Laptop Review: Lenovo Legion Y540 81SY00CKIN

Lenovo Legion Y540 81SY00CKIN comes with an Intel i5 9th generation 9300H quad-core processor as well as the GTX 1650 Graphics. The RAM and Storage are configured at 8 GB single-channel and 512 GB NVMe SSD. The Lenovo Legion Y540 is a sleek, portable 15.6-inch mid-range gaming laptop with a well-optimized to run cooler and quieter than most gaming laptops in its price range.

Performance

The Intel Core i5-9300H is a Mid-Range processor for Gaming Laptops. The Quad-core processor is comparable to the older Core i7-7920HQ and is almost 10 percent faster than 8300H. When it comes to your day-to-day tasks the with the 9300H you will have a great experience however if you are looking for a laptop for editing/design workloads the 9300H will get the job done but there are plenty of better options available.

Design and Ports

Legion y540 has full plastic body construction but does not look or feel cheap. The top lid has a matte finish that won’t attract fingerprints and with its minimal design blends well into an office setting. It weighs about 2.2 kgs but feels pretty light.  The display has a little flex especially when being opened with only one hand. To achieve the narrow bezels, Lenovo has gone for the webcam (nose cam) below the display. The hinges hold the display firmly in its place and allow an opening angle of 180 degrees.

Ports

• 3xUSB 3.1 Type-A
• HDMI
• Ethernet Jack
• Audio and Microphone Combo
• USB 3.0 Type-C 
• Kensington Lock Slot
• Mini DisplayPort 

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650

The GTX 1650 is based on the Turing architecture and 12 nm manufacturing process. The 4 GB Graphics Card with GDDR5/GDDR6 memory is clocked at 8GHz with a 128 Bit memory interface that creates a bandwidth of 128 GB/s and operates at 192-bits is attached via PCIe 3.0 x16 interface and with a power consumption of 50 Watt. The GTX 1650 is a mid-range graphics card primarily aimed at Gamers the performance just falls short of the GTX 1060, however, GTX 1050 and GTX 1050 Ti pales in comparison to that of GTX 1650. 

GTX 1650 mobile is decent entry-level graphics for laptops but with limited potential for gaming and GPU tasks. GTX 1650 mobile is about 40 percent more powerful than GTX 1050ti and is about 15 percent slower when compared to GTX 1060.

Display: 60Hz FHD (AU Optronics B156HAN02.1)

The FHD panel on the Lenovo Legion Y540 81SY00CKIN has a 60Hz Refresh rate and doesn’t suffer from and noticeable issues such as backlight bleeding and PWM flickering. The display here has an average color coverage and below-average brightness and suitable for outdoor use.

Display Specs:

• Panel Model Number: AU Optronics B156HAN02.1
• Coverage: 56% sRGB | 36% AdobeRGB;
• Max brightness: 260 Nits;
• Contrast Ratio: 1150:1;
• Gamma: 2.53
• Response Time: 25 ms;

How is the Lenovo Legion Y540 81SY00CKIN for Gaming?

The Nvidia GTX 1650 mobile should be able to handle most modern AAA games without any problem. The GTX 1650 mobile and gets about 32 percent benchmarks to score in gaming when compared to Nvidia RTX 3090.

Gaming Benchmarks

• Below 20 FPS– Unplayable/laggy/stuttery
• 20-30 FPS– Below average, acceptable for some laggy for others. 
• 30-45 FPS– Average, acceptable for most people.
• 45-60 FPS– Above Average, Smooth animation/No lag.
• 60-90 FPS– Semi-Professional.
• Above 90 FPS– God tier/Hardcore/Professional.

Fortnite

• Low ( 720p): 60 FPS
• Mid ( 1080p): 60 FPS
• High ( 1080p): 60 FPS
• Ultra (1080p): 47 FPS

PUBG ( PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds)

• Low( 720p): 60 FPS
• Mid ( 1080p): 60 FPS
• High (1080p): 49 FPS
• Ultra (1080p): 37 FPS

GTA V

• Low (768p): 60 FPS
• Mid (768p): 60 FPS
• High (1080p): 60 FPS
• Ultra (1080p): 32 FPS

CS:GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)

• Low (768p): 60 FPS
• Mid (768p): 60 FPS
• High (768p): 60 FPS
• Ultra (1080p): 60 FPS

League of Legends 

• Low (720p): 60 FPS
• Mid (1080p): 60 FPS
• High (1080p): 60 FPS

Overwatch

• Low (720p): 60 FPS
• Mid (768p): 60 FPS
• High (1080p): 60 FPS
• Ultra (1080p): 60 FPS

Apex Legends

• Low (720p): 60 FPS
• Mid (1080p): 60 FPS
• High (1080p): 56 FPS
• Ultra (1080p): 48 FPS