85 vs 86 percent: Why the RTX 5070 Legion Pro scores higher than the faster 5070 Ti model

When we reviewed the Lenovo Legion Pro 16 with the RTX 5070 Ti, we called it one of the most capable RTX 5070 Ti laptops on the market and gave it 85 percent. About four months later, we tested the Legion Pro 5 16 with the standard RTX 5070. It’s a strong performer too, though naturally not as fast as the Ti model and even slightly edged out by one of its competitors. Yet it ended up with 86 percent—how does that add up?

The explanation is pretty simple, though opinions may vary depending on what you value most: what the smaller model loses in pure performance, it makes up for easily in areas like temperature, noise, power consumption, and battery life. The performance gap is offset by advantages in several other categories. It also has one small bonus—the non-Ti version had a Wi-Fi 7 module built in, while the Ti featured a Wi-Fi 6E card.

Of course, this is where the debate begins. Core gamers might care far more about raw performance than about fan noise or thermals. How do you weigh that properly? You could also argue that with the right performance mode (Balanced, Eco, etc.) or a bit of undervolting, the Ti version could achieve similar temperature and noise levels while keeping more headroom for performance.

So, is the non-Ti version really “better”? Hard to say—certainly not across the board. But for a rating system to stay consistent, it needs fixed rules. That’s why a single score rarely tells the full story: ratings always involve trade-offs, and are, by design, somewhat rigid. In our system, the non-Ti model ends up slightly ahead—but that’s only part of the picture. Especially when the results are this close, each buyer should weigh the categories a bit differently, not least depending on budget.

Our takeaway for readers and potential laptop buyers: for the best possible decision, read our full reviews and—only after that—get a second opinion. Serious buying research should always be based on multiple sources. Why not start right away with our review of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IAX10?