This Lenovo LOQ Essentials 15 review comes down to a familiar laptop-shopping trap: the GPU label does not tell the whole story. Tom’s Hardware tested a $1,269.99 configuration with Intel’s Core i7-13650HX, 16GB of single-channel DDR5-4800 memory, a 512GB SSD and Nvidia’s RTX 5060 limited to 65W. It has a good 1080p screen and sensible basics, but its gaming results make the price hard to defend against nearby alternatives.
The tested machine has a 15.6-inch, anti-glare IPS display at 1,920 by 1,080 pixels and 144Hz. Its plastic case is plain rather than aggressively gamer-coded, yet Tom’s Hardware found it solid enough for regular home or school use. Lenovo also includes a keyboard the reviewer rated well and what the review describes as generous internal upgrade options.
There is no mystery hardware hidden in the ports: buyers get Ethernet, HDMI, one 10Gbps USB-C port, two 5Gbps USB-A ports and an audio jack. The omissions are equally conventional for this bracket, including USB4 or Thunderbolt 4. The system uses Intel Wi-Fi 6, has a 720p webcam and a 60Wh battery.
Why can an RTX 5050 laptop beat this RTX 5060?
Tom’s Hardware attributes the LOQ’s compromised gaming performance to the 65W maximum graphics-power rating, alongside its older processor. That conclusion is grounded in its comparison tests, not in the RTX 5060 name stamped on the spec sheet.
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider at the Highest preset, the LOQ reached 88 frames per second. An Asus TUF Gaming F16 with a 115W RTX 5050 posted 95 fps, while Acer’s Nitro V 16S AI, using an 85W RTX 5060, reached 98 fps. In Far Cry 6, the LOQ recorded 75 fps, behind the Asus at 90 fps and the Acer at 82 fps.
The test was not a universal ranking of laptop GPUs. Those systems also used different processors and prices: the Asus cost $1,199.99 when tested and the Acer $1,299.99. Still, it demonstrates the purchase rule buyers should use: compare the complete configuration, its stated GPU power rating and independent benchmarks rather than treating RTX 5060 as a performance guarantee.
The LOQ was capable of playable results in the games tested. In 007 First Light, at 1080p with medium lighting settings, post effects enabled and DLSS set to Balanced, Tom’s Hardware measured performance ranging from the mid-50s to low-70s fps depending on the scene. It also reached 38 fps in Cyberpunk 2077, ahead of the Acer’s 32 fps in that particular test.
Which Lenovo LOQ 15 is this review about?
Only this Essentials configuration is under review. Lenovo’s LOQ naming is loose enough to cause avoidable confusion: a separately reviewed LOQ 15AHP10 used a 115W RTX 5060, while another 15IPH11 review covered models with different processors, displays, ports and dimensions. Their results do not transfer to this 65W, Intel-based unit.
For someone who values a conventional chassis, a 144Hz display, keyboard quality and upgrade headroom, this LOQ remains a workable 1080p gaming laptop. Shoppers focused on gaming frames per dollar should look harder at comparable systems before paying $1,269.99. The spec badge did not earn this model the result.
This story draws on original reporting from Tom's Hardware.
