Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" comes down to your needs and budget. The MacBook Pro offers a higher resolution and better quality display, more storage and RAM, a more powerful processor and graphics unit, and it is well-suited for demanding tasks like video editing, 3D modeling, and heavy multitasking. Its battery life is also superior, making it a good choice for all-day use without charging. However, it's heavier and less portable than the IdeaPad, which may matter if you carry your laptop often. The IdeaPad 3, while less expensive, offers basic performance suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and media consumption but may struggle with more intensive applications. It also has a lower quality display and shorter battery life. If affordability is your priority and your computing needs are modest, the IdeaPad 3 could be sufficient, whereas if you require top performance and have a higher budget, the MacBook Pro is a better fit. 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 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
6.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use due to its superior CPU, large RAM capacity, high-resolution Mini LED screen, and longer battery life, making it robust for various tasks but less portable and more costly. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" offers fair general use performance with a basic CPU, less RAM, a lower resolution TN screen, and significantly shorter battery life, which translates to adequacy for basic tasks at a more affordable price and slightly better portability.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
5.8/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
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 15" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is equipped with a powerful GPU and a high refresh rate Mini LED screen, which are excellent for 3D tasks, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a comparatively weak GPU and a low refresh rate TN screen, making it less suitable for gaming and 3D applications; however, it's important to note that many popular games are not compatible with the MacBook's operating system.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
5.8/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
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 15" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is exceptional for engineering and design due to its powerful CPU, large amount of RAM, high-performance integrated GPU, and superior screen quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" falls short in these areas with a less capable CPU, less RAM, basic integrated graphics, and a lower-quality screen, making it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks. Additionally, the MacBook's better portability, keyboard, and quieter operation also contribute to a more premium experience, though both laptops have their merits depending on individual needs and budget constraints.
Content Creation
8.8/10
6.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
6.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
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 15" is only fair.
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
5.2/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and color accuracy, which is crucial for tasks in general use and engineering where detail and color representation are key, yet its refresh rate is not aimed at 3D applications where smoother motion is essential. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15", with lower resolution and brightness, falls short in providing the crisp and vibrant visuals expected for both general use and professional design tasks, and its modest refresh rate doesn't cater to the smoothness required for gaming and 3D applications. Screen quality is a balance of these factors, where better resolution, color range, and brightness improve general and design use, while higher refresh rates benefit 3D experiences.
Battery
17.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 5 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.
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 15" 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
$360
$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 15" costs $360.
"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 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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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