Notebookcheck Logo

Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH in Review: Mid-Range Gamer Makes Full Use of its Core i5

Conspicuously subtle. Lenovo's mid-range gaming laptop is able to run all current PC games smoothly on its matte 17.3-inch screen (144 Hz, FHD, IPS), thanks to its Core i5-9300H processor and its GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card. A maintenance hatch allows users to easily swap the RAM and storage. The iGPU, which is disabled by default, can be enabled via the BIOS to improve battery life.

The Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH is a mid-range 17.3-inch gaming notebook. While its appearance is very similar to that of the Legion Y740-17ICH, there are physical differences between the two laptops. Lenovo chose an inconspicuous, neutral exterior, in order to make the notebook fit better into an office setting. Our test model is powered by a Core i5-9300H processor and a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU. Alternative models with a GeForce GTX 1650 or a GeForce RTX 2060 are available as well. Its competitors include devices such as the Schenker XMG Core 17MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD, Dell G7 17 7790 and the Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8.

Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH (Legion Y540 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-9300H 4 x 2.4 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1455 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, GDDR6, 192-bit interface, ForceWare 431.36, Optimus - iGPU can be turned on and off
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, dual-channel, two slots (both occupied), up to 32 GB
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, AU Optronics B173HAN04.4 (AUO449D), IPS, 144 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, 512 GB 
, PCIe SSD, slots: 1x M.2 & 1x 2.5-inch, 440 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC257 @ Intel Cannon Point PCH - cAVS
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combined audio jack
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 26.3 x 399 x 290 ( = 1.04 x 15.71 x 11.42 in)
Battery
57 Wh, 4955 mAh Lithium-Ion, 11.52 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 230-watt power adapter, SATA cable for 2.5-inch drive, McAfee LiveSafe (trial version), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.79 kg ( = 98.41 oz / 6.15 pounds), Power Supply: 762 g ( = 26.88 oz / 1.68 pounds)
Price
1399 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Lenovo Relies on Plastic

Lenovo hides the Legion's hardware behind a fully black (raven black) case made of plastic. Since Lenovo omits any visual highlights, the device blends well into an office setting. The offset lid is the most prominent design element. It does not close level with the back of the device but rather protrudes by a good 25 mm (~0.98 in). The top of the base unit is rubberized. The texture on the back of the lid features grooves. Good: There is a maintenance hatch on the Legion, which allows for easy access to the SSD, the HDD bay and the RAM. In order to reach the battery, the entire bottom shell has to be removed. More on that topic later.

The Y540-17IRH cannot deny its similarity to the Legion Y740-17ICH with regards to the case - they look very much alike. The chassis is not identical, however. The Y540-17IRH's case is, for example, slightly more compact. At the same time, it is thicker by a few millimeters. That being said, the cases of both devices are low in depth, while having relatively large footprints. In the case of competitors such as the Schenker XMG Core 17 and the MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD, the relationship between these dimensions is reversed.

The laptop does not exhibit flaws in terms of build quality. Clearances are as they should be and there are no material protrusions. That being said, we expected more in terms of rigidity. The base unit yields under pressure on the surfaces next to the keyboard - this affects the left side more strongly than the right side. The base unit is also not as resistant to twisting as we would like it to be. This is particularly true for the lid. Thankfully, pressure on the lid does not lead to image distortions. The hinges hold it firmly in place, even though they tend to teeter somewhat. The lid can be opened with one hand. The maximum opening angle of the lid is 180 degrees.

Size Comparison

418.5 mm / 16.5 inch 288.7 mm / 11.4 inch 29.9 mm / 1.177 inch 2.9 kg6.46 lbs412.6 mm / 16.2 inch 304.9 mm / 12 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs404 mm / 15.9 inch 295.8 mm / 11.6 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 3.2 kg7.14 lbs396 mm / 15.6 inch 261 mm / 10.3 inch 30 mm / 1.181 inch 2.5 kg5.51 lbs397 mm / 15.6 inch 269 mm / 10.6 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.6 kg5.66 lbs399 mm / 15.7 inch 290 mm / 11.4 inch 26.3 mm / 1.035 inch 2.8 kg6.15 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - No Thunderbolt 3

There are no surprises when it comes to the port selection of the Legion. The three available USB Type-A ports and the single USB Type-C port all adhere to the USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard. Additionally, the Type-C model features DisplayPort-via-USB Type-C (the appropriate adapter is sold separately). Combined with the HDMI 2.0 port and the Mini DisplayPort, there are three video outputs in total. There is also a combined audio jack, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a cable lock slot. The Legion does not have a card reader at its disposal.

We are particularly unhappy with the lack of a Thunderbolt 3 port, which should come standard on a gaming laptop at this price. It could have been used for a more powerful, external GPU for example. Unlike the Y540-17IRH, the Legion Y740-17ICH does offer Thunderbolt 3.

The ports have been distributed across all three sides. Good: There is at least one USB port on each side. The ports on the right and left of the device have been placed farther towards the back. Thanks to this, it is unlikely for cables to interfere with mouse movements.

Left: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), combined audio jack
Left: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), combined audio jack
Right: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), one-key recovery button
Right: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), one-key recovery button
Back: Cable lock slot, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-C), Mini Displayport 1.4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, AC adapter
Back: Cable lock slot, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-C), Mini Displayport 1.4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, AC adapter

Communication

The Wi-Fi module of the Y540 contains an Intel chip (Wireless-AC 9560). Aside from 802.11a/b/g/n, it also supports the faster Wi-Fi standard ac. Furthermore, it is responsible for providing Bluetooth 5 functionality. Under optimal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices in close proximity, small distance between laptop and server PC), we measured good data transfer rates. A Gigabit Ethernet connection from Realtek's well-known RTL8168/8111 family handles wired networking. There were no issues with it during our testing.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (865 - 1412, n=12, last 2 years)
1078 MBit/s +58%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
684 MBit/s
Dell G7 17 7790
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
678 MBit/s -1%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
676 MBit/s -1%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
670 MBit/s -2%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
605 MBit/s -12%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
328 (311min - 338max) MBit/s -52%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (708 - 1700, n=12, last 2 years)
1310 MBit/s +93%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
690 MBit/s +1%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
689 MBit/s +1%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
680 MBit/s
Dell G7 17 7790
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
653 MBit/s -4%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
599 MBit/s -12%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
353 (343min - 359max) MBit/s -48%

Accessories

The Legion's packaging contains the usual paperwork: A quick-start guide and warranty information. There is also a short SATA flat ribbon cable, which is required for the installation of a 2.5-inch drive.

Maintenance

The Y540 provides users with a maintenance hatch, which allows for easy access to the SSD, 2.5-inch bay as well as the RAM. The system memory is covered by an additional metal plate. The hatch can only be opened after unscrewing two screws. Afterwards, it can be removed. In order to access the fans, Wi-Fi module and battery, the entire bottom shell has to be removed. Although this is not very difficult in and of itself, a lot of screws have to be removed in the process. Afterwards, the bottom plates can be dislodged with the help of a sharp edge.

Warranty

Lenovo offers its customers a warranty period of two years. There are options to increase the scope and the length of the warranty. Three years of on-site warranty can be purchased for just below 60 Euros (~$67), for example.

Lenovo offers various options for extending/expanding the warranty
Lenovo offers various options for extending/expanding the warranty

Input Devices - Backlit Keyboard

Keyboard

The Y540 is equipped with a chiclet keyboard. The keys have been designed in typical Lenovo fashion: The user-facing sides of the keys are not straight but are curved. The keys offer medium travel and a distinct feedback. We liked the key resistance as well - although this is a matter of personal preference. Typing depresses the keyboard slightly; this did not end up interfering with the workflow however. As opposed to the Y740-17ICH (RGB lighting), the Y540-17IRH's keyboard backlight is monochromatic and white. There are two brightness levels which can be controlled via a function key. All in all, this is a solid keyboard from Lenovo that works well during daily use.

Touchpad

The multi-touch enabled touchpad extends itself over an area of about 10.2 x 5.2 cm (4.02 x 2.05 in). Thus, there is more than enough space for gestures. The smooth surface has good gliding properties. The pad responds precisely to inputs all the way to the edges. Below the touchpad, there are two dedicated mouse buttons. They offer short travel and a distinct haptic, as well as audible feedback.

Input devices
Input devices

Display - 144-Hz IPS

The 17.3-inch display of the Legion has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. While the contrast ratio is good (1.505:1), the brightness is somewhat low (282 nits). For the latter, a value of 300 nits and above is considered good. Within our comparison, the MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD's display was able to clearly set itself apart from the competition with a brightness level of almost 400 nits.

The 144-Hz panel inside of the Y540 has fast response times overall. However, this discipline once again favors the display of the MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD - and in this case also that of the Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8. The competing 144-Hz models are able to achieve even lower response times. Good: The display of the Legion does not exhibit PWM flickering.

283
cd/m²
295
cd/m²
302
cd/m²
271
cd/m²
286
cd/m²
288
cd/m²
263
cd/m²
275
cd/m²
273
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B173HAN04.4 (AUO449D) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 302 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 281.8 cd/m² Minimum: 2 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 286 cd/m²
Contrast: 1505:1 (Black: 0.19 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.57 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.31
ΔE Greyscale 4.51 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
70.7% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
69% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.36
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
AU Optronics B173HAN04.4 (AUO449D), IPS, 1920x1080
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
LG Philips LP173WFG-SPB1 (LGD0615), IPS, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
AU Optronics B173HAN03.2, IPS, 1920x1080
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
Chi Mei N173HCE-G33 (CMN175C), IPS, 1920x1080
Dell G7 17 7790
AU Optronics AUO409D, B173HAN, IPS, 1920x1080
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
Chi Mei CMN1747, TN, 1920x1080
Display
-6%
-8%
-6%
-10%
17%
Display P3 Coverage
69
64.4
-7%
64
-7%
63.4
-8%
61.9
-10%
89.9
30%
sRGB Coverage
98.3
95.6
-3%
90.4
-8%
94.9
-3%
89.6
-9%
100
2%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
70.7
65.6
-7%
64.8
-8%
65.1
-8%
63.2
-11%
85.1
20%
Response Times
23%
7%
44%
5%
44%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
18 ?(8.4, 9.6)
14.4 ?(7.6, 6.8)
20%
15.6 ?(8, 7.6)
13%
8 ?(4, 4)
56%
17.2 ?(7.6, 9.6)
4%
9 ?(5, 4)
50%
Response Time Black / White *
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
25%
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
-0%
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
31%
12 ?(6.8, 5.2)
6%
8 ?(6, 2)
37%
PWM Frequency
25510 ?(17)
25000 ?(20)
Screen
-1%
-34%
6%
-22%
-47%
Brightness middle
286
329
15%
299.1
5%
420
47%
308.6
8%
326
14%
Brightness
282
286
1%
273
-3%
393
39%
299
6%
309
10%
Brightness Distribution
87
79
-9%
81
-7%
91
5%
92
6%
82
-6%
Black Level *
0.19
0.3
-58%
0.27
-42%
0.32
-68%
0.29
-53%
0.27
-42%
Contrast
1505
1097
-27%
1108
-26%
1313
-13%
1064
-29%
1207
-20%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.57
2.52
29%
5.07
-42%
3.04
15%
4.26
-19%
9.11
-155%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.5
6.9
8%
10.55
-41%
7.22
4%
7.83
-4%
14.14
-89%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.31
1.31
-0%
3.31
-153%
0.89
32%
2.93
-124%
2.62
-100%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.51
2.98
34%
6.8
-51%
3.91
13%
5
-11%
11.17
-148%
Gamma
2.36 93%
2.38 92%
2.46 89%
2.26 97%
2.07 106%
2.28 96%
CCT
7411 88%
6738 96%
7805 83%
7138 91%
7488 87%
12475 52%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
64
60
-6%
58.5
-9%
60
-6%
57.8
-10%
76
19%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98
95
-3%
89.9
-8%
95
-3%
89.2
-9%
100
2%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
5% / 1%
-12% / -24%
15% / 8%
-9% / -16%
5% / -24%

* ... smaller is better

Ex-factory, the Legion's screen already represents colors rather well. At 3.57, its DeltaE-2000 only narrowly misses the ideal threshold (DeltaE of 3 or less). That being said, the display exhibits a faint blue tint. With calibration, the color representation can be improved. We have tried it and achieved the following results: The color deviation was lowered to 1.31, the blue tint disappeared and the grayscale is represented much more accurately as well. The Legion is unable to achieve full color-space coverage of either AdobeRGB or sRGB. The achieved color-space coverage relative to the standards is 64% (AdobeRGB) and 98% (sRGB).

The color representation of the screen can be improved with the help of our color profile, which stems from our calibration. It is important to determine in advance whether the installed display (manufacturer + model number) matches that of our test device. Otherwise, the color accuracy may decrease instead of increase. Frequently, OEMs use displays from a few different screen manufacturers within one laptop line.

CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
Legion Y540-17IRH vs sRGB (98%)
Legion Y540-17IRH vs sRGB (98%)
Subpixel array
Subpixel array
Screen bleeding
Screen bleeding
Legion Y540-17IRH vs AdobeRGB (64%)
Legion Y540-17IRH vs AdobeRGB (64%)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
12.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7.6 ms rise
↘ 5.2 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 28 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
18 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 8.4 ms rise
↘ 9.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 26 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The Lenovo laptop is equipped with an IPS panel with wide viewing angles. Due to this, the screen can be read from every position. Outdoors, screen content is only recognizable if the sun does not shine too brightly.

The Legion outdoors (picture taken in bright, direct sunlight)
The Legion outdoors (picture taken in bright, direct sunlight)
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - Core i5 in Full Force

With the Y540-17IRH, Lenovo has a 17.3-inch gaming laptop in store. It runs all current titles smoothly and does well in terms of other usage scenarios as well. The configuration of our test device can be purchased for around 1,400 Euros (~$1,561). Various other configurations are also available. The cheapest model currently costs just below 1,100 Euros (~$1,226) and comes with a GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. By contrast, more expensive models are fitted with a GeForce RTX 2060 graphics unit.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
LatencyMon
 
 

Testing Conditions

The preinstalled software Lenovo Vantage offers multiple settings, including a temperature-based mode. It controls fan usage and the performance level of the CPU. The available modes are "quiet", "balanced" and "performance". We performed our tests using the "balanced" mode. The profile "performance" did not cause a boost in performance. In "balanced" mode, the CPU's capabilities are already fully exhausted. This may not be the case for Legion models with six-core processors.

Since the UHD Graphics 630 GPU, which is integrated into the processor, is disabled ex-factory, we left it disabled during our tests as well. This leads to the GeForce GPU being permanently active. However, the iGPU can be enabled via the BIOS or the Lenovo Vantage software. Thereafter, the laptop uses Nvidia's graphics-switching technology, Optimus - this becomes particularly apparent when it comes to the battery life, which we will show at a later stage in this test.

Note: After first enabling the hybrid mode, a graphics driver has to be installed via Windows Update following a reboot of the laptop.

iGPU disabled
iGPU disabled
iGPU enabled
iGPU enabled
BIOS setting
BIOS setting

Processor

The Legion Y540 is powered by the four-core processor Core i5-9300H (Coffee Lake). Thus, the Legion lacks two CPU cores compared to the other devices in our comparison. In turn, our configuration of the Legion is more than 200 Euros (~$223) cheaper. The 9300H processor has a base clock of 2.4 GHz. The clock rate can be turbo boosted to up to 4 GHz (four cores) or 4.1 GHz (one core).

The processor completes the multithread tests of the CineBench benchmarks at 4 GHz and the single-thread tests at 4 to 4.1 GHz. Both values correspond to tests while on mains. In battery mode, the CPU frequency reaches 2.4 GHz (multithread) or between 3.5 and 4.1 GHz (single-thread).

Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
GPU stress
GPU stress

By running the CineBench R15 multithread benchmarks in a loop for at least 30 minutes, we determine whether the CPU turbo is consistently active while on mains. The results were on a consistently steady level. Here, the turbo boost is in full force - this is not a standard result by any means.

Due to the lower core count, it is unsurprising for the Legion to fall far behind its competition. On the other hand, the Legion achieves the best result by far among the Core i5-9300H laptops we have tested to date. We have included the results of two 9300H laptops in the following graph.

065130195260325390455520585650715780845910975104011051170Tooltip
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH Intel Core i5-9300H, Intel Core i5-9300H: Ø844 (814.1-850.74)
SCHENKER XMG Core 17 Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1010 (998.28-1099.87)
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1139 (1122.59-1232.82)
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1125 (1112.04-1191.93)
Dell G7 17 7790 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1081 (1056.8-1189.87)
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1041 (976.49-1204.86)
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng Intel Core i5-9300H, Intel Core i5-9300H: Ø748 (730.55-769.02)
Acer Aspire Nitro 5 AN515-54-53Z2 Intel Core i5-9300H, Intel Core i5-9300H: Ø707 (700.72-757)
CPU clock during the CineBench 15 loop
CPU clock during the CineBench 15 loop
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6421
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
25656
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
12878
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
171 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
850 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
112.6 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=245, last 2 years)
265 Points +55%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H
191 Points +12%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
180 Points +5%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
171 Points
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
Intel Core i7-8750H
170 Points -1%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
167 Points -2%
Dell G7 17 7790
Intel Core i7-8750H
164 Points -4%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=246, last 2 years)
2988 Points +252%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H
1233 Points +45%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1205 Points +42%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H
1191 Points +40%
Dell G7 17 7790
Intel Core i7-8750H
1183 Points +39%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
1100 Points +29%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
850 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (5847 - 15819, n=24, last 2 years)
9035 Points +41%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
6895 Points +7%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
6421 Points
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (35806 - 112749, n=24, last 2 years)
59061 Points +130%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
32729 Points +28%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
25656 Points
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (169 - 855, n=241, last 2 years)
689 Points +61%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
441 Points +3%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
427 Points
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (930 - 13769, n=241, last 2 years)
7164 Points +282%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
2434 Points +30%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
1877 Points
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
22548 Points +40%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
16101 Points
32 Bit Single-Core Score
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
4428 Points +8%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
4109 Points
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (27071 - 71700, n=28, last 2 years)
47975 Points +178%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
21933 Points +27%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
17288 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Gaming
  (5812 - 8936, n=28, last 2 years)
7514 Points +48%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
5438 Points +7%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H
5072 Points
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H (Edge 44)
1110 ms *
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1107 ms * -0%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
1099 ms * +1%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H
1058 ms * +5%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)
1049 ms * +5%
Average of class Gaming
  (421 - 882, n=218, last 2 years)
526 ms * +53%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming
  (66558 - 111243, n=51, last 2 years)
90966 Points +177%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H
38007 Points +16%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)
37119 Points +13%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
35446 Points +8%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
Intel Core i7-8750H
33194 Points +1%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H (Edge 44)
32804 Points
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming
  (356 - 639, n=27, last 2 years)
478 Points +103%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)
270.4 Points +15%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H
262.8 Points +12%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
252.1 Points +7%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
Intel Core i7-8750H
251.4 Points +7%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
Intel Core i5-9300H (Edge 44)
234.9 Points

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

A quick glance at the PCMark results illustrates quickly that the Legion does not lack computation power. Thanks to the four-core processor, dual-channel memory and the fast NVMe SSD, the system runs smoothly and swiftly. An upper mid-range GPU compliments the ensemble and runs all current PC games smoothly.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 7 Score
7284 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4818 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5506 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5138 points
PCMark 10 Score
5613 points
Help
PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (4477 - 9852, n=206, last 2 years)
7540 Points +34%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
6053 Points +8%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
5657 Points +1%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5613 Points
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
5440 Points -3%
Dell G7 17 7790
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
5279 Points -6%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
5049 Points -10%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=37, last 2 years)
5218 Points +8%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5107 Points +6%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4818 Points
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
4401 Points -9%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
4231 Points -12%
Dell G7 17 7790
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
4010 Points -17%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
Points -100%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=36, last 2 years)
6071 Points +18%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5882 Points +14%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
5697 Points +11%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
5636 Points +10%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
5340 Points +4%
Dell G7 17 7790
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
5315 Points +3%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5138 Points

Storage Solution

Lenovo has opted for a Western Digital NVMe SSD for the Y540. It is an M.2 2242 model with 512 GB of storage space. Ex-factory, about 440 GB is available to users. The remaining space is occupied by a recovery partition and the windows installation. While the transfer rates are relatively fast, the installed model is not one of the top SSDs on the market. It is evident that the SSD is only connected through two PCI Express lanes. That being said, the Legion supports SSDs, which are connected via four lanes, as well. The achieved transfer rates of these models are consequently higher.

Moreover, users have the option to install an additional 2.5-inch storage medium (SSD/HDD). The required SATA cable is included in the original packaging and the installation frame is located on the inside of the device.

An NVMe SSD serves as the system's main drive
An NVMe SSD serves as the system's main drive
An additional 2.5-inch storage device can be installed
An additional 2.5-inch storage device can be installed
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Sequential Read: 1300 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1248 MB/s
512K Read: 530 MB/s
512K Write: 670 MB/s
4K Read: 29.63 MB/s
4K Write: 130.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 571 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 497.4 MB/s
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
Dell G7 17 7790
Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
42%
39%
-22%
-32%
4%
Write 4K
105.1
99.3
-6%
99.8
-5%
105.8
1%
78.6
-25%
104.7
0%
Read 4K
34.41
38.47
12%
40.81
19%
27.89
-19%
31.89
-7%
37.39
9%
Write Seq
1298
1449
12%
1385
7%
270.8
-79%
230.4
-82%
866
-33%
Read Seq
1099
1237
13%
2089
90%
879
-20%
925
-16%
944
-14%
Write 4K Q32T1
335.7
364.4
9%
380
13%
273.3
-19%
159.1
-53%
293.3
-13%
Read 4K Q32T1
231.4
421.9
82%
445.5
93%
361.2
56%
315.6
36%
374.3
62%
Write Seq Q32T1
1454
3276
125%
1380
-5%
253
-83%
230.7
-84%
1064
-27%
Read Seq Q32T1
1740
3338
92%
3471
99%
1505
-14%
1323
-24%
2616
50%

GPU Performance

Lenovo's 17.3-inch device is equipped with a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU from Nvidia. While it is based on the Turing architecture - and as opposed to the RTX 2000 series Turing GPUs - it does not offer ray-tracing capabilities or tensor cores. In the 3DMark benchmarks, the GPU achieved results that can be considered normal. Here, the GTX 1660 Ti scores higher than the GTX 1060 and not too far below the GTX 1070. In battery mode, around one third of the graphics power is accessible.

The GPU supports DirectX 12 and has a base clock of 1,455 MHz. If needed, this frequency can be boosted to up to 1,590 MHz. As long as the GPU stays below a certain temperature and/or energy consumption threshold, the performance can be increased even further. We registered a maximum of 1,845 MHz, for example, although this frequency was only maintained for a short period of time. During our benchmarks, we observed an average operating speed of 1,710 MHz. Our The Witcher 3 test was completed at 1,650 MHz. Meanwhile, the GPU has access to fast GDDR6 graphics memory (6.144 GB).

The UHD Graphics 630, which is integrated into the processor, is not active. Thus, the laptop does not use Nvidia's graphics-switching technology, Optimus, ex-factory. As mentioned earlier however, the iGPU can be enabled through the BIOS or the Lenovo Vantage software.

Sky Diver
Sky Diver
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark 06 Standard Score
36563 points
3DMark 11 Performance
16162 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
139756 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
29390 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
12263 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
5467 points
Help
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=248, last 2 years)
29013 Points +105%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
18520 Points +31%
Dell G7 17 7790
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
17466 Points +23%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
15088 Points +6%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
14537 Points +2%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
14186 Points
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
11752 Points -17%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=246, last 2 years)
11809 Points +111%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
7202 Points +29%
Dell G7 17 7790
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6695 Points +20%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
5657 Points +1%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
5590 Points
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
5464 Points -2%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=244, last 2 years)
39642 Points +101%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
25765 Points +31%
Dell G7 17 7790
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
22523 Points +14%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
20181 Points +2%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
19733 Points
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
19156 Points -3%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
14534 Points -26%

Gaming Performance

The CPU-GPU combination of the Y540-17IRH is able to run all of the games in our database smoothly. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the full native resolution (Full HD) can be selected. A lot is possible in terms of the quality settings as well. Typically, high to maximum detail settings can be used. The GPU is only suitable for resolutions above Full HD (for which an external display is necessary) in a limited capacity. At these respective resolutions, the quality settings consequently have to be adjusted downwards.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=243, last 2 years)
114.3 fps +107%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H
73.1 fps +33%
Dell G7 17 7790
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
64.7 fps +17%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
57.6 (46min) fps +5%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H
55.1 fps
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
53.3 fps -3%
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
24 fps -56%
BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H
161.5 fps +17%
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
142.2 fps +3%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H
138 fps
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
136.2 fps -1%
Dell G7 17 7790
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
133.6 fps -3%
For Honor - 1920x1080 Extreme Preset AA:T AF:16x
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
93.1 fps +1%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H
92.6 fps
Far Cry New Dawn - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset
Average of class Gaming
  (67 - 131, n=6, last 2 years)
97 fps +29%
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
78 fps +4%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H
75 fps
F1 2019 - 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
92 fps +1%
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H
91 fps
Total War: Three Kingdoms - 1920x1080 Ultra (incl textures)
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H
46.1 (29min - 54max) fps

In order to determine whether the frame rates stay largely consistent over a longer period of time, we ran The Witcher 3 at Full HD and at the highest quality settings for about 60 minutes. During the entire time, the main playable character is not moved. We did not experience a sudden drop in terms of frame rates.

051015202530354045505560657075Tooltip
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i5-9300H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G: Ø55.1 (51-58)
SCHENKER XMG Core 17 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB: Ø54.5 (52-58)
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ: Ø69.7 (63-76)
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1: Ø58.4 (50-62)
Dell G7 17 7790 GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G: Ø60.8 (54-65)
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7: Ø29 (2-31)
GPU readings during The Witcher 3 test
GPU readings during The Witcher 3 test
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 313.9 284.2 265.6 138
The Witcher 3 (2015) 264 185 109.6 55.1
For Honor (2017) 245.1 126.1 120.4 92.6
Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) 150.6 88.7 82.6 47.8
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 129 78.1 55.4
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 91.5 83.6 71
Far Cry 5 (2018) 117 90 84 83
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 106 86 83 75
Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) 202.9 101.5 63.9 46.1
F1 2019 (2019) 210 154 131 91

Emissions - A Lot of Noise under Load

System Noise

The two installed fans do not spin up to very high speeds during idle and under lighter loads. We registered a sound pressure level of between 32 and 34 dB(A). Ideally, fans are switched off under these conditions for completely silent operation. Under medium and high loads, fan noise ramps up very noticeably. During our stress test, for example, we were able to record a sound pressure level of 52 dB(A). During gaming, it is only marginally quieter: During our The Witcher 3 test, this value drops to 50 dB(A). Due to this, gaming is no fun without a headset.

Noise level during idle
Noise level during idle
Noise level under load
Noise level under load
Noise level of the speaker
Noise level of the speaker

Noise Level

Idle
30 / 32 / 34 dB(A)
Load
44 / 52 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30 dB(A)
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Dell G7 17 7790
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
-1%
9%
-5%
10%
1%
10%
off / environment *
30
30
-0%
28.3
6%
29
3%
28.2
6%
30.5
-2%
24.1 ?(19.5 - 29.9, n=192, last 2 years)
20%
Idle Minimum *
30
30
-0%
31.5
-5%
29
3%
28.6
5%
32.1
-7%
25.6 ?(21.9 - 41.6, n=193, last 2 years)
15%
Idle Average *
32
32
-0%
31.6
1%
34
-6%
28.6
11%
32.1
-0%
27.4 ?(21.9 - 42.1, n=193, last 2 years)
14%
Idle Maximum *
34
35
-3%
31.6
7%
37
-9%
28.6
16%
32.3
5%
30.8 ?(21.9 - 47, n=193, last 2 years)
9%
Load Average *
44
47
-7%
32.3
27%
53
-20%
31.8
28%
42.9
2%
43.2 ?(25.2 - 62.9, n=193, last 2 years)
2%
Witcher 3 ultra *
50
48
4%
43
14%
51
-2%
50.6
-1%
Load Maximum *
52
51
2%
45.5
12%
55
-6%
50.8
2%
48.8
6%
53.3 ?(42.1 - 68.2, n=193, last 2 years)
-3%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

The Legion performs differently in our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark ran for at least an hour) depending on whether it runs in battery mode or on mains. On mains, the processor runs at 2.9 to 3 GHz, while the graphics chip runs at 1,395 MHz. In battery mode, these values drop to 1.7 to 1.8 GHz (CPU) or 1,500 to 1,800 MHz (GPU). The stress test is an extreme case that does not occur during daily use. We use this test to determine whether the system is stable under full load.

The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Stress test
Stress test
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)

The bottom becomes particularly warm during stress. During the stress tests, we recorded temperatures in excess of 50 °C (122° F) in multiple spots. During our The Witcher 3 test, the temperatures remained slightly lower (we ran the game at Full HD resolution and maximum quality settings). In either case, using the laptop in the literal sense (on your lap) would be ill-advised. During idle, we recorded temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) in multiple locations. This can be attributed to the GeForce GPU, which is permanently active. Idle temperatures are lower when the integrated GPU is enabled.

Max. Load
 46 °C
115 F
48 °C
118 F
42 °C
108 F
 
 45 °C
113 F
48 °C
118 F
40 °C
104 F
 
 37 °C
99 F
40 °C
104 F
32 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 48 °C = 118 F
Average: 42 °C = 108 F
53 °C
127 F
56 °C
133 F
49 °C
120 F
51 °C
124 F
55 °C
131 F
47 °C
117 F
40 °C
104 F
40 °C
104 F
30 °C
86 F
Maximum: 56 °C = 133 F
Average: 46.8 °C = 116 F
Power Supply (max.)  47 °C = 117 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 42 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48 °C / 118 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 56 °C / 133 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.6 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 39.8 °C / 104 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 40 °C / 104 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-11.1 °C / -20 F).
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Dell G7 17 7790
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Heat
9%
17%
16%
4%
26%
10%
Maximum Upper Side *
48
47
2%
38.6
20%
45
6%
46.6
3%
35
27%
46.3 ?(28.2 - 61, n=192, last 2 years)
4%
Maximum Bottom *
56
50
11%
43.6
22%
42
25%
57
-2%
34.3
39%
49.7 ?(30 - 66.3, n=192, last 2 years)
11%
Idle Upper Side *
36
34
6%
30.2
16%
30
17%
34.4
4%
30.1
16%
31.5 ?(21.2 - 43, n=192, last 2 years)
12%
Idle Bottom *
38
32
16%
35
8%
32
16%
34.6
9%
30.5
20%
32.7 ?(22.6 - 45, n=192, last 2 years)
14%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

The stereo speakers of the Legion are located on the user-facing side of the base unit. As opposed to the Y740-17IRH, the Y540-17IRH is not equipped with a subwoofer. The sound from the speakers is more than satisfactory, although they lack bass. For a better audio experience, external speakers or headphones have to be used.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.337.42538.242.33130.933.84034.434.55029.730.96326.432.58026.129.410025.529.312529.238.616026.350.420023.157.825020.968.231520.16840019.270.750019.272.263018.473.380017.875.8100017.672.6125018.274.4160017.973.6200017.572.7250017.773.5315017.773.1400017.668500017.668.5630017.666.5800017.767.71000017.6571250017.463.11600017.458SPL30.284N1.462.1median 17.8median 68.2Delta1.47.139.238.435.535.636.836.436.436.835.73635.536.933.634.732.933.132.331.830.635.531.54530.556.829.465.729.374.328.77328.665.228.866.229.865.628.470.528.470.328.265.927.966.42863.22867.427.767.427.567.427.467.927.464.527.359.827.248.640.479.93.849.7median 28.4median 65.70.76.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo Legion Y540-17IRHLenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 33% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 19% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.1% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (16.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 82% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 65% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 28% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - Enabling the iGPU Increases Runtimes

Energy Consumption

During idle, the Legion reveals itself to be very demanding with an energy consumption of 30 watts. This, again, can be traced back to the permanently active GeForce GPU. The consumption can be reduced substantially by activating the integrated GPU (the steps for which we detailed above). From our experience, this could realistically reduce the aforementioned values by 5 to 10 watts. During the stress tests, the energy consumption can reach up to 201 watts. During gaming, the consumption reaches more modest levels: While running our The Witcher 3 test, we recorded a value of 134 watts. The power adapter is rated for 230 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.5 / 0.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 19 / 22 / 30 Watt
Load midlight 79 / 201 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
Dell G7 17 7790
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
20%
-6%
12%
11%
28%
-3%
Idle Minimum *
19
10
47%
20.2
-6%
10
47%
9.5
50%
9.3
51%
13.8 ?(2 - 64, n=189, last 2 years)
27%
Idle Average *
22
13
41%
27.2
-24%
15
32%
16.2
26%
14.8
33%
19 ?(6.5 - 67, n=189, last 2 years)
14%
Idle Maximum *
30
21
30%
28.7
4%
22
27%
23.8
21%
22
27%
26.6 ?(9 - 101.1, n=189, last 2 years)
11%
Load Average *
79
89
-13%
90.8
-15%
92
-16%
101.7
-29%
63
20%
112 ?(32.1 - 202, n=189, last 2 years)
-42%
Witcher 3 ultra *
134
128
4%
152.1
-14%
153
-14%
155
-16%
Load Maximum *
201
177
12%
165.4
18%
216
-7%
172.2
14%
187
7%
250 ?(64.5 - 418, n=188, last 2 years)
-24%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our Wi-Fi test, which aims to mirror real-world conditions, the Legion reached a runtime of 3:40 h. In this test, we simulate stress in a web-browsing scenario. The "balanced" profile is set to active and the display brightness to about 150 nits. The 17.3-inch laptop completed our video test after 3:22 h. The video test consists of a loop of the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.264 encoding, 1920x1080 pixels). Here, the profile "energy saver" is active, the wireless module disabled and the display brightness adjusted to 150 nits.

By activating the integrated GPU, runtimes can be increased. After doing so, the Legion ran for 5:22 h in our Wi-Fi test and for 5:34 h in our video test.

The battery has a capacity of 57 Wh
The battery has a capacity of 57 Wh
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
5h 11min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44, iGPU on)
5h 22min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44, iGPU off)
3h 40min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
3h 22min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 08min
Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH
i5-9300H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 57 Wh
SCHENKER XMG Core 17
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 46.74 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
MSI GP75 Leopard 9SD
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, 51 Wh
Dell G7 17 7790
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 60 Wh
Gigabyte Sabre 17-W8
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 62 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
39%
-14%
-22%
49%
40%
66%
Reader / Idle
311
486
56%
286
-8%
511
64%
411
32%
548 ?(57 - 1290, n=90, last 2 years)
76%
H.264
202
316
56%
320
58%
392 ?(56 - 747, n=97, last 2 years)
94%
WiFi v1.3
220
279
27%
190
-14%
190
-14%
236
7%
321
46%
365 ?(57 - 745, n=190, last 2 years)
66%
Load
68
80
18%
38
-44%
119
75%
84
24%
85.5 ?(36 - 173, n=153, last 2 years)
26%

Pros

+ matte IPS display
+ 144-Hz panel
+ NVMe SSD
+ 2.5-inch drive bay
+ backlit keys
+ hardware performs well
+ iGPU can be enabled/disabled

Cons

- loud fans under load
- no Thunderbolt 3

Verdict

The Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH (81Q4002DGE), courtesy of:
The Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH (81Q4002DGE), courtesy of:

With the Legion Y540-17IRH, Lenovo delivers a mid-range 17.3-inch gaming laptop. The installed combination of Core i5-9300H CPU and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU is more than capable of displaying current titles smoothly. In most games, Full HD resolution and high to maxed-out settings can be selected. The processor is particularly impressive, since it is able to maintain its full Turbo Boost indefinitely.

Thanks to the installed NVMe SSD, the system runs quickly and smoothly. However, it is not one of the fastest models due to its PCI Express x2 interface. Since the laptop has an easy-to-use maintenance hatch, exchanging the SSD for a faster model is no problem. Furthermore, users have the option to install an additional 2.5-inch drive.

Handy: The integrated GPU can be enabled and disabled with just one click.

The 144-Hz IPS screen shines in our tests thanks to its short response times, wide viewing angles, good contrast and good color representation. While the luminosity of the display is still decent, it could be better in light of the laptop's pricing. The chiclet keyboard is well-suited to daily use. Good: The keyboard is backlit, although there is no RGB lighting. The port selection is fairly large. We regret the absence of a Thunderbolt 3 port, however.

Battery life is nothing special ex-factory. However, it can be increased substantially by enabling the more economical, integrated GPU. This can be done via Lenovo's preinstalled Vantage software or through the BIOS. In our Wi-Fi test, we were able to increase the runtime from 3:40 h to 5:22 h.

Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH - 05/14/2020 v7
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
73 / 98 → 74%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
56 / 80 → 70%
Weight
58 / 10-66 → 86%
Battery
54 / 95 → 57%
Display
85%
Games Performance
91%
Application Performance
89%
Temperature
80 / 95 → 85%
Noise
75 / 90 → 83%
Audio
78%
Camera
43 / 85 → 50%
Average
73%
82%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 6 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo Legion Y540-17IRH in Review: Mid-Range Gamer Makes Full Use of its Core i5
Sascha Mölck, 2019-07-28 (Update: 2019-08- 1)