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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you're looking for high performance for gaming or demanding tasks and are okay with spending more, the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is an excellent choice but it might be heavier and have less battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is more budget-friendly, lighter, and probably better for everyday tasks with longer battery life, but it might not handle intensive tasks as well. Choose the Acer if performance is a priority and the Lenovo for portability and casual use. 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 overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.6
7.0
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
373.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
6.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use, though the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is better suited for general use than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 due to its higher-performing CPU, more RAM, and superior screen quality, albeit with lower portability and battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers better portability and longer battery life but lower performance and screen quality, making it fair for general use.
Gaming and AI
7.5
5.9
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165, making it better for gaming and 3D tasks, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3's AMD Vega 6 graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60 provide moderate performance, which is fair for less demanding gaming and 3D scenarios.
Engineering and Design
8.3
6.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 stands out for engineering and design due to its more robust CPU and double the RAM of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3; plus, it features a high-performance Nvidia GPU, unlike the integrated graphics of the Lenovo. While both laptops have quality IPS screens, the Acer's screen has a higher refresh rate and more comprehensive color coverage, crucial for design accuracy, although this comes at the expense of being heavier and bulkier than the very portable Lenovo.
Screen Quality
7.8
6.4
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
373.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, a laptop with a bright, high-resolution display and a quality panel like an IPS or OLED provides clear and vibrant visuals, and the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 offers such traits making it more suitable than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16’s ability to cover a wide range of colors with its high DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB coverage is crucial for accuracy in engineering and design tasks, making it preferred over the IdeaPad. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, the lower refresh rate of the Acer's screen is a disadvantage compared to screens designed specifically for gaming, which also prioritize high resolution and panel quality.
Battery
5.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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
3.5 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has good portability, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.5
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$799
$400
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a price of $799 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $400.
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Key similarities
Content Creation
7.7
7.2
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 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
7.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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.
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How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.11'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 3.52 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500HX | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 47 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 373 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
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
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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 Slim 3
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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.
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