Lenovo is fairly new at making gaming laptops, but their Legion lines have been some of the best-buy products in their categories in the last two years, with the Y720/Y520 and then the Y530/Y730 models.
Despite that, Lenovo is not resting on their laurels and 2019 is going to bring updated versions of both generations, with first a Legion Y740 scheduled for February, and later on an updated Y540 around June.
Both are built on the latest Intel and Nvidia hardware platforms, which means, of course, they get RTX graphics, but also newer screen options and improved cooling, on top of the already existing solid base provided by the Y530/Y730 lines.
This article tells you what to expect from the Y740/Y540 updates, what’s changed from the previous versions and also touches on those potentially hidden quirks you should be aware of when shopping for one of these.
Update: Our detailed review of the Lenovo Legion Y740 15 is available over here, and our review of the Legion Y540 17 is available here.
But first, here’s a quick specs sheet of the Y740 models, available with either a 15 or a 17-inch screen.
| Lenovo Legion Y740 15 (review) | Lenovo Legion Y740 17 | |
| Screen | 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 px 144 Hz with G-Sync, IPS, non-touch, matte, 300 nits optional FHD display with Dolby Vision HDR and 500 nits brightness |
17.3 inch, 1920 x 1080 px 144 Hz with G-Sync, IPS, non-touch, matte, 300 nits optional FHD display with Dolby Vision HDR and 500 nits brightness |
| Processor | up to Intel Coffee Lake Core i7-8750H CPU | |
| Vide0 | Nvidia RTX 2060 or RTX 2070 Max-Q | Nvidia RTX 2070 Max-Q or RTX 2080 Max-Q |
| Memory | up to 64 GB DDR4 2666 MHz (2x DIMMs), or 2x 8 GB 3200 MHz Corsair overclocked memory | |
| Storage | 2.5″ bay + M.2 NVMe slot | |
| Connectivity | Gigabit LAN, Wireless AC (Intel AC 9560), Bluetooth 5.0 | |
| Ports | 3 x USB-A 3.1 (2x gen2, 1x gen1), 1x USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, miniDP 1.4, LAN, mic/headphone, Kensington Lock | |
| Battery | 57 Wh | 76 Wh |
| Size | 362 mm or 14.25” (w) x 267 mm or 10.51” (d) x 19.9 mm or 0.8” (h) | 413 mm or 16.25” (w) x 305 mm or 12” (d) x 21.9 mm or 0.86” (h) |
| Weight | 4.8 lbs (2.2 kg) | 6.3 lbs (2.9 kg) |
| Extras | Corsair RGB backlit keyboard, webcam, subwoofer on the 17-inch unit | |
On the outside the Legion Y740s are identical to the previous Y730 lines, which means they’re made out of metal and get a simple, sober design, that doesn’t scream GAMING like many other recent gaming notebooks. That makes them fairly versatile and suitable for both work and fun. As a side note, Lenovo has reinforced the weak hinges of the previous generation, so they should do a better job at keeping the screen as set-up.
You can still pump-in some RGB lighting if you absolutely have to, but the lights are hidden inside the side/back vents and can be switched off. The keyboard, designed in collaboration with Corsair, is RGB backlit as well on this line.
You’ll find plenty about the build, design, IO and typing experience in the already available reviews of the Y730 model with whom the Y740 shares these traits, before the 2019 variant actually becomes available, so you’ll know what to expect.
The novelties are hidden beneath the shell, where the Y740 gets Nvidia RTX graphics this time around and supposedly improved cooling, which should be much welcomed, given how the Y730 and Y530 models ran quite hot with games and other taxing loads.
The 15-inch Y740 model can be specced up to an RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU, while the bigger 17-inch model gets a top-tier RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics chip. The RAM, storage, and battery suffered no change from the 2018 versions, which suggests the interior was hardly modified at all and makes me even more curious about the touted 15% better Coldfront cooling system. I sure hope this is not just marketing and actually has a noticeable impact in real use. The specs also mention Corsair DDR4 3200 MHz memory available as an extra option, and I’m curious of its performance impact. We’ll answer all these questions in a future review, so stay tuned for it.
The screen choices are the other major overhaul of the Legion Y740 lines. Both the 15 and 17-inch models get matte FHD IPS 144 HZ panels with 300-nits of brightness as standard, pretty much the norm for a gaming laptop of this caliber right now. There’s also GSync support though, welcomed on a gaming machine, but at the same time a feature that totally kills battery life on these devices.
Optional 500-nits screens with Dolby Vision HDR are also available on both variants. Lenovo hasn’t communicated anything about their refresh-rate or color-accuracy, but I’d expect those to be 60 Hz panels and rather appeal to users looking for an all-around computer with better battery life, although there are probably better-balanced devices out there if gaming is not at the top of your list, smaller, lighter, with more capable speakers and more affordable lower-tier graphics.
Cause at the end of the day the Legions are gaming machines, despite the fact that they can act as sleepers during the day, and the Y740 actually improve on these exact lines, with more capable graphics and high-refresh rate GSync screens.
The Legion Y740 will be available in stores from February 2019, with the 15-inch version starting at around $1750 and the 17-inch model at around $2000.
Update: Don’t forget that our detailed review of the Lenovo Legion Y740 15 is available over here.
Mid-range Legion Y540 update
If you’re on a more limited budget, but still looking at a gaming laptop with RTX graphics and a 144 Hz GSync screen, the Legion Y540 update might be the one for you.
Update: Our detailed review of the RTX 2060 Legion Y540 17 is available here.
It’s scheduled for later this year though, around June-July, which suggests it might also be built on Intel’s next 9th-gen mobile hardware platforms, while the Y740 gets Coffee Lake CPUs, at least at launch.
You’re nonetheless going to cut some corners when stepping to this class. Much like the Y740 series, the Y540 shares most traits and characteristics with the 2018 Y530 series, which means it’s entirely made out of plastic, no longer gets RGB lighting or an RGB keyboard, dumps the Thunderbolt 3 port and there’s only a 57 Wh battery inside. Check out the specs sheet below.
| Lenovo Legion Y540 | |
| Screen | 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 px 144 Hz and GSync (?), IPS, non-touch, matte, 300 nits optional FHD display 60 Hz 250/300 nits |
| Processor | 9th gen Intel Core platform |
| Video | up to Nvidia RTX 2060 |
| Memory | up to 32 GB DDR4 2666 MHz (2x DIMMs) |
| Storage | 2.5″ bay + M.2 NVMe slot |
| Connectivity | Gigabit LAN, Wireless AC (Intel AC 9560) , Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Ports | 3 x USB-A 3.1, 1x USB-C gen 2 (with DP, but without Thunderbolt 3), HDMI 2.0, miniDP 1.4, LAN, mic/headphone, Kensington Lock |
| Battery | 57 Wh |
| Size | 365 mm or 14.37” (w) x 260 mm or 10.24” (d) x 24.2 mm or 0.95” (h) |
| Weight | 5.15 lbs (2.35 kg) |
| Extras | white backlit keyboard, webcam, plastic build |
The reinforced hinges, revamped cooling and the screen options carry over from the Y740 series though, thus the Legion Y540 improves on some important quirks of its predecessor. The devil is in the details though, so we’ll have to wait to get out hands on the final models in order to see how the RTX graphics and new cooling behave inside this newer model.
Nonetheless, I expect the Y540 to be a hit in the second part of the year, given its heritage and Lenovo’s aggressive pricing policies. It’s going to start at under $1000, but it’s months away from launch, so in the meantime, you will find better value in some of the other best-buy gaming laptops out there.
Peter
January 10, 2019 at 3:14 pm
Do we still lose Optimus with GSync enabled laptops, meaning lower battery life since the GPU is always on and it never switches to integrated?
Thanks
Andrei Girbea
January 10, 2019 at 4:25 pm
Optimus should be out with the GSync options.
Archuck Kapikyan
March 6, 2019 at 11:07 pm
People who own this laptop, actually claim that it is possible to turn graphics switching on.
Jeff
September 4, 2019 at 1:08 pm
You can't have both enabled at once but yes this laptop does have both and allows turning on/off Optimus (Hybrid graphics) via the Lenovo software in which case G-Sync is automatically turned off (You still get 144 Hz refresh rate with the Intel GPU and 2 hours longer battery life).
Elmir
February 11, 2019 at 12:47 am
Thanks for the article. I am planning to buy a new laptop since my current IdeaPad Z510 doesn't perform well. If Y540 comes out in May, when do you think I can buy it with a discount before Black Friday?
Best
Stu
March 4, 2019 at 8:34 pm
What's with the trend of having an extended rear end? I think it looks like a big butt and is out of place.
Andrei Girbea
March 5, 2019 at 11:47 am
Leaves room for the cooling and brings the screen closer to the eye. It doesn't bother me, personally, as it's normally tucked behind he screen anyway.
John Dunn
March 18, 2019 at 4:20 pm
I think the Y540 and Y740's will be better releases but I feel sorry for people who got sold the previous generation Y530 and Y730's since they have had a lot of complaints from people about loud fan noise, constant fan, heating problems and the dark low NIT monitors to name a few. Despite all that I will wait until January 2020 to purchase my Y540 to ensure there is lots of time for reviews of this 2019 model to see if it is worth it. The beautiful look of the case alone is what gets me wanting one. Excellent design on those cases.. I love them.
J
March 24, 2019 at 7:37 pm
Slight inaccuracy with the y540 above. It does come with a thunderbolt 3 port so you don't necessarily give that up.
Peter Bauer
April 4, 2019 at 10:53 am
The Laptop actually Supports 64gb ram, not 32gb as written in the sheets. I tested it.
Andrei Girbea
April 5, 2019 at 2:05 pm
Thanks for the update, can you offer a few more details on the configuration and type of RAM that you used?
Peter Bauer
April 7, 2019 at 12:56 pm
There is currently only one 32gb non ECC sodimm available: Samsung M471A4G43MB1-CTD
This one works.
Peter Bauer
April 7, 2019 at 12:58 pm
Plugging in 2 of this gives 64gb and the current bios Version accepts it.
Andrei Girbea
April 8, 2019 at 1:33 pm
Thanks.
Tom
June 18, 2019 at 5:53 pm
Peter, thx, very interesting! Can you comment on the cooling performance/fan noise of the y540?
Konstantin
September 6, 2019 at 10:10 pm
Hey does the 1660 ti 144hz version of this laptop support g sync?
Jeff M.S.
January 28, 2021 at 10:37 am
The ports mentioned at least for Y740 are incorrect. This laptop has 1 x USB-C+Thunderbolt 3, 1 x Type A USB 3.1 Gen 2, and 2 x Type-A USB 3 Gen 1