Desktops with laptop CPUs are not a new concept. Over the years I’ve reviewed several examples, including NUCs and AIO PCs, but high-performance gaming PCs with laptop CPUs are something else entirely.
Lenovo has released just such a PC (H/T Tom’s Hardware). It’s not a budget tier PC with low-end specs either, this model ships with a choice of i9 14900HX or i7 14650HX CPUs, with GPU choices ranging from an RTX 4060 up to an RTX 4070 Ti Super. Add 32GB of RAM to that, capable cooling, a very good looking case, and you’ve got yourself a high quality gaming PC.
It’s a China-only release for now, but there’s always the possibility the Lenovo Legion 7000K will see a wider release in the months ahead.
So, why would Lenovo opt to release a desktop gaming PC with a mobile chip when it could opt for something like an i9 14900 or 14900T instead? It’s a good question.
I’m a huge believer in power efficient, quiet PCs. I would like to assume that’s the thinking behind this choice. If I focus on the i9 14900HX, it can be thought of as a downclocked, power efficient version of the desktop i9 14900K. But the latter is in another league when it comes to power consumption, with its 125W / 253W (and even higher) PL1 and PL2 power limits. In contrast, the 14900HX has a 45W base TDP, ranging up to 157W. That’s despite still being able to reach as high as 5.8GHz on its P-cores, just 200MHz less than the 14900K.
(Image credit: Future)
Best gaming PC: The top pre-built machines.
Best gaming laptop: Great devices for mobile gaming.
So, the 14900HX will consume less power under load and idle conditions, it’ll run a lot cooler, and it’ll give you almost all of the performance of a desktop i9. It makes additional sense for a gaming rig, as gaming seldom puts all cores under heavy sustained loads.
However, there are some compromises. Mobile CPUs are usually soldered, meaning you won’t be able to upgrade it—not that you would in this case, as 14th Gen is the end of the line for this generation. It also means the cooler is a bespoke one. I don’t see that as a problem given it’s going to be superior to any laptop cooling you could ever hope for.
Mobile CPU aside, the system really does look good in my opinion. It’s got decent connectivity options and what looks to be capable cooling.
If Intel can’t get its high end chips to run without gulping power, then I would be very happy to see more mobile-on-desktop options. Let’s see how Arrow Lake desktop CPUs go. If the top performers need 300W+, maybe we’ll see Lunar Lake equipped gaming PCs in the months ahead.
The Legion 7000K is available for pre-order in China. It starts from around $1,303 for the i7 14650HX / RTX 4060 combo, up to $2,350 for the i9 14900HX / RTX 4070 Ti model.
