Lenovo LOQ series guide

Where the LOQ line stands in 2026

Lenovo's LOQ is the budget tier below the Legion line, and it is a young roster: 17 gaming models, all from 2022 or later, priced $880 to $1,800 with a median of $1,152. Every model carries a 60-class-or-below GeForce GPU — the series tops out at the RTX 5070 — and the CPU pairings are deliberately mid-range. There is no legacy tail to sift: the oldest machine here is a 2022, which makes this one of the simplest gaming pools in the catalog to shop.

The configuration spread

The CPU mix pairs Core i7 (14 configurations) and Core i5 (13) with Ryzen 7 (8) and Ryzen 5 (7), plus two Core Ultra 7 entries in the 2026 refresh — mainstream chips throughout, nothing HX-flagship. The GPU list shows the annual cadence clearly: RTX 3050 6GB, RTX 4050 6GB and RTX 4060 8GB each appear eight times across their years, then RTX 5050 (6) and RTX 5060 (6) carry 2025, with the RTX 5070 appearing twice. RAM ceilings run 16 to 64 GB, screens span 15.3 to 17.3 inches, and weights 1.77 to 2.9 kg.

Price versus age

The ladder: a lone 2022 at $972, the six-model 2023 cohort at $880–1,236, the 2024 cohort at $918–1,152, then flat $1,440 for all four 2025 models and flat $1,800 for the 2026 pair. Two spreads deserve attention. Within 2024, the gap between the cheapest row ($918) and the flat tier ($1,152) is $234 for the same GPU class. Within the 2025 flat tier, every model asks $1,440 whether it carries an RTX 5050 with a Ryzen 5 or an i5 HX — and one row pairs that top ask with an RTX 3050 6GB and an 8 GB RAM base, a reminder that flat pricing hides real spec distance.

Which one to buy

The flat $922 trio of 2023 — the LOQ 15APH8 (Ryzen 5 7640HS + RTX 3050 6GB), 16APH8 (same platform, 16-inch) and 16IRH8 (Core i5 13420H + RTX 3050 6GB) — is the value core of the series. The LOQ 15AHP9 (2024, $918, Ryzen 5 8645HS + RTX 3050 6GB) undercuts its own 2024 flat tier by $234 for the same GPU class. If you want the newest silicon in the pre-2025 band, the LOQ 15IRX10 (2023, $1,236, Core i5 13450HX + RTX 5050 8GB) carries the 50-series forward. One to approach carefully: the LOQ Essential Gen 9 (2024, $1,152, Core i5 12450HX + RTX 2050 4GB) — the "Essential" trim asks the same $1,152 as RTX 3050 machines of its year while carrying the weakest GPU in the roster.

Bottom line

Across the roster, the gaming fundamentals are solid for the money: best GPU median 69.6, gaming index 72, performance index 72.8, USComp Score 70, and 48 games clearing recommended settings at the median configuration. Reliability posts a healthy 72 — unusually good for the budget-gaming class — while portability (28) and mobility (35) are the expected costs of 16/17-inch gaming chassis. The one-line summary: a clean, young, predictably-priced pool where the 2023–2024 $920 band is the value pick and the flat $1,440 tier of 2025 demands a GPU-label check before committing.