Keyboard lifts game

IMPROVEMENTS: CHANGES ON LAPTOP MADE WHERE IT MATTERS MOST

- Arthur Goldstuck

The Lenovo LOQ 15IRX10 looks like last year's model, but sees big improvements where it matters most.

Lenovo's first LOQ machines were built to prove that gaming laptops didn't have to be gaudy or ruinous to the wallet. The 15IRX9F which I reviewed last year earned its keep by mixing mid-range components with a professional finish that looked comfortable in a boardroom and gave gamers a machine that handled long sessions without looking out of place at work.

The new LOQ 15IRX10 keeps almost all the physical dimensions; the same chassis, layout of ports, almost the same weight and broadly the same display options.

At just under 2.4kg, it remains best suited to desktop use, but that brings numerous compensations to the table.

The screen on this review sample remains a 15.6-inch WQHD panel with a 165Hz refresh rate, and the cooling vents still occupy the same rear corners.

The keyboard is where the laptop takes a clear step forward. The keys have more spring and give, depressing with a firmer click that feels both faster and steadier.

The travel depth hasn't changed much, but it feels deeper, and the actuation point the specific depth at which a keypress becomes a keystroke feels cleaner. T

his makes typing and clicking both comfortable and satisfying.

It makes a difference in long gaming sessions, and even more so when typing documents or editing code.

This despite the arrow keys retaining full size, and the numeric pad still fitting neatly without compressing the layout.