Lenovo Lenovo V15 Business Laptop, 15.6" FHD Display, AMD Review

If you're looking for a laptop that can handle both work and some gaming without breaking the bank, the Lenovo V15 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7730U and discrete AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU is a solid contender. It's a 15.6-inch business laptop that packs a surprising punch for its price, which hovers around $799. People searching for a 'budget gaming laptop for work' or a 'student laptop with good specs' will find a lot to like here, especially with that generous 40GB of RAM and 1TB SSD. It runs Windows 11 Home, has a backlit keyboard and a touchscreen, and comes in at a manageable 1.77kg. It's not the sleekest machine out there, but it's built to get stuff done.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7730U is a capable 8-core CPU, landing around the 51st percentile. In practice, that means it's perfectly fine for everyday multitasking, office work, and even some light content creation. The real star for gaming is the discrete AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU. It scores in the 64th percentile for graphics, which translates to solid 1080p gaming performance on medium to high settings for many titles. Our benchmark scores put it at 65.5/100 for gaming, so yes, it's good for casual gaming and esports. You won't be maxing out Cyberpunk at 4K, but for a laptop at this price, it's impressive. The 40GB of RAM is overkill for most people, but it means you'll never have to worry about running out of memory, ever.

At $799, this Lenovo V15 is punching well above its weight class. You're getting discrete graphics and a massive amount of RAM that you simply don't see at this price point. The trade-off is clearly the display and some portability. If your main priority is raw performance per dollar for work and play, this is a fantastic deal. If screen quality or battery life is your top concern, you might want to look at alternatives, even if they cost more.

Let's name some names. Compared to a pure gaming laptop like the MSI Vector 16 HX, this Lenovo will have a weaker GPU and screen, but it costs hundreds less and includes a touchscreen. Against a productivity-focused machine like the ASUS Zenbook Duo, you lose the innovative dual-screen design and likely get better build quality, but you gain much better gaming performance and more RAM here. And then there's the Apple MacBook Pro. There's no comparison on build, screen, or battery life—the MacBook wins hands down. But for the price of one base-model MacBook, you could buy two of these Lenovos and still have money left over, and you'd get way more RAM and a capable gaming GPU. It's all about your priorities.

So, should you buy this Lenovo V15? If you need a do-it-all machine on a tight budget, absolutely. It's a fantastic answer to 'what's the best laptop under $800 for gaming and work?' The GPU and RAM combo is exceptional for the price. Just go in with your eyes open about the screen. It'll get the job done, but it won't wow you. If you're a student who games, a remote worker who wants to play after hours, or just someone who wants max specs for minimal cash, this is a very easy recommendation. If you watch a lot of movies or need all-day battery life away from an outlet, you might want to keep looking.