New gaming laptops are arriving with Intel’s latest 13th generation CPUs and Nvidia’s latest 4000 series GPUs. The Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i are two such machines, each bringing their own strengths.
Lenovo has a much faster CPU, for example, while Asus has the latest gaming display technology, mini-LED. Both are excellent gaming laptops that can keep up with modern titles at 1440p with all the features included. But which one is best for you?
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Specifications and configurations
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i | ROG Zephyrus M16 2023 | |
| Dimensions | 14.3 inches x 10.32 inches x 0.86 – 1.01 inches | 13.98 inches x 9.70 inches x 0.88 inches |
| Weight | 6.17 pounds | 4.6 pounds |
| Processor | Intel Core i9-13900HX | Intel Core i9-13900H |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 |
| working memory | 32GB DDR5-6000MHz | Up to 64GB DDR5-4800 |
| Display | 16.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS, 240 Hz | 16.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS, 240Hz 16.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ mini-LED, 240Hz |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD | Up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD Additional SSD slot |
| port | 4 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 11 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 21 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 41 x HDMI 2.11 x Ethernet RJ451 x 3.5 mm audio jack | 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 21 x USB-C Thunderbolt 42 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 11 x HDMI 2.11 x 3.5 mm audio port 1 x microSD card slot |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Webcam | 1080 p | 1080p with IR camera for Windows 11 Hello |
| Operation system | Windows 11 | Windows 11 |
| Battery | 99.9 watt-hours | 90 watt-hour |
| Price | 2750 dollars | $1950+ |
| Evaluation | 4 out of 5 stars | 4.5 out of 5 stars |
The Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 comes in several configurations, starting at $1,950 with an Intel Core i9-13900H, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, a 16.0-inch QHD+ IPS display, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070. You can spend up to $3,500 dollars for the same CPU, 32 GB of RAM, 2 TB SSD, 16.0-inch QHD+ mini-LED display and RTX 4090. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has only one configuration. It’s priced at $2,750 for a Core i9-13900HX, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 16.0-inch QHD+ IPS display, and an RTX 4080.
You can buy the ROG Zephyrus M16 for less than the Legion Pro 7i, but you get fewer components. You can also spend more on the Asus, but as we’ll see in our performance section, you don’t get more speed for the extra money, but you do get a spectacular display.
To shape
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
Neither laptop has a distinctly gaming-oriented case. The Legion Pro 7i is pretty unremarkable, with an all-black body that looks like any other 16-inch laptop. Its nod to the gamer aesthetic comes from the RGB lighting of the keyboard by the keys and the RGB “U” light strip that runs across the lower front of the case. This brightens the surface and adds a splash of color. The ROG Zephyrus M16 is a sleeker machine that looks better overall, but it doesn’t have a distinctly gaming case either. Its one standout aesthetic feature is the AniMe LED matrix on the lid, with 18,170 holes that make up the surface for creating animations, displaying text and blinking in rhythm with sound. Of the two, Asus is more modern and attractive.
The ROG Zephyrus M16 is also much smaller in width and depth, and is thinner and lighter than the Legion Pro 7i. Most importantly, it weighs just 4.6 pounds compared to the Lenovo’s 6.17 pounds. Both laptops are made of machined aluminum and therefore both are solidly built. The ROG Zephyrus M16 has a hinge that tilts the keyboard slightly when opened, improving airflow under the case. This also makes it quieter when running at full power compared to the slightly noisier Legion Pro 7i.
The Legion Pro 7i uses the Lenovo Legion TrueStrike keyboard, which offers good travel and a stiff actuation that’s comfortable for gaming, but not very comfortable for regular typing. It offers 100% anti-ghosting to achieve accuracy during intense gaming sessions. The ROG Zephyrus M16 keyboard uses the membrane keyboard it shares with previous Zephyrus gaming machines, with 1.7mm of travel (that’s a lot) to accommodate keystrokes during gaming. It’s a comfortable keyboard for regular typing as well. The Asus also has a larger touchpad, which makes gaming more comfortable if you’re not using an external mouse for gaming.
Connectivity is similar between the two laptops, both offering a combination of USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 and old-school USB-A ports. The biggest difference is that the Legion Pro 7i has an Ethernet port that the ROG Zephyrus M16 l lacks, while the latter has a microSD card reader. Both use the latest wireless connections.
Both laptops also have 1080p webcams, making them ideal for video conferencing. Asus includes an infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello support for passwordless login, while you don’t get biometric login with the Legion Pro 7i, which I consider an oversight.
Performance
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
The ROG Zephyrus M16 is built around a 13th generation Intel Core i9-13900H 45W, 14-core (six Performance and eight Efficient), 20-thread CPU clocked at 5.4 GHz on the Performance cores and 4.1 GHz on the Efficient cores. The Legion Pro 7i ups that to a 55-watt Core i9-13900HX, 24-core (eight performance and 16 efficient), 32-thread processor clocked at 5.4GHz and 3.9GHz.
Our benchmark results were mixed between the two. While the Asus kept pace in our Handbrake test encoding a 420MB video as H.265, it fell well behind in Cinebench R23. The Legion Pro 7i was also much faster in the PugetBench Premiere Pro benchmark, which runs in a live version of Adobe’s Premiere Pro video editing application. Premiere Pro can use the GPU to speed up certain processes, so the Lenovo’s performance is even more impressive given that it’s equipped with an RTX 4080 compared to Asus’s RTX 4090.
Both laptops are incredibly fast for productivity and creative workflows. But the Legion Pro 7i is even faster.
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Core i9-13900HX) | Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 (Core i9-13900H) | |
| Handbrake (seconds) | Ball: 55 Perf: 51 | Ball: 59 Perf: 58 |
| Cinebench R23 (single / multi) | Bal: 2,096 / 22,596 Perf: 2,046 / 28,263 | Bal: 2,058 / 17,511 Perf: N/A |
| Pugetbench Premiere Pro | Ball: 1,310 Perf: 1,441 | Ball: 1,100 Perf: N/A |
In terms of gaming performance, the Legion Pro 7i once again succeeded even with the slower GPU. As we noted in our ROG Zephyrus M16 review, the RTX 4090 might be too much GPU for this particular design, and it showed in our benchmarks. When comparing performance modes, the Legion Pro 7i nearly matched the Asus in all of our gaming benchmarks. Both can play modern titles at 144op with enhanced graphics, and the Legion is even more impressive considering its components and price.
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i(Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080) | Asus ROG Zephyrus M16(Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090) | |
| 3DMark Time Spy | Bal: 12,874 Perf: 18,071 | Ball: 14,421 Perf: 18,372 |
| Cyberbunk 2077 (1080p Ultra) | Bal: 114 fps Perf: 113 fps | Bal: 92 fps Perf: 109 fps |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (1080p ULTra High) | Bal: 125 fps Perf: 129 fps | Bal: 116 fps Perf: 136 fps |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (1440p Ultra) | Bal: 71 fps Perf: 99 fps | Bal: 80 fps Perf: 99 fps |
Display
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
The Legion Pro 7i has one display option, a 16.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS panel running at 240Hz. It’s a good screen, with excellent average colors (with superb accuracy), great brightness and a good contrast ratio. Its fast 240Hz refresh rate means you’ll enjoy lag-free gaming.
But the ROG Zephyrus M16 has a phenomenal display option that we tested: a 16.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ mini-LED display that also runs at 240Hz. It’s incredibly bright, making it great for high dynamic range (HDR) content, has colors wide and accurate enough for all but the most demanding creators, and enjoys deep contrast that rivals OLED in producing deep blacks.
Asus is enjoying an incredible victory in the screen shootout. The move towards mini-LED in gaming laptops is great, and the ROG Zephyrus M16 is one of the first machines to offer it.
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (IPS) | Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 (mini-LED) | |
| Brightness (nits) | 529 | 870 |
| AdobeRGB range | 77% | 90% |
| sRGB range | 100% | 100% |
| Accuracy (DeltaE, lower the better) | 0.62 | 1.4 |
| Contrast ratio | 1,140:1 | 20,000:1 |
Portability
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends
Although both laptops are based on 16-inch 16:10 displays, the ROG Zephyrus M16 is smaller, thinner and lighter than the Legion Pro 7i. Neither can be considered thin and light laptops, but the Asus manages to be much more portable than the Lenovo machine.
No laptop is designed to be used without a charger, and it shows. They lasted several hours in our suite of battery tests, which is to perform relatively light productivity tasks. Try playing without being plugged in, and not only will your performance suffer, but you won’t get more than a few hours. And that’s OK.
Conclusion
The Legion Pro 7i is cheaper than the ROG Zephyrus M16, but it’s also less configurable. You get a faster CPU for your money, but a slower GPU – on paper anyway. In fact, the cheaper Lenovo is just as fast as the more expensive Asus in gaming, and it’s a much faster workstation for productivity and creativity.
At the same time, the ROG Zephyrus M16 offers a mini-LED display option that is simply spectacular. It really enhances the gaming experience and is worth the money. If you want the absolute fastest between the two, then definitely go for the Lenovo. But the Asus screen is enough to win over many users.
Editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn