The ASUS Zenbook 13, while more expensive, offers a more compact size, better portability, and a high-quality OLED screen, making it suitable for general use and benefiting those who prioritize a vivid display and lightweight design. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is more affordable and has a larger screen, which can be advantageous for engineering tasks and productivity, but it's less portable and the display quality isn't as superior as the Zenbook's. Both have similar storage and RAM, but the higher performance and OLED screen of the Zenbook might be preferable for multitasking and visual tasks. Additionally, the Zenbook has better battery life, which is an important consideration if you're often on the move. 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 ASUS Zenbook 13
Good for engineering and design
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook 13.
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
6.6/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook 13 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 13, with its higher-quality OLED screen and stronger AMD Ryzen 7 processor with Vega 8 graphics, offers superior display and performance for engineering and design compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", which has an IPS panel and an AMD Ryzen 5 processor with Vega 7 graphics that provide fair performance but not as high-end. However, the Zenbook's smaller size and lighter weight make it more portable, while the IdeaPad's larger screen and full keyboard with a number pad may be more comfortable for extended work sessions, despite being less portable due to its larger size and weight.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
6.7/10
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook 13 offers a combination of resolution, panel type, and brightness that provides a clear, vibrant display, making it very suitable for activities like browsing, watching videos, or word processing. In engineering and design, the Zenbook's ability to display a wide range of colors is critical for accuracy in visual work, giving it an edge with its high color gamut coverage. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Zenbook's lower refresh rate means less fluid motion, making it less ideal compared to laptops designed with higher refresh rates for these fast-paced activities.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has good 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
$890
$784
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" have GPUs that are suitable for light gaming and less demanding 3D tasks, with the ASUS featuring a Ryzen 7 5700U Vega 8 and the Lenovo sporting a Ryzen 5 5625U Vega 7, but they lack the power for high-end gaming or professional 3D applications. Both have a 60Hz screen refresh rate which is fine for general use but may not provide the smoothest experience in fast-paced games or high-frame-rate content, and while screen quality is decent, it's not the highest available, impacting the overall visual experience for gaming and 3D applications.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for content creation.
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
7.3/10
7.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for software development.
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.
Battery
9.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Zenbook 13 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
"The Asus ZenBook 13 is a compact 13-inch laptop with a fast Ryzen 7 5800U and OLED display. The subnotebook is also light and the modern design is convincing. The selection of high-quality materials make the device not only light, but also very stable. In addition, the visuals and haptics of the device offers a high-quality impression. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is a very good fit for the ZenBook 13, ensuring a high performance in the test. However, in terms of the 3D performance, we also notice that the Vega architecture is beginning to hit its limits."
"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 ASUS Zenbook 13 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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
98,595
Recommendations made
21,363
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.