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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is designed for high-performance tasks like gaming and demanding applications, with a powerful processor, superior graphics card, and a higher quality, high-refresh rate display which suits fast-paced content. Therefore, it's well-suited for intensive tasks like 3D work, machine learning, or gaming. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is more budget-friendly and offers lower-end specs which are sufficient for general use such as web browsing, office applications, and media consumption. Due to its lower weight and potentially better battery life, it's more portable and could be better for someone who needs a basic laptop for daily tasks and prioritizes convenience over performance. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios 300
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.4
6.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers superior CPU and RAM, which contributes to faster and more efficient performance for various tasks, along with a higher-quality screen and better gaming capabilities, but it is heavier and has shorter battery life, affecting its portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a lower-grade CPU and RAM, a less impressive screen, but it is lighter and has a longer battery life, which may appeal to those prioritizing ease of carrying and longer use on a single charge, despite the lower performance.
Gaming and AI
7.2
5.8
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for gaming and 3D applications largely due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU enabling better graphics processing and a higher screen refresh rate which provides smoother motion rendering. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is hindered by its less capable integrated Intel UHD Xe G4 graphics and a lower refresh rate screen, which are less suited to demanding visual tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6
5.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
6.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 outstrips the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" in engineering and design tasks, featuring a more powerful CPU, higher RAM, a superior dedicated GPU, and a better-quality display which are all very important for such demanding work. In contrast, the IdeaPad 3, while more portable and quieter, has a less powerful CPU and integrated graphics, less RAM, and a lower resolution display, making it less suitable for engineering software that requires robust performance and sharp visuals.
Content Creation
7.3
6.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.1
6.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
7.3
5.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 offers a display with high resolution and brightness, making it suitable for general use, while its color accuracy appeals to engineering and design tasks. However, despite its strengths, it falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lacking refresh rate. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a lower quality display, reflected in reduced resolution and brightness, which affects its performance across all mentioned areas, and its color gamut does not meet the standards needed for professional engineering and design work.
Battery
3.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.5
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,204
$360
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has a price of $1,204 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" costs $360.
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How the Acer Predator Helios 300 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios 300 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,204 | $360 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.51 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 14.26" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 9.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i3-1115G4 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 35 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios 300
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | November 2022
"The Acer Predator Helios 300 review is an overclocked gaming laptop with a good display. The Predator is large, heavy, and loud, but also offers plenty of performance according to gamers. An overclocked gaming laptop - or its user - also has to struggle with the usual disadvantages we mentioned above. On the other hand, overclocking is optional, and those who like it quieter and can live with a few less frames per second can also switch to the significantly more moderate Standard mode. Then the Helios 300 won't be any louder than the competitors."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | February 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios 300 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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