Lenovo APAC recently held its Innovate 2024 event where various media and influencers got to see and experience its latest 2024 lineup of Yoga, Legion, LOQ, and desktop devices powered by Intel Core Ultra processors. We got our hands on the Legion 7i Gen 9 2024 Gaming Laptop. Our demo unit is powered by an Intel Core i9 14900HX and RTX 4070 115W GPU.
The Lenovo Legion 7i retains the same iconic chassis albeit with some minor modifications to reflect the upgraded thermal management system found on the new Gen 9 2024 variant.
If you’re used to seeing Lenovo Legion devices ever since the Y700 era, then you probably have a weird feeling seeing the latest Legion 7i Gen 9 2024 losing the iconic side vents. This change is due to the new Coldfront: Hyper Chamber cooling system which we’ll discuss later.
Despite having an extra space with the removal of the vents, the Legion 7i has an underwhelming port selection with only one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, one TB4 port, one USB-A 3.1 Gen 1 port, and an audio combo jack.
The right side has another USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, an e-shutter switch, and an SD card reader.
On the rear, you can find one HDMI 2.1 port and DC-in port.
Lenovo retained its signature sunken full-sized keyboard layout. The Legion 7i Gen 9 2024 uses an improved TrueStrike gaming keyboard which has a much better tactile feedback compared to the previous generation.
One notable change on the Legion 7i Gen 9 2024’s keyboard layout is the inclusion of the now-mandatory copilot button as part of Intel and Microsoft’s push with their respective AI acceleration program.
What started as somewhat of a gimmicky feature on the last generation seems to be a permanent thing as the Legion 7i Gen 9 2024 features replaceable WASD keycaps.
The trackpad still remains the same as the previous generation albeit it would’ve been nice to see a larger trackpad similar to the one found on Lenovo Yoga Gen 9 2024 laptops.
Legion ColdFront: HyperChamber Cooling
The latest iteration of the renowned Legion Coldfront cooling system is the Legion Coldfront: Hyperthermal solution engineered to address managing heat within gaming laptops. The Coldfront: Hyper optimizes heat exchanges by transforming the chassis’s airflow and channeling the chips’ hot air through a central hyperbaric chamber. The bottom D-cover separates the hot air expelled and the cold air drawn by the dual-fan setup resulting in cooler temperatures.
This new cooling system increases TDP dissipation by up to 25 watts all while reducing the laptop’s skin temperature by -2°C and lowering the fan noise by -2dB. The new Coldfront: Hyper cooling is currently limited to Gen 9 Legion 7i, Legion 5i, and Lenovo LOQ gaming laptops.
Lenovo LA AI Core Chips
Alongside the new cooling system are the Lenovo AI Core chips which are also found on the Gen 9 Yoga laptops. The Lenovo AI Core chip enables Gen 9 Legion and LOQ gaming laptops to have AI-assisted performance boosts while maintaining optimal power efficiency. This results in much higher and more stable frame rates without compromising power.
Display
A 16-inch 3.2k 165Hz 3ms panel is equipped on the Legion 7i Gen 9 2024 Gaming Laptop. The display is rated at 430-nits brightness with a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and is X Rite Pantone Certified. Its 10-bit color gamut and less than two Delta-E not only make the Legion 7i Gen 9 2024 good for gaming but for productivity as well.
Early Verdict – Legit AI Implementation
Unlike the Intel 14th Generation and Intel Core Ultra laptops released so far, the Lenovo Legion 7i and the whole Lenovo and Legion Gen 9 laptops in general, feel like the legit thing when it comes to its implementation. Apart from the NPU found on the new Intel Core Ultra processors, Lenovo has taken the extra step by adding its own AI in the form of the LA1 and LA3 chips. These chips dedicated to optimizing the laptop’s performance are something to look forward to especially for those who aren’t enthusiasts as they’re guaranteed to get optimal performance out of their device.
We’ll just have to wait a little longer until they arrive in the Philippine Market for a full, in-depth review.
Legion 7i Gen 9 2024 Pricing and Availability
We have yet to receive word on the official PH pricing of the Lenovo Legion 7i Gen 9 2024 Gaming laptop but we expect it to arrive in the PH market this Q2 2024 alongside the Gen 9 Yoga and LOQ devices. The Legion 7i Gen 9 is also available in the Glacier White color.
Grant is a Financial Management graduate from UST. His passion for gadgets and tech crossed him over in the industry where he could apply his knowledge as an enthusiast and in-depth analytic skills as a Finance Major. His passion allows him to earn at the same time help Gadget Pilipinas' readers in making smart, value-based decisions and purchases with his reviews and guides.
