Lenovo introduced the LOQ (pronounced as Lock) series in 2023 to cater to new and veteran PC gamers on a budget. Since then, the series has steadily grown. Today, we’re taking a look at one of the newer, Intel-powered models, the Lenovo LOQ 15 15IAX9I.
More than playing games, many of the people who purchase gaming laptops also use them for work, especially with creative apps for photo and video editors. So the question is, how well can a budget laptop such as the Lenovo LOQ 15 provide gaming and multitasking performance? Let’s find out.
Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I Specs
- Windows 11
- 15.6-inch FHD IPS display, 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, 141ppi
- 144Hz refresh rate
- Intel Core i5-12450HX, 4P+4E Cores, 12 threads, 4.4GHz, 12MB
- 16GB DDR5 4600MHz RAM, expandable up to 32GB
- Intel Arc A530M 4GB GDDR6
- 512GB SSD M.2 PCIe storage, expandable up to 1TB
- LA1 AI Chip
- 2x 2W stereo speakers, Nahimic Audio
- 720p HD webcam, e-shutter
- 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard
- 2x array radio
- WiFi 6, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.1
- 1x USB-C (10Gbps data, 140W PD, DisplayPort 1.4)
- 3x USB-C (5Gbps data
- 1x HDMI 2.1, up to 4K/60Hz
- 1x Ethernet
- 1x headphone/mic combo
- 1x power connector
- Dimensions: 359.86 x 258.7 x 21.9-23.9mm
- Weight: 2.38kg
- Color: Luna Grey
- 60Wh battery, 170W 3-pin charger
Design and Build Quality
Compared to portable and bulky laptops out there, the Lenovo LOQ 15’s build sits in the middle: it’s relatively large, so it won’t fit most daypack bags, but not too big either so you can confidently take it out to class or at a coffee shop when remote working. It can also be easily carried with one hand.
It looks elegant with its Luna Grey color and shiny Lenovo and LOQ logo. It feels chunky, but I didn’t mind as I appreciated how Lenovo didn’t try to make it thin and light to favor thermal efficiency. As you can see, the LOQ 15 has beefy vents on the back and at the bottom.
While I did appreciate Lenovo’s no-compromise approach in the hardware, the LOQ 15 just feels unnecessarily heavy. It weighs 2.36kg on paper.
Open the lid and you’ll be greeted with the 15.6-inch FHD IPS display. It has fairly thin bezels, but I’ve seen thinner bezels from other more expensive laptops. For its price, though, it’s more than good enough.
There’s a reverse notch on the top bezel to give space for the webcam, front-facing microphones, and a few sensors. It looks clean and can be a place for your fingers when you lift the lid.
Speaking of which, you can easily lift the lid with a single finger thanks to the steady base.
The 180-degree hinge is a nice touch, providing screen angle flexibility when you’re using the laptop on your lap or while lying in bed. I didn’t find much use for it since, considering its weight and the fear of affecting thermals, I only used it on a desk, as putting it in the lap is uncomfortable.
Overall, the Lenovo LOQ 15 is a well-built device. While I wish it was lighter, I appreciate the clean, no-compromise approach to the design.
Display and Sound Quality
The 15.6-inch Full HD IPS screen quality is fine. I wish it was more vibrant and colorful, but I was still able enjoy content, as well as do photo and video editing on it.
I usually work outdoors and in remote areas like coffee shops — locations where having the matte coating helps as it eliminates reflection. Although, screen brightness could really be better. I’ve also noticed a bit of color shifting in some angles, but nothing too disturbing. Color accuracy is not the top priority of budget laptops anyway. The 144Hz refresh rate is a big plus, especially for competitive gamers.
The stereo speakers are usable, but not good. The volume is lacking, the bass is almost non-existent, and the treble is a bit flat. This laptop is definitely meant to be used with an external speaker or a pair of gaming headphones. A bummer, but it’s an acceptable compromise considering its price tag.
Hardware and Performance
The Lenovo LOQ 15 15IAX9I is powered by a 12th-gen Intel Core i5-12450HX CPU that has four performance cores at 4.4GHz, four efficiency cores at 3.1GHz, and 12 threads. Graphics are handled by the Intel Arc A530M graphics with 4GB GDDR6 memory.
Lenovo has included 16GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 4800MHz, which I believe should be the capacity on all productivity and gaming laptops in 2024, because RAM is pretty cheap nowadays. If that’s not enough, you can put two 16GB RAM sticks on the two slots to go to 32GB. Even though the official spec sheet says it’s limited to a maximum of 32GB, some users in Reddit said that they were able to install up to 64GB. Whether you want to try that or not is up to you, but I recommend staying with a maximum of 32GB if you’re concerned about compatibility.
For storage, it has 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD. This capacity only allowed me to install one to two triple-A games while still having space for work-related files. But just like the RAM, you can expand the storage later on or purchase the 1TB upgrade straight from Lenovo for an extra Php2,640.
I know you’re excited about its gaming capabilities. But before that, let’s first tackle its general performance in work/creative tasks, an area where it shines.
It handles 10-20 or more Google Chrome tabs easily, even with music streaming in the background, and making content on Canva or similar platforms. When using Adobe software, its multitasking can suffer a bit, but still manageable. This is thanks to its 16GB of RAM — which should be on the base model on any laptop today. Unfortunately, the LOQ 15 still starts at 8GB, but the jump to 16GB is only Php1,320. I highly suggest to get the RAM upgrade as it’s definitely worth it. You can pick from either 2x8GB or 1 16GB stick, so you can easily upgrade to 32GB in the future.
I tried to edit multiple RAW photos on Adobe Lightroom and the LOQ 15 handled it fine — from the import, sorting, and adding a few color corrections and masking, up to the export. Video editing is also good enough, but don’t expect the fastest rendering times due to the aging processor. Nevertheless, I think it’s good enough for most people that are shopping in its price range.
Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I Benchmark Scores
Now, let’s get into gaming. As you know, the Intel Arc chip lacks ray tracing, which is forgivable for the price. The bottom line is, the Lenovo LOQ 15 15IAX9I can handle 1080p gaming under High to Ultra with playable frame rates depending on the game.
If you want a smoother experience with higher frame rates, you can dial down the settings to medium, or go with the lowest if you want to take advantage of the144Hz refresh rate.
Esports titles like Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 have no problems running on this device and it can easily exceed the 200fps mark. Dota 2 is also pretty smooth with no noticeable frame drops even in team fights.
| Game (1080p, RTX Off) | FPS |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (Ultra) | Min: 14fps Max: 74fps Avg: 32fps |
| Forza Horizon 5 (High) | Avg: 40fps |
| Far Cry 6 (High) | Min: 21fps Max: 34fps Avg: 31fps |
| Grand Theft Auto 5 (Ultra) | Min: 7fps Max: 103fps Avg: 66fps |
| Metro Exodus (High) | Avg: 45-49fps |
Keyboard, Trackpad, Webcam
As a writer and video editor, I like the full-size keyboard on the Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I better than the IdeaPad Gaming 3i that I’ve been daily driving for months. The keys on LOQ 15 feel softer and bounce back faster. It feels like I’m typing faster and more comfortably on this machine.
I rarely use the number pad, but still glad it’s here for macro keys on games and the rare times I do spreadsheets. Plus, the customizable RGB lighting is nice to the eyes and makes typing in the dark easier.
The trackpad is quite small and feels slippery. Some people may be able to get used to it, but I disregarded it completely and just used a wireless mouse. Palm rejection is good, though.
Even with the studio lights, the image quality from the webcam is pretty bad. Photos look blurry with poor details. Still usable for video calls, though, especially with the two microphones sitting right on top of the display to capture your voice clearer.
Wireless Connectivity and Inputs
One of the things I liked about the Lenovo LOQ and Legion laptops is the ports selection and their placements. With the LOQ 15, you’re getting a full-size HDMI 2.1 that can handle up to 4K 60Hz monitors, an ethernet port, and two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports. These inputs, alongside the power port, are behind the screen, so you can tuck it away cleanly if you’re docked on a desk.
For easy access, Lenovo has added a USB-A port on the right, a 3.5mm headphone/mic combo jack, and webcam privacy switch. Unfortunately, there’s only 1 USB-C port on this laptop. It supports DisplayPort 1.4, up to 10Gbps data transfer speeds, and 140W charging.
These right ports let you easily plug in storage drives or receivers for your mouse, keyboard, and other peripherals. No need to reach the back. Sadly, it lacks an SD card reader, which is a big bummer for content creators like me.
For connectivity, it has WiFi 6 2×2 and Bluetooth 5.1, which worked fine during our tests.
Software and User Interface
Unlike other laptops from a few brands I’ve seen, Lenovo has kept bloatware at a minimum on the Lenovo LOQ 15. There’s only one hub that lets you control many components of the hardware: the Lenovo Vantage.
Right from the dashboard, the Lenovo Vantage shows your current CPU, GPU, and SSD consumption. You also have quick access to the Thermal Modes, Network Boost, Auto Close, Touchpad Lock if you’re gaming with a mouse, and GPU Working Mode.
The Thermal Mode lets you switch between the Performance Mode, which amps up the fans when you’re gaming or rendering; Quiet Mode if you’re just doing light tasks; and our preferred mode, Auto, which uses the built-in LA1 AI chip that can intelligently analyze the workload you’re doing to automatically ramp up or slow down the fans for better efficiency.
You can also pick between the different GPU Working Modes if you’re really picky about optimization. Personally, I left it as is as I didn’t notice any problems with any graphics-intensive apps I tested.
If you use the number pad as macro keys in games and other apps, you can customize and assign commands within the Lenovo Vantage app. You can also customize the RGB keyboard lighting and create up to four profiles. I have it turned off while working and turn it on at night when gaming.
The sound is also heavily customizable thanks to Nahimic Audio. Plus, it’s possible to play with the E-Sport Display settings if you want to enable the dynamic response time, display an FPS counter, enable aim assist, and more.
Battery Life and Charging
The Lenovo LOQ 15 has a 60Wh battery, which provide a pretty decent battery life for a budget gaming laptop. On my tests, it was able to last for 2 hours of my typical work use. That’s with around 8-12 Google Chrome tabs open, a YouTube video playing in the background, at max brightness, and Smart Power Mode enabled.
For gaming, I only get around 30 minutes. That’s obviously not good. Anyway, it’s better to game with the adapter plugged in as you’d also get better frame rates.
Speaking of charging, the 170W charger looks and feels relatively compact. Plus, it was able to fully charge the device in just 46 minutes. That’s from 17%, while I was continuously using the device.
For the USB-C PD charging, a 60W charger was able to sustain the machine while I do work tasks away from home. But if the battery is completely dead, it would be better and faster to use the original one.
Verdict
The Lenovo LOQ 15 15IAX9I is far from perfect. However, it’s one of the best value-oriented laptops in the market. It has a reliable performance for work-related tasks, creative apps, and 1080p gaming, with a slick no-compromise design that ensures good airflow to avoid unnecessary throttling.
Competitive gamers will also appreciate its high refresh rate screen. Battery life was also decent for coffee shop working sessions, although I would still suggest to bring a USB-C charger. Plus, if your budget is really limited upon purchase, you can save up and expand the RAM and storage for later.
There are things I wish Lenovo had done better on the LOQ 15: the screen could be brighter, the speakers could be better, and the lack of an SD card reader is quite disappointing. But it’s specifically made for gaming, so there’s that.
Still, if you’re in the market for a reliable laptop for work and gaming, paired with good after-sales service, in the sub-Php50,000 range, then the Lenovo LOQ 15 15IAX9I is one of your top options.
Lenovo LOQ 15 pricing and availability in the Philippines
The Lenovo LOQ 15 15IAX9I has a starting price of Php48,990 in the Philippines. That’s with 8GB of RAM. According to the Lenovo’s official website, upgrading it to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage will cost an additional Php3,840.
Interested in a more powerful gaming laptop? Check out our review of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i Gen 8.
Pros
- Reliable performance in multitasking, creative work
- Good 1080p gaming
- Expandable RAM, storage
- Plenty of port selection
Cons
- Lackluster speakers
- Screen brightness could be better, color-shifting
- No SD card reader