Lenovo LOQ i5-12450HX RTX 3050 Review: An Entry-Level Gaming Laptop for Students (LOQ 15IAX9)

The Lenovo LOQ 2024 (LOQ 15IAX9, 83GS00PJIN) pairs a Core i5-12450HX with a 95W RTX 3050 and a 144Hz sRGB screen. Here is what it handles for students and first-time gamers, and what to check before buying.

By Gadget Soch·17 Oct 2026·Updated 19 Oct 2026·10 min read

The Lenovo LOQ 2024 with an Intel Core i5-12450HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB (model LOQ 15IAX9, part number 83GS00PJIN) is a sensible entry-level gaming laptop for students and first-time PC gamers in India. It runs esports titles and many popular games at 1080p on a 144Hz, 100% sRGB screen, and it leaves room to add memory and a second SSD later. The trade-offs are an older 8-core processor, limited headroom for demanding new games, a 300-nit display and short battery life when gaming.

The Amazon.in listing covered here is titled “Lenovo LOQ 2024, 12th Gen Intel Core i5 12450HX, RTX 3050-6GB, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, FHD, 15.6″/39.6cm, 144Hz, Windows 11, Office 2024, Grey, 2.4Kg, 83GS00PJIN…” (ASIN B0D49RN3X6). Amazon pages can show other variants, so confirm the part number on the listing before you buy.

A note on method: this article draws on Lenovo’s PSREF specification sheet for the LOQ 15IAX9, Intel’s and NVIDIA’s official pages, and published reviews, all checked on 17 October 2026. Gadget Soch has not used this Lenovo LOQ i5-12450HX hands-on; any performance or battery observations are attributed to the publication that reported them.

The short answer

Buy it for: 1080p esports and mainstream gaming, college coursework, coding and light video or photo editing on a tight budget
Skip it if: you want to play the newest AAA games at high settings, carry your laptop all day, or need a bright screen
What it does well: a 95W RTX 3050, a 144Hz G-SYNC panel with full sRGB coverage, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 and two slots each for RAM and SSDs
Where it falls short: an 8-core 12th-gen CPU, 6GB of video memory, no DLSS Frame Generation, 300 nits, a 720p webcam and a starting weight of 2.38kg

Specs at a glance: Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9 (83GS00PJIN)

Lenovo LOQ i5-12450HX key specs at a glance — Lenovo LOQ i5-12450HX key specifications, summarised from the table in this review.

Component	What this listing has
Processor	Intel Core i5-12450HX, 8 cores (4 performance + 4 efficient), 12 threads, up to 4.4GHz, 12MB cache
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU, 6GB GDDR6, 1732MHz boost, 95W TGP, plus Intel UHD Graphics
Memory	16GB (per listing), DDR5-4800, two SODIMM slots, up to 32GB
Storage	512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, two M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 slots
Screen	15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS, 144Hz, 300 nits, 100% sRGB, 1000:1, anti-glare, G-SYNC
Connectivity	3x USB-A (5Gbps), USB-C (10Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4, charging), HDMI 2.1, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm jack, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
Battery	60Wh with Rapid Charge Pro, 135W or 170W adapter by country
Camera and audio	720p webcam with E-shutter, dual microphones, 2 x 2W Nahimic speakers
Keyboard	Full size with numeric keypad, white backlight
Body	Luna Grey painted PC-ABS, 359.86 x 258.7 x 21.9-23.9mm, from 2.38kg
Software (per listing)	Windows 11, Office 2024

Check the current price of the Lenovo LOQ i5-12450HX RTX 3050 (83GS00PJIN) on Amazon.in

What the Core i5-12450HX handles, and where it stops

Intel’s specification page describes the Core i5-12450HX as a 12th-generation (Alder Lake) chip launched in 2022, with four performance cores that boost to 4.4GHz and four efficient cores that reach 3.1GHz, giving 12 threads and 12MB of cache. Its 55W base power and 157W maximum turbo power mean it needs proper gaming-laptop cooling.

For a student, that covers online classes, Office, many browser tabs, programming assignments and photo editing. Where it falls behind is sustained multi-threaded work such as long video exports, 3D rendering or large code builds, where newer HX chips with more cores finish faster. Intel lists no NPU, so Windows features that require a dedicated AI processor are not supported.

Gaming on the RTX 3050 6GB: realistic expectations

Lenovo’s PSREF lists the LOQ 15IAX9’s RTX 3050 with 6GB of GDDR6, a 1732MHz boost clock and a 95W total graphics power (TGP), with Dynamic Boost 2.0, Advanced Optimus, DLSS 2 and DirectX 12 Ultimate. TGP matters because laptop makers set their own power limits for NVIDIA GPUs.

91mobiles reviewed this exact pairing, a LOQ with the i5-12450HX, RTX 3050 6GB, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Reviewer Nitin Mathur wrote that the RTX 3050 can handle most modern games at medium to high settings at 1080p, that Valorant ran smoothly at high settings, and that Cyberpunk 2077 and Call of Duty: Warzone delivered smooth frame rates at medium settings. He also suggested that players who want to take gaming more seriously look at an RTX 3060 or better.

Two limits are worth knowing. First, 6GB of video memory means lowering texture quality in some new, demanding games. Second, NVIDIA’s DLSS page shows that RTX 30-series GPUs support DLSS Super Resolution but not Frame Generation, which is reserved for the RTX 40 series and newer. If you want that feature and more graphics power, our Lenovo LOQ Ryzen 7 RTX 4050 review covers a LOQ with a 105W RTX 4050 instead.

The 144Hz screen is the highlight

According to PSREF, the 15.6-inch Full HD IPS panel runs at 144Hz with 100% sRGB colour, 1000:1 contrast, an anti-glare finish and NVIDIA G-SYNC. 144Hz makes fast games and scrolling look smoother than a 60Hz screen, G-SYNC cuts tearing, and full sRGB suits design and photo coursework.

The weak point is brightness. Lenovo rates the panel at 300 nits, and 91mobiles measured about 295 nits, calling the 144Hz panel a standout at its price while noting it can feel dim outdoors. Indoors under normal lighting it should be fine.

Daily life at college: weight, battery, webcam and sound

This is a gaming laptop, not a thin-and-light. PSREF puts the weight at 2.38kg and up (the listing title says 2.4kg), plus a separate power brick, so you will feel it in a backpack every day.

Lenovo’s PSREF lists a 60Wh battery with approximate maximums of 5.2 hours in MobileMark 25 and 6.9 hours of local 1080p video playback at 150 nits. Real use is shorter: 91mobiles reported roughly 4 to 5 hours of moderate use and about 1.5 hours of intense gaming, with a full charge taking around 2 hours on a 135W charger. Lenovo says Rapid Charge Pro reaches 50% in 30 minutes. Advanced Optimus can hand light tasks to the integrated graphics, which helps battery life away from a socket.

For online classes, the 720p webcam has a physical E-shutter for privacy and there is a dual-microphone array. 91mobiles found the Lenovo LOQ i5-12450HX decent for video calls but grainy in low light, and described the 2W stereo speakers as fine for casual listening but short on bass, so a headset is the better choice for gaming. On heat, the same review reported generally good thermals with little throttling, though the area around some keys became noticeably warm during heavy gaming.

Keyboard, ports and build quality

The keyboard has a full numeric keypad, and PSREF lists only white backlighting for the LOQ 15IAX9, so there is no RGB. 91mobiles found the touchpad large and responsive but a little plasticky, and described the plastic build as sturdy for a budget laptop with slight creaks under hard pressure and a slightly wobbly hinge. Lenovo states the design has passed MIL-STD-810H tests.

Gigabit Ethernet is handy in hostels with wired internet and for stable online gaming. HDMI 2.1 and USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4 run external monitors (up to three displays in total), USB-C accepts up to 140W charging with a Lenovo adapter, and three USB-A ports take a mouse, keyboard and pen drive. There is no SD card reader or fingerprint reader.

Room to grow: memory and storage upgrades

Upgradability is a real strength. PSREF lists two DDR5-4800 SODIMM slots with support for up to 32GB, and two M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 slots for storage. 91mobiles advised buyers to pick a 16GB version over the 8GB base model to avoid lag in demanding games and multitasking, and this listing already has 16GB.

The 512GB SSD fills up quickly once Windows, Office, coursework and a few large games are installed, so a second SSD is the most likely first upgrade. PSREF’s storage section mentions both 2280 slots and 2242-size drives, so confirm which SSD length fits before ordering one. To see whether your 16GB is a single module or two, open Task Manager, go to Performance, then Memory, and check “Slots used”.

Is the LOQ i5 RTX 3050 right for you?

It suits you if:

This is your first gaming laptop and you mainly play esports titles or popular games at 1080p
You are a student who needs a numeric keypad, Ethernet and an accurate sRGB screen for coursework
You plan to add RAM or a second SSD later instead of paying for them upfront
You mostly use the laptop at a desk with the charger connected

Look elsewhere if:

You want to play the newest AAA games at high settings or use DLSS Frame Generation
You need a light laptop or long battery life for a full day of classes
You work outdoors or near bright windows often
You need heavy multi-core performance for rendering or large code builds

Other laptops to compare

Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9 with RTX 4050: the same chassis and screen, with PSREF listing a 6GB RTX 4050 at 105W with DLSS 3.5 support, a clear step up for gaming
Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 (Core i7-13650HX, RTX 3050 6GB): the same 95W GPU paired with a 14-core, 20-thread CPU, better for CPU-heavy coursework, with 1080p webcam and RGB lighting options on some models
Lenovo LOQ 15ARP9 (Ryzen 7 7435HS, RTX 4050): an AMD-based LOQ with an 8-core, 16-thread CPU and a 105W RTX 4050
Lenovo LOQ 15AHP10: a newer generation with Ryzen 5 220 or Ryzen 7 250 processors and RTX 5050 or RTX 5060 graphics with 8GB of GDDR7 at 100W, per PSREF

Checklist before you order

Lenovo LOQ i5-12450HX buying checklist — What to check before you buy the Lenovo LOQ i5-12450HX.

Part number: the listing title shows 83GS00PJIN. Lenovo’s support site files the 83GS machine type under the LOQ 15IAX9, so match this number on the listing, invoice and box. Lenovo also sells a separate LOQ Essential range, so do not confuse the two
Office 2024: the title mentions Office 2024, so check the listing details for the edition and how it is activated
Warranty: the observed title does not state the warranty period, so read it on the listing, keep the invoice and register the laptop on Lenovo India’s support site
Charger: PSREF lists a 135W or 170W adapter depending on the country, so confirm the one in the box
Extras: PSREF lists a LOQ M100 RGB mouse or none, so do not assume one is included

See the Lenovo LOQ 2024 i5-12450HX, RTX 3050 6GB, 16GB, 512GB variant on Amazon.in

Frequently asked questions

Is the Lenovo LOQ i5-12450HX with RTX 3050 good for gaming?

Yes, at entry level. 91mobiles reported that it handles most modern games at medium to high 1080p settings. The newest demanding games need lower settings.

Is it a good laptop for engineering and college students?

For most students, yes, thanks to the sRGB screen, numeric keypad, Ethernet and RTX GPU. The drawbacks are weight and short battery life when gaming.

What is the RTX 3050’s TGP in the LOQ 15IAX9?

Lenovo’s PSREF lists 95W with a 1732MHz boost clock and Dynamic Boost 2.0.

Does it support DLSS 3 Frame Generation?

No. NVIDIA reserves Frame Generation for RTX 40-series and newer GPUs. The RTX 3050 supports DLSS Super Resolution.

Can I upgrade it to 32GB of RAM?

Yes. PSREF lists two DDR5-4800 SODIMM slots and a 32GB maximum. Check how the existing 16GB is installed before buying modules.

Verdict

The Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9 with a Core i5-12450HX and RTX 3050 6GB gives first-time gamers and students a capable 1080p machine with a smooth, colour-accurate screen, useful ports and real upgrade room. Accept its older CPU, modest GPU headroom, dim panel and weight, and it is a sensible starting point. If you can stretch your budget, an RTX 4050 LOQ is the better long-term gaming choice.

Check the current price of the Lenovo LOQ i5 RTX 3050 on Amazon.in