Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Gen 6 (2021, Intel) review

Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Gen 6: the value pick of the 2021 gaming shelf

The Legion 5i Pro Gen 6 (2021, Intel) at $590 carries an Intel Core i5 11400H, an RTX 3050 Mobile with 4GB of VRAM, and 32GB of memory. Five years on, its sheet has settled into a specific and useful identity: one of the highest value scores in this batch, attached to a perfectly ordinary gaming platform of its year.

Where it holds up

Photo design posts 92 — top band — as the strongest absolute axis, the pattern the verdict's "balanced profile" label describes. Value at 81.95 is the second-highest figure in this batch, a whisker behind the Legion 7i Gen 6's 82.4, gaming at 74 (high) and performance at 72.78 (high) hold their bands, and the recommended-bar checks pass for Overwatch, GTA V, Rainbow Six Siege, Photoshop and Visual Studio Code. The 2.3kg weight sits just under the class median — rare among this batch's Legion listings.

Where it falls short

The verdict names no dominant strength, and the graphics score of 78.49 sits exactly at the class median — a 2021 mainstream card aging precisely as expected. Memory is the named weakness: 32GB against a 64GB median, half the modern norm. Portability at 27.7 (low) is the 16-inch gaming tax, and modeling and CAD at 59 (mid) cap the professional ceiling.

Price and depreciation

At $590 the class rate reads 13.44% per year with no cohort anchor for a projection — rate-only framing for 2021 gaming hardware. The arithmetic favors the buyer: five years of the steep part are done, the value index sits near the top of the batch, and the remaining exposure applies to a small base.

Alternatives to consider

The Legion 7i Gen 6 at the same $590 upgrades the card to an RTX 3060 6GB with a 93-band photo score — $0 for a tier more graphics. The Legion 5i Pro Gen 7 at $147 more refreshes to a 12500H while posting the same photo band; the newer platform is worth it only for the CPU year.

Bottom line

Fairly priced for the class. The 5i Pro Gen 6 is the value-first pick of the vintage gaming shelf — the batch's second-best value figure, top-band photo design and every recommended bar passing — an ordinary 2021 platform priced the way ordinary 2021 platforms should be.