Lenovo LOQ Essentials 15 Gen 11 review: poor performance from 65W RTX 5060

The Lenovo LOQ Essentials 15 Gen 11 aims to capture budget gamers by pairing an RTX 5060 with a 144 Hz IPS display and a comfortable keyboard. However, its low-power GPU and aging CPU undermine performance, making it hard to justify its $1,269 price tag. In a crowded market, this laptop represents a compromise that may disappoint those seeking maximum performance per dollar.

Sturdy but plain design with practical ports

The LOQ Essentials 15 Gen 11 adopts a minimalist design with a plastic chassis that feels solid and durable for daily use. Lenovo reserves premium materials for its Legion line, but the build quality does not disappoint. At 0.97 inches thick and 5.07 pounds, it aligns with competitors like the Acer Nitro V 16S AI, Asus TUF Gaming F16, and MSI Cyborg 15, though the latter is lighter at 4.36 pounds. The port selection includes one USB-C (10 Gbps), two USB-A (5 Gbps), audio jack, Ethernet, and HDMI, but lacks USB4 or Thunderbolt 4, an acceptable limitation at this price. The Intel AX203 Wi-Fi 6 card is functional, if not high-end.

Gaming performance falls short due to 65W power limit

The core issue is the RTX 5060, limited to a maximum power draw of 65 watts. In gaming tests like 007 First Light, the laptop produced playable frame rates but nothing exceptional, ranging from the mid-50s to low-70s FPS at 1080p with DLSS set to balanced. Comparisons with rivals are stark: the Asus TUF Gaming F16, equipped with an RTX 5050 at 115W, outperformed the LOQ in many titles, while the Acer Nitro V 16S AI with an RTX 5060 at 85W also finished ahead. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the LOQ managed 88 FPS, edging out only the Cyborg (82 FPS) but losing to the Asus (95 FPS) and Acer (98 FPS). In Far Cry 6, the gap widened: 75 FPS versus 82 and 90 for rivals. Only in Cyberpunk 2077 did the LOQ take the lead, with 38 FPS against the Acer's 32 FPS. The Metro Exodus stress test showed good stability, averaging 59.79 FPS with minimal variance, but that does not compensate for overall performance.

Productivity hampered by outdated Intel CPU

The Core i7-13650HX, despite six Performance cores, is several generations old. In Geekbench multi-core, the LOQ scored 11,300, far behind the Ryzen 7 260-powered Acer (12,837) and the Core i7-14650HX-powered Asus (15,013). Handbrake video encoding took 4 minutes and 35 seconds, compared to 3 minutes and 33 seconds for the Asus. The 25GB file transfer speed averaged 136 MB/s, an abnormally low figure that also appeared in other drive benchmarks, though game loading times were unaffected. These results highlight how the CPU bottlenecks the entire system, even in non-gaming tasks.

Decent display with vibrant colors and adequate brightness

One of the LOQ's strengths is its 15.6-inch IPS panel with Full HD resolution and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The anti-glare finish minimizes reflections, and the 86.1% DCI-P3 coverage delivers punchy colors and decent contrast. Peak brightness of 290 nits is average, brighter than the MSI's 233 nits but dimmer than the Acer's 392 nits. In practice, the panel is ideal for indoor use, whether for gaming, streaming, or productivity. The 144 Hz refresh rate ensures smooth visuals, though it doesn't reach the heights of more expensive displays.

Comfortable keyboard and responsive touchpad, but audio needs software boost

The keyboard offers 1.3 mm of key travel, making extended typing sessions comfortable. The two-level white backlight is clearly visible in low light. In the MonkeyType test, I hit 122 words per minute with 99% accuracy, an excellent result. The touchpad is generously sized and has quiet physical clicks, enhancing the user experience. As for audio, the dual 2W speakers produce acceptable sound, but without the Nahimic software, the output is tinny and dull. With the app enabled, sound quality improves significantly, making gaming more immersive.

In summary, the Lenovo LOQ Essentials 15 Gen 11 is a well-built laptop with a good display and excellent keyboard, but gaming and productivity performance are compromised by the low-power GPU and outdated CPU. For budget-conscious buyers, alternatives like the [Acer Nitro V 16S AI](https://meteoraweb.com/en/news/apt29-hijack-hotel-wi-fi-to-steal-credentials-with-cornflake-and-cocoshell) or [Asus TUF Gaming F16](https://meteoraweb.com/en/news/google-clock-90-extends-live-updates-to-stopwatch-and-timer-after-swift-rollout) offer better performance at similar prices. Lenovo's focus on affordability has resulted in a practical but unremarkable device in a highly competitive segment.

Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/gaming-laptops/lenovo-loq-essentials-15-gen-11-review