Add Lenovo to the list: New Legion Y740, Y540 gaming laptops get Nvidia's latest
New HDR screens are on the menu, too.
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At CES 2019, graphics chip maker Nvidia announced a slew of new gaming laptops would be coming with mobile versions of its 2060, 2070 and 2080 GeForce RTX graphics cards. That list includes the new Lenovo's Legion Y740 and Y540.
Last year's Y730 and Y530 laptops were two of my favorite mainstream gaming laptops for their smart and subtle designs (for gaming PCs, at least) and good performance for the money. The designs stay the same between these generations, but you will find the new GPUs as well as updated display options, which was one of the few weak spots with their predecessors.
Available in both 15- and 17-inch sizes, the Legion Y740 will have GeForce RTX 2060, RTX 2070 Max-Q or GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics options, while the 15-inch Y530 will have only the GeForce RTX 2060. The Max-Q processors allow for thinner laptops, though they are less powerful than the regular versions.
As for their displays, the higher-end Y730 will come with a 144Hz full HD with G-Sync support allowing for smoother gaming performance with fewer artifacts, but you'll have the options for a Dolby Vision HDR 400 500-nit display. The Y540 gets a more typical 60Hz full HD display with the option for a 144Hz version with Dolby Vision HDR.
Prices for the Y740 will start at $1,750 for the 15-inch and $1,950 for the 17-inch and will be available in February. The 15-inch Y540 arrives later in May starting at $930. Those prices convert to approximately £1,370 and AU$2,450 and £1,530 and AU$2,730 for the Y740 and £730 and AU$1,300 for the Y540.
Having the latest gaming hardware should help keep Lenovo competitive in what's become a crowded market due in part to Nvidia's laptop graphics chips. Although business system continues to be a big driver of global PC sales, gaming PCs along with premium laptops and Chromebooks are helping grow the overall market.
Lenovo also announced several gaming accessories designed with the same product design ID as the current Legion lineup. A mechanical keyboard, gaming mouse, two gaming monitors including a curved super-wide 43.4-inch model and two gaming headsets will be available. A Lenovo spokesman at CES said the goal was to give entry-level gamers better accessory options at a better value.
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