Lenovo Legion - History of Gaming Laptops from Y520 to RTX 50

In the world of Lenovo laptops, Legion is the gaming brand: powerful processors and graphics cards, efficient cooling and high refresh rate displays. Before Legion, Lenovo's gaming laptops lived under the IdeaPad Y name. Here is how the family was born and evolved.

The beginning: CES 2017 - Legion Y520 and Y720

The Legion brand debuted at CES 2017 with two models. The Legion Y520 was the affordable option (15.6" Full HD, 7th gen Intel Core, GeForce GTX 1050 / 1050 Ti graphics).

The Legion Y720 was more powerful: GTX 1060, Dolby Atmos sound, Thunderbolt 3 and a built-in Xbox Wireless receiver. Later in 2017 the 17" Legion Y920 joined, with a GTX 1070 and a mechanical keyboard.

The split between an affordable and a stronger model has stayed in Legion's DNA ever since (Legion 5 / 5 Pro / 7). Parts for the first models: Legion Y520 / Y720.

The Y series era and naming chaos (2018-2019)

• 2018: Y530 and Y730 - successors to the Y520 / Y720
• In parallel, the Y7000 - equivalents aimed mainly at Asian markets
• 2019: Y540 and Y740 - GeForce RTX 20 graphics in the Y740 (up to RTX 2080 Max-Q), up to RTX 2060 in the Y540

The problem: customers got lost between the Y7000, Y730 and Y740, as different markets got different names for similar hardware. Lenovo learned the lesson. Parts: Legion Y530 / Y540 / Y7000 and Legion Y730 / Y740.

New names (2020-2021)

In 2020 the "Y" disappeared and simpler, global names arrived:

• Legion 5 / 5i (2020) - 15.6" and 17.3", GeForce GTX 16 / RTX 20 graphics
• Legion 7i (2020) - 15.6" flagship with up to RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
• Legion 5 Pro (2021) - 16" with a 2560×1600 165 Hz 16:10 display, up to RTX 3070
• Legion 7 (2021) - 16", up to RTX 3080. Parts: Legion 7 / S7.

How to read the model code (useful when buying used): the first letter of the code shows the CPU vendor (I = Intel, A = AMD) and the number at the end the generation, e.g. IMH05 / ARH05 is 2020, ITH6 / ACH6 is 2021, IAH7 / ARH7 is 2022. Parts for the most popular generations: Legion 5 / 5i.

Maturity: ColdFront, TrueStrike, AI Engine

Legion ColdFront is the name of Legion's cooling system, developed through successive versions. Newer generations run cooler and quieter at the same power.

Displays have come a long way: from IPS Full HD 144 Hz, through 16:10 QHD+ 165 Hz and 240 Hz panels, to mini-LED and OLED in the latest flagships.

TrueStrike keyboard (since 2021) - designed for gaming: about 1.5 mm key travel and RGB backlighting. It is not a mechanical keyboard, but it feels more decisive than typical chiclet keyboards.

Legion AI Engine (since 2023) - a dedicated chip that splits power between CPU and GPU on the fly depending on load, with no manual tuning.

Processors and graphics grew with each generation: from GeForce GTX 1050 / 1060, through RTX 20 and 30, to RTX 40 (including the RTX 4090) and the latest RTX 50, and on the CPU side AMD Ryzen H / HX (up to the Ryzen 9 9955HX3D) and Intel Core HX and Core Ultra HX.

Legion today - who it is for

• Legion 5 - esports and casual gaming, creators who also play
• Legion Pro 5 - the higher tier; in 2023 Lenovo renamed "Legion 5 Pro" to "Legion Pro 5"
• Legion Pro 7 / Legion 9 - flagships for demanding gamers and creators (up to RTX 4090 / 5090). Parts: Legion Pro 5 / Pro 7
• Legion Slim 5 / Slim 7 - lighter, thinner versions for gaming on the go
• Legion Go - a Windows handheld with an AMD Ryzen Z1 processor

How is Legion different from the rest of Lenovo's range? It is gaming and performance hardware, unlike business ThinkPads and consumer IdeaPads.

The secondhand market and servicing

Used Legions reach the secondhand market at a fraction of the new price, which is a great opportunity if you know what to refresh.

In a used Legion the parts that wear most are the keyboard, fans (louder, dusty), battery and sometimes the display or hinges. These parts can be replaced, as Legions are well serviceable.

We stock the most parts for the most popular models (Y530, Y540, Y7000, Legion 5, Legion 5 Pro). The full list is on Lenovo Legion parts - all models.

Not sure which part fits your model? Send us the serial number (S/N) or the FRU number of the old part and we will match it exactly. Fans and keyboards differ between generations, so the FRU number is the surest way to choose.