Introduction
If you’re hunting for a gaming laptop that still holds its own years after release, the Lenovo Legion Y740 series is a name that keeps coming up. Built around Nvidia’s RTX 2070 GPU and Intel’s 9th-generation Core i7 processors, both the 15-inch and 17-inch versions of the Y740 delivered serious performance for their time — and thanks to solid engineering, many units are still running strong today. But the two models aren’t identical twins. They differ in size, thermal design, display options, and portability, and those differences matter depending on how and where you plan to use the machine.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know to decide between the Legion Y740-15 and the Legion Y740-17, whether you’re buying new-old-stock, hunting for a refurbished deal, or comparing specs before a secondhand purchase.
The Core Similarities
Before diving into what separates these two laptops, it’s worth noting what they share. Both models were built around the same core gaming DNA:
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 (either standard or Max-Q, depending on configuration)
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H (9th Gen, 6-core/12-thread)
RAM: Configurable up to 32GB DDR4
Storage: PCIe NVMe SSD options, with some configurations including an additional 2.5″ HDD/SSD bay
Design language: Legion’s signature angular chassis, RGB keyboard lighting (with per-key options on higher trims), and a similar port selection including Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, and Ethernet
Because the internal silicon is so close, raw benchmark numbers in synthetic tests like 3DMark or Cinebench tend to land in a similar ballpark. The real differences show up in real-world use — and that’s where your decision should actually be made.
Size, Weight, and Portability
This is the most obvious and arguably most important distinction. The Y740-15 is built for people who need to actually carry their gaming laptop somewhere — a dorm room, a friend’s house, a LAN party, or a daily commute to work or school. It’s noticeably lighter and more compact, making it far easier to slide into a backpack without feeling like you’re hauling a brick.
The Y740-17, on the other hand, leans hard into the desktop-replacement philosophy. It’s heavier, bulkier, and clearly designed to live on a desk rather than travel in a bag. If portability isn’t a priority for you — say, the laptop is staying in your room or office permanently — the extra bulk isn’t really a downside. But if you imagine yourself moving this machine around regularly, the 17-inch chassis will start to feel like a chore fairly quickly.
Display Real Estate and Immersion
The 17-inch panel is the single biggest selling point for buyers who prioritize immersion. More screen real estate makes a genuine difference in games with wide fields of view, flight sims, RPGs with cluttered UI elements, and any title where you want peripheral vision advantages in competitive play. Movies, spreadsheets, and multitasking with multiple windows also benefit from the larger canvas.
That said, bigger isn’t automatically better for everyone. Competitive gamers, especially those who play fast-paced shooters, often prefer the tighter, more contained view of a 15-inch screen because it keeps action centered and reduces eye travel. The 15-inch version is also easier to use on your lap, on a plane tray table, or on a small desk, where a 17-inch panel can feel unwieldy.
Refresh rates and panel quality were generally comparable across trims for both sizes, so this decision mostly comes down to personal preference rather than a hard performance gap.
Thermal Performance and Sustained Power
This is where things get more interesting from a pure gaming-performance standpoint. The larger chassis of the Y740-17 provides more physical space for heat dissipation — bigger fans, more room for heat pipes, and generally more breathing room around the internal components. In practical terms, this can translate into slightly better sustained clock speeds during long gaming sessions, especially in demanding, GPU-intensive titles.
The Y740-15, being more compact, has less thermal headroom to work with. Lenovo did a respectable job managing heat in the smaller chassis, but under extended heavy loads, some configurations may see marginally more thermal throttling compared to their 17-inch sibling. For casual and moderate gaming sessions, this difference is unlikely to be noticeable. For users who plan extended, hours-long gaming marathons or run demanding creative workloads like video rendering, the extra thermal headroom of the 17-inch model can provide a slight, but real, edge.
Keyboard and Input Experience
Larger chassis sizes often allow for a bit more keyboard travel and a more spacious layout, and the Y740-17 benefits somewhat from this extra room. Numpad placement, key spacing, and palm rest area all get a modest boost with the larger footprint. The Y740-15 keyboard is still comfortable and responsive by any standard, but if you type a lot or want maximum comfort during long sessions, the extra space on the 17-inch model is a nice, if minor, perk.
Price and Value Considerations
Historically, the 17-inch variant commanded a modest price premium over the 15-inch model at similar internal specs, largely due to the larger display and chassis materials. If you’re shopping for a used or refurbished unit today, pricing gaps have often narrowed or even reversed depending on condition, seller, and regional availability. It’s worth comparing actual listed prices for the exact configuration you want rather than assuming one is inherently cheaper — the used and clearance markets don’t always follow original MSRP logic.
Which One Should You Actually Buy?
Here’s the practical breakdown:
Choose the Legion Y740-15 RTX 2070 if:
You need to travel or commute with your laptop regularly
You prefer a more compact, desk-friendly footprint
You play competitive, fast-paced games where a tighter field of view helps
You want a lighter machine for lap use or tight spaces
Choose the Legion Y740-17 RTX 2070 if:
The laptop will primarily live in one spot, like a desk or gaming room
You want maximum immersion for single-player, cinematic, or open-world games
You run demanding workloads and want slightly better sustained thermal performance
You value a roomier keyboard and larger trackpad
Final Verdict
Neither laptop is objectively “better” — they’re built for different lifestyles wrapped around nearly identical internal hardware. If portability matters even a little, the Y740-15 is the smarter pick, and you likely won’t notice a meaningful performance gap in day-to-day gaming. If the machine is staying put and you want the biggest screen and best thermal ceiling the series offers, the Y740-17 rewards you with a more immersive, slightly cooler-running experience.
Whichever direction you lean, the RTX 2070 core at the heart of both machines remains a genuinely capable GPU for 1080p and even light 1440p gaming, meaning either laptop can still deliver a satisfying experience well after its original release date. The real decision isn’t about raw power — it’s about how and where you’ll actually use the thing.
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