The Lenovo Legion Y720 is a 15.6-inch gaming laptop with quad-core Intel CPUs, GTX 1060 graphics, and cooling tuned for steady 1080p play.
If you spot a lenovo legion y720 in a clearance sale or second hand listing, it can still look tempting. This 15.6-inch notebook brings a quad core Intel H-series processor, GTX 1060 graphics, and a chunky chassis that still looks ready for long gaming nights.
The goal of this breakdown is simple: show what the Lenovo Legion Y720 offers today, where its age shows, and how it compares with newer budget gaming laptops. By the end, you should know whether this machine fits your mix of games, work, and travel, or whether you are better off saving for something newer.
Lenovo Legion Y720 Specs And Everyday Experience
When Lenovo launched the Legion Y720 back in 2017, it sat squarely in the mid range of gaming laptops. It paired full GTX 1060 graphics with seventh generation Intel Core i5 or i7 chips and gave buyers room for upgrades through accessible RAM and drive bays. Lenovo s official spec sheet lists up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, a 60 Wh battery, and either 1080p or 4K IPS panels, along with dual drive options for SSD and hard drive combinations.Official PSREF details spell out these options in full.
The chassis feels dense, with a mix of metal and plastic and a vent layout that clearly favors airflow over thinness. The keyboard follows Lenovo s usual gaming style, with highlighted WASD keys, a full number pad, and multi zone RGB on some trims. Travel feels deeper than on many slim notebooks, which keeps typing and in game control pleasant even during long sessions.
| Component | Lenovo Legion Y720 Detail | Practical Note |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-7700HQ or Core i5-7300HQ, 4 cores / 8 or 4 threads | Handles gaming, streaming, and light creation at the same time. |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB GDDR5 | Strong 1080p performance in esports and many story driven games. |
| Memory | Two DDR4 slots, up to 32 GB | Plenty of headroom if you start with an 8 GB or 16 GB trim. |
| Display | 15.6-inch IPS, 1920×1080 or 3840×2160, 60 Hz | Good viewing angles; no high refresh option from the factory. |
| Storage | M.2 PCIe SSD slot plus 2.5-inch SATA bay | Easy to pair a fast boot drive with a large game library drive. |
| Ports | 3× USB-A, USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, mini DP, RJ45, audio | Comfortable multi monitor and peripheral setup at a desk. |
| Wireless | 2×2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options | Stable online play once drivers and router settings are dialed in. |
| Battery | 60 Wh internal pack | Good for work and media; short for unplugged gaming. |
| Weight | Around 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) | Fine for short trips; tiring to carry every day. |
Processor, Graphics, And RAM Headroom
The i7-7700HQ and i5-7300HQ chips inside the Legion Y720 sit in the 45 W class, with four cores and high sustained clocks. They lack newer instruction set tricks, yet still keep pace with many mainstream workloads. In games, paired with the GTX 1060, they feed enough frames for 1080p play as long as you do not chase extreme frame rates on new engines.
The GTX 1060 6 GB remains the star of the show. It trails newer RTX 3050 and 4050 parts, but it still runs many competitive titles on high presets and older blockbusters on a mix of high and medium settings. The 6 GB VRAM buffer helps with higher texture presets, especially in games built around the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One generation.
Most retail units ship with 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM. For gaming plus streaming, jumping to 16 GB or 32 GB with a simple upgrade removes stutters caused by memory pressure. Two standard SO-DIMM slots and an easy access bottom cover keep that upgrade path simple for anyone with a small screwdriver and a bit of patience.
Storage And Upgrade Options
One clear advantage of the Legion Y720 over slimmer modern notebooks lies in its storage layout. There is an M.2 PCIe slot for a fast NVMe SSD along with a 2.5-inch bay for a hard drive or SATA SSD. Many configurations shipped with both from the factory, such as a 128 GB or 256 GB SSD paired with a 1 TB hard drive.
If you pick up a used system, plan on replacing the hard drive with a SATA SSD and dropping in a fresh NVMe drive if the original is small or heavily used. That combination keeps boot and load times snappy and removes the noise and vibration of a spinning disk. With both bays filled, the Legion holds a generous library of Steam, Game Pass, or Epic titles without constant uninstall cycles.
Ports, Thunderbolt 3, And VR Use
The port layout feels geared toward a desk setup. Power, HDMI, mini DisplayPort, and the USB-C Thunderbolt 3 port sit along the rear edge, which keeps thick cables away from your mousing hand. The sides carry three USB-A ports, Ethernet, and a headset jack, so mice, flash drives, and gamepads all plug in without a hub.
Thunderbolt 3 opens the door to docks and even external GPU enclosures. An eGPU box with a newer card can extend the life of the machine for home use, even though the older CPU limits absolute performance in some titles. At launch, many trims also carried an Xbox wireless receiver, which pairs directly with Xbox gamepads and keeps a USB port free for other gear. Combined with the GTX 1060, the machine shipped with Oculus Ready branding and can still run many VR titles once you trim a few visual luxuries.
Display, Audio, And Input Feel
The IPS panel offers wide viewing angles and decent contrast, though brightness and color coverage sit near the middle of the pack according to detailed reviews.Notebookcheck testing measured brightness a bit above entry level but short of high end creator panels. For games, streaming, and everyday browsing, the image looks pleasing once you set brightness and disable aggressive dimming features.
The refresh rate stays locked at 60 Hz, and response times trail modern 144 Hz and 240 Hz gaming screens. Fast shooters feel smoother on a newer high refresh display, yet the Legion still gives a clean view for single player titles and slower competitive games.
Audio is a strong area. Lenovo packed in front facing speakers and a subwoofer with Dolby Atmos tuning. These speakers push clear dialogue and strong effects without rattling the chassis, which means you can play without a headset more often than on many rivals in the same age range.
The keyboard brings a soft but clear click with enough travel for touch typing and WASD duty. The large arrow keys and number pad help with shortcuts in games and work apps. The touchpad tracks well, though most players will still plug in a mouse once they start a match.
Gaming Performance And Thermals
On release, reviewers found that the Legion Y720 handled current titles at 1080p with a mix of medium and high presets while keeping frame rates above 60 fps in many cases. Those results still line up with real world use now, as long as you adjust expectations for the newest, most demanding releases.
Esports titles such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch, and Valorant sit in the laptop s comfort zone. With sensible preset choices and minor tweaks to shadow and post processing sliders, they run smoothly and stay responsive. Newer AAA games with large open worlds ask more from both CPU and GPU, so a blend of medium settings and reduced draw distances keeps the experience steady.
1080p Game Settings To Aim For
When you first load up a game on the Legion Y720, start with the preset below and adjust based on your tolerance for frame drops and visual tradeoffs:
- Esports titles: Use high or medium presets, scale back shadows and reflections, and target 60 fps or higher.
- Story driven action games: Start with medium presets, keep textures high if VRAM use allows, and lock frame rate around 45–60 fps.
- Strategy games: Push textures and effects a bit higher, since camera motion stays calmer, and keep an eye on late game unit counts.
Games that lean heavily on ray tracing or advanced lighting systems run best with those features disabled. The GTX 1060 lacks dedicated ray tracing hardware, so traditional rasterized presets remain the sweet spot. Once you find settings that feel smooth, save them as a custom preset so you do not have to repeat the tuning process every time.
Fan Noise, Heat, And Long Sessions
The Legion Y720 uses a dual fan cooling system with intake grilles on the bottom and large exhaust vents on the rear. Under light loads, fan speeds stay modest, and the system remains quiet enough for a library or classroom. During extended gaming, fan noise ramps up to a clear whoosh, though pitches stay steady rather than whining.
Surface temperatures stay comfortable near the WASD cluster, while the center of the keyboard and the underside near the rear vents grow warm. A solid desk or cooling pad helps the intake vents breathe. When considering a used unit, running a demanding game or stress test for twenty minutes and checking for throttling or thermal shutdown gives a quick read on the state of the heatsink and thermal paste.
Battery Life, Size, And Daily Carry
The 60 Wh battery inside the Legion Y720 can stretch through a work or class block with light loads. Web browsing, document work, and streaming at moderate brightness tend to land in the four to six hour range in older tests, with some variance based on screen brightness and background apps. Gaming away from the charger, on the other hand, drains the battery in short order, so serious sessions still call for a wall outlet.
At around 3.2 kg before the charger, the laptop feels hefty in a backpack. The power brick adds more weight and bulk. For users who move between rooms at home or carry the machine to a weekly LAN night, the size works fine. Daily commuters and students may want a lighter system for travel and keep the Legion on a desk as a home gaming station.
The upside of that size is space for ports, cooling, and speakers. There is less flex in the chassis than in many thin and light machines, and the thicker shell gives the cooling system more freedom to move air without extreme fan speeds.
Lenovo Legion Y720 Versus Modern Budget Gaming Laptops
Modern entry level gaming laptops with RTX 3050, 3050 Ti, or 4050 GPUs beat the Legion Y720 in raw performance, efficiency, and features such as ray tracing and DLSS. At the same time, those systems often ship with only one drive bay and more limited port layouts. The real question is whether the price of a used Legion balances those gaps.
The table below lays out a quick comparison between a well kept Legion Y720 and a typical new budget gaming laptop in the same price window many second hand units sell for.
| Aspect | Legion Y720 | Modern Budget Gaming Laptop |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase Price | Lower on the used market | Higher upfront, but new warranty |
| GPU Features | GTX 1060, no ray tracing or DLSS | RTX features, better driver support window |
| CPU Performance | Quad core Intel 7th gen | Newer 6 or 8 core chips |
| Display | 60 Hz IPS, FHD or 4K | Often 120–165 Hz FHD IPS |
| Ports | Rich selection, Thunderbolt 3, multiple video outputs | More USB-C, sometimes fewer video ports |
| Storage | M.2 plus 2.5-inch bay | Usually one M.2 slot, no 2.5-inch bay |
| Battery Life | Shorter under load | Longer thanks to newer chips |
| Noise And Heat | Audible fans and warm deck in games | Quieter at idle, still loud under load |
When A Used Legion Y720 Makes Sense
The Legion Y720 still earns a spot on shortlists for specific users. Situations where it lines up well include:
- You mainly play esports or older AAA titles at 1080p and care more about a sturdy keyboard and rich port layout than top benchmark scores.
- You want dual drive bays for a large local library of games and media without constant juggling.
- You plan to dock the laptop to a monitor and peripherals at home and do not mind the extra weight when you move it.
- You find a unit from a trusted seller at a clear discount compared with new budget gaming laptops.
Red Flags When Buying Second Hand
Before you commit money to a used lenovo legion y720, give the machine a short health check. Points to check include:
- Battery wear: Use Windows battery reports or third party tools to see how far capacity has dropped from the original 60 Wh rating.
- Thermals: Run a game or a stress test and watch for sudden frame drops, shutdowns, or loud fan surges, which may suggest dust buildup or dried thermal paste.
- Keyboard and ports: Test every key, USB port, audio jack, and display output. Replacing a keyboard or USB board adds hidden cost.
- Screen condition: Look for dead pixels, backlight bleed, and scratches or cracks in the panel or bezel.
- Drive health: If possible, check SMART values and plan on swapping any hard drive for an SSD soon after purchase.
Factor the price of a new SSD, fresh thermal paste, and maybe a replacement battery into your budget. A cheap sticker price can climb once you add these parts, so compare that total with the cost of a new entry level system with a warranty.
Who The Lenovo Legion Y720 Still Suits Today
The Lenovo Legion Y720 works best for players who value a sturdy keyboard, strong speakers, and flexible storage more than the latest graphics tech. It still delivers smooth 1080p play in many popular titles, takes upgrades well, and fits desk based setups with multiple monitors and wired peripherals.
If you mostly play lighter games, want a strong all round media laptop, or need something to keep at a desk as a shared family gaming machine, a well priced Legion Y720 can still earn its keep. If your wish list leans toward ray tracing, long battery life, and a lighter chassis for daily travel, a newer RTX based laptop will feel like a better long term move.