The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 16 (2023) is a mid-range gaming laptop. It replaces the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 from 2022. The 2023 model is available with newer Zen 4-based AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40-series GPUs, ranging from an RTX 4050 to a 4070. It has DDR5 5200MHz RAM and an M.2 PCIe Gen 4 x4 NVMe SSD. Display options include a 165Hz and a 240Hz QHD + (2560 x 1600) IPS panel; both support variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing. It has Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, a 1080p webcam, and a 78Wh battery. Ports include four USB-As, two USB-Cs, an HDMI 2.1, an Ethernet, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
You can see our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is disappointing for general productivity. Its AMD Ryzen processors can easily handle productivity tasks like web browsing, and thanks to its NVIDIA discrete GPU, you can even edit videos or photos. The display provides plenty of room for multitasking, the keyboard feels comfortable to type on, and the touchpad is reasonably large and responsive. It has a great 1080p webcam for video calls and a wide port selection for peripherals and external displays. The downside is that it's hard to carry around because it's bulky and heavy. Also, its battery lasts less than five hours of light use.
- Sharp, bright display.
- Comfortable keyboard, responsive touchpad.
- CPU and GPU can handle demanding workloads.
- Great 1080p webcam.
- Wide port selection.
- Bulky and heavy.
- Short battery life.
- No Thunderbolt or USB4.
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is only okay for media consumption. It isn't very portable because it's bulky and heavy, and its battery lasts less than 4 hours of video playback, so you'll have to bring the charger with you. Its QHD+ display looks very sharp, gets bright enough to combat glare, and is well-calibrated out of the box, so images look accurate and true to life. However, it isn't ideal for dark room viewing, as its low contrast makes blacks look gray. The speakers get reasonably loud with minimal compression but sound unnatural, with almost no bass or treble.
- Sharp, bright display.
- Well-calibrated display.
- Speakers get reasonably loud.
- Flicker-free display.
- Bulky and heavy.
- Short battery life.
- Blacks look gray in dim settings.
- Speakers have very little bass and treble.
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is good for gaming. Its AMD Ryzen 7000 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 40-series GPU can push high frame rates to deliver a smooth gaming experience at 1080p or 1440p. The display has a fast response time, resulting in a clear image in fast-moving scenes, and it supports VRR to reduce screen tearing. There's no thermal throttling on the CPU or GPU, so you won't experience any performance loss when gaming for an extended period. However, the fans get pretty loud. The SSD has incredibly fast read speed, which is great for gaming, as it helps reduce loading times. Plus, the storage is user-replaceable, and so is the RAM. The battery lasts only an hour or so when gaming, but on the upside, it charges very quickly.
- CPU and GPU can handle demanding workloads.
- High-refresh display with fast response time and VRR.
- User-replaceable RAM and storage.
- No thermal throttling.
- Gets a little hot and loud under load.
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is good for use as a workstation. Its AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40-series GPUs can easily handle demanding tasks like video editing, programming, and 3D rendering. You can also do some color work, as the display has full sRGB coverage and is well-calibrated out of the box. There's no thermal throttling on the CPU or GPU, but the fans get pretty loud. The SSD is incredibly fast, and like the RAM, it's user-replaceable. Its wide port selection includes an HDMI 2.1 and plenty of USB ports, so you likely won't need a dock; however, neither USB-C ports support Thunderbolt or USB4.
- CPU and GPU can handle demanding workloads.
- User-replaceable RAM and storage.
- Well-calibrated display.
- Wide port selection.
- No thermal throttling.
- Gets a little hot and loud under load.
- No Thunderbolt or USB4.
Changelog
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Updated Oct 30, 2025:
We've updated text throughout the review after converting to Test Bench 0.9.
- Updated Oct 30, 2025: We've updated the review to Test Bench 0.9, which adds several test boxes in the performance section, including CPU/RAM Performance, Low Tier Graphics, High Tier Graphics, Professional 3D (GPU accelerated), CPU-Intensive Game Performance, GPU-Intensive Game Performance, and Ray Tracing Performance. See the 0.9 changelog here.
- Updated May 07, 2025: We've updated this review to Test Bench 0.8.3, which removes the viewing angle tests and adds a GPU Total Graphics Power comparison in the GPU section. The Pen Input test in the Extra Features section has also changed, as it now shows whether the laptop supports pen input rather than the inclusion of a stylus in the box. See the changelog for more details.
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Updated Oct 18, 2024:
Added mention of the Razer Blade 18 (2024) as an alternative available with an RTX 4080 and 4090 GPU in the GPU section.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 (model 82WM0000US) with a 165Hz QHD+ display, an AMD Ryzen 5 7645HX CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 discrete GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The display, CPU, GPU, memory, and storage are configurable; the available options are in the table below. Our review applies only to variants with a model number starting with '82WM'.
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You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is among the best gaming laptops in its class. It stands out for its excellent performance, well-calibrated display, and excellent serviceability. However, its lack of Thunderbolt and USB4 support is disappointing.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best gaming laptops, the best budget and cheap gaming laptops, and the best workstation laptops.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 16 (2023) is better than the Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6 15 (2021). The Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is available with newer and faster AMD CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs, which can deliver higher frame rates in demanding games. Also, its NVIDIA 40-series GPUs support Frame Generation, an AI-based feature that can dramatically boost performance in supported games. The Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 has a faster 240Hz QHD+ display option, a better 1080p webcam, and a larger 78Wh battery.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2023) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 16 (2023) are both excellent 16-inch gaming laptops. There are many similarities between these two laptops; the only differences have to do with the webcam and port selection, with the Lenovo coming out on top for both. You'll also get better performance out of the Lenovo, as it's available with faster—albeit more power-hungry—CPUs and GPUs. Battery life is the same on both laptops when gaming; however, the ASUS lasts significantly longer in light uses.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 16 (2023) is better than the Lenovo LOQ 15 (2023). The Legion feels more sturdily built, and it has better configuration options, like a 240Hz QHD display, faster Ryzen HX CPUs, and a higher-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. It also has a wider port selection, a better webcam, and a faster SSD. On the other hand, the LOQ 15 is a smaller, more portable device, and its battery lasts much longer in light uses.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 16 (2023) is slightly better than the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022). The Lenovo is available with faster AMD 7000 CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 40-series GPUs, so it can achieve higher frame rates and handle more demanding games. It also has a faster SSD, which helps shorten loading times in games, and unlike the ASUS, both of its RAM modules are user-replaceable. The Lenovo has higher refresh display options, a better 1080p webcam, a wider port selection, and lower fan noise. On the other hand, the ASUS is more portable, and its battery lasts much longer when performing light tasks.
Test Results
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