The ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a higher resolution OLED screen, which is generally better for graphics work and watching videos, and it has a newer generation processor that's more powerful for tasks like photo editing, video editing, or running multiple applications at once. However, its portability is lessened by a heavier weight than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3, which may be an important factor if you travel often or carry your laptop frequently. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a normal TN screen with lower resolution, which is less ideal for visual tasks but may consume less power, potentially offering longer battery life for basic tasks like web browsing or document editing. It's also lighter, which enhances its portability. When making your choice, consider what tasks you prioritize and how important the laptop's weight is to you. 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 14
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good battery life
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook 14.
Key differences
General Use
7.2/10
6.2/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a balance of portability with its lightweight build and exceptional screen quality due to its high-resolution OLED display, but with moderate battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a larger screen but lower screen quality with its less sharp display, while also heavier which impacts its portability, though it may have better heat management due to its larger size.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
5.8/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is equipped with a stronger Intel i5 processor, higher-quality Iris Xe graphics, more vivid OLED screen with higher resolution, and better color coverage, making it well-suited for engineering and design tasks that demand more processing power and precise visuals.
Content Creation
7.3/10
6.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is 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
7.2/10
6.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is 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
8.3/10
5.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a high-resolution, bright display with superior panel technology, making it sharp and vivid for general use despite its lower suitability for gaming due to a typical refresh rate. Engineers and designers will find its screen favorable as it reproduces a wide range of colors accurately, although this may not directly impact general users. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15", with its inferior screen attributes across resolution, brightness, and color reproduction, will offer a less satisfying experience both for everyday tasks and specialized work in engineering, design, or gaming due to its lower refresh rate.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has good 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
$300
$360
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" costs $360.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook 14 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a more capable GPU for gaming (Intel Iris Xe) and a higher screen refresh rate (90Hz), which are very important for a smoother and more visually appealing gaming experience. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a less powerful GPU (Intel UHD Xe G4) and a lower screen refresh rate (60Hz), resulting in subpar gaming and 3D performance.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" compare to other laptops
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
"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 ASUS Zenbook 14 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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
105,495
Recommendations made
22,858
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.