Lenovo new Legion laptops - Y530, Y7000, Y730

[genexis_x]

Key notes:

-new, sleek design - slim bezels, thinner+lighter+smaller, looks like AW laptops. Y530&Y7000 - all plastic, Y730 with aluminum lid and aluminum brush body

-less gaming look - white backlit (Y530, Y7000), no more red accents

-new CFL-H CPU, all models with up to 1060 GPU (currently only up to 1050TI)

-improved cooling (still need confirmation from reviews) - larger heatpipes and fans, no more outdated cooling design (in Y520)

-optional 144Hz IPS panel

-updated ports - no more USB 2.0, with mDP and TB3 (Y730), SD card reader is gone. Most ports on the back

-nose webcam

-Y730 - no numpad, macro keys, per key RGB controlled by Corsair software, 4k panel option gone, available with 17 inch, optional 3200MHz RAM

 

EDIT: The Y530 can be bought and customized from Lenovo US website now

Spoiler

Lenovo's Legion gaming series is getting a full-on makeover from top to bottom. The new streamlined designs incorporate per-key RGB lighting, narrow bezels, 144 Hz IPS panels, 10 percent stronger cooling, and a more business-appropriate matte look. Expect these systems to launch next month for a starting price of $930 USD and $1180 USD for the Y530 and Y730, respectively.

What better time is there to reveal your latest gaming laptops than on the week of E3? Lenovo will be showcasing its 2018 Legion laptops in Los Angeles including the mid-range 15.6-inch Legion Y530 and high-end 15.6-inch Y730 with brand new narrow-bezel designs. The new models will compete directly against other narrow bezel systems like the XPS 15 9570, MSI GS65, HP Omen 15, Gigabyte Aero 15X, and the upcoming Razer Blade 15 and Asus ROG GL504.

 

Firstly, the mainstream 15.6-inch Legion Y530 will succeed last year's 15.6-inch Legion Y520. Aside from being thinner, lighter, and smaller because of the new 6.7 mm bezels, the new chassis design is more business-centric to broaden its appeal beyond the usual gamers. It utilizes textured ABS plastic from top to bottom and a new symmetrical cooling solution with larger heat pipes and fans compared to the previous generation for 16 percent more airflow. A significant portion of the rear of the system is dedicated to cooling and ventilation not unlike on most Aorus or Alienware notebooks.

 

For the higher-end flagship segment, the Legion Y730 will consist of 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch SKUs. Its design will be very similar to the Y530 but with more features including smooth aluminum instead of ABS plastic, per-key RGB lighting powered by Corsair software, additional RGB lighting on the rear, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, larger battery, and a column of Macro keys that gamers will appreciate. In order to integrate said Macro keys, however, Lenovo had to remove the NumPad that is present on the Y530.

 

Our first impressions on the new Y530 and Y730 are generally positive in terms of design. The grayer systems are not as sharp as previous Legion systems and they are missing the distinct Red colors that have come to define the series. This approach is very purposeful, however, as Lenovo wants its Legion notebooks to be more appropriate in business settings not unlike the Gigabyte Aero 15X and MSI GS65. The webcam has unfortunately taken a back seat as it is now in the same sub-optimal position as on the XPS series.

 

The Legion Y530 is launching in July for $930 USD while both sizes of the Y730 will come later in September for a starting price of $1180 USD.

 

	Lenovo Legion Y520	Lenovo Legion Y530	Lenovo Legion Y730
CPU	Intel 7th gen Core i5-7300HQ, i7-7700HQ	Intel 8th gen Core i5-8300H, i7-8750H	Intel 8th gen Core i5-8300H, i7-8750H
GPU	GeForce GTX 1050, GTX 1050 Ti, Radeon RX 560	GeForce GTX 1050, GTX 1050 Ti, GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1050, GTX 1050 Ti, GTX 1060
Display	15.6-inch matte FHD	15.6-inch matte FHD IPS, 250/300 nit, 60/144 Hz	15.6-inch/17.3-inch matte FHD IPS, 300 nit, 60/144 Hz w/ G-Sync
RAM	Up to 32 GB DDR4	Up to 32 GB DDR4 2666 MHz	Up to 32 GB DDR4 2666 MHz and 3200 MHz
Storage	2.5-inch SATA III, NVMe M.2 2280	2.5-inch SATA III w/ 16 GB Optane support	2.5-inch SATA III w/ 16 GB Optane support, NVMe SSD
Connectivity	3x USB Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI, SD reader, RJ-45, 3.5 mm audio	3x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI 2.0, mini-Displayport, RJ-45, 3.5 mm audio	3x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, mini-Displayport, RJ-45, 3.5 mm audio
Chassis	Textured ABS Plastic, NumPad, Red backlight	Textured ABS Plastic, NumPad, White backlight	Aluminum, Dedicated Macro keys, Corsair per-key RGB backlight and rear lighting
Battery	45 Wh,135 W AC adapter	3-cell 52.6 W, 135 W AC adapter	3-cell 57 W (15.6-inch), 4-cell 76 Wh (17.3-inch)
Weight, Dimensions	2.5 kg, 267 x 380 x 26 mm	2.3 kg, 365 x 260 x 24.2 mm	2.2 kg, 361.4 x 267 x 22.4 mm (15.6-inch); 2.8 kg, 412.5 x 304.8 x 24.1 mm (17.3-inch)
Starting Price	--	$930 USD	$1180 (15.6-inch), $1250 (17.3-inch)

Spoiler

The 2017 15.6-inch Legion Y520 will split into two successors this year as the Legion Y530 and Legion Y7000. The Y7000 represents a more natural evolution of the existing Legion design while the Y530 will be more restrained in its looks to appeal to office workers. Both, however, are otherwise very similar in performance and internal options.

We all knew that Lenovo would be refreshing its popular mainstream 15.6-inch Legion Y520 gaming laptop for 2018. What we didn't know, however, was that Lenovo would be refreshing its Legion Y520 with not one but two parallel and distinct successors. Both the new 15.6-inch Legion Y530/Y730 and Legion Y7000 will directly replace the outgoing Y520/Y720 when they launch next month.

 

So, why have two direct successors instead of one? The older design philosophy for the Y520 had a gaudy and bright red impression that cemented the Legion name as an uninhibited series for gamers. According to Lenovo, however, its appearance may have been *too* gaudy which they believe could have turned off non-gamers. To address this, the manufacturer has created two 15.6-inch model designs to succeed the Y520: The minimalist and more business-like Y530/Y730 and the sharper and more gamer-centric Y7000. Gamers who want to bring a Legion to executive meetings may prefer the Y530/Y730 while classic gaming purists may prefer the brasher look of the Y7000.

 

Beyond their visual differences, however, both the 15.6-inch Y530/Y730 and Y7000 will have almost identical display options, connectivity ports, CPU and GPU options, and battery sizes. There will be small differences in weight and thickness, but their internals will be very nearly the same with each system even utilizing inter-changeable 135 W AC adapters. By offering these two discrete styles wrapped around similarly powerful internals, Lenovo is hoping to better cater to a wider audience. It's an understandable approach considering that Gigabyte and MSI each offer business-centric laptops equipped with powerful gaming internals as well.

 

The Legion Y7000 will launch in August for $960 USD or a full month before the Legion Y730. Lenovo says it will be exclusive to retailers like Walmart and Costco in the U.S. but with general availability overseas. Unlike the Y730 which will be available in 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch sizes, there will only be 15.6-inch SKUs of the Legion Y7000 for now.

 

	Lenovo Legion Y530	Lenovo Legion Y7000
CPU	Intel 8th gen Core i5-8300H, i7-8750H	Intel 8th gen Core i5-8300H, i7-8750H
GPU	GeForce GTX 1050, GTX 1050 Ti, GTX 1060	GeForce GTX 1050, GTX 1050 Ti, GTX 1060
Display	15.6-inch matte FHD IPS, 250/300 nit, 60/144 Hz	15.6-inch matte FHD IPS, 300 nit, 60/144 Hz
RAM	Up to 32 GB DDR4 2666 MHz	Up to 32 GB DDR4 2666 MHz
Storage	2.5-inch SATA III w/ 16 GB Optane support	2.5-inch SATA III
Connectivity	3x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI 2.0, mini-Displayport, RJ-45, 3.5 mm audio	3x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI 2.0, mini-Displayport, RJ-45, 3.5 mm audio
Chassis	Textured ABS Plastic, NumPad, White backlight	Textured ABS Plastic, NumPad, White backlight
Battery	3-cell 52.6 W, 135 W AC adapter	3-cell 52.5 W, 135 W AC adapter
Weight, Thickness	2.3 kg, 24.2 mm	2.3 kg, 25.7 mm
Starting Price	$930 USD	$960 USD

Source:

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Upcoming-Legion-Y530-and-Y730-are-Lenovo-s-best-bet-against-the-MSI-GS65-and-XPS-15-9570.308090.0.html

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Legion-series-will-branch-off-into-two-distinct-designs-with-the-Y7000-and-Y530.308114.0.html

Images can be found in source links

 

Personally, I really like the design. With 144Hz panel and improved cooling too. Improvement in almost every aspects.

[Crunchy Dragon]

1 minute ago, ZM Fong said:

improved cooling

Given that it's a laptop, I have to wonder just how much better the cooling is.

[genexis_x]

1 minute ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

Given that it's a laptop, I have to wonder just how much better the cooling is.

Better than Asus FX and GL series at least. Last gen Y520 and Y720 already have decent cooling

[Crunchy Dragon]

Just now, ZM Fong said:

Better than Asus FX and GL series at least. Last gen Y520 and Y720 already have decent cooling

I feel like cooling is quickly abandoned and dismissed in laptops as everything becomes thinner. MacBooks are a brilliant example of what I'm talking about. The cooling on those things is atrocious to be honest.

 

It's neat that Lenovo is updating their gaming line. If I wasn't aiming for a ThinkPad, I'd probably consider getting one.

[genexis_x]

6 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

I feel like cooling is quickly abandoned and dismissed in laptops as everything becomes thinner. MacBooks are a brilliant example of what I'm talking about. The cooling on those things is atrocious to be honest

Agreed. That's why I don't recommend laptops with bad cooling like those in Asus FX and GL series. With CFL-H CPUs, cooling has become more important since they run hotter.

[D13H4RD]

I'm liking the design. 

 

They've been on a bit of a roll with the Legion line as of late 

[genexis_x]

Here are some images on the cooling system (looks decent):

 

Y530 (a bit weird, should have a heatsink on CPU and GPU since there are heatsink standoffs)

Y730 17

Note that side vents are for intakes

[suicidalfranco]

3 hours ago, ZM Fong said:

Here are some images on the cooling system (looks decent):

 

Y530 (a bit weird, should have a heatsink on CPU and GPU since there are heatsink standoffs)

Y730 17

Note that side vents are for intakes

can't be worst than a macbook from 2007 to today (it's like they don't even want to try to cool those things)

[Trixanity]

3 minutes ago, suicidalfranco said:

can't be worst than a macbook from 2007 to today (it's like they don't even want to try to cool those things)

Indeed. You'd think Apple would spend the R&D dollars on revolutionizing cooling with some incredibly thin and light solution that still performs very well or even just some vapor chambers or something if need be (I mean they did go all out on the sheet batteries for example). Instead it's like they've completely given up on the idea and just shrugged it off as at the bottom of the to-do list. 

Their machines would work so much better if they did that and their customers would appreciate not feeling any heat. Right now their fan curve is very conservative so they're definitely focusing on noise over temperature but that doesn't mean it's acceptable that the fan spins at 1000-2000 RPM (which is pretty silent) while I can feel the keyboard (and bottom chassis) is hot to the touch. And that's just the normal cooling with their lousy fan curve. Imagine what would happen if they fixed it so it was both cool and quiet.

 

I have a Haswell Macbook and since it doesn't have VP9 decoding even YouTube makes it get hot as hell on the bottom and the fan doesn't spin up to prevent that. I have to change the fan settings myself if I want to watch a long video on YouTube if I wish for the machine to remain reasonably cool. Even at 3000 RPM it's inaudible because of ambient noise. It's when it surpasses 4000 it starts to get noticeable and it maxes out at 6500 where it gets annoyingly loud. It's a single fan solution too so that doesn't help the situation.

[Froody129]

Looks nice but the battery is tiny with heavy-hitting hardware. Looks to be more of a portable desktop than a laptop