Selecting between the ASUS Zenbook 13 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 involves weighing your preferences in price, performance, battery life, portability, and intended use. The ASUS is less expensive and offers a high-quality OLED screen, which is superior for general use and watching videos, and boasts better battery life and portability due to its lighter weight. However, the Lenovo has a stronger GPU suited to gaming and some engineering tasks, as well as a higher screen refresh rate beneficial for fast-paced gaming. The Lenovo is also designed with gaming aesthetics, whereas the ASUS has a more business-oriented look. If gaming and 3D tasks are your priority and you don't mind a heavier laptop, the Lenovo might suit you better, while the ASUS is the better pick for those who value portability and screen quality for everyday tasks. 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
Excellent portability
Good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
Considering general use, the ASUS Zenbook 13 likely has a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and panel quality, providing sharp and vivid images for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, this laptop's display probably excels in color accuracy with wide color gamuts ensuring precise color rendition crucial for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Zenbook's lower refresh rate may result in less fluid motion compared to displays designed for these purposes, making it less suited for fast-paced gameplay where smoother visuals are key.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$890
$549
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook 13, with an excellent portability score and a very good battery life for typical usage, is designed for users who prioritize a balance between mobility and performance, bearing a high-quality OLED screen and ample storage for general use. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, while it offers similar storage and quality keyboard but has a fair speaker quality, is slightly less portable due to its larger screen size and heavier weight, yet it's still well-suited for general use with a good battery life and heat management, complemented by a capable CPU and dedicated GPU for more graphical tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook 13, with its integrated AMD graphics, provides a decent gaming experience but lacks the graphical prowess of dedicated gaming GPUs; its standard screen refresh rate is suitable for casual gaming. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 features a more capable Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU for better gaming and 3D performance, along with a higher refresh rate display, making it better suited for more demanding gaming scenarios.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
7.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
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 Gaming 3 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
7.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
8.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 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
7.4/10
7.2/10
The ASUS Zenbook 13 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 13 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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 Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 13 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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.
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