To truly understand how far the Legion brand has come in the last few of years, it’s important to halt and reflect in isolation for a few minutes. While the Lenovo Y510P did not gain the Legion mark at all, devices beginning with the Lenovo Legion Y520 did.
The Legion Y530 received a much-deserved redesign the next year, as well as a huge Legion badge on the top cover. Lenovo India Executive Director Shailendra Katyal recently revealed in a speech that the business has just lately begun to take the Legion brand seriously, claiming that it has been existing for almost a year. Indeed, Lenovo’s latest model, the Legion Y540, exemplifies this.
The Lenovo Legion Y540, which succeeds the Lenovo Legion Y530 from last year, is a straightforward upgrade to the prior model rather than a completely new design.
On the other hand, the Legion Y540 is loaded with premium components on the inside: the basic model, which costs over Rs 6,500 less than last year’s model, features an Intel 9th Generation Core i5 CPU and 8GB of RAM.
It is powered by an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB of video RAM. A 256GB PCIe NVMe solid-state drive is used for storage, along with a 1TB mechanical hard disc. Lenovo’s Legion Y540 is available for Rs 76,990. (about). Consider how it fared in our examination.
Performance
Let us begin with the performance. While the Lenovo Legion Y540 is available in a range of configurations starting at Rs 76,990, the machine we tested was the top-of-the-line model, which retails for roughly Rs 1,27,150 (according to Lenovo India’s online configurator).
It included an Intel Core i7-9750H CPU with 16GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card with 6GB of dedicated video memory. A Samsung PCIe NVMe solid-state drive was used to supply one terabyte of storage. Users looking to expand their storage capacity can add a 2.5-inch hard drive.
On a daily basis, the Legion Y540 review unit performed admirably. It detected no lag or stuttering while many instances of popular applications such as Google Chrome and OneNote were operating on various virtual desktops.
Word and Excel remained unaffected by the gaming laptop’s increased demand. Transferring between somewhat heavier apps, such as Adobe Lightroom Classic and Epic Games Launcher, functioned smoothly and without incident. The simultaneous download of many games ran smoothly as well.
The review unit performed brilliantly in our CPU and GPU benchmark tests. The review device earned a score of 5889 in PCMark 8’s Conventional Creative test, which is much higher than the average score we’ve seen in the same category in the past. By comparison, the newly announced Asus ROG Zephyrus M GU502 scored 3952 points in the same test.
The review unit earned a score of 3462 on 3DMark’s Fire Strike Ultra and a score of 5749 on 3DMark’s Time Spy tests, respectively. According to the results of the testing, the Zephyrus M GU502 earned scores of 3005 and 5281 in the same two tests.
Gaming
Gaming in native Full HD resolution was a pleasure on the Legion Y540, which is powered by an RTX 2060 graphics card. Doom ran at Ultra graphics settings (the highest attainable in any game, by our definition) with an average frame rate of 140 frames per second, which is on the cusp of reaching the 144Hz LCD display’s maximum refresh rate.
When we played the same game on High graphics settings (the second highest attainable in any game, by our definition), we saw a frame rate of 141 frames per second, which meant that there was essentially no difference between them.
We obtained an average frame rate of 42 frames per second for Ultra and 52 frames per second for High using the Metro Exodus benchmarking tool.
It’s worth noting that we did not consider Metro Exodus’ ‘Extreme’ graphics option to be Ultra throughout our testing, since the game’s developers claim there is little visual difference between the two levels. Battlefield V ran with an average frame rate of 83 frames per second on Ultra, but rose by ten frames per second on High.
Apex Legends ran at a solid average frame rate of 98 frames per second on Ultra and 104 frames per second on High.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s benchmarking tool recorded a frame rate of 71 frames per second on Ultra and 80 frames per second on High settings on the game’s machine. Hellblade:
Senua’s Sacrifice averaged 72 frames per second on Ultra, dropping to a meagre 75 frames per second on High, a huge improvement over the previous game. While Crysis 3 ran at an average frame rate of 79 frames per second on Ultra, it ran at an average frame rate of 115 frames per second on High, a huge improvement.
The gaming on the Legion Y540 evaluation unit was fun regardless of whether ray tracing was employed. I completed all of the aforementioned games without experiencing any notable lag or stuttering. Between cutscenes, which were presented at 60 frames per second in games like Doom, the frame clock was essentially frozen at 144 frames per second.
Additionally, heat and noise were kept under control. While the laptop’s underside and rear vents grew rather warm (on average, 49 degrees Celsius) during gaming sessions, no trace of this heat was detected near the WASD keys themselves (38 degrees Celsius on average).
When a game was played in a quiet conference room, the two fans were audible (about 60dB), but not so loud that they interfered with my enjoyment of the game.
Audio, video, and input/output (IO)
The Legion Y540 features a 15.6-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD resolution and a 144-frame-per-second refresh rate. A maximum brightness of around 300 nits is possible, and the display is capable of reproducing 72% of the colours in the sRGB colour space.
The display, in my opinion, is crisp and vibrant, making it great for web browsing, reading, and other sorts of content consumption. To summarise, you will not be dissatisfied with the Legion Y540’s display, whether you use it for gaming or business.
The sound generated by the Legion Y540’s two angled front-firing speakers is rather excellent. However, in a noisy office cubicle, the highest volume setting is insufficient for viewing a quick film in the bedroom while resting.
Rather to a smartphone, it’s advisable to invest in a decent pair of gaming headphones or speakers for everyday content consumption. Having said that, while watching video game trailers, the two drivers’ voices and highs may be clearly heard. Surprisingly, the low frequencies remain audible without appearing muffled.
It retains the same ports as its predecessor: ports on the device’s sides and rear. On the device’s left side, we find a USB-A 3.1 port as well as a single 3.5mm audio jack for usage with headphones. On the right side of the gadget, there is a single USB-A 3.1 connector.
The USB-C and Mini DisplayPort connections, as well as the proprietary power connector, are positioned on the rear, which is a less-than-ideal placement for ports. Additionally, full-size HDMI connectors, LAN ports, and a proprietary power connector are included.
Additionally, a Kensington lock hole is incorporated in case the device has to be secured in any manner. While Lenovo’s port selection is decent, the port locations are less than ideal. Additionally, a fingerprint scanner would have been desirable.
Touchpad and keyboard
The Legion Y540’s keyboard is a mixed bag in that the keys are big and simple to read but are not very pleasant to type on for extended periods of time. The number pad causes the flat, white-backlit keys to feel more left-aligned than they would otherwise.
Additionally, the keys have a limited travel distance and lack the necessary amount of resistance. As a result, you’re likely to make several typographical errors. While this is true, they are enough for gaming and writing brief papers.
RGB lighting fans may be disappointed to see that only one white colour option is provided. On the plus side, each row of keys, including the topmost, is rather large.
According to Lenovo (APAC) Category Head Clifford Chong, who was on hand for the unveiling of the new Legion gaming laptops last month, the Legion Y540 features an improved keyboard unit. In comparison to the previous Legion Y530 keyboard, the new Legion Y530 keyboard features anti-ghosting technology on all keys.
“While the Y540’s outward look is identical to the previous model, we focused on the internals this time,” Chong noted in an interview with Digit.
The Legion Y540’s touchpad is simple to operate and features a big number of buttons. Its surface area is large enough to support clicks, taps, and swipes.
The matte-finish surface is gripping but not sticky, which is ideal for a touchpad, and it functions well. Because it is a precision unit, the touchpad supports multi-finger motions without requiring the installation of any third-party drivers or applications.
As a result, transitioning between programmes and virtual desktops is a breeze. Because the left and right mouse buttons are separate, pushing them may be challenging at first, but you will grow used to it.
Construct and Design
Without a doubt, the Legion Y540 expands on the delicate, graceful design of its predecessor. Surprisingly, it shares the same body as the Legion Y530.
There is, however, one little but crucial difference between the new model and the previous one. Lenovo has relocated the little Lenovo logo from the top cover’s rear overhang to the keyboard island’s palmrest. This is unmistakably a ploy to elevate the Legion brand above Lenovo’s.
It’s Lenovo’s understated, low-cost attempt to improve gamers’ and potential purchasers’ recall of ‘Legion’ as a mainstream gaming brand.
Having saying that, the Legion Y540 looks excellent and feels solid in the hand. Although the top cover is made of jagged plastic, it feels rather sturdy when gripped.
While opening or closing the lid and using the keyboard, there is little flex. The overhang behind the display hinges is long enough to serve as a handle, although you may not want to do so unless you enjoy taking risks.
The Legion Y540 weighs 2.3 kilogrammes in the hand. When carrying the laptop in a bag or in your hands, you may feel its weight.
On the interior, a 15.6-inch matte-finish LCD display with extremely thin black bezels on three sides is visible. The huge bottom bezel has a single camera, which will undoubtedly expose your nose during a video conversation.
The display fully retracts to 180 degrees, which is something we don’t see on a lot of gaming laptops. In general, the Legion Y540 has a clean design and a sturdy build for a gadget at this price point. I only wish the top cover were made of metallic material.
Lenovo purposefully intended the new Legion series to be quiet and discreet amongst a sea of other gaming PCs, and I believe the Legion Y540 accomplishes this goal.
Battery
The Legion Y540’s internal battery capacity of 52.5Wh is the lowest I’ve seen on a gaming laptop to date. The review device scored a poor 1 hour, 46 minutes on our standard battery benchmark test.
Under normal use settings (with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled and the screen set to 70% brightness), the review unit’s battery charged from 100% to 63% in around 51 minutes.
I opened and visited multiple tabs in Chrome throughout these test sessions, as well as copied various files. During another such session, the battery depleted from 100% to 21% in around two hours. Recharging the laptop took over two hours.
In Windows 10, the preloaded Lenovo Vantage software has a feature called Hybrid Mode, which enables the laptop to run on batteries while utilising the integrated Intel graphics engine.
Utilizing the integrated graphics card rather of the dedicated Nvidia chip conserves energy. As a result, while I conducted the aforementioned tests with Hybrid Mode off, I also used the review device with it enabled.
In half an hour, the battery lost around 24 percent of its charge, which is a little improvement. Additionally, I occasionally encountered stutters in window animations. In conclusion, the Legion Y540 is not a good choice if you expect to work unplugged for lengthy periods of time.
Verdict
The Lenovo Legion Y540 is a well-built, attractively designed, and capable gaming laptop that lives up to the high standards set by its predecessor. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop with an RTX 2060 GPU that costs around Rs 1,30,000, look no further.
The Legion Y540 is surprisingly capable of running new AAA titles with ease and efficiency. Among its merits are a high-quality display and sound, a straightforward physical design, and a responsive touchpad.
This is not to say, however, that the Legion Y540 is without flaws. To begin, it might have been priced more reasonably.
The Rs 1,30,000 price tag for an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card, and 1TB of solid-state storage looks to be a few tens of thousands of rupees excessive. Additionally, the laptop is composed of plastic and lacks a metal casing, a comfortable keyboard, and a robust battery. Despite its flaws, we rank the Lenovo Legion Y540 as a winner.