Lenovo launches LOQ gaming laptops aimed at budget-conscious gamers

Lenovo today announced its new LOQ line of gaming laptops. Featuring solid mid-range gaming chops, the LOQ (pronounced "lock") laptops have reasonably affordable prices to get the hardware into the hands of new and experienced gamers alike.

The LOQ 15IRH8 and 15APH8 each have 15-inch WQHD (2560x1440) IPS displays with 165 Hz variable refresh rates, 100% sRGB coverage, G-SYNC support, and a backlight rated at 250 nits. The 15APH8, being the AMD-based variant, supports AMD FreeSync as well. The 15IRH8 can be configured with up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700H processor, while the 15APH8 boasts up to an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU.

Both 15-inchers can be purchased with up to 16 GB of 5600 MHz DDR5 RAM, up to 1 TB of PCIe Gen4 storage, and up to an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU. Both machines are powered by a 60 Wh battery that can be charged via USB-C (up to 140W) or a dedicated 170W or 230 W slim adapter, based on the configuration. Port selection includes a single USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, an RJ45 Ethernet jack, and a headset jack. The Intel variant has an extra USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) port, while the AMD model has a USB-A 2.0 (480 Mbps) port. 

The LOQ 16IRH8 and 16APH8 are 16-inch laptops with WQXGA (2560x1600) 16:10 IPS screens with the same 165 Hz variable refresh rate, G-Sync support, and backlight as their respective 15-inch brothers. Other internal specifications are the same as the smaller LOQ laptops, save for an increased 80 Wh battery. Port selection on the 16-inch LOQ laptops mirrors each respective 15-inch LOQ device.

Each LOQ laptop listed above will feature a MUX switch (when configured with an Nvidia GPU) to better handle graphics switching via Nvidia Advanced Optimus. This means that the laptop can activate the Nvidia dGPU while gaming or doing graphically demanding work and then switch back to the energy-efficient iGPU for improved battery life when unplugged.

The Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ 16IRH8 will be available in April 2023 for US$899.99 and May 2023 for $1,149.99 respectively. The LOQ 15APH8 and LOQ 16APH8 are expected to be available in May 2023 for $899.99 and June 2023 for $1,149.99, respectively.