The MacBook Air is more portable and has a higher build quality with better battery life, ideal for general use and suits someone who prefers MacOS. It also operates silently without a fan. The Lenovo IdeaPad has a larger screen with a number pad on the keyboard and more storage out of the box, and it runs Windows which might be required for specific software or preferential for some users. For more intensive tasks like 3D rendering, the MacBook may perform slightly better but neither are specialized for heavy gaming or engineering use. Choose the MacBook for portability and general use or the Lenovo for a bigger display, more storage, and Windows compatibility. 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 Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers a more powerful integrated GPU, a higher resolution and brighter display which enhances design work, and is significantly lighter, thus more portable than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17". However, the Lenovo has more storage space right out of the box and offers a larger screen which might be preferred for certain engineering tasks, despite its lower screen resolution and color accuracy compared to the MacBook Air.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
6.7/10
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air's screen provides sharp images and vibrant colors due to its high resolution and wide color support, making it ideal for general use and professional design tasks. However, its lower refresh rate limits the smoothness required for 3D applications, such as advanced gaming or animation work. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's screen offers clarity and accurate colors for everyday tasks and design software, but like the MacBook Air, its refresh rate isn't suited for the fast-paced action seen in gaming or 3D modeling.
Battery
15.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 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
Very Good
Good
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$784
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its Apple M1 processor, 8GB RAM, high-resolution display, and lightweight design has excellent battery life, making it ideal for portability and everyday tasks, further benefiting from silent, fanless operation.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is equipped with an integrated GPU that is moderately capable for 3D tasks and provides a decent screen quality, but it runs MacOS which limits the availability of popular games that often require Windows for compatibility.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
7.7/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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.
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.
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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.