Lenovo has had its Legion gaming line of products for the longest time. Then, earlier this year, it introduced the new LOQ line of gaming hardware. These are the more affordable alternatives to the Legion line, and it may come as no surprise as to why an entry level version of that is needed.
One of the newcomers with the new product line is the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8, the 15-inch, Intel-equipped model of the relatively new family. To some degree, we can roughly gauge where on the performance spectrum it sits relative to its Legion compatriots. But does it stand on its own (four?) feet well enough? Let’s find out.
Specifications
Looks and Functionality
Despite being part of a new line of gaming hardware, the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 comes with performance that falls quite squarely within expectations that its asking price sets. But before let’s stay on the outside of the laptop first.
The build of the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 is pretty solid, though for a 15-inch form factor, it is a little on the chunky side. This is not because of its display’s aspect ratio, as it maintains the mainstream 16:9 ratio with its WQHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution. Probably worth mentioning before we move on that the screen also has a variable refresh rate of up to 165Hz.
Instead, it has a massive exhaust vent at the back, flanking some of the ports. Which is fine for the most part, but it may be an issue trying to squeeze it into some laptop bags. All that being said, this isn’t exactly unique to the LOQ, as the Legion line has had this design cue for the longest time. It’s not exactly a big hit to its weight either, as according to its official product page, the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 weighs in at 2.4kg.
The keyboard on this laptop is the usual chiclet keyboard with white lighting underneath, with an RGB option also available. It can feel a little stiff compared to your average keyboard though, so while the key travel distance is rated at just 1.5mm, you’ll still feel it after typing for a bit.
Performance and Battery
Armed with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 handles all but the most graphically intense of games well enough. That being said, there are the odd stutters every once in a while that didn’t also result in frame drops. This is more likely an issue with the Intel Core i7-13620H processor than the GPU. And I say this because even the recently reviewed Legion Slim 7i had similar issues.
This aside, the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 can handle relatively recent games at maximum or near maximum settings between 65 to 75 fps while at its default 1,440p resolution. Going for the most taxing titles, such as Cyberpunk 2077 while also having path tracing turned on will result in an average of a mere 31 fps. Switching to just ray tracing kicks framerates back up to 48 fps.
That being said, in order to maximise either performance or battery life, you’ll have to remember to set the power plan of the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 to performance while plugged in, and on battery saver when not. When left on performance mode while unplugged, the laptop barely managed to last an hour. With battery saver, you’ll get slightly over four hours instead. It’s not ideal if you’re working remotely for more than half a day, but it lasts for long enough if you have some unexpected waiting time.
Of course, while you’re engaged in power mode, the fans of the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 can get pretty loud. Not entirely uncommon for gaming laptops, but as is commonly the case, this means having to invest in some form of noise cancelling headphones if it affects your immersion while gaming.
Competition
MSI Cyborg 15
While the LOQ series of gaming laptops are supposed to be the line with the less daunting price tag, equipping them with the current generation of graphics hardware would still lead to a pretty significant price jump. With that in mind, One alternative you can consider is the MSI Cyborg 15, with the only choice of discrete graphics being the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060.
Or rather, the two configurations available are identical besides the processor, which is either an Intel Core i5-13420H or Core i7-13620H. Other items on the spec sheet include a 15.6-inch Full HD display, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of M.2 storage. And it has a starting price of RM5,999.
Illegear Onyx XV
Another option to consider is the Illegear Onyx XV. While the brand is known for sporting some degree of customisability, its default configuration is pretty close to what our review model Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 has equipped. Which is to say that it has a Full HD 16:10 screen with a refresh rate of 165Hz, an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU.
It does come with 32GB of RAM and 512GB of storage space. And it comes with a starting price of RM4,999.
Conclusion
The Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 has all the telltale signatures of a gaming laptop by the brand, even if it doesn’t come with the word Legion in its name. It looks recognisably from the brand, and it behaves in a similar fashion when under stress.
Its lasting power while not plugged in is left wanting. Which is fine, as it’s not the laptop’s primary purpose, but when you do find yourself in such a situation, you’ll feel the pressure to get your work done more while using it. On the flip side, if there is a reason that this laptop stars in its own brand new series of gaming laptops rather than joining the Legion line, it is probably not due to its lack of gaming prowess.
Photography by Maheshan Mohan.
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