If you value a sleek design and a lightweight laptop with fanless operation and higher screen resolution for general use, you may prefer the Apple MacBook Air. It offers good general performance, a high-quality build, and longer battery life but at a higher cost. Conversely, if gaming, 3D modeling, or machine learning is your focus, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 provides stronger performance in those areas due to its dedicated graphics card, and it does so for less money. However, it's heavier, has a louder fan, and shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go 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 Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
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 Gaming 3
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.4/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is equipped with an efficient Apple M2 processor combined with high screen quality, which is optimal for everyday tasks and multimedia consumption; its lightweight design, long battery life, and silent operation make it highly portable and convenient for general use.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
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
8.1/10
7.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
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
7.8/10
7.2/10
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air's higher resolution and brightness make it excellent for general use and engineering tasks, where clear and sharp visuals are essential. Additionally, its wide color gamut supports precision in color work for engineering and design, but its typical refresh rate limits its appeal for 3D applications where smoother motion is prioritized. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad, with sufficient resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and design work, falls short for gaming and 3D environments due to a refresh rate that's less optimal for fast-paced visuals.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 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
Very Good
Good
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.2/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$549
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is fair for 3D due to its GPU being part of the integrated Apple M2 chip which, although efficient, is less potent compared to discrete gaming GPUs and lacks the software support that many popular games require for MacOS. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, with its Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and higher screen refresh rate, provides better performance suited for gaming and 3D applications, though it might not match the Apple's screen quality and battery efficiency.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.2/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
"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 Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,395
Recommendations made
22,403
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.