Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 10 18" Laptop Review: A True Desktop Replacement

[midian182]

Lenovo's Legion 9i Gen 10 is a monster 18-inch laptop with desktop-class performance, a superb 240Hz display, and premium build quality. It's also one of the most expensive laptops we've tested.

Read the full article here.

Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 10 18" Laptop Review: A True Desktop Replacement

 

[godrilla]

Acer has a 5090 laptop with an oled display for $1000 less.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Acer has a 5090 laptop with an oled display for $1000 less.View attachment 90997

Yeah, that's because it's an acer. Given it's also over two pounds lighter, guarantee it's going to be made of far worse materials, with poor cooling, and louder fans.

It also only has 32GB of RAM, only 1TB storage instead of 2TB, and a 275hx instead of a 290hx. So not exactly the most comparable machine.

 

[godrilla]

Yeah, that's because it's an acer. Given it's also over two pounds lighter, guarantee it's going to be made of far worse materials, with poor cooling, and louder fans.

It also only has 32GB of RAM, only 1TB storage instead of 2TB, and a 275hx instead of a 290hx. So not exactly the most comparable machine.

True. There is also an Auros Master one with oled a Zen5 x3d which is superior to the 290hx but same gpu and oled for $3499.
Gigabyte 16" AORUS MASTER 16 Gaming AORUS MASTER 16 6YJM5USE64SH https://share.google/JfjOtDF6Q5bl5MHfc


MSI has non oled one for $3199





MSI Raider A18 HX 18” QHD+ Gaming


Laptop AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D 2025 RTX 5080 32GB RAM 2TB Storage Core Black - Best Buy https://share.google/K9C1XcQPxdskU07bN

for that price you can get an Asus rog strix 290hx, 5090 and micro oled display.
Or Panether lake 386h, 5080, oled for similar price.

 

[brucek]

I've grown skeptical that a high TDP laptop is ever anything but a compromise. My strategy has evolved to use my real desktop whenever possible, RDP into it for remote productivity work, use MacBooks for polished portable productivity (even though I am primarily a Windows user and gamer), and adjust my gaming choices to fit my laptop when I must game on it vs the other way around.

Sounds a lot less sexy on a marketing brochure, works a whole lot more smoothly in practice, at least for me.

 

[yRaz]

This is more portable workstation than laptop. My job isn't fancy or glorious enough to require something like this but I work a few guys who do and those 1000Whr power stations can keep something like this and some other light equipment running all day. If you can afford the ~$5k for this you can afford $5-600 for a battery station to go with it.

Now who I think these are really for? Well, people who move around alot but aren't necessarily carrying a laptop around in a bag all day. If you're living out of hotels for weeks at a time or you just need to process large sets of data and mobile internet is slow so you take the computer to the data. The one engineer takes 3D scans, compiles the data and turns them a 3D that's used by architects, inspectors, engineers and clients. He can generate terabytes of data in a few hours but render it down to something thats only several gigabytes which is a lot more manageable to pass around.

But as far as the everyday user, I can't imagine many people who want to spend this kind of $$$ for something that is a laptop in name only

 

[Megalomaniac]

If you are buying a top end gaming PC and have a 5080 or 5090, you're best with 64GB RAM. If for nothing more, the future proofing...

 

[yRaz]

and adjust my gaming choices to fit my laptop when I must game on it vs the other way around.

That's what I do. My laptop is a tad more powerful than the steam deck, but I can still play the older games at medium, sometimes even high if I got back in my steam catalog. Skyrim and fallout run fine, I play ESO to get my PvP fix, that's my CoD/BF game but I find myself playing lots of CRPGS like Baldurs Gate or Rouge Trader when I'm working remote for long periods of time.

 

[Watzupken]

On paper, these are great to replace a desktop since you have everything in 1 package, I.e. monitor, keyboard, trackpad/mouse, camera, etc... In actual usage however, they thermal throttle frequently, sounds like a vacuum cleaner and comes with compromised hardware/ specs. The high price basically just nails the coffin shut for most.

 

[Watzupken]

Yeah, that's because it's an acer. Given it's also over two pounds lighter, guarantee it's going to be made of far worse materials, with poor cooling, and louder fans.

It also only has 32GB of RAM, only 1TB storage instead of 2TB, and a 275hx instead of a 290hx. So not exactly the most comparable machine.

I've used multiple Acer and Lenovo laptop, and I don't think Acer is as bad as you described. As a matter of fact, the metal finned fan actually pushes a lot of air, as compared to the conventional plastic ones. They are loud, but do not sound whinny, which I think is acceptable for a gaming laptop. Having said that, Acer installs a bunch of crappy apps (including their Predator Sense) and very resource intensive for no good reasons.

 

[brucek]

On paper, these are great to replace a desktop since you have everything in 1 package, I.e. monitor, keyboard, trackpad/mouse, camera, etc... In actual usage however, they thermal throttle frequently, sounds like a vacuum cleaner and comes with compromised hardware/ specs. The high price basically just nails the coffin shut for most.

Yes, all of that, then add in a not-trivial-enough chance of needing service that will be only be available with waiting times and other terms not fit for business equipment.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Would love to see comparisons between the MSI Titan, Alienware 18, and other “desktop replacement” laptops…

They’re all crazy expensive - but there ARE users who buy them…

 

[Melkor Unlimited]

On paper, these are great to replace a desktop since you have everything in 1 package, I.e. monitor, keyboard, trackpad/mouse, camera, etc... In actual usage however, they thermal throttle frequently, sounds like a vacuum cleaner and comes with compromised hardware/ specs. The high price basically just nails the coffin shut for most.

One of the best what can notebook do in gaming.
Much cheaper desktop is better for that purpose.
And does less noise while doing it.

BTW .. how do you transport 43" 4k screen with it. Or 27" 2560x1440 one?

 

[human7]

I've grown skeptical that a high TDP laptop is ever anything but a compromise. My strategy has evolved to use my real desktop whenever possible, RDP into it for remote productivity work, use MacBooks for polished portable productivity (even though I am primarily a Windows user and gamer), and adjust my gaming choices to fit my laptop when I must game on it vs the other way around.

Sounds a lot less sexy on a marketing brochure, works a whole lot more smoothly in practice, at least for me.

Agreed. The last time I bought a high TDP laptop it was thermal throttling. I actually got more performance out of it by underclocking the GPU, and that's even when I had it on a cooling pad.

 

[Gars]

I prefer to see full desktop for this bucks and specs

 

[Stiqy]

That's a lot of money to play throttled games while listening to a jet engine.

I think the niche for these machines is getting smaller and smaller.

 

[SRB]

I've used multiple Acer and Lenovo laptop, and I don't think Acer is as bad as you described. As a matter of fact, the metal finned fan actually pushes a lot of air, as compared to the conventional plastic ones. They are loud, but do not sound whinny, which I think is acceptable for a gaming laptop. Having said that, Acer installs a bunch of crappy apps (including their Predator Sense) and very resource intensive for no good reasons.

I still use my old Acer predator once in a while, and although it was supposed to be a gaming laptop, it was the laptop that swore me off Acer for good. The screen was an 18" that had Freesync (VRR). Acer NEVER updated the AMD graphics...EVER. The first updates I tried broke sleep (resumed to a screen of static). Later on the AMD drivers started working fine, but had to use a monitor utility to get freesync working. Few more updates and that quit working. This was a constant complaint on the forums at Acer, with the only input being from some Acer fan telling us "you have to use the drivers Acer posts (OEM). To this day I bet the shipping drivers were the only ones ever available on a "Gaming" laptop.

Haven't even THOUGHT about buying an Acer since.

 

[Win7user]

Too much...

 

[scavengerspc]

It also only has 32GB of RAM, only 1TB storage instead of 2TB, and a 275hx instead of a 290hx. So not exactly the most comparable machine.

Also, the Acer has a 16" screen and the Lenovo has an 18".
Though the 275HX and the 290HX perform VERY similar.

 

[Antias]

That's what I do. My laptop is a tad more powerful than the steam deck, but I can still play the older games at medium, sometimes even high if I got back in my steam catalog. Skyrim and fallout run fine, I play ESO to get my PvP fix, that's my CoD/BF game but I find myself playing lots of CRPGS like Baldurs Gate or Rouge Trader when I'm working remote for long periods of time.

OMG you quoted my thoughts almost perfectly...
Fallout 4, Skyrim, BG3 and Elder Scrolls Online, all on my lenovo loq 15AHP10 (Ryzen 7 250, 5060 8BG 32GB DDR5 etc..) out to a 3440 x 1440 OLED curved 21:9 MSI monitor... I'm very happy with the performance of this budget gamer and thats what its all about really, just being happy with what ya got without unrealistic expectations!

 

[Anton Longshot]

At 7.7 pounds aimed at true POWER users.