Lenovo has revealed two new gaming laptop models designed as an entry level point into the hobby. These new Lenovo LOQ Essential laptops “sit at the most accessible end of the LOQ lineup” with specs that don’t really catch the eye for the seasoned gamer, but they do have GPUs designed to run games and other graphics-intensive apps.
The two new Lenovo LOQ Essential laptops are specced with two different philosophies. One by making use of an SOC configuration where the CPU, GPU and RAM are essentially one component. The other is a more conventional setup with discrete GPU, CPU and RAM config.
The first of the two is the Lenovo LOQ Essential 15IPH11. The word “Essential” in the name is essential to identify this, as there’s another Lenovo LOQ 15IPH11 already in the market.
This entry-level gaming laptop is powered by an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chip, which includes an integrated GPU (IGPU) in the form of an Intel Arc B390. As such, this laptop has access to Intel Arc graphics tech including Intel XeSS upscaling and hardware-based ray tracing. It also includes an NPU, if you’re into local AI processing.
Memory is unified in this config, so the GPU doesn’t have VRAM so it’ll be making use of any available RAM. However, the maximum RAM available is capped at 16GB at this configuration. It runs faster than the usual DDR5 RAM—it’s using LPDDR5x, the kind of RAM that is soldered on to the board. That said, Lenovo says there are RAM and SSD slots for future upgrades on this laptop.
Having this integrated setup means this laptop can run cooler thanks to less power draw required which in turn reduces thermal load. How much cooler it runs compared to a typical discrete GPU laptop setup requires independent testing, but on paper it does checks out.
The Lenovo LOQ Essential 15IPH11 does have 1-Zone RGB on its keyboard, which uses TrueStrike switches as seen in the Lenovo Legion ones (membrane-based, but feels more tactile and precise) so that qualifies it as a gaming laptop.
The other new laptop is the Lenovo LOQ Essential 15IRH11. This is a more conventional setup for a gaming laptop, packing an Intel Core 7 230H and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop CPU and GPU combo, with up to 32GB in DDR5 RAM capacity. It lacks the full RGB for its keyboard. It also only has a 720p webcam when the 15IPH11 is equipped with QHD webcam. That’s the compromises the 15IRH11 had to make to get a dedicated GPU in there, and even then, it’s two generations old by now (the latest Nvidia cards are of the RTX 50 Series, and this one comes with an RTX 30 Series card, which still can run modern games, but it is quite old.)
Outside of those specific differences, the two new Lenovo LOQ Essential laptops each will have a 15.3-inch 1920×1200 16:10 165Hz IPS display, up to 1TB of M.2 2242 PCIe SSD and Windows 11 installed.
New Lenovo LOQ Essential Laptops Specs
Bold indicates differences in spec
Lenovo LOQ Essential 15IPH11
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra X7 358H
- GPU: Up to Intel Arc B390 iGPU (UX7-358H, IGPU, 65W TDP)
- RAM: Up to 16GB (4 x 4GB) / 9600MT/s LPDDR5x
- Storage: Up to 1TB (1x 1TB) M.2 2242 PCIe SSD (Gen4)
- Display: 15.3″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS LCD; 16:10 (165Hz / 100% sRGB / 300nit / 3ms OD)
- Keyboard: Up to 1.6mm / 0.3mm Dish / Eclipse Black /1-Zone RGB option /100% Anti-Ghosting / Lenovo Spectrum RGB Software Support / TrueStrike Gaming Keyboard
- Webcam: Built-in 5MP (QHD) Webcam with IR & E-Shutter
Lenovo LOQ Essential 15IRH11
- CPU: Up to Intel Core 7 230H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU / 6GB GDDR6 / 75W incl. 15W Boost
- RAM: Up to 32GB (2x16GB) / 5200MT/s DDR5 Memory
- Storage: Up to 1TB (1x 1TB) M.2 2242 PCIe SSD (Gen4)
- Display: 15.3″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS LCD; 16:10 (165Hz / 100% sRGB / 300nit / 3ms OD)
- Keyboard: 1.6mm / 0.3mm Dish / Black / Single-BL Purple / TrueStrike Gaming Keyboard
- Webcam: Built-in 720p (HD) Webcam with E-Shutter
Lenovo hasn’t revealed the price and availability of these two new laptops, however. So whether these are genuinely good choices for entry-level gaming or students looking for work-and-play laptop that isn’t insanely priced, remains to be seen.
Gaming laptops prices in Malaysia usually starts at RM5,000+ so if these can be priced aggressively to be under that threshold, these might be good deals for those just starting out on their PC gaming journey.