A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 boils down to how much you value high-end gaming performance and features over cost savings. The Acer offers a faster processor, more powerful graphics, better screen resolution and refresh rate, making it suitable for intensive gaming and heavy tasks, but it comes at a higher price. On the other hand, the Lenovo, while less capable in terms of performance, still offers solid gaming capabilities and is more budget-friendly. If portability and battery life are essential to you, consider that the Acer is heavier and may have shorter battery life due to its higher-spec hardware. 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 Neo 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.5
6.5
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 provides a superior gaming and 3D experience due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and higher screen refresh rate of 165, which allows for smoother visuals in fast-paced games compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, which has a less powerful Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and a lower refresh rate of 120.
Engineering and Design
8.3
7.2
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is considered very good for engineering and design due to its higher-end Intel processor, increased RAM, and a more powerful Nvidia GPU, which are crucial for intensive tasks, as well as a higher resolution screen with better color coverage that is beneficial for detail-oriented work.
Screen Quality
7.8
7.2
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both offer displays with sufficient resolution, brightness, and panel type that make them suitable for everyday tasks such as browsing the web, working with documents, and streaming video, which is why they're considered good for general use. For engineering and design, where accurate color representation is crucial, these laptops likely have good color coverage in important color gamuts, ensuring that designers see precise hues when working with visual content. However, since gaming and 3D applications benefit greatly from a high refresh rate for smoother motion and less blur during fast-action scenes, these laptops' poorer screen quality in this regard may be due to lower refresh rates which do not align with the demanding needs of these types of applications.
Battery
5.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 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
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$799
$549
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.4
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is suitable for general use thanks to its larger screen with higher resolution and better color coverage, more RAM for multitasking, and a powerful CPU suitable for various tasks, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, which offers good performance with a quality keyboard and longer battery life for general use tasks in a more portable design.
Content Creation
7.7
7.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for content creation.
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
7.5
7.3
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for software development.
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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.2
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $549 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 vs. Apple MacBook Air (2020)
VS
Compare Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 vs. Apple MacBook Air (2022)
VS
Compare Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 vs. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
VS
Compare Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 vs. ASUS Vivobook 17
VS
Compare Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 vs. HP 17" Laptop
VS
Compare Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 vs. Acer Swift 3
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
111,495
Recommendations made
24,158
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
