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While it might seem sacrilegious to ditch the carbon fiber frames and Trackpoint nubs found in classic ThinkPads, at CES 2025 Lenovos new ThinkPad X9 line is here to prove that theres still plenty of room in the family for fresh designs. Lenovo may not admit it outright, but the goal with these new models is to entice younger buyers who might not have a ton of nostalgia for the companys 30-year-old laptop line. That said, the X9 line (which will be available in both 14- and 15-inch variants) still delivers the same military-grade durability (MIL-SPEC 810H) youd expect from a typical ThinkPad while boasting an even sleeker and more minimalist appearance. The lid of the X9 line is made from a smooth sheet of aluminum with the only defining characteristic (aside from the ThinkPad logo) being the long communication bar that houses the laptop's microphones and cameras. On the inside, Lenovos streamlined aesthetic reveals the complete absence of a Trackpoint nub, a redesigned keyboard with new keycaps and an even larger haptic touchpad than what youd get from the X9s siblings. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget So even though Im an elder millennial who has some fondness for old-school ThinkPads, I must admit that I find Lenovos break from tradition rather appealing. I never understood the Trackpoint nub, especially on modern notebooks with super responsive touchpads. Getting rid of it not only reduces distractions, but makes the keyboard easier to use. And even with its tweaked keycaps, theres still plenty of travel to deliver a very comfortable typing experience. On its bottom, Lenovo is using what it calls an Engine Hub to deliver great connectivity for its size including a Thunderbolt 4 port on each side, a full HDMI 2.1 jack, 3.5mm audio and USB-A, while still providing plenty of room for thermal management. The X9 lines D-cover (the bottom panel) can also be removed by loosening just four captured screws, which gives you easy access to the laptop's user-replaceable SSD and battery. Unfortunately, because the system is powered by up to Intel Core Ultra 7 processors, RAM is soldered on so you cant upgrade its memory on your own. Both the 14- and 15-inch versions of the X9 feature bright OLED displays with 2.8K resolutions and 400 nits of brightness (or 500 nits on the X9 15) and all models come with 80Whr batteries, Wi-Fi 7, 8-megapixel high-def webcams and dual noise-canceling microphones. I also appreciate a lot of the smaller design touches like the physical shutter for the webcam and what might be one of the smallest 65-watt power adapters Ive seen from any major laptop manufacturer to date. Finally, Lenovos Aura Edition branding is there to remind you that the X9 line includes a handful of AI-powered tools including Smart Share, dynamic power modes, enhanced security and more. And in case anything ever goes wrong, youll also have access to 24/7 live support thats meant to deliver more of a white-glove experience compared to less premium machines. The internals of the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 and 15 can be accessed just by removing four screws. Unfortunately, while the SSD is upgradable, its RAM is soldered on. Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget All told, the new X9 line really does seem like a more modern approach to laptop design. Now, that doesnt mean Lenovo needs to kill the classic ThinkPad (I still love those carbon fiber frames), but especially for younger customers, I feel like theres plenty of room for both of these lines to live together happily. Both models are expected to go on sale in February, with the ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition starting at $1,399 or $1,549 for the 15-inch version.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovos-new-thinkpad-x9-is-the-least-thinkpad-ever-160019926.html?src=rss
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Lenovo has a new series of updated Legion gaming laptops at CES 2025. The star of the show is the 10th-generation Legion Pro 7i. It supports up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, thanks to its cooling system that enables up to 250W thermal design power (TDP). It also has an AI engine that dynamically adjusts CPU and GPU wattage for optimal performance. The 2025 Legion Pro 7i supports up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and the aforementioned RTX 5090 on the graphics side. Lenovos Legion Coldfront Vapor cooling helps it support that high-end hardware. Tack on up to 64GB of 6400Mhz DDR5 (2 X 32GB) RAM and the built-in LA1+LA3 AI chip, and youre looking at a souped-up machine for on-the-go gaming (and just about anything else you could throw at it). The laptop has up to a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600, 16:10) OLED display. The screen supports up to a 240Hz frame rate and has a 1ms response time. It can reach 500 nits of brightness. The Legion Pro 7i has two USB-C ports (one of which is Thunderbolt 4), three USB-A ports and HDMI 2.1. With all that high-end hardware inside, its quite the beefy machine, with a starting weight of around 6 lbs. It launches in March. But all that horsepower doesnt come cheap: Lenovo says the Legion Pro 7i has an expected starting price of $2,399 and you can safely bet that RTX 5090 variants will fetch a premium on top of that. Lenovo Legion Pro 5iLenovo Meanwhile, the 10th-gen Legion Pro 5i (Intel) and Legion Pro 5 (AMD) offer up to an Intel Ultra 9 275HX (the same as the Pro 7i) or AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, respectively. Their thermal power supports up to 200W, which enables up to an RTX 5070 Ti Laptop for graphics. You can order configurations with up to 32GB (2 X 16GB) of 6400Mhz DDR5 RAM. It also has up to a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600, 16:10) OLED screen at up to 500 nits with a 1ms response time. But at 165Hz, its maximum frame rates dont go quite as high as the Pro 7i. Like the Pro 7i, the Pro 5 series uses Lenovos AI Engine+ with a Scenario Detection feature that dynamically tweaks the CPU and GPU wattage based on the moments needs. It has the same port setup as the Pro 7i, but at least it weighs a bit less (a minimum of 5.58 lbs). Unfortunately, youll have to wait longer for the more affordable Pro 5 series. The Legion Pro 5i launches in May (starting at $1,499), while the Legion Pro 5 arrives in June (starting at $1,399). Lenovo Legion 7iLenovo Lenovo also has a 10th-gen version of the (non-Pro) Legion 7i, which the companys oddly specific PR copy says is for gamers actively studying in STEM programs and fields. It also supports up to an Intel Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5070 GPU and has up to a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) OLED with up to 240Hz and 1ms. However, its Coldfront Hyper cooling maxes out at a lower 145W TDP, so you wont get the same top-level performance as the more expensive Pro models. Starting at 4.4 lbs., its notably thinner and lighter than the Pro models. (The fact that its more portable but still decently powerful likely explains Lenovos strange STEM student framing.) It has an all-metal chassis. It will be available in June for $1,599. Finally, theres also a 10th-gen Legion 5i. Sticking with the oddly specific PR framing, Lenovo says this model is for university gamers in non-STEM programs. (Gotta nail down every niche!) It has up to a 15.1-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600, 16:10, 165Hz, 1ms) OLED and supports up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5070 Laptop GPU. (Theres also an AMD variant with up to a Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU.) The Legion 5i is slated for a May launch, starting at $1,299.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovos-10th-gen-legion-pro-7i-gaming-laptop-supports-up-to-rtx-5090-graphics-160004451.html?src=rss
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The Lenovo Legion Go is sort of like the SUV of gaming handhelds. Its big and beefy and comes with extra equipment like detachable controllers, a kickstand and vertical mouse functionality that lets it adapt to all sorts of situations. Unfortunately, those features made it kind of bulky too, so at CES 2025, Lenovo is announcing a slightly more portable version called the Legion Go S with support for not one but two different OSes. Before we get too deep into the details, its important to mention that I only got a chance to check out the Windows 11 model. However, for anyone whos ever wanted a Steam Deck with better performance, Lenovo is also making a version that comes pre-loaded with SteamOS. That said, the specs on both variants are nearly identical. They feature either an AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip or the Z1 Extreme APU Lenovo used on the previous model, with up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD and a 55.5Wh battery. You also get a microSD card slot for expandable storage, two USB 4 ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. The main difference is their color (and release date, but more on that later) as the Windows 11 Legion Go S comes in white while the SteamOS model will be available in black. Compared to the original Legion Go, the S features a smaller but still large 8-inch 120 Hz OLED display (down from 8.8 inches) with a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and VRR instead of 2,560 x 1,600 144Hz panel like on the original. It also doesnt have detachable controllers or a kickstand. The benefit of this is that the whole system feels much sturdier, which should make you feel better about tossing it in a bag before your next trip. Its also noticeably lighter at 1.6 pounds versus 1.9 for its older sibling. Notably, you still get analog sticks with Hall Effect sensors, which you dont get on rivals like ASUS pricey ROG Ally X. Lenovo also moved to a new pivot-style D-pad, though Im not sure that counts as a true upgrade as I tend to prefer the classic cross-style ones. Another nice bonus for tinkerers is that on the inside, the Go S comes with a shorter 2242 SSD module even though it can accommodate desktop-size 2280 sticks. Initially, I got a chance to check out the Windows 11 version, whose performance felt quite snappy thanks to the drop in resolution to 1,920 x 1,200, which feels like a more suitable match for its components. Lenovo has also made some improvements to its Legion Space app, so it functions much better as a general game launch and a place to tweak performance and settings. I also appreciate little touches like how even though it's much smaller, the Legion Go S still has a touchpad in front, which is such a huge help when you need to exit Legion Space and navigate around in Windows. Id even say that despite its size, the pad on the Go S is more responsive, as it feels more like a trackball than a tiny touchpad. And around back, theres a small toggle for adjusting how far you can pull the shoulder buttons. As for the Legion Go S powered by SteamOS, I found it remarkable how similar it felt to the Steam Deck despite not being made by Valve. The UI is almost identical, the only differences are some subtle tweaks Lenovo added to support things like the handhelds RGB lighting and higher 30-watt TDP. In person, the SteamOS models casing looks more like a dark purple than pure black, which is a nice subtle touch. However my biggest takeaways is that Valves OS felt slightly more responsive that it does on the Steam Deck, which Im attributing to the Legions newer APU. The small hiccup is that a higher-end version of Legion Go S running Windows 11 is expected to go on sale first sometime later this month starting at $730 with an AMD Z2 Go processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Unfortunately, that means anyone who wants one of the more affordable models with 16GB of RAM or running SteamOS will have to wait a bit longer, as those variants wont be available until May. On the bright side, the Legion Go S powered by SteamOS will have a lower starting price of $499 compared to an equivalent Windows model which will start at $599.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-lenovo-legion-go-s-is-the-first-third-party-steamos-handheld-160001245.html?src=rss
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