Lenovo Legion R25F-30 review: a solid 1080p gaming monitor with some compromises

Lenovo Legion R25f-30: Two-minute review

There are many reasons why PC gamers may prefer a 1080p gaming monitor like the $179 Lenovo Legion R25f-30 over displays with higher resolutions. Beyond serving individuals who may be on a tighter budget, performance gains through higher frame rates in the modern gaming era can help more competitive-minded gamers.

With a 24.5-inch VA panel, 1080p native resolution and 280Hz refresh rate, the Legion R25f-30 does a great job where it counts. The image quality is wonderful thanks to covering 99% of the sRGB and 90% of the DCI-P3 color space while supporting HDR. On the other hand, AMD FreeSync alongside a 0.5ms response time helps on the performance side of things.

To further improve gameplay performance, the Legion R25f-30 comes equipped with AMD FreeSync Premium technology and ClearMR 7000 certification, eliminating stutters and screen tearing for an ultra-smooth gaming experience. Gamers will enjoy stunning visual fidelity, as the monitor covers 99% of the sRGB and 90% of the DCI-P3 color space, delivering vibrant, true-to-life colors. This is great for entry-to-mid-level content creators or beginning colorists in terms of color accuracy for the Adobe crowd. The Legion R25f-30 works fine enough when browsing the web or using management software with clarity and crisp fonts.

With support for HDR, lighting and shadows appear more realistic, adding depth and detail to every scene. If that’s all PC gamers on the cheaper side are looking for, then that sub-$200 gaming monitor could be worth it. Gamers playing titles like Black Myth: Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake II will get some of the best image quality they can get at this price point. The same goes for more esports titles like League of Legends, Fortnite, and Call of Duty where input latency and high frame rates are vital for victory.

The Lenovo Legion R25f-30 has a few drawbacks, starting with its rather plain design that lacks visual flair. While the monitor provides adjustable comfort with lift, tilt, pivot, and swivel options, its two built-in 3W stereo speakers are underwhelming and not ideal for serious use. Additionally, it lacks USB ports and in-display overlays, with crosshair overlays and color settings only accessible through the separate Lenovo Artery software. Compared to other budget gaming monitors, it falls short at times.

Lenovo Legion R25f-30: Price and availability

• When is it available? Now
• How much does it cost? $179.99/£139.00/AU $299.00
• Where can you get it? US, UK, and Australia

The Lenovo Legion R25f-30 is available now in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia territories. Priced at $179.99 (£139.00, AU $299.00), the gaming monitor can be purchased from Lenovo’s online store or various online stores like Newegg in the U.S., Currys Business in the UK, and Centrecom in Australia. If image quality and performance matter more to you, the sub-$200 price tag could be worth it.

You won't find any USB ports or powerful speakers in way of features, just the Lenovo Artery software compatibility and onboard speakers. If you want more bang-for-your-buck, you may want to look into the RCA Evolution Select M27SG134F. At the cost of only having 168Hz refresh rate, the 1440p display provides commendable image quality and performance, plus better speakers and on-screen displays.

Understand that there are affordable 4K monitors of quality as well like the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q. Of course, those two other potential choices will require a rig that can handle solid output beyond 1080p.

Value: 4 / 5

Lenovo Legion R25f-30: Specs

Lenovo Legion R25f-30: Design

When it comes to overall design aesthetics, the all-black colorway of The Lenovo Legion R25f-30 is a bit boring. Don’t expect an aggressive angular design outside of the base which features the Lenovo logo stretched across triangular grills.

No RGB lighting or anything of the likes are to be found here. Thankfully, the fairly generic design does lend itself to a simple setup. Simply screw in the base to the neck and snap both into the back panel.

To secure the back panel to the neck, there are four large screws that require some tightening.

Image 1 of 4

The overall weight of the gaming monitor is a bit less than 15lbs which means it's easy to maneuver around. Meanwhile, adjustments to display position include lift, tilt, pivot and swivel.

The swivel can also convert the Legion R25f-30 to portrait layout as well. There are several buttons on the back panel for power, input, game-related modes and a thumb stick for navigating and selecting options on the in-display menu.

Power comes through a port that connects directly to an outlet so you don’t have to worry about an adapter. Outside of that, the only ports are one single DisplayPort, two HDMI ports and 3.5 headphone jack. Some USB ports would have been nice but considering the budget nature, these are understandable.

• Design: 3 / 5

Lenovo Legion R25f-30: Features

The feature set of the Lenovo Legion R25f-30 is very light which is expected given the sub-$200 price tag. Alongside the lack of USB ports or more standard gaming monitor features like KVM, there are two extras that you may find interesting - the first is compatibility with Lenovo’s Artery software.

This allows features like crosshair and frame rate overlays and easier access to color correction on the monitor. Understand that console players are going to miss out on any of these capabilities since it’s tied to the software.

Another feature are the two 3W in-display speakers that are fairly weak for everyday usage. If the room is quiet, they could be good for the occasional YouTube video.

However, serious gamers are going to either use the 3.5m headphone jack or a pair of the best wireless headphones around. The volume on the speakers aren’t the highest and lack any real sonic nuance.

• Features: 3 / 5

Lenovo Legion R25f-30: Performance

Performance is the highlight of the Lenovo Legion R25F-30 thanks to its 280Hz refresh rate and 0.5 latency which will definitely give gamers a competitive edge. Add AMD FreeSync Premium into the mix and this display competes very well in that department. Playing competitive online titles like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III feels great on the R25F-30.

Motion is buttery smooth with no noticeable screen tearing. Having a powerful desktop for this 1080p display means these games enjoy significantly higher framerates that make good usage of its 280Hz refresh rate. Even more fast-paced games like Black Myth: Wukong and Forza Motorsport (2023) feel incredibly tactile thanks to the low latency.

When it comes to image quality, the Legion R25f-30 makes great use of its 380 peak nits of brightness, 3000:1 contrast, and 16.7 million color support. Though some tinkering is required to get near perfect color accuracy in both SDR and HDR, images look great on the gaming monitor.

This is noticeable in gaming when playing titles like Alan Wake II and Cyberpunk 2077. Having the settings pumped up to max on these games provide great visuals that the Legion R25f-30 can really take advantage of at the 1080p resolution range.

This leads into general application use as well. Text is crisp and easily legible on Google Chrome, and videos offer bold colors and deep enough blacks. Creative tools like Adobe Suite mean that content creators will be fine using Photoshop and Premiere Pro.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Lenovo Legion R25f-30?

 Buy it if… 

 Don’t buy it if… 

Also Consider

How we tested the Lenovo Legion R25f-30

For the review, the Lenovo Legion R25f-30 was tested over the course of about a week. Daily tasks primarily involved using Google Chrome and Slack, including working with Google Docs and project management software like Asana, as well as social media management tools such as Hootsuite. Slack was also frequently used to communicate across various channels. Additionally, Adobe Suite, including Photoshop and Premiere Pro, was used throughout the week for video and photo editing.

For gaming tests, I evaluated both image quality and performance. To assess image quality, I played Black Myth: Wukong, Hogwarts Legacy, Starfield, and Cyberpunk 2077. On the performance side, I tested Fortnite, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and Forza Motorsport. Additionally, I played Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and Redout 2.

I’ve spent the past several years covering monitors alongside other PC components for TechRadar. Outside of gaming, I’ve been proficient in Adobe Suite for over a decade as well.

First reviewed September 2024