If you prioritize high performance for tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or video editing, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is better suited for that. It has a better display, superior processing power, and a longer-lasting battery, making it well-suited for intensive tasks. However, it is less portable due to its size and weight and comes at a premium price. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is much more affordable and lighter, which may appeal to you if you need a laptop for general use like browsing, light office work, and media consumption, and prioritize portability and budget over high-end performance. 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 2023)
Very good 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 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.8/10
6.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
487.0 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 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) stands out for its powerful processor, more RAM, and superior screen quality, offering longer battery life and a more robust build suited for a range of tasks, from daily activities to demanding applications. Whereas, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has less storage, lower RAM, and a less impressive screen, making it adequate for basic tasks but it falls short for intensive work, although its lighter weight makes it slightly more portable.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
5.8/10
6.2/10
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 (Late 2023) is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The MacBook Pro 16 with its Apple M3 Pro GPU and high 120Hz refresh rate display is well-suited for 3D tasks, offering smooth visuals and potent graphics performance. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has an Intel UHD Xe G4 chip and a standard 60Hz refresh rate screen, resulting in less graphic prowess and limited gaming or 3D capabilities.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
5.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
6.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) offers superior performance for engineering and design due to its higher-capacity CPU, significantly more RAM, advanced GPU, and a higher-resolution Mini LED screen, enabling it to handle complex tasks and render graphics more effectively.
Content Creation
8.9/10
6.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
18.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) 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
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
18.0 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 (Late 2023) 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
9.3/10
5.2/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
487.0 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 (Late 2023) excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high-resolution display, exceptional brightness, and wide color coverage, crucial for detailed work in design, video editing, and photography. However, its display lags in 3D applications because it lacks a high refresh rate, which is essential for smooth visuals in fast-paced 3D environments. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a lower-quality display across the board, with a less impressive resolution, brightness, and color range, which diminishes the user experience in general use, design tasks, and 3D applications.
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 (Late 2023) 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
$2,499
$360
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2023) has a price of $2,499 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 (Late 2023) 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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Laptops Expert
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