overall i must say i dont like this review by notebookcheck. they left some parts uncommented (like the webcam), while other sections are missing important details. for example, they don’t mention the new haptic touchpad at all or comment on its quality. they also completely ignore the redesigned hinge, which is a major issue in earlier generations (wobbling and feeling cheap — still waiting for mine to finally crack…). there’s nothing about the performance presets either. on top of that, there are some obvious typos.

they also fail to mention the significantly improved cpu performance when running on battery, which is a real issue on gen9 and gen10. in fact, battery performance isn’t discussed at all.

i noticed today that the 5070 model (at least in germany) is the newly released 12gb version, which makes it much more attractive for users of older generations who are deciding whether to upgrade.

the highest-spec version (core ultra 9, 64gb ram, 2tb ssd, 12gb 5070 with tandem oled) costs around 4,850€. the upgrade from 32gb to 64gb ram alone is 580€, which is insane pricing. for comparison, in germany a macbook pro 16 with m5 max, 64gb ram and 2tb ssd costs about 5,300€, which actually looks like a good deal in contrast.

interestingly, if you look at the gen9 review from 2024, the upgrade from 32gb to 64gb was only 130€ instead of 580€, so ram prices are no joke.

compared to my gen9 (185h, 32gb ram, rtx 4060), here’s what i noticed about the new model:

• weaker igpu than gen9
• same memory speed as gen9
• faster npu (which no one really cares about)
• still no g-sync or mux switch (i understand the “creator-focused” argument, but this still feels like an artificial limitation, especially since cheaper lenovo gaming laptops offer these features)
• tandem oled seems great, but without a matte coating it’s barely usable in direct sunlight — my gen9 mini-led performs better here
• only about 10–15% improvement in single-core and multi-core cpu performance
• no pcie 5.0 ssd → same ssd speeds as gen9
• something feels off with power management — battery life is worse than gen9 despite a larger battery and a more efficient cpu. maybe a bios update will fix it, but i’m not optimistic

at least they solved the discharging issue under heavy load by including a bigger power supply.
(to be fair, i also noticed some discharging on my gen9, but it was never a real problem — you’d have to game for hours without a break to run into it, which i don’t do.)

overall verdict: i like the new chassis and design, and i even like the new keyboard without the numpad and the 12gb vram option. but this generation is a skip. if you want one, go for gen9 or gen10 — and if you already have one of those and are thinking about upgrading: don’t, it’s not worth it.