Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel vs Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 Comparison

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Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel

17.3 inches | May 2021

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Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8

15.6 inches | January 2023

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Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel vs Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 Comparison Overview

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In this review, we will be comparing Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Legion 5 15ARP8, two laptops by Lenovo. Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel was introduced to market in May 2021 and Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 was launched in January 2024. As you can see, Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel is 3 years older than Legion 5 15ARP8. Let's see if this age difference between two laptops makes a big difference.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Legion 5 15ARP8 are members of Lenovo's Legion 5 series of laptops. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Lenovo Legion 5 Series History

	Release Date	Screen Size	Dimensions	Weight
Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8	January 2023	15.6"	358.8 x 262.35 x 19.9-24.05 mm	2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 7 2022 AMD	January 2022	16.0"	359.9 x 262.4 x 19.9 mm	2.49 kg (5.49 lbs)
Lenovo Legion 5i 15-inch Gen 7	January 2022	15.6"	358.8 x 262.3 x 19.9-24 mm	2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Gen 7 2022 Intel	January 2022	16.0"	359.9 x 264.4 x 19.9-26.6 mm	2.49 kg (5.49 lbs)
Lenovo Legion 5 15-inch 2021 AMD	June 2021	15.6"	363 x 259.6 x 23.5 mm	2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)
Lenovo Legion 5i 15-inch 2021 Intel	May 2021	15.6"	363 x 259.6 x 23.5-26.1 mm	2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)
Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel	May 2021	17.3"	398.6 x 290 x 24.3-26.2 mm	2.98 kg (6.57 lbs)
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Gen 6 2021 Intel	May 2021	16.0"	356 x 264.2 x 21.7-26.8 mm	2.3 kg (5.07 lbs)

Here is a brief look at the main features of Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel Key Specs

Launched in May 2021
17.3" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 11400H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile 4GB
8GB Ram
398.6 x 290 x 24.3-26.2 mm (15.69 x 11.42 x 0.96-1.03 inches)
Weight: 2.98 kg (6.57 lbs)

Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 Key Specs

Launched in January 2024
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
GPU: GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile 8GB
8GB Ram
358.8 x 262.35 x 19.9-24.05 mm (14.13 x 10.33 x 0.78-0.95 inches)
Weight: 2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Legion 5 15ARP8 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel over Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~71.4% vs ~71.3%	Larger screen area ratio
Display Size	17.3 inches vs 15.6 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Number of USB-C Ports	3x USB 3.2 vs 2x USB 3.2	Connect more device at the same time
Thunderbolt	v4 vs No	Support audio, data, power and video all through one single port

Reasons to choose Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 over Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel

Weight	2.40 kg vs 2.98 kg	0.58 kg lighter
Side Bezel Thickness	6.7 mm vs 7.8 mm	1.1 mm thinner bezels
Refresh Rate	165 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
Contrast Rate	1200:1 vs 1030:1	more pleasing colors
Screen PPI	188 ppi vs 127 ppi	More pixels per inch
Screen Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels vs 1920 x 1080 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
Max Brightness	350 nits vs 300 nits	Brighter Screen
Response Time	3 ms vs 23 ms	Faster Response screen
CPU Fabrication Process	6 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation CPU
GPU Fabrication Process	4 nm vs 8 nm	Newer Generation GPU
GPU FLOPS	16.8 TFLOPS vs 7.12 TFLOPS	Faster RAM Type
RAM Type	DDR5 vs DDR4	Higher RAM potential
Max Total RAM	64 GB vs 32 GB	Faster RAM
RAM BUS	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.2 vs v5.1

Common Strengths of Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 and Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel

Launch Dates	May 2021 vs January 2023	Both laptops are recent models
Screen Coating	Matte vs Matte	Less reflections on the screen
HDR Support	Yes, Dolby Vision vs Yes, Dolby Vision	Watch HDR Clips
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6 vs v6	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
Bluetooth Standard	v5.1 vs v5.2	Fast and Reliable Bluetooth Connections
HDMI Output	1x HDMI 2.1 vs 1x HDMI 2.1	Connect to External Displays via HDMI cable
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs Yes	Fast connection to Network via ethernet cable
Numeric Pad	Yes vs Yes	Fast way to input numbers
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 and Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel

Touchscreen Capability	No vs No	No Touchscreen Capability
Fingerprint Sensor	No vs No	No fingerprint login feature

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel vs Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and the Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8.

Physical Specs
Weight	2.98 kg (6.57 lbs)	2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)
Surface Area	1156 cm2 (179.2 inches2)	941 cm2 (146 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~71.4%	~71.3%
Side Bezel Thickness	~7.8 mm	~6.7 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.17 kg/inch	0.15 kg/inch
	0.374 lbs/inch	0.33 lbs/inch
Colors	Blue	Black, Gray
Cover Opening Angle	180Â°	180Â°

Comparison of the Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and the Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 External Dimensions

Weight

Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel weighs 2.98 kg (6.57 lbs), whereas the Legion 5 15ARP8 weighs 2.4 kg (5.29 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel 2.98 kg

Avg: larger than 17.0" 2.74 kg

Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 2.40 kg

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 1.95 kg

Thickness Comparison

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel 24.30 mm

Avg: larger than 17.0" 24.26 mm

Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 24.05 mm

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 20.17 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel is 0.17 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 is 0.15 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel vs Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i5 11400H Intel Core i7 11800H	AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
Base Frequency	2.2-2.7 GHz	3.2 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.5 GHz	4.75 GHz
Number of Cores	6	8
Number of Threads	12	16
L3 Cache	12 MB	16 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics for 11th Gen (16 EU)	Radeon 680M
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	6 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1514	1579
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	6382	9851
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1478	1562
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	9375	14116

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 11400H

Laptops with: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile 4GB GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile 4GB GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB	GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile 8GB
Base Clock Frequency	1065 MHz	1545 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1343 MHz	1890 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	45 W	115 W
Nvidia Optimus	MUX	Yes, Advanced Optimus
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	5.501 TFLOPS	11.61 TFLOPS
Memory Size	4 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	128 bit	128 bit
Memory Speed	1500 MHz 12 Gbps effective	2000 MHz 16 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	2048	3072
TMUs	64	96
ROPs	32	48

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel has a FLOPS value of 7.12 TFLOPS whereas the Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 ' has a FLOPS value of 16.8 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB 32GB	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	1x8 GB	1x8 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	4800 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	DDR5
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Max RAM Size	32 GB	64 GB
Total Slots	2	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and the Legion 5 15ARP8, come with similar RAM capacities of 8 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Lenovo Legion 5i 17” (2021, Intel)	Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✔ Good performance.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	80 Wh	60 Wh 80 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Bottom	Bottom
Charge Power	170 / 230 / 300 W	230 W

Moreover, the Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel boasts a larger battery capacity of 80 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Legion 5 15ARP8's60 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel 80 Wh

Avg: larger than 17.0" 76.88 Wh

Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 60 Wh

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 62.1 Wh

STORAGE
The Legion 5 15ARP8 offers a larger max storage capacity of 4 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel's storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel vs Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel has a display size of 17.3".On the other hand, Legion 5 15ARP8 has a smaller 15.6" display.The total usable screen area of the Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel is 825cm² / 128inch² whereas the Legion 5 15ARP8's total usable screen area is 670cm² / 104inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Legion 5 15ARP8 features a higher pixel density with 188 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel 127 PPI

Avg: larger than 17.0" 141 PPI

Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 188 PPI

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 144 PPI

Refresh Rate
The Legion 5 15ARP8 offers a higher refresh rate of 165 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Furthermore, the Legion 5 15ARP8 boasts a faster response time of 3.0 ms, reducing motion blur for fast-paced content.

Brightness
The Legion 5 15ARP8 offers a higher maximum brightness of 350 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel 300 nits

Avg: larger than 17.0" 368 nits

Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 350 nits

Avg: 15.0-15.9" 319 nits

Lenovo Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel vs Lenovo Legion 5 15ARP8 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Both laptops offer the same Wi-Fi standard (v6), ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections.

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Legion 5 15ARP8 feature 3x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Legion 5 15ARP8 have USB Type-C ports. Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel has 3x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports, while Legion 5 15ARP8 has 2x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel is equipped with Thunderbolt 4 port. Legion 5 15ARP8 does not have Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Both Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Legion 5 15ARP8 feature an HDMI port (1x HDMI 2.1) for connecting to external monitors.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Neither Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel nor Legion 5 15ARP8 has an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both Legion 5i 17-inch 2021 Intel and Legion 5 15ARP8 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.1	v5.2
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	3x USB 3.2	3x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	3x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	1x HDMI 2.1
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	Yes
SD CardReader	No	No
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes