When considering the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", it's essential to weigh your needs regarding performance, battery life, portability, and system preferences. The MacBook Pro offers a high-quality display, excellent for creative work like video editing or design; it also has a more powerful processor and graphics, better suited for intensive tasks. It's thinner and lighter, making it more portable, but it comes with fewer ports and relies on MacOS. The IdeaPad has a larger screen, more favorable for multitasking and productivity; it runs Windows, which might be preferable for compatibility with certain software. The IdeaPad also includes an array of ports for connectivity but offers less power for demanding applications and might feel bulkier for those on the move. Evaluate what's more critical—MacOS and performance, or Windows and screen size—to guide your choice. 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 Pro 16 (Late 2019)
Good for engineering and design
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good 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 Pro 16 (Late 2019).
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
7.3/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
477.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 from late 2019 offers a high-quality screen, superior speakers, and a more powerful CPU, making it well-suited for demanding tasks, but it comes at higher cost, less portability, and less heat management efficiency compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" from April 2022, which provides decent performance for general use, a larger screen, and better heat management at a more affordable price, making it a practical choice for everyday tasks. However, the MacBook has longer battery life, which might appeal to users who need their device to last throughout the day.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
6.6/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is better equipped for engineering and design due to its more capable Intel i7 processor, higher RAM, and a dedicated AMD Radeon Pro GPU, which altogether provide strong performance for demanding applications and multitasking. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has lower quantities of RAM, relies on an integrated AMD Vega 7 GPU, and has a less powerful AMD Ryzen 5 processor, making it less suitable for intensive tasks typically encountered in engineering and design work.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
7.9/10
7.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is somewhat better.
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
6.7/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) features a high-resolution display that's bright and vibrant, enhancing visibility and clarity for general tasks and detailed engineering work, while its wide color gamut ensures accurate color reproduction crucial for design. However, its standard refresh rate limits its effectiveness for 3D applications where smoother motion is key. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" offers good resolution and adequate brightness for everyday tasks and design, but it also lacks the high refresh rate demanded by gaming and 3D work, and its color range may not be as wide, affecting color critical tasks.
Battery
12.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 12 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
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" both have good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
$540
$784
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) with its dedicated AMD Radeon Pro GPU performs well in 3D tasks, but its maximum screen refresh rate and the fact that many games are incompatible with macOS limit its gaming potential. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" relies on an integrated GPU, which is less powerful for gaming and 3D applications; however, it runs Windows which supports a wider range of games, despite also having a standard screen refresh rate.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"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 Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
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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.