Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 vs Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel Comparison

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Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8

15.6 inches | March 2023

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Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel

15.6 inches | November 2024

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Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 vs Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel Comparison Overview

Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8

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Lenovo LOQ Essential...

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Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8

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In this review, we will be comparing LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel, two laptops by Lenovo. Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 was introduced to market in March 2023 and Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel was launched in November 2024. There is 20 months difference between LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel so it would still give an advantage to younger LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel are members of Lenovo's LOQ series of laptops. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Lenovo LOQ Series History

	Release Date	Screen Size	Dimensions	Weight
Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel	November 2024	15.6"	359.3 x 236 x 19.9-22.95 mm	1.77 kg (3.9 lbs)
Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9	April 2024	15.6"	359.86 x 258.7 x 21.9-23.9 mm	2.38 kg (5.25 lbs)
Lenovo LOQ 15ARP9	April 2024	15.6"	359.86 x 258.7 x 21.9-23.9 mm	2.38 kg (5.25 lbs)
Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 2024	January 2024	15.6"	359.86 x 258.7 x 21.9-23.9 mm	2.38 kg (5.25 lbs)
Lenovo LOQ 15AHP9	January 2024	15.6"	359.86 x 258.7 x 21.9-23.9 mm	2.38 kg (5.25 lbs)
Lenovo LOQ 16IRH8	March 2023	16.0"	359.6 x 277.59 x 21-25.9 mm	2.6 kg (5.73 lbs)
Lenovo LOQ 16APH8	March 2023	16.0"	359.6 x 277.59 x 21-25.9 mm	2.6 kg (5.73 lbs)
Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8	March 2023	15.6"	359.6 x 264.8 x 22.1-25.2 mm	2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)

Here is a brief look at the main features of Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 and Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 Key Specs

Launched in March 2023
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 12450H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile 6GB
8GB Ram
359.6 x 264.8 x 22.1-25.2 mm (14.16 x 10.43 x 0.87-0.99 inches)
Weight: 2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)

Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel Key Specs

Launched in November 2024
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 12450HX
GPU: GeForce RTX 2050 Mobile 4GB
8GB Ram
359.3 x 236 x 19.9-22.95 mm (14.15 x 9.29 x 0.78-0.9 inches)
Weight: 1.77 kg (3.9 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 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 LOQ 15IRH8 over Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel

Max Brightness	350 nits vs 300 nits	Brighter Screen
Max Total RAM	32 GB vs 16 GB	Higher RAM potential
Webcam Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Camera
Number of USB-A Ports	3x USB 3.2 vs 2x USB 3.2	Connect more device at the same time
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs No	Easily see the keys under low light
Key Travel	1.5 mm vs 1.3 mm	Better typing feel

Reasons to choose Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel over Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8

Weight	1.77 kg vs 2.40 kg	0.63 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~79.1% vs ~70.5%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	7 mm vs 7.1 mm	0.1 mm thinner bezels
Refresh Rate	144 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
GPU FLOPS	7.4 TFLOPS vs 7.12 TFLOPS	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No

Common Strengths of Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel and Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8

Launch Dates	March 2023 vs November 2024	Both laptops are recent models
Screen Coating	Matte vs Matte	Less reflections on the screen
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (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	v5.2 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

Common Weaknesses of Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel and Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8

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

Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 vs Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 and the Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel.

Physical Specs
Weight	2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)	1.77 kg (3.9 lbs)
Surface Area	952 cm2 (147.7 inches2)	848 cm2 (131.5 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~70.5%	~79.1%
Side Bezel Thickness	~7.1 mm	~7 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.15 kg/inch	0.11 kg/inch
	0.33 lbs/inch	0.242 lbs/inch
Colors	Gray	Gray

Comparison of the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 and the Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel External Dimensions

Weight

LOQ 15IRH8 weighs 2.4 kg (5.29 lbs), whereas the LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel weighs 1.77 kg (3.9 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. The weight difference between the two laptops is not significant.

Weight Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 2.40 kg

Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 1.77 kg

Min 0.99 kg

Average 1.95 kg

Max 3.32 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 25.20 mm

Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 22.95 mm

Min 7.70 mm

Average 20.17 mm

Max 29.00 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 LOQ 15IRH8 is 0.15 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel is 0.11 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 LOQ 15IRH8 vs Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i5 12450H Intel Core i5 13420H Intel Core i5 13500H Intel Core i7 13620H Intel Core i7 13700H	Intel Core i5 12450HX Intel Core i7 12650HX
Base Frequency	2 GHz	2.4 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.4 GHz	4.4 GHz
Number of Cores	8	8 (4P + 4E)
Number of Threads	12	12
L3 Cache	12 MB	12 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (48EU)	Intel UHD Graphics (16EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm

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 LOQ 15IRH8 and Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPU ( Intel Core i5 12450H ) and compare them:

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile 8GB	GeForce RTX 2050 Mobile 4GB GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop 6GB GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop 6GB
Base Clock Frequency	1530 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1740 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	95 W	65 W
Nvidia Optimus	MUX
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	7.12 TFLOPS	7.4 TFLOPS
Memory Size	6 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	128 bit	64 bit
Memory Speed	12 Gbps	~14 Gbps
Shading Units Cores	2048	2048
TMUs	64	64
ROPs	40	32

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 LOQ 15IRH8 has a FLOPS value of 7.12 TFLOPS whereas the Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel ' has a FLOPS value of 7.4 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB 32GB	8GB 12GB 16GB
Memory Bus	1x8 GB	1x8 GB
RAM Clock	5200 MHz	4800 MHz
RAM Type	DDR5	DDR5
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Max RAM Size	32 GB	16 GB
Total Slots	2	1
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the LOQ 15IRH8 and the LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel, 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 LOQ 15IRH8	Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 (15" Intel)
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.	✖ Not supported.
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	60 Wh	57 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left, Bottom	Left
Charge Power	130 / 170 / 230 W	135 W

Moreover, the LOQ 15IRH8 boasts a larger battery capacity of 60 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel's57 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 60 Wh

Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 57 Wh

Min 36.00 Wh

Average 62.1 Wh

Max 100.00 Wh

STORAGE
With a larger storage capacity up to 2 TB, the LOQ 15IRH8 provides more space for storing files and applications compared to the LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel's max. storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	512 GB, 1 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Total Slots	2	1
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 LOQ 15IRH8 vs Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 and Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 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. Both LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel screens have the same size of 15.6".The total usable screen area of the LOQ 15IRH8 is 670cm² / 104inch² whereas the LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel's total usable screen area is 670cm² / 104inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Both LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel feature the same pixel density with 141 pixels per inch (PPI).

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 141 ppi

Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 141 ppi

Min 100 PPI

Average 144 PPI

Max 294.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
The LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel offers a higher refresh rate of 144 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Brightness
The LOQ 15IRH8 offers a higher maximum brightness of 350 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 350 nits

Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 300 nits

Min

60 nits

Average 319 nits

Max 1000.00 nits

Lenovo LOQ 15IRH8 vs Lenovo LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 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 LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel have USB-A ports. LOQ 15IRH8 has 3x USB 3.2 USB-A ports, while LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel has 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel feature 1x 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
Neither LOQ 15IRH8 nor LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel has Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Both LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 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
LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. LOQ 15IRH8 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both LOQ 15IRH8 and LOQ Essential Gen 9 15 Intel 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)	v5.2	v5.2
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	3x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	No	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	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes