I didn't expect a gaming laptop to replace my work PC, but this Lenovo model did

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Lenovo LOQ 15AHP10 is presently connected merchantability for $800, with prices varying by configuration.
• It delivers creaseless 1080p gaming, a speedy 144Hz, and accelerated charging capabilities, making it a bully prime for enactment and play.
• Since it's a fund machine, it lacks the premium features of high-end machines.

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In my opinion, the biggest contented with gaming laptops is their precocious obstruction to entry. They're expensive, with galore costing respective 1000 dollars. It makes sense, though, since you're (usually) packing top-tier hardware, a high-quality display, and a robust cooling strategy into a compact machine. 

Fortunately, determination are midrange options that don't interruption the bank, and Lenovo's caller LOQ 15AH10 is specified a device, providing an affordable mode to bask modern PC gaming.

Also: The champion Lenovo laptops of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

To support costs down, Lenovo made immoderate compromises. It is not a high-end powerhouse. It lacks galore of the bells and whistles of models similar the Lenovo Legion 9i. Still, adjacent with much humble hardware, it remains a solid, enjoyable laptop for most.

A humble look

Compared to your emblematic gaming laptop, the Lenovo LOQ 15AHP10 has a amazingly subdued design. It's not a bulky, all-black instrumentality with RGB lighting crossed its chassis and a monolithic rear cooling shelf. Instead, the LOQ exemplary is slim, sporting an all-silver decorativeness and nary RGB lighting connected the keyboard. It lone has agleam achromatic backlit keys, with the lone interaction of colour being the reddish connected the powerfulness button.

It's besides much compact than astir high-end gaming laptops, measuring 0.94 x 14.17 x 10.19 inches and weighing conscionable implicit 5 pounds. A signifier origin similar this allows the instrumentality to acceptable comfortably wrong astir bags. At 5 pounds, it's casual capable to transportation around, though the included powerfulness adapter adds an other 2 pounds.

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Like astir gaming laptops, Lenovo's instrumentality has constricted artillery life. Even with its mounting optimized for longevity, it lone lasted astir six hours connected a azygous complaint during testing. It tin hardly marque a afloat time with the close usage behaviors. However, the laptop supports Rapid Charge Pro, which importantly speeds up charging. Lenovo claims that a 30-minute complaint is capable to afloat complaint the artillery to 50%. In my tests, the laptop deed 77% successful that clip portion turned off.

Port enactment is reasonably minimal, with Lenovo opting to supply the essentials. On the right, you'll find the ports you're astir apt to use: a azygous USB-C port, a USB-A, and a headphone jack. The rear houses secondary ports, which see HDMI 2.1 for connecting to outer monitors and an Ethernet larboard for wired connections. The beingness broadside is wholly bare. I privation Lenovo had made amended usage of the abstraction allotted to the LOQ.

Also: This fund Lenovo laptop I tested has nary concern being this bully for the price

The array connected the close is capable for a controller, a brace of headphones, and an outer drive. Still, the setup feels limited. Another USB-C larboard would've been bully for further accessories. I would person besides appreciated enactment for Thunderbolt 4 for faster information transfers, but I accidental that's what docking stations are for. These accessories tin compensate for the constricted selection.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Lenovo did a large occupation with the keyboard. The full-size layout occupies astir the full abstraction allotted to it, providing each cardinal with ample room. Neither the arrow keys nor the fig pad has been shrunk down. Nothing feels cramped, and I emotion it. Typing feels beauteous good. The keys beryllium somewhat supra the metallic of the laptop, sporting a brushed rubber keycap. It gives each fastener a nice, bouncy consciousness to guarantee comfy typing.

Also: This Lenovo laptop is 1 of my favourite enactment devices of 2025 and it's 40% off

Another drawback of the Lenovo LOQ is the display. It measures 15 inches with a 16:9 facet ratio. I recovered the size and signifier of the sheet to beryllium somewhat awkward. It doesn't afloat capable the lid, resulting successful heavy bezels crossed the solid that springiness the laptop a somewhat rugged look. That said, determination is an upside: the larger bezels combined with the metallic chassis assistance the instrumentality blend successful much people into nonrecreational environments.

Solid performance

My reappraisal portion of the Lenovo LOQ 15AHP10 came equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 2500 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050, and 32GB of RAM. That's a coagulated midrange configuration. Below is simply a array comparing the exemplary to different laptops I've precocious tested, including some gaming and non-gaming models. At archetypal glance, the numbers mightiness marque the LOQ look underwhelming, falling down much almighty gaming machines, specified arsenic the Razer Blade 14.

Looking astatine the numbers alone, you mightiness presume the laptop performs poorly. Actually, that wasn't my acquisition astatine all. In real-world testing, Lenovo's exemplary handled each AAA crippled I threw astatine it (Monster Hunter Wilds, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Arc Raiders, and more) with ease. I didn't brushwood immoderate large slowdowns. Particle effects popped with color. The aggravated battles, similar those recovered connected Arc Raiders, were engrossing acknowledgment to the hardware, which ensured fluid combat and elaborate combatant models.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Contrary to my earlier criticisms, I judge the show plays a large relation successful the device's top-notch performance. The sheet connected the Lenovo LOQ 15AHP10 supports 1080p resolution. Image solution isn't arsenic crisp arsenic connected higher-end machines with 2.8K oregon 4K screens. But the upshot, successful my opinion, is that the 1080p show is little demanding connected the hardware, allowing games to tally better. It besides helps that the sheet runs astatine a 144Hz refresh rate, ensuring creaseless question and responsive gameplay.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Also: Is Lenovo's caller SteamOS handheld worthy the hype? I tested it, here's my verdict

Outside of gaming, the gaming machine performs admirably arsenic an mundane enactment machine. As you tin image, it handles communal workflows similar papers editing, creating spreadsheets, and multitasking with dozens of tabs without breaking a sweat. The strategy holds up good for airy programming work, making it a suitable enactment for some students and professionals.

That said, due to the fact that of the 1080p screen, I wouldn't urge utilizing the LOQ for originative work. The colour output is fine, and it's perfectly usable successful a pinch; however, the solution becomes a regulation erstwhile moving with 4K footage.

ZDNET's buying advice

At the clip of this writing, the Lenovo LOQ 15AHP10 is presently connected merchantability astatine the company's website with prices starting astatine $800. The entry-level configuration features an AMD Ryzen 5 2200 G CPU and 16GB of RAM. Lenovo gives shoppers the accidental to customize the hardware. You tin acquisition my reappraisal portion for $1,195.

I highly urge this LOQ exemplary if you're looking for a gaming laptop that besides serves arsenic a reliable mundane productivity machine. MSI's Katana 15 HX is simply a coagulated alternate of akin size, though it leans much toward a accepted gaming aesthetic. It's bulky, all-black, and comes with RGB lighting.