t drain your wallet but still packs a punch, the LOQ 15IRX9 deserves your attention. Lenovo has raised the bar for what we can expect from a budget-friendly gaming laptop—and I’m here for it. I love this idea, especially if it grows and the manufacturers must then reduce the cost of premium lines.