Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 Review

Here’s my Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 review, the latest gaming laptop from Lenovo perfect for new gamers and those looking for an amazing machine that won’t break the bank! This amazing device is now in stores but the biggest question we will answer here is why you need to get this ASAP!

Power and Majesty in an entry-level gaming laptop

The LOQ 15IRH8 is a very promising gaming laptop that provides all of your computing and gaming needs. This laptop packs the same punch as the Lenovo Legion line but at a price point that’s easier on the budget. 

The chassis or the laptop’s body is very, very similar to the Legion’s wildly popular rear port access with a slight twist. While you might think that it’s all for show, I’ll discuss why it’s more practical than you’d think.

The laptop’s design is very appealing and looks “premium”.   Thanks to the soft edge design and that sexy gray color, the LOQ 15IRH8 doesn’t look like an entry level gaming laptop but instead one of those high-end Lenovo Legion devices. 

Gotta give Lenovo props too for sticking the landing on the branding for LOQ.

 

The design is a little on the chunky side that I have to state but for me, personally, I love that this laptop is a chonky boy. For the price point it hits all the sweet spots and though I would like to travel with this from time to time, it could be a challenge. Good thing though is that the charger isn’t too cumbersome to carry alone. It’s really just a matter of bringing the right bag that would fit the LOQ 15IRH8 along with the peripherals (good thing you get a free Lenovo bag bundled with every purchase).

Display that really “pops”

The LOQ 15 also boasts up to 15.6” WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS display with 165Hz refresh rate.  This means that gamers  will experience less visual stutters when playing visual heavy games like Call of Duty as well as popular fighting games wherein every pixel and every movement is important. There’s also the 165Hz refresh rate that can be toggled on and off depending on the need. When not playing games or conserving battery, pressing Fn + R will lower the refresh rate enough for casual scrolling through websites like Facebook or doing serious work like building presentation decks. 

 

There’s also the adaptive refresh rate that you can find under the Legion Edge portion of the Lenovo Vantage app pre-installed on the product.  Here you can speed things up with the display on screen making for a better gaming experience whether it’s RPGs, racing games or FPS titles. Still on the subject of display and gaming, the product has around 350 nits so it’s pretty decent for technically dark games or games that use muted colors. I get that the bezels are there for a reason but design wise we could have worked with a thinner bezel especially at the bottom part.

Ports and Build

The LOQ 15 comes with a number of ports located at the back. Here’s the breakdown:

On the sides we have…

 

Processing faster than you processing why you lost the one who got away

The LOQ 15IRH8 comes equipped with the 13th Generation Intel H-series processor together with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4000 series graphics. These ensure that you can get both work and play done more efficiently. It even supports Wi-Fi 6e for higher bandwidth and better connectivity. The 15IRH8 is also offered with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics which makes it possible to take AI processing and ray-tracing technology to the next level. Thanks to the H-series core processors in the LOQ 15IRH8, you’ll also be able to do A LOT more things at breakneck speed. You have more PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 lanes available to use for office work or a quick game here and there. 

 

Typing like a Pro

Like most of the entry-level gaming laptops in the market right now, the LOQ 15IRH8 also comes with a Full-sized keyboard with a number pad and a one-piece trackpad.

Unlike other gaming laptops, the LOQ 15 gaming laptop features a keyboard intake ventilation system that really improves the airflow making it feel like a mechanical keyboard while actually being more akin to a membrane keyboard. You get faster response time when playing games that rely heavily on a keyboard such as Call of Duty or button-intensive games like Diablo IV.

 

Just like the other gaming laptops you also get RGB backlighting but unique to. Only for the LOQ, there is an you get optional 4 zone system plus backlit number pad. It’s also fun to note that you can control those light patterns with just one click and that is through the Lenovo Advantage app.

Aside from switching from different profiles, you can also customize the lighting sequence, the brightness as well as the effects and a whole lot more.

Just like other gaming laptops you also get RGB backlighting but unique to LOQ, there is an optional 4 zone system plus backlit number pad. It’s also fun to note that you can control light patterns with just one click. I also like the keypads and how they are designed to have a regular size as opposed to other laptops that usually pick smaller directional keys. 

Convenience and Accessibility

The 15IRH8 comes with the Lenovo Vantage software that acts as a control center for all  your settings. This software will provide you with details about the laptop including important system vitals, the thermal profile, and even app control. You can also get critical system updates here to see what needs to be updated, what’s slowing your system down and much more.

There’s also the Legion Edge option that lets you set up your quick settings; it’s also the place where you can make the necessary adjustments based on your needs at the time. 

Battery

If you are looking for a gaming laptop that comes with good battery life then you need to pick up your Lenovo LOQ 15 now! It features a massive 60 watt per hour battery for longer playing time.

 

Similar to Just like all the high-end smartphones available in the market today, you can also get “fast charging” with the LOQ 15. You can go from hit 0 to a hundred80% in about an hour with this laptop. The battery can also be customized via the Lenovo Vantage app where you can make changes such as toggle between Rapid Charge and Overnight Battery Charging Mode. The battery health can also be seen at a glance using the app. Battery temperature is also a top priority for this gaming laptop so there’s an indicator to tell you what the temperature is like at the moment.

A full charge can get you around for around 4 hours but when you plan on actually playing games, I suggest you plug the laptop in.

Just like other Lenovo gaming laptops like the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 16IAH7, the back part of the laptop is where you can find the charging port and other essentials. It’s a great design IMHO as it frees the space around the laptop making it easy to move around on. 

The LOQ 15IRH8 can also be charged using a USB-C charger (up to 140W) via port on the left side of the device. But you have to be sure that you are using the right type of charger for the unit. 

Sounds like Fun

The LOQ 15IRH8 features the Nahimic Gaming Audio application that lets you customize your sound. It lets you optimize your sound to superior gaming quality as well as let you have a centralized platform for controlling most of the audio aspects for the gaming laptop. 

The audio can be repurposed on different aspects and uses including for movies, telecommuting and most importantly, gaming. You can make the bass go higher to get those “whoomps” and “oomphs” hit harder than usual or you can adjust the “voices” to be a little bit louder for those RPGs and FPS games. 

And it’s not just gaming that you can handle too as you can also control the audio quality when streaming music…

 

Or create a real-world “wall of sound” when you set up the Nahimic’s “Easy Surround”

But for me the best part is that the app and the gaming laptop lets you optimize the peripherals that you add whether it’s a speaker or headphones.

Lenovo Vantage

I also enjoyed the use of the Lenovo Vantage on this gaming laptop. This gives you a pilot’s view of what’s happening inside and around your laptop including the GPU and CPU usage, the SSD capacity and the system health.  The Lenovo vantage app can also access Lenovo Spectrum which lets you control the RGB lighting on your keyboard.  Also available under the Lenovo Vantage is the Legion Edge which lets you tinker with the more technical aspects of the laptop such as the GPU overclock, network boost, and touchpad lock.

Legion Edge also allows you to set the thermals on the laptop. You can choose between Balance Mode, Quiet Mode, Custom Mode and Performance Mode. If you are going to run games here, it would be advisable to switch to Performance Mode to (a) make things run smoother and (b) prolong your gaming laptop’s life. You can also toggle these options with Fn + Q.

Gaming

The Ray Tracing here is exciting; at this price point we shouldn’t be getting this good graphics but here we are. 

There were slight heating issues when I booted up games like “Midnight Suns” (which I kinda maxed out the settings on)

What I was a little sad about is that when you turn it on to Performance Mode especially when playing games, that’s when it suddenly becomes this pretty loud gaming PC. Again, temper your expectations friends because this is still an entry-level gaming laptop. 

Performance-wise, the LOQ 15IRH8 is pretty good. Playing Valorant or Apex Legends here is smooth and I can definitely feel that my performance is way better. The controls are smooth and the display doesn’t shake especially when you’re playing outdoors or in a very unusual place. 

I’m OK with the speaker quality. It’s not as bass-heavy so you need to personalize and adjust it according to how you want your sound to be. Good thing about this is that you have the Nahimic app installed here. This really makes heavenly sounds when you get the right settings. 

Benchmarks

I also did a couple of benchmarks on this gaming laptop and here are the reports:

Heaven

Timespy (Basic)

 

CPU Clock Frequency is constantly hitting 4000mhz with only two major instances where the CPU drops to around 1500+.

After Sales Service

One of the things I worry about when getting a pricey laptop is the after sales service. With Lenovo, that is all taken care of. The unit comes with 3-Year Lenovo Premium Care. In case you need data migration, you can utilize the Lenovo Migration Assistant. This is a three-year warranty policy that conveniently hooks you up with Lenovo technicians here in the Philippines who can help you with PC issue solutions. You can connect 24/7 via phone, email or WhatsApp to reach them and get the support that you’ll need. You can also get somebody to do an on-site appointment which is such a neat feature because you won’t have to travel and fall in line just to get your gaming laptop fixed. 

If you’re a DIY kinda guy or gal, you can also contact Lenovo technicians and ask for help or ask about software applications. 

Variations and Availability

The Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 comes in a number of different versions. The review unit sent over to me was – LOQ 15IRH8 retails for P93,995 and features 15.6” QHD 165Hz Display,  i7-13620H processor,  8GB DDR5 Memory, 512GB G4 storage, RTX4060 GPU, Windows 11 OS. It also comes with  3-Year Lenovo Premium Care and comes in  Onyx Grey color.

Conclusion

The new LOQ 15 series from Lenovo is definitely worth your while. It’s got a cool design that you can work with albeit a little on the chunky side, a great support system via the Lenovo Vantage, great refresh rate. The battery is also steady but keep your charger nearby if you want to max out your play time while outside your office or home. 

Gaming was definitely in the DNA of this gaming laptop when it was developed. 

Still there are a few areas that could have worked even better for this laptop including the bezels and that noise it makes when overclocking the performance. 

 

The Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 is definitely a solid gaming laptop that you can depend on for your gaming fix. 

Lenovo’s latest generation of devices are now available in stores!  To get your hands on Lenovo’s latest offerings head to the nearest Lenovo Experience Stores and authorized resellers nationwide. It’s also available online at https://www.lenovo.com/ph/en . For more information, follow Lenovo Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.

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