It has its drawbacks, like any pre-built, but overall the pros outweigh the cons.
1.Pricing, specs, & availability2.Design & build quality3.Software, RGB & warranty4.Performance & thermals5.Competition6.Scorecard7.Should you buy it?
Lenovo supplied Windows Central with a review unit of its eighth-gen Legion Tower 5i.
The Legion Tower 5i (Gen 8) with clear glass side panel.
The company did not have any input on the contents of this review.
It also costsabout $1,150 at Best Buy.
Amazon has some third-party partners selling the Legion Tower 5 (Gen 8) with AMD hardware.
Lenovo also has AMD models for salestarting at about $1,350.
Instead, it has two RGB intake fans on the front with another on the back to exhaust.
As I discovered in performance and thermal testing, the PC can easily keep its cool with this setup.
The Legion Tower 5i (Gen 8) with clear glass side panel.
The side panels are held in place with captive thumb screws.
Next to the PSU is a removable bay with space for two 3.5-inch hard disk drives (HDD).
The I/O panel also includes a lighting button to quickly toggle RGB enhancements in your build.
The case is seated on four stable feet with some padding to reduce vibration and noise.
It’s all handled through the pre-installed Vantage app.
There are three customizable profiles available, each encompassing the full range of RGB hardware.
There’s clean cable management behind the motherboard.(Image credit: Future | Cale Hunt)
you could extend and view your warranty status within the Lenovo Vantage app.
It’s installed correctly in DIMM2 and DIMM4 slots for a dual-channel setup.
The 65W CPU cooler is also stock basic, with an 80mm fan atop a sizable finned heatsink.
There’s room for two 3.5-inch HDDs and a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD.(Image credit: Future | Cale Hunt)
The NVIDIA RTX 4060 is a single-fan unbranded model with an exposed PCB and no RGB lighting.
It’s nothing fancy, but it runs quietly and doesn’t overheat under extended load.
Speaking of upgrades, I’d recommend swapping the PSU first.
The RTX 4060 takes up two PCI slots on the back of the tower.(Image credit: Future | Cale Hunt)
If there’s one area you don’t want to cheap out on, it’s the PSU.
Despite my complaints, I can’t deny that the system runs smoothly.
I kept the stress test going for more than 30 minutes with no major changes.
Front ports include dual USB-A and dual 3.5mm audio jacks.
I also wanted to test out how well the system handles actual PC games.
But even Black Myth Wukong reached nearly 80 FPS at 1440p without ray tracing enabled.
Here’s a full look at the benchmark results from games I tested.
Motherboard I/O on the Legion Tower 5i (Gen 8) could use fewer USB-A ports.
If you’re particularly worried about the problem,Lenovo’s AMD-based Tower 5is a great alternative.
Lenovo also offers more powerful and feature-laden pre-built PCs.
Prices start atabout $2,205for the larger PC.
RGB lighting is customizable on the Legion Tower 5i (Gen 8).
There are also somegreat gaming handheldson the market for those looking to spend less money.
You don’t get anywhere near the same desktop-level performance, but the convenience can’t be ignored.
You should buy this if…
You should not buy this if… RGB lighting runs throughout the system, and it’s easily customizable through the Vantage app.
A look at the inside of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (Gen 8)
The performance hardware isn’t anything special, but it gets the job done.
The 26L case is built well and has plenty of space inside for extra storage.
Cable management is decent, and the glass side panel shows off your hardware.
The unbranded single-fan RTX 4060 can handle 1440p gaming.
I just wish the grilles had dust covers.
Just be sure to wait for a sale, as Lenovo likes to drop prices significantly and frequently.
A look at the messiest part of the cabling. Still not bad for a pre-built.
CrossMark measures how well a system’s components work together in an array of tasks.(Image credit: Future)
The Core i5-14400F performs as expected, offering some multi-core gains over a similar 13th Gen chip.(Image credit: Future)
A speedy Samsung M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD should be enough for most users.(Image credit: Future)
The RTX 4060 offers stellar 1080p performance and steady 1440p performance in demanding titles.(Image credit: Future)
The Core i5-14400F is outpaced by even the mobile Core i9-13900H, but that’s expected.(Image credit: Future)
Lenovo’s Legion Tower 7i (Gen 8) is another option for those who want more power and features.
A look at the internal hardware of the Legion Tower 5i (Gen 8).
