Gadget of the Week: Lenovo unlocks mid-range gaming

What is it?

At first sight, the Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 looks like it’s equipped to take serious punishment. A solid body, industrial design that looks almost military in its angles and edges, combined with rubberised stands on its base that look – and act – like shock absorbers. That tells you this machine is ready for a wild ride, with roadholding that is rare in a laptop.

It’s another way of saying, this is a robust option for the serious gamer who baulks at the cost of top-of-the-range devices. Equipped with an Intel Core i7-13650HX processor (CPU) and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics processor (GPU), it is aimed at the mid-range gaming laptop market – and makes a very compelling entry. 

It brings together a blend of performance, practical design, and gaming-centric features, so that it meets the demands of both gamers and power users – without breaking the bank manager’s nerve.

A minimalist design distances it from the often flashy aesthetics of typical gaming notebooks, with a matte grey finish that is not out of place in a work environment. It has a plastic body, but that description is deeply deceptive: the build quality is so solid, it results in a sturdy and robust laptop, weighing in at around 2.38 kg. Even more deceptive for such a solid machine is its versatility, flexibility and ease of use, thanks to a 180-degree hinge. That lends itself to collaborative settings where screen sharing is common, or simply for showing off – not uncommon in a gaming setting!

The image of a mere workstation is quickly dispelled by the keyboard’s 4-zone RGB backlit setup. It is geared to both late-night gaming sessions or working in dimly lit rooms but, personally, it felt as if it was welcoming me every time I returned to the machine. The RGB lighting is somewhat subdued, so it doesn’t overwhelm the user experience, but provides a pleasing aesthetic ambience.

My biggest concern opening the machine was that the keys would be harsh or hard on the fingers. However, the key travel and feedback turned out to be satisfying, offering a tactile typing experience and reducing the level of mistyping I had encountered with lighter laptops and flimsier keyboards. 

The 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display is tailored for gamers, offering a dazzling 144Hz refresh rate and 1920×1080 high-definition resolution. This produces vibrant and accurate colours, making it suitable not only for gaming but also for content creation and media bingeing. It has a further option for automatic management of colours, but this feature uses more power and I did not find it essential.

At the heart of the Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 is the Intel Core i7-13650HX CPU, which boasts 14 cores – small, independent processors for specific roles – with 6 of these for performance and 8 for efficiency. It runs at 2.6 GHz, but allows a maximum turbo frequency of 4.9 GHz. This adds up to two major benefits and two distinct target markets: high efficiency in multitasking and running demanding applications, like video editing suites and heavyweight multitasking (I plead guilty on both counts); and high-performance while playing resource-intensive AAA games.

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM complements the powerful CPU, and supports advanced features like ray tracing and DLSS, which boost performance in compatible games. 

Significantly for the competitive gamer, it supports Nvidia G-Sync, which reduces screen tearing and provides a smoother gaming experience. Combined with the high refresh rate, it means fast-paced games are likely to run smoothly and look crisp.

The Nvidia GPU also supports Battery Boost 2.0, which extends battery life while gaming.

The laptop comes with 16GB of DDR5-4800 MHz RAM, which is expandable up to 32GB thanks to the two SO-DIMM slots, providing a balance between performance and future-proofing. Our review model ran on 16GB of RAM and a massive 1TB solid state drive, for both speed of access to applications and data, and worry-free accumulation of that data.

A highlight of the device is its variety of ports: three USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports (1 on the side, 2 at the back), one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with Power Delivery, HDMI 2.1, and an RJ45 LAN port for wired network connections. This ensures compatibility with a wide range of peripherals and accessories, making it versatile for a variety of use cases beyond gaming.

Does it live up to stress tests of real-world productivity and multitasking? That’s a story for another day, and we will return to it.

What does it cost?

The Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 with Intel Core i7-13650HX processor is available for R27,669 from www.lenovo-online.co.za. 

Why does it matter?

The Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 with the Intel Core i7-13650HX processor positions itself as a solid mid-range gaming laptop, offering a balance of performance, design, and features. It is well-suited for gamers who need a reliable machine that can handle both gaming and heavyweight productivity tasks.

What are the biggest negatives?

• Not intended for portability.
• Automatic colour management is battery intensive.

What are the biggest positives?

• Robust performance, with smooth gaming and multitasking​ 
• Minimalist design and sturdy build quality gear it to both professional and gaming environments​. 
• A high 144Hz refresh rate provides ultra-smooth visuals for gaming​.
• Comprehensive connectivity options allow for a wide variety of peripheral and networking needs​.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on social media on @art2gee.