Lenovo’s Legion series is a line of high-performance gaming laptops with some of the best specs on the market. The 2020 model, the Y740, has been released and is ready to be compared against its predecessor, the Y540.
The Lenovo Legion y740 vs Legion y540 (2020) is a comparison between the Lenovo Legion y740 and the Lenovo Legion y540.
In terms of gaming performance, price, portability, display quality, battery life, and more, we put the Lenovo Legion Y740 and Legion Y540 to the test.
The rankings and results can be seen above, while detailed reports on each Lenovo Legion Laptop can be found below.
Lenovo Legion Y740 comes in first place.
- The Legion Y540 has a better gaming performance.
- Stunning 144 Hz Display
- Very Quiet
- Legion Y540 is more costly.
Gaming laptops are available from both specialized gaming manufacturers such as Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and Razer, as well as traditional OEMs. Lenovo operates under the “Legion” umbrella brand. In the test, the 15-inch Legion Y740 with GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q for “just” $2400 might persuade.
Lenovo currently has two gaming laptop series: Legion Y740 and Y540, both available in 17 and 15 inch models. The 500 series caters to “enthusiasts,” while the 700 series has “hero goods” — the finest of the best. Lenovo products that go above and above those for enthusiasts.
In the end, the Legion Y740 comes in six different configurations: three 15-inch models and three 17-inch models, with the three variants determined by the GPU used inside the display diagonal. The GeForce RTX 2060, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, and GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q are all available in 15 and 17-inch models.
The Core i7-9750H is often utilized as the CPU, with the exception of the 15-inch model, which is also available with the Core i5-8300H in conjunction with the RTX 2060.
Design
In an aluminum chassis with relatively thin display borders, the laptop is less than 2 cm thick in places. The Lenovo Legion is just 6 mm wider than the even more compact Razer Blade 15 inch.
The difference in depth is more noticeable: Lenovo’s gaming laptop is 3.2 cm longer, which is almost 1:1 the region with the display hinge and connectors behind it.
The relatively tiny touchpad with the two traditional keys, as well as the rubber dome keyboard with a spongy stroke and low-contrast RGB lighting (controlled by Corsair iCUE) must be made compromises in comparison to more costly devices.
Despite the frame above the screen, the camera is centered underneath it. Under heavy pressure on the wrist-rest or keyboard, the chassis gives somewhat, and if you raise the laptop with one hand while it’s open, it warps slightly.
The star in Lenovo’s O on the lid, as well as the keyboard, are both lighted. Furthermore, it gleams from the two side ventilation holes.
Upgradeability
The hardware is accessible through the base plate after releasing eleven Phillips screws. The 2.5-inch slot is still vacant or filled by a “dummy bracket” on the test model with 1 TB SSD. The scope of supply includes a cable to connect a SATA drive to the mainboard.
Upgrades are only feasible by changing the drive since there is only one M.2 slot for NVMe storage media. This applies to purchasers of both SSD and HDD variants. The battery is bolted in place rather than bonded.
Behind a cover that can be removed without tools, two SO-DIMM banks are centrally placed. “The warranty does not expire via appropriate opening/retrofitting,” Lenovo says. From the date of purchase, the guarantee is valid for two years. Customers are responsible for sending the gadget in.
Performance
Vantage, Lenovo’s setup software, appears on the Legion laptops in a black robe rather than a white one, and provides three performance profiles in a relatively ambiguous and in terms of “assistance” rather weak-chested design: “Performance,” “Balanced” (standard), and “Quiet.”
They have an impact on the CPU and GPU’s maximum power dissipation as well as fan control. In theory, at least. In practice, however, “Performance” and “Balanced” are almost similar, with the exception of “Quiet.”
When the Core i7-9750H is loaded in Blender on all cores, it starts off at just under 80 watts in “Performance” and “Balanced,” then drops to 60 watts and maintains 3.3 GHz. The “Quiet” option, on the other hand, begins with 45 watts and only 25 watts are left forever.
As a result, the clock rate of 2.2 GHz is lower than the 2.6 GHz base rate, which is defined at 45 watts (TDP). The two speedier profiles have a decibel level of 47. In comparison, “silence” is not only considerably quieter at 31 dB, but it is also silent in absolute terms.
Due to the same CPU package power, the results of the two quicker settings in the Blender test are almost similar, but the “Quiet” option enables 50% more processing time. Lenovo’s two effective profiles therefore cover a wide range of CPU power and noise emissions.
Gaming Capabilities
In games, however, this isn’t the case: Shadow of the Tromb Raider plays nearly as quickly in Full HD at ultra-high resolution settings without RTX no matter which option is selected — and the volume is always at 48 dB.
The reason for this is because the maximum power setting of 25 watts in “Quiet” is adequate for the highest clock speeds in this instance, and the GPU is clearly unaffected by the profiles.
In steady state, the difference between the fastest and slowest profiles is just 5%, and curiously, “Quiet” is both minimum and reproducibly quicker than “Balanced.” Lenovo was unable to provide information regarding the adjustments made by the profiles in order to explain the behavior on demand.
The reason that the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q in the Legion Y740 15 inch runs somewhat slower than the Razer Blade Pro and the Asus Zephyrus S GX701 is due to the GPU’s selected variant: In this instance, it only provides 80 watts TDP instead of 90, resulting in a 10 to 15% reduction in performance.
In battery mode, performance suffers noticeably, with an average of 26 frames per second in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The fact that the FPS varies a much in the benchmarks, however, isn’t represented in this measuring value: the FPS goes below 15 FPS repeatedly over many seconds. This isn’t a method to play the game.
The important critical data (CPU/GPU) of the gaming laptops shown in the graphic is given in the table below.
As the top model of the series, the Lenovo Legion Y740 15 inch (81UH0020GE) we examined features just an SSD. Samsung provided the sample’s 1 TB NVMe SSD. It’s the PM981 in M.2 format once again.
Levels of temperature and noise
If just the CPU is needed and the “Silent” mode is chosen, the Lenovo Legion Y740 may be quiet. In games, it approaches the level of many gaming laptops, with recorded 48 dB, even though its performance isn’t quite up to par with the somewhat less powerful GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q.
It can also be quieter: the current Razer Blade with GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q has a maximum decibel output of 45.
Lenovo’s CPU can reach 90°C under stress in the “Performance” and “Balanced” modes, and 65°C in the “Quiet” option. The GPU typically hangs in the power goal, reaching a maximum temperature of 75 °C throughout the test. Under continuous stress, the notebook’s surface does not get uncomfortably warm, neither on the keyboard nor in the wrist-rest region.
Display
The IPS display shines brilliantly on demand, with a peak of 478 cd/m2 and an average brightness of 445 cd/m2. However, with a minimum of just 3 cd/m2, it may also be extremely dark – which is unusual.
With a maximum variance of 18 percent on the left margin, the homogeneity still looks good. The temperature of the color is 6,980 Kelvin.
With an average of 1,120:1, the contrast is excellent. The manufacturer’s specification of “up to 500 cd/m2” is almost met.
Life of the Batteries
The 15-inch Lenovo Legion Y740 features a modest 3-cell battery with 57 watt hours, while the 17-inch rivals in the diagram provide more with over 70 watt hours.
When combined with the 144 hertz display, which is rated at 200 cd/m2, the battery life is poor, clocking in at just under two and a half hours — Lenovo claims up to five hours. In both test situations, the RGB lighting on the keyboard was turned off.
In addition to the rapid display, G-Sync has a detrimental effect on battery life: Although the feature may be deactivated in the driver as normal, Nvidia Optimus will still not work. As a result, the GeForce RTX gnaws at the battery incessantly.
Verdict
The Lenovo Legion Y740 is a good gaming laptop with a 15-inch screen that Amazon is now selling for “just” $2,400.
For this, buyers receive a gaming laptop with top-tier performance, which doesn’t have any major flaws but does have certain restrictions. However, in terms of performance and volume, they are very tiny.
The Legion Y740 is one of the fastest gaming laptops right now, thanks to the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-80 Q’s watt TDP, although there are even faster systems in this category with 90 watt GPUs. The Core i7-9750H in the Y740 calculates extremely quickly even when just the CPU is loaded, owing to the 60 watt concession.
Furthermore, although the Lenovo Legion Y740 isn’t much louder in games than many other devices of this kind, there are quieter options, such as the current Razer Blade 15 from 2019.
Even if the AntiGlare coating dampens the color brilliance, the display with Nvidia G-Sync may be characterized as extremely excellent, with an average brightness of 450 cd/m2 and a recorded average contrast of over 1.100:1.
More significant flaws in contrast to an 800-dollar Razer Blade may be found elsewhere, such as the keyboard and touchpad, as well as the size and battery life.
In the less than three-hour test results, switching to hybrid mode, which allows the energy-saving Optimus operation despite the usage of Nvidia G-Sync, makes no difference.
Those interested in purchasing this gaming machine will get an incredibly fast gaming notebook in the Lenovo Legion Y740, which does not need to hide from the more costly competitors in terms of volume or display, which is why the Legion Y740 ranks first above the Legion Y540.
Lenovo Legion Y540 is ranked second.
- Gaming performance + CPU performance
- Y740 Y740 Y740 Y740 Y740 Y7
- a large amount of storage (2 TB)
- There isn’t a Thunderbolt 3 port or a card reader.
Gamer on a budget. The Legion Y540’s hardware update adds RTX graphics to Lenovo’s gaming platform, as well as lower-cost GTX GPU upgrades.
The price lowers to about $1200 with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, although the savings are minimal. This review explains precisely what this implies for potential purchasers.
In our evaluation of the Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH, we noted that the case had some minor upgrades over its predecessor, the Legion Y530, such as a more powerful cooling system and more powerful hardware.
The Legion Y540 was configured to its maximum capacity, which includes 16 GB RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and a 2 TB HDD, as well as an Intel Core i7-9750H and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060.
Our latest test model has the same CPU and 16 GB RAM as the previous model, but only has a 512 GB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card. For about $1,400, you can get this midrange setup.
In addition to the previous model and the Legion Y540 with RTX 2060, the Lenovo notebook will be compared against other gaming laptops in this price range.
The ASUS ROG Strix G GL531GV, the CUK Model Z, and the HP Gaming Pavilion 15 are among them. For comparison, other notebooks from our database may be placed beneath each table.
Upgradeability
Once all of the appropriate screws have been loosened, the underside of the Legion Y540 may be removed with some care. Following that, access to the inner components is unrestricted.
The RAM may be upgraded here, as well as an extra SATA drive installed in a 2.5 inch slot and the SSD. However, while opening it, users should be cautious since different plastic lugs may fall off.
The Legion Y540-15IRH comes with a 24-month guarantee from Lenovo. Our FAQ “Guarantee, Warranty, and Right of Return” has further information on this subject.
Display
The Legion Y540 has a 15.6-inch 144-Hz-IPS display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels on the screen. It is in the middle of our comparison devices, with an average brightness of 290 cd/m2.
With an illumination of 89 percent, the Legion Y540 can even lead our test field. No PWM is utilized for brightness control, according to our findings.
The display on the Legion Y540 has an excellent contrast ratio of 1.031:1 and a somewhat higher black value of 0.29 cd/m2. With these speeds, the Lenovo laptop may lead our test field, displaying well-separated colors and dark tones with just a little gray haze.
According to the CalMAN study, the screen displays colors with very minor variations. However, a calibration still results in a little improvement in this area. In the top left window, beside the image for screen lighting, you may download the appropriate ICC-file.
Outdoors, the Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH may be utilized as long as it is in a shaded location. However, even in direct sunshine, the brightness is insufficient to show picture information on the matt screen in a legible way.
The IPS screen of the Lenovo Legion Y540 has a fairly steady viewing angle. Content may be read from nearly any angle without being distorted or having false colors shown.
Performance
The Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH may be classified as a mid-range gaming laptop. Most current games can be played in FullHD on the available hardware, which includes the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650, GTX 1660 Ti, and RTX 2060 GPUs.
An SSD with a capacity of up to 1 TB and an HDD with a capacity of up to 2 TB may be used in the mass storage equipment. An Intel Core i7-9750H processor, which we used in our test model, and an Intel Core i5-9300H processor are also available.
The Intel Core i7-9750H is a six-core CPU with a 2.6 GHz base frequency. The turbo clock changes depending on how many cores are using it at the same time.
The CPU can achieve 4.5 GHz with two cores, but only 4 GHz with all cores under full load. The cooling system installed determines how long the turbo clock can be kept running.
The Core i7-9750H in the Legion Y540 doesn’t offer full performance straight out of the box, according to our Cinebench R15 endurance test. However, after a short period of time, performance spikes and then quickly drops to a level similar to other laptops with this CPU. The single core result is adequate for a good position at the top of our test field in individual tests.
However, multi-core performance is inferior, and it only qualifies for the penultimate position in our test field. In battery mode, users must compute with up to 25% less performance.
The Lenovo Legion Y540 has a system that runs smoothly with no micro jerks or other issues. Depending on the field, the PCMark benchmarks provide significantly varied results.
While the Lenovo gaming laptop came in second place overall in our test group in PCMark 10, it could only claim last place in the PCMark 8 work test.
In exchange, PCMark-8-Home performs well once again. Despite the changing rates, the performance is similar to other devices and may be regarded as excellent.
Our Legion Y540 test unit comes with a 512 GB Western Digital SSD. Users will get about 454 GB of free RAM to install apps and store their own data. Users may not only replace the SSD with a bigger one, but they can also add a 2.5-inch mass storage device afterwards.
In benchmark testing, the mass storage placed here performs well. The write and read speeds are excellent, as is usual with SSDs, and are enough for a position in the center of our test field. On our HDD/SSD benchmark page, you can check how different mass storage devices fared in our test.
Gaming Capabilities
Different graphics cards are available for the Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH. Our current test model has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and therefore achieves 3DMark benchmark results comparable to the Legion Y540-15IRH with RTX 2060.
As a result, potential purchasers must evaluate if features like raytracing and DLSS are worth the extra $100. The 3DMark 11 score decreases to 6858 points while running on battery power.
The BIOS may be used to enable the Intel UHD Graphics 630 embedded in the CPU, as well as Nvidia’s Optimus technology. The battery life suffers as a result of this.
The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti from Nvidia can also play current games at high resolutions and with all of its details. All of the games we tried worked smoothly, and even Anno 1800, which is very demanding, was able to reach good frame rates in FullHD.
If a 4K resolution is achieved on an external monitor, however, particularly demanding games may already need a decrease in visual settings.
Levels of temperature and noise
When the Legion Y540 is idle, the fans spin as well, but they are so quiet that no audible noise is generated. Under load, the volume rises significantly, although in contrast to other gaming laptops from different manufacturers in this class, the Lenovo gaming notebook isn’t very noisy. As a result, headphones are not required for gaming.
Even when our test gadget was switched off, we could hear sounds produced by coils or capacitors within it while the battery was being charged.
The Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH exhibits surface temperatures of up to 41°C at idle and up to 53°C under load, according to our tests. The gadget is very heated, and it can only be worn on the thighs, for example, under certain conditions. In the Witcher 3 test, the gaming laptop reaches slightly under 50°C.
During our one-hour continuous stress test, the temperatures inside the Legion Y540 momentarily reached about 95°C.
As a result, the clock rates fall below the base rate of 2.6 GHz, but may be maintained at about 2.2 GHz until the conclusion of the test.
Because our stress test scenario is almost unachievable in real life, users shouldn’t anticipate any limitations due to excessive heat.
Sound
The loudspeakers on the Lenovo Legion Y540 have a medium loudness and a broad sound range. Deep tones fade a little, but the sound quality is more than enough for occasional media playing.
External speakers or headphones, which can be attached to the gaming laptop through the existing 3.5 mm socket, are suggested in the long term. The latter securely accepts matching plugs and has no detrimental impact on sound quality.
Life of the Batteries
The Legion Y540 gets approximately two and a half hours of use in our practical WiFi test. This number is enough for a position in the center of our test field, although it is lower than the Legion Y540 with an RTX-2060 graphics chip, for example.
In the BIOS, the inbuilt Intel UHD Graphics 630 may be turned on. Users may also utilize Nvidia’s Optimus technology, which adds approximately two hours to the duration in our WiFi test.
With the supplied adaptor, the battery may be completely charged in approximately two and a half hours.
Verdict
The Lenovo Legion Y540 with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is a strong gaming laptop that can easily run any current games. Users should, however, restrict themselves to FullHD and disregard features such as raytracing.
The performance is in the middle, and the cooling system can keep it there for a long time. There are also excellent maintenance choices and a 2.5-inch bay, which enables for the insertion of big mass storage devices later on.
Even without RTX graphics, the Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH is a strong gaming laptop.
Due to the continuously active GTX 1660 Ti, the battery life is very short, but this shouldn’t have been required.
The simple activation of the integrated GPU in the BIOS increases endurance significantly, which may be problematic for technically unskilled users. The Lenovo Legion Y540 is certainly worth a recommendation, given the pricing and other characteristics.
Overall, the Legion Y540 falls short of the Legion Y740 in terms of performance, but it is much less expensive, so if you don’t need the best but still require excellent gaming performance, you may get this laptop without hesitation.
The Lenovo Legion 5i is a gaming laptop that comes with a 15.6-inch IPS panel and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU. Reference: lenovo legion 5i.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better Lenovo Legion Y540 or Y740?
I am not able to answer this question.
Should I buy Lenovo Legion Y540?
If you are looking for a powerful gaming laptop with a great price, then the Lenovo Legion Y540 is an excellent choice.
Is Legion 5 better than Y540?
Legion 5 is a better laptop than Y540.
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