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Before going into the merits of artificial intelligence, we need to ask ourselves why buy a laptop for gamers. We are talking about heavy and very expensive machines that offer extraordinary performance. If until a few years ago these laptops were intended for the niche audience of PC gamers, now with the new potential of generative AI, the audience is also expanding to include video makers and content creators. They can leverage the local power of their PC to improve processing capacity, resulting in more graphical effects and considerable time savings. So, to study and understand these machines, you need to consider purchasing them.
The power of hardware
The first thing to evaluate is the power of the hardware: CPU, GPU and RAM. The microprocessor handles the laptop’s operations, while the RAM can significantly improve the performance of a game. For example, it lightens the load on the hard disk and makes the machine multitasking, allowing you to run multiple applications at the same time without slowing down. In more demanding games, it reduces loading times. Games with high-quality graphics require a large amount of data to process. The RAM, in collaboration with the GPU, manages this data, ensuring a fluid and detailed graphic representation. Finally, there is the graphics card, with the two top players: Nvidia and AMD Radeon.
Monitor, hard disk and audio system
Other features to consider, which significantly influence the price of these PCs, are the monitor, the hard disk capacity and the audio system. Currently, if you don’t want to save money, it is advisable to opt for a 4K display, preferably on an OLED panel. The hard disk should be an SSD. Regarding weight and battery, you have to accept the fact that these machines have high energy consumption and are heavy. You can’t expect great portability or longevity.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
For a few weeks, we have been testing the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, a laptop equipped with a 13th generation Intel Core i9 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 video card. It differs from the others, defining itself as the first with an integrated artificial intelligence chip. The processor, called LA2-Q AI Chip, is supported by the Lenovo AI Engine+ machine learning algorithm. The promise is to guarantee maximum performance by monitoring user behavior and needs. In practice, Lenovo’s device dynamically adjusts the temperature to “optimize cooling and maintain high power with minimal noise”.
Considering the benchmarks and reviews from specialized magazines, the device received positive ratings. We tested various games, including some particularly demanding ones, and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i showed no signs of difficulty. The gaming performance offered by the Nvidia GPU was amazing, especially when DLSS 3 is supported in a given game. At the hardware level, the 16-inch display has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, a refresh rate of 240 Hz and a peak brightness of 500 nits. With Nvidia G-Sync, the gaming experience is smooth and stutter-free.