Lenovo LOQ 15 Review: Budget Gaming Laptop RTX 5060

Lenovo LOQ 15 reviewed: RTX 5060, Ryzen 7 250, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD. A budget gaming laptop with performance tradeoffs. Good for the price, but consider higher-end options for longevity. Dated design.

One last equipment concern worth stating is the laptop’s 16GB of RAM and 512GB of solid state storage. The 512GB SSD, on the various other hand, is already borderline unusable for a video gaming laptop computer.

Design and Build Quality

In any type of case, the LOQ 15 definitely lacks the attractive layout of Lenovo’s Legion laptop computers. As an outcome, the laptop fits well in my backpack’s laptop compartment.

Battery Life Performance

The LOQ 15’s lower rate pressures a concession in battery life. It provides simply 60 watt-hours of ability. That’s not a lot of ability for a pc gaming laptop computer– or any type of contemporary Windows laptop, really. The HP Victus 15 has a 70 watt-hour battery, as an example, and the Dell G15 has an 86 watt-hour battery.

CPU and Gaming Benchmarks

Let’s move on to a more illuminating criteria: Cinebench 2024. This is a heavily multi-threaded CPU examination that takes advantage of lots of high-performance cores. The AMD Ryzen 7 250 has just eight cores, nevertheless– which isn’t all that several in 2025. On top of that, the Ryzen 7 250 is based upon the Zen 4 processor architecture, not AMD’s more recent Zen 5.

The Lenovo LOQ 15’s specifications really feel built around the Nvidia RTX 5060, which takes spotlight. The AMD Ryzen 7 250 is an appropriate processor, but based upon the older Zen 4 design, which has repercussions when it involves efficiency.

Players need to likewise understand that though the LOQ 15 is economical, you probably get more worth if you can spend around $1,000 to $1,200. As an example, the Lenovo Myriad 5 with an AMD Ryzen 7 260, Nvidia RTX 5060, OLED screen, and 512GB SSD can be had for $1,150, or $1,215 with a 1TB strong state drive. A $350 to $400 price jump is nothing to discount, yet a laptop computer like the Legion 5 is a much more all-around system that ought to maintain you satisfied a couple of years much longer than the LOQ 15, making the greater cost worthwhile if you can extend your budget plan.

Lenovo uses a selection of alternate LOQ 15 arrangements, old and new, so pay attention to the specifications of any model prior to you get. This evaluation covers the late 2025 LOQ 15 version 15AHP10.

Display and Visuals

See, there’s one requirements that sticks out as instead strange on Lenovo’s site. It provides “25ms.” No context is given, however I expect this is indicated to be the panel’s pixel feedback time. And when it comes to pixel reaction times, well, 25 nanoseconds may also be an endless time.

Connectivity and Features

The offered connectivity is fundamental in terms of technical specifications. The USB-C port’s Power Delivery only gets to 100 watts, which isn’t enough to totally power the laptop at lots.

The Lenovo LOQ 15’s internals pair an AMD Ryzen 7 250 processor with Nvidia’s RTX 5060 discrete graphics. The Ryzen 7 250 is an eight-core, 16-thread processor with a maximum clock speed of 5.1 GHz. The RTX 5060, meanwhile, has 8GB of VRAM and a maximum graphics power of 115 watts. This core duo is flanked by 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory and 512GB of strong state storage.

In any case, the LOQ 15 certainly does not have the eye-catching style of Lenovo’s Legion laptops. It’s instead a straightforward gray device with marginal branding. If Lenovo exchanged the branding to IdeaPad and sold it as a budget desktop computer substitute, well, I don’t assume anybody would bat an eye. All of which is to say: the laptop looks a bit dull.

Keyboard quality is usually an emphasize for Lenovo’s laptops, yet the LOQ 15’s key-board really did not leave the usual favorable impact. That’s not a whole lot of capability for a pc gaming laptop computer– or any contemporary Windows laptop, really. It’s a pity, because the LOQ 15’s efficiency degree is respectable for its price tag, but I can not recommend the laptop computer unless you do not desire to utilize the included display and rather intend to use the laptop with an outside screen.

Still, the Lenovo LOQ 15 did report Efficiency a rating for the Essentails section of the benchmark, which is the first fifty percent, and PCWorld has documents of those scores published by other laptops. So, that is what you see above.

It’s clear the Ryzen 7 250, though a decent entertainer for a budget gaming laptop computer, isn’t going to set documents. What regarding the Nvidia RTX 5060 mobile? It’s perhaps the most vital item of silicon in the laptop, as it contributes the most to game efficiency.

Lenovo’s PC pc gaming sub-brand, Legion, has earned a strong track record in the last few years– but the LOQ 15 isn’t part of it. Or is it? Keen-eyed players might discover the LOQ logo design shares the same elegant “O” discovered in the Myriad logo design.

There’s not a lot to claim about the Lenovo LOQ 15’s webcam and microphone. It ships with a 5MP cam that uses appropriate photo quality for Zoom calls, however it’s absolutely nothing unique.

I assume that’s probably the one appealing usage instance for the LOQ 15. You could simply utilize it as a portable RTX 5060. At $809.99, the LOQ 15 isn’t that a lot more expensive than a desktop computer RTX 5060 combined with a PCIe dock and power supply, and it’s means simpler to take a trip with, and even move your house.

On the LOQ 15 I noticed massive, smeary routes complying with message and icons. I noticed a comparable concern in video games, which usually looked even more like a 60Hz panel (or perhaps also worse) than a 144Hz screen.

The LOQ 15’s rating is average for a video gaming laptop computer with RTX 5060, however. Perhaps we’re checking out a CPU bottleneck, as the affordable systems that rack up far better in this video game also beat the LOQ 15 in CPU criteria.

As with most budget plan pc gaming laptops, the touchpad is just type of … there. It determines regarding 4.5 inches wide and 3 inches deep, which isn’t big for a 15-inch laptop computer.

Moving on to actual video games, we initially involve Shadow of the Burial Place Raider, and an older title most contemporary gaming laptops can take care of effortlessly. The LOQ 15 is no exemption, as it balanced 118 structures per second at 1080p and the Highest possible information setup.

It brings an MSRP of $1,299.99, it’s currently marketed for $809.99 with Lenovo’s internet site. Lenovo uses an upgrade to 32GB for $65, and an upgrade to 1TB of solid state storage space for $60.

We use it to transform a feature length film from.MP4 to.MKV style, a job which takes roughly 6 minutes on the Lenovo LOQ 15. That when again is in the direction of the greater end of what’s readily available from a contemporary pc gaming laptop computer.

Audio, on the other hand, is delivered by a pair of two-watt speakers. They’re not mosting likely to do however excite manage to provide a healthy and balanced optimum quantity and affordable clearness in many situations. They will certainly end up being sloppy and rough when paying attention to music at high volumes yet they’re fine for video games where audio presentation isn’t as crucial.

The Lenovo LOQ 15 has a whole lot of connectivity. An SD card reader is the only choice especially missing, yet SD card readers aren’t common on gaming laptops.

To be reasonable, this is all more-or-less the standard for a budget gaming laptop. It’s not sensible to expect cutting side connection in a laptop that has Nvidia discrete graphics, yet retails under $1,000.

Budget plan pc gaming laptops remain in a pickle. Gamers commonly expect them at a price around $1,000 or much less, but in between climbing GPU rates and internal trade battles, shipping a laptop with discrete graphics for under $1,000 isn’t very easy.

Matthew S. Smith is an independent innovation reporter with 15 years of experience reviewing customer electronics. In addition to PCWorld, his job can be found on Wired, Ars Technica, Digital Trends, Evaluated, IGN, and Lifewire. Matthew additionally covers AI and the metaverse for IEEE Spectrum and runs Computer Gaming The other day, a YouTube channel devoted to computer gaming background.

Due to the fact that of that, the display is a far better choice for intense, vivid games than for darker, extra atmospheric material. The screen is also rather lower even at optimum brightness, so it’s unpleasant to make use of in a vibrantly lit room.

We cover points up with Cyberpunk 2077. Though the game has a credibility for demanding system demands, the LOQ 15 didn’t have much difficulty, as it handled to reach approximately 91 frames per second at 1080p and the Ultra predetermined without ray mapping.

The framework is fairly stiff however some flex can be found along the key-board, as well as when opening or shutting the screen. It’s excellent enough for a budget plan equipment, yet it doesn’t stand out.

While the essential action wasn’t my choice, the key-board format is a positive. Lenovo squeezes in a keyboard with a numpad. Regardless of that, the primary alphanumeric tricks are normally big, while the numpad tricks are slimmer than usual. The keyboard additionally supplies large arrowhead secrets, which I think is a good relocation for a pc gaming laptop.

Functionally, it has to do with what any individual would certainly get out of a 15-inch desktop computer replacement. It’s a thick machine, coming up to 0.94 inches in account, and it evaluates in at 5.29 pounds. It’s only 14 inches broad and 10 inches deep, nonetheless, which prevail measurements for a 15- or 16-inch device. As a result, the laptop computer fits well in my backpack’s laptop area.

Metro Exodus is additionally an older title, but one that’s still challenging for contemporary laptops to perform at the Extreme detail predetermined. Here, the LOQ 15 handled to get to approximately 49 structures per second, which is a strong result. The Alienware 16 Aurora with RTX 5060 isn’t nearly as quick.

It should be kept in mind that video games with DLSS 4, like Cyberpunk 2077, can reach far better efficiency with DLSS 4 and framework generation involved. For instance, the LOQ 15 averaged just 36 FPS at Ultra when ray mapping was switched on– however DLSS 4 with 2x Frame Gen boosted efficiency to 99 FPS.

Key-board top quality is typically an emphasize for Lenovo’s laptops, however the LOQ 15’s keyboard didn’t leave the typical positive perception. I assume the amount of vital travel is great, yet the bottoming action really felt extra refined than other current Lenovo laptops.

The LOQ 15 also sticks to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 for cordless connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 is the latest requirement, and numerous laptops support it, while budget makers commonly get by with Wi-Fi 6E. Wi-Fi 6 is a much older criterion at this moment and it does not have the high-speed 6GHz band that was presented with Wi-Fi 6E.

I saw significant ghosting and obscuring while using the laptop. It’s an embarassment, because the LOQ 15’s efficiency degree is reputable for its rate tag, however I can’t recommend the laptop computer unless you don’t want to make use of the included display screen and instead mean to utilize the laptop computer with an outside monitor.

To begin with is PCMark 10, and you could see something strange regarding the outcomes. The LOQ 15 really crashed mid-way with the standard, presently the Nvidia GPU needed to be engaged, despite initiatives to adjust setups (like turning off Nvidia Optimus and G-Sync) to smooth things over. This is not an unique issue for the LOQ 15. PCWorld reviews have, on unusual celebrations, face concerns with PCMark 10 stopping working to complete a benchmark run for nontransparent reasons.