This laptop has a respectable display, a surprisingly good webcam, and strong performance. You will have to put up with its bulky design, short battery life, and absence of USB-C ports, though.
I’ve asked myself this question a lot: What should a gaming laptop include? Think about three things that your perfect gaming notebook must have. Now picture yourself with a set budget, and every choice you make is based solely on it. Lenovo thinks that getting a reasonably good gaming laptop on a budget is feasible, but there will be a cost involved. For that amount, you can purchase the brand-new Lenovo LOQ 15, a gaming laptop made for people on a tight budget who still want to play AAA titles. I attempted to determine whether Lenovo was overpromising with the LOQ 15, as some may argue.
The price of the Lenovo LOQ 15 14th Gen (15, Intel) in India starts at Rs 1,15,915
Once more, we find ourselves here. I know a lot of people who are fascinated by gaming laptops, especially those who value eye-catching design and incredible specifications. I am not one of them, though. I tend to be more interested in the newest PC games. I take my time looking through intriguing games, deciding to play them over the weekend. Since I spend most of my time writing and editing copies, I also view a laptop as my primary work device. For this reason, I place equal value on a laptop’s keyboard, portability, speakers, and ports as I do on its gaming capabilities. Do you understand what I mean? Even though I’m not a pro, I still play games like everyone else.
A somewhat hefty, all-plastic chassis
Prior to moving to the Lenovo LOQ, which is pronounced “lock,” I was aware of what I was in for. To be honest, I did not anticipate a fanless design and a form factor similar to the MacBook Air (review), but I had noticed that gaming laptops were getting smaller and more portable. In any case, portability-wise, the Lenovo LOQ 15 isn’t meant to rival an ultrabook. Though it doesn’t feel as cheaply made as other low-cost gaming laptops, it is comparatively bulkier and feels cheaper. Though I don’t think it’s a big deal, the notebook is made entirely of plastic and has an angular design. I wish Lenovo had made the notebook lighter and thinner. The laptop weighs 2.6 kg, which is a noticeable difference when you place it in the backpack next to the bulky power source.
Excellent speakers and display
The 15.6-inch screen can display a native 1080p resolution at a refresh rate of 144 Hz, and you get quick response times. Fast-paced action games work well on this screen, and the addition of G-sync support is beneficial. This isn’t the best panel available for a gaming laptop, in my opinion. Although it isn’t, users of computers with even higher refresh rates and HDR support will notice the difference. Therefore, the QHD display is probably what you’ll want if you like your colors to pop or you intend to play games outside. Regretfully, Lenovo only provides this laptop with an IPS, FHD display. Additionally, the LOQ’s speakers are loud enough that you shouldn’t have any trouble hearing them when taking video calls or playing games.
While the RGB keyboard is excellent, I thought the touchpad was tiny but had a smooth surface and a very simple click mechanism.
A 1080p webcam with many ports
Making calls with a webcam is a real test for this machine. The hybrid world we live in means that everyone needs it now more than ever. For a laptop webcam, the 1080p camera on the LOQ exceeded my expectations significantly. During Google Meet calls, I was reasonably clear and the microphones performed a good job of picking up my voice.
The majority of the computer’s external ports are located on the back, including a proprietary power adapter port, dual USB-A, HDMI, and a network port. On the side, there are additional USB-A and USB-C ports as well, though I wish there had been more USB-C. Wi-Fi 6 is a wireless connection option for the notebook, and it provides good bandwidth and reception.
It moves so quickly.however, that battery life
Lenovo’s website lists two different LOQ 15 models: the one I tested had a Core i7-14700HX, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD; the other had the same specs but also included a 512GB SSD, a Core i7-14700HX, an RTX 4060, and 16GB of RAM. The review unit, which I borrowed from Lenovo for a few days, is priced at Rs 123,790, whereas the latter model costs Rs 115,915.
Not to get too technical, but an Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card with 8GB of vRAM combined with a Core i7-14700HX is more than capable of supporting AAA gaming. Palworld and Hi-Fi Rush, which I played, performed fairly well on the Lenovo LOQ 15. High-fidelity games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider should run smoothly on the LOQ 15. Once more, the outcomes might differ if you contrast the LOQ 15 with an expensive gaming laptop. I’ve noticed that this laptop can fulfill all of my productivity needs in addition to playing all of my favorite games, including the classics. However, I’m not doing any serious video editing or anything like that.
The battery life was unsatisfactory, though. Back then, gaming laptops would typically die after two hours. That being said, not much has changed. The battery life of this laptop is also not intended to support a full day of work or gaming. My Hi-Fi Rush play time was limited to one hour and ten minutes per charge. Granted, the battery life may be a little longer when using the laptop for non-gaming purposes, but it still won’t outlast a MacBook Air or any other extremely small Windows notebook. And there’s the loud cooling system.
Is the Lenovo LOQ 15 14th Gen (15, Intel) a good purchase?
With the LOQ 15, Lenovo has tried really hard to woo a wider section of users who want a gaming laptop. I think Lenovo has partially succeeded with the goal. The LOQ 15 is, first and foremost, a gaming laptop. Therefore, it has its own caveats that usually come with a gaming laptop, like a bulky design and shorter battery life. That being said, I still think there is an audience out there for the LOQ 15. The screen, performance, and keyboard are its plus points. The LOQ 15 may not be a fancy laptop, but most gamers will be happier with it.
