The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers significantly higher performance, better display quality, and longer battery life, making it well-suited for professional work such as video editing, 3D modeling, or software development. However, it is less portable due to its larger size and heavier weight. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is more affordable and lighter, convenient for everyday tasks and travel, but with limited performance and a less impressive display, not ideal for demanding software or multitasking. Consider the MacBook Pro if your work requires power and top-tier features and you can manage the cost and size, or the IdeaPad if you prioritize cost savings and portability for lighter 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 Pro 16 (2021)
Excellent for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
6.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) outshines the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 (14") in terms of processing power, RAM, and a superior Mini LED screen, which leads to better performance for general use, particularly in multitasking and higher-resolution visual tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.0/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
6.1/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is superior for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, quadruple the RAM, and a markedly more capable GPU, coupled with a higher resolution and brighter Mini LED screen offering extensive color coverage, which is crucial for design accuracy. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a less potent CPU and GPU, significantly less RAM, and a less impressive IPS screen with lower resolution and color accuracy, making it less suitable for demanding engineering software and detailed design work.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.1/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
8.9/10
7.1/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
9.4/10
6.4/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers a high-resolution, bright display with wide color gamut support, making it excellent for general use and engineering/design tasks where visual clarity and color accuracy are crucial. However, for 3D applications, its standard refresh rate might not deliver the smoothest experience that's typically associated with higher refresh rate displays. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" provides a decent resolution and brightness for day-to-day tasks and some design work but lacks the higher color accuracy and wider color gamuts for professional design, and its standard refresh rate and screen attributes are not optimal for gaming or 3D rendering.
Battery
17.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
Good
Very Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$490
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" costs $490.
"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 low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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
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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.