Lenovo Legion 9i arrives as first liquid-cooled 16-inch gaming laptop
Lenovo's Legion lineup is known for its efficient cooling capabilities. Adding to it, the brand is now gearing up to release the new Legion 9i in October. The gaming laptop has been showcased at the IFA 2023 tech event, featuring a groundbreaking self-contained liquid-cooling system, whose effectiveness remains to be seen. This innovation is said to eliminate the need for external cooling devices, while allowing the laptop to handle up to 230W of power, promising an unparalleled gaming experience.
How does the tech work?
The Legion 9i is the world's first 16-inch gaming laptop with an integrated liquid cooling system. While most laptops use air to transfer heat along heat pipes to a radiator, the fluid-cooled Legion 9i will use water and a pump to do so, handling much more thermal mass. Theoretically, this type of system may allow the laptop to draw massive amounts of power, and provide an even more immersive gaming experience.
Stunning mini-LED screen and unique design add to its aesthetics
In addition to a liquid-cooling thermal solution, the Legion 9i boasts a 16-inch 3.2K mini-LED display with a 165Hz superfast refresh rate, 16:10 aspect ratio, and 94% screen-to-body ratio. It offers a superior visual experience compared to traditional IPS panels. Besides that, the laptop's forged carbon cover provides a unique design, ensuring that each unit has a distinct pattern. Lenovo has focused on making the device more aesthetically appealing too.
Top-end Intel processor and NVIDIA GPU grace the internals
The Legion 9i is powered by a 13th-generation Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU for graphics processing. It packs 32GB/64GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB of storage. The laptop supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity standards. For power delivery, it includes a 100Wh battery, with a USB-C adapter, in the box.
Price tag and competition might pose a challenge
The Legion 9i will set you back by $4,399 (nearly Rs. 3.63 lakh). While the laptop's innovative features and powerful components make it an attractive option for gamers, its high price tag and competition from AMD's upcoming processor, 7945HX3D, may impact its overall appeal. In testing, the AMD processor outperformed the Intel Core i9, and laptops featuring the AMD chip are expected to be more affordable.
