Who Is This For?
I bought into the Legion Pro 5i because I needed a gaming laptop that could also handle my work day. If that sounds like you, keep reading.
- Game and work from the same laptop: the 1080p webcam and bigger battery actually matter when you take it to a meeting
- Travel or attend classes: the 99.99 Wh battery pushed past 6 hours of productivity for me
- Create content: I used the SD card reader daily, and the display’s color accuracy is good enough for photo and video editing
If gaming performance is your only priority and you never video call anyone, the ROG Strix G16 saves you money. Fair enough.
Gaming Performance
| Game | Settings | FPS |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | WQXGA, Ultra, DLSS Quality | 92 fps |
| Fortnite | WQXGA, Epic | 175 fps |
| Starfield | WQXGA, High | 70 fps |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | WQXGA, Ultra | 85 fps |
| CS2 | WQXGA, High | 290+ fps |
I ran these benchmarks side by side with the ROG Strix G16. The difference was 3 to 5 percent, which you will never notice in actual gameplay. Same CPU, same GPU. The performance gap comes down to thermals and power delivery, and they’re nearly identical between these two.
Display
The 16-inch WQXGA (2560x1600) 240Hz IPS panel matches what you get in the Strix G16. I measured 100% sRGB coverage, and response times are fast enough that I never noticed ghosting. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you extra vertical space for productivity, which I appreciated more than I expected.
Battery and Portability
The 99.99 Wh battery is the legal max you can bring on a plane. I got 6 to 7 hours of web browsing and document editing. Gaming still drains it in under 2 hours, but name a gaming laptop where that’s different.
The Bottom Line
The Legion Pro 5i 16 is my top pick for a gaming laptop that doubles as a daily driver. I spent a bit more than the Strix G16 and got a webcam, a bigger battery, and an SD card reader. For anyone who doesn’t game 100% of the time, that’s well spent.