The Best Gaming PC Under $1,000: Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Review

The dream of a powerful gaming PC under $1,000 felt lost amidst rising component costs and demanding game requirements. But the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i has reignited that dream, proving it’s not only possible but also delivers one of the best gaming desktop experiences available. Its clever configuration prioritizes gaming performance, offering an excellent entry point into PC gaming without breaking the bank. While some upgrade limitations exist, the Legion Tower 5i is a compelling choice for budget-conscious gamers seeking a hassle-free setup.

Ports on the top of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i.

The Legion Tower 5i’s most appealing aspect is undoubtedly its price. The configuration reviewed (detailed below) is available for $1,150 at Best Buy. Even more enticing, Lenovo’s website offers the same configuration with 512GB of storage for just $990. A sub-$1,000 gaming PC worth recommending is a rare find these days, and the Legion Tower 5i truly fits the bill. It’s not just affordable; it’s a genuinely powerful gaming machine.

At its core, the Intel Core i5-14400F is a competent processor, featuring 10 cores (six performance and four efficiency). While not groundbreaking, it’s well-suited for gaming, reflecting Lenovo’s smart decision to prioritize gaming performance over top-tier CPU power. This approach mirrors the strategy seen in the Starforge Navigator earlier this year.

The inclusion of an RTX 4060 for under $1,000 is a significant win for 1080p gaming. Benchmark results, discussed later, demonstrate its impressive capabilities. Beyond raw performance, the RTX 4060 supports Nvidia’s DLSS 3, unlocking frame generation and super resolution for even the most demanding current titles.

Specifications and Pricing

A comparable build using off-the-shelf components would cost around $800 (excluding Windows 11). While cheaper, it requires self-assembly. Lenovo’s premium for a pre-built system is approximately $200, a reasonable price for the convenience and support offered.

For those with a larger budget, Lenovo offers higher-end configurations. Upgrading to a Core i7-14700F, an RTX 4070 Ti Super, and 32GB of memory raises the price to $1,827. While a solid configuration, the base model’s sub-$1,000 price point makes it particularly compelling.

Build Quality and Design

The Legion logo on the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i.

The Legion Tower 5i boasts an impressive aesthetic. Lenovo has struck a perfect balance between gamer aesthetics and clean design. The textured front, sleek lines on the top, and rounded corners create a visually appealing machine. While seemingly simple, the Tower 5i’s design offers a refreshing alternative to more extravagant designs like the Alienware Aurora R15.

Internally, the Legion Tower 5i provides decent upgrade options. Two drive sleds accommodate 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drives, with pre-routed SATA power and data cables simplifying storage expansion. Four RAM slots allow for easy memory upgrades, though mixing RAM kits is not recommended.

SATA drives on the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i.

An additional NVMe slot on the motherboard further expands storage possibilities. These straightforward upgrades require minimal effort. However, more substantial upgrades are less accessible. The custom motherboard limits platform upgrades. The non-modular 500W power supply, with a single 8-pin PCIe connector, restricts GPU upgrades without a power supply replacement. While storage and memory upgrades are readily available, the custom motherboard design is a questionable choice, especially considering the popularity of customizable PCs like the Origin Neuron. Lenovo’s Tower 7i uses a standard layout, making the Tower 5i’s custom approach a missed opportunity.

Thermal Performance and Cooling

The CPU cooler in the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i.

The Legion Tower 5i employs a standard cooling configuration: two 120mm intake fans at the front and a single 120mm exhaust fan at the rear. This simple airflow path proves effective, keeping noise levels manageable under load. However, the Core i5-14400F utilizes a basic box cooler. While sufficient for the 65W CPU, the small heatsink and fan become audible under demanding workloads like Cinebench. Higher-end configurations utilize a larger tower-style cooler, presumably quieter.

Despite its simplicity, the cooler performs adequately. Under full Cinebench R24 load, the Core i5-14400F peaked at 88 degrees Celsius after several minutes. With a 100-degree Celsius operating limit, thermal throttling shouldn’t be a concern.

Bloatware and Configuration

As a mainstream gaming PC available at Best Buy, the Legion Tower 5i includes some bloatware. McAfee, pre-installed and persistently intrusive, prompts for activation and installs browser extensions. While manageable (easily uninstalled), it remains an annoyance.

Lenovo Vantage, a centralized management application, handles software updates, system monitoring, and support. This consolidated approach streamlines PC management compared to the fragmented approach of Dell and HP.

The system’s configuration is generally well-optimized. Memory runs at the advertised 4,400 MT/s, and Resizable BAR is enabled for the GPU. The DDR5-4400 memory speed is an unusual choice. While technically within DDR5 specifications, it’s slower than the more common DDR5-4800 base speed and exhibits higher latency than even DDR5-4000. This results in some performance loss, though the impact on the Core i5-14400F is minimal due to its lower overall performance. The memory choice appears cost-driven, likely leveraging less popular modules to reduce production expenses.

Performance

The RTX 4060 inside the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i.

The Legion Tower 5i prioritizes gaming, evident in its performance. While compromises exist with the CPU and slower DDR5 memory, gaming performance remains impressive.

CPU benchmarks reveal the Core i5-14400F’s performance sits below the Ryzen 7 7700 (HP Omen 40L) and Core i7-13700KF (Alienware Aurora R16). However, it’s important to acknowledge the Core i5-14400F’s lower class. While slower in applications like Premiere Pro and Photoshop, it handles basic productivity tasks effectively.

The Core i5-14400F’s six performance cores limit performance in applications optimized for eight cores. Upgrading to a more powerful CPU is possible. However, for this configuration, the chosen CPU aligns with the focus on gaming.

In gaming benchmarks, the RTX 4060 excels. Comparisons with a custom RTX 4060 PC (equipped with a stronger CPU and faster DDR5 memory) reveal the performance trade-offs of Lenovo’s configuration. The Legion Tower 5i performs surprisingly well, minimizing the expected performance gap.

Gaming benchmarks are presented for 4K, 1440p and 1080p resolutions, highlighting the Legion Tower 5i’s strength at 1080p, where it delivers impressive frame rates exceeding 60 fps in demanding titles, even before factoring in upscaling or frame generation capabilities.

Upscaling and frame generation performance are not included because their benefits diminish at 1080p. The Legion Tower 5i’s strong raw performance at this resolution is paramount, with upscaling serving as a bonus.

Should You Buy the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i?

The internals of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i.

For $1,000, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i is an exceptional gaming PC. While quirks exist with the memory choice, and building a PC yourself can save money, the Legion Tower 5i offers a seamless entry into PC gaming without the complexities of configuration and assembly.

Upgradability is the primary limitation. Simple upgrades like adding storage or memory are straightforward. However, more significant upgrades, especially a full platform swap, are restricted.

This trade-off is reasonable considering the Legion Tower 5i’s price. Its out-of-the-box performance should satisfy gaming needs for a considerable time, delaying the need for major upgrades.