If portability and long battery life are your priorities, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" may suit you well, particularly if you're on a tighter budget. However, if you require stronger performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or other engineering applications, the ASUS Zenbook 14X, with a higher price, delivers notably better performance. The Zenbook 14X also boasts a higher-quality OLED touch screen, which is superior for color-sensitive work, although this also means the battery won't last as long as the IdeaPad's. Neither are ideal for intensive gaming, but for general use, they are both capable, with the Zenbook being more powerful. 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 14X
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
6.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14X is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X excels in general use due to its higher-end CPU, double the RAM, better screen quality with an OLED display, and a more powerful discrete graphics card when compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" which has a mid-range CPU, less RAM, and an IPS screen with lower color coverage and brightness.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
6.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14X and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the ASUS Zenbook 14X is somewhat better.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X offers a dedicated Nvidia MX550 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which are vital for smoother gaming and 3D performance; however, it may be pricier. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3, with its integrated AMD Ryzen Vega 7 graphics, delivers decent performance for the price but falls short in screen refresh rate and GPU power, which could limit gaming and 3D capabilities.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
6.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook 14X is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for engineering and design primarily because it includes a higher-powered Intel processor, double the RAM, and a dedicated Nvidia GPU, which are crucial for demanding software used in these fields. Additionally, the Zenbook 14X has a superior OLED screen, offering better resolution, color coverage, and contrast, enhancing the visual detail and fidelity necessary for design work, while the IdeaPad 3's strengths lie more in battery life and portability rather than high-performance tasks.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook 14X and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for content creation, though the ASUS Zenbook 14X is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
6.4/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X boasts a higher resolution and superior panel type, offering crisp and vivid visuals that make it great for everyday tasks and engineering applications where clarity and color accuracy are vital. However, its screen may not refresh as quickly, which is less ideal for 3D applications and gaming where smoother motion is a priority. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14", while offering fair screen quality with decent brightness and resolution for general activities, might not cover professional color gamuts as extensively, making it less suitable for tasks requiring precise color rendition like engineering and design.
Battery
5.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 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
7.8/10
6.5/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$777
$490
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has a price of $777 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" costs $490.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 14X and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Zenbook 14X and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" compare to other laptops
"With the Zenbook 14X, Asus has a 14-incher in its range that is - mostly - a joy to use. First, there is the colorful OLED panel with 3K resolution that displays the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces. The Zenbook is also at the forefront in terms of workmanship, input devices and connections with 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports and a generous keyboard layout. A pleasure to use, the Zenbook 14X is a solid, very well-built subnotebook that sits well on the table. A runtime of five hours, however, is below average for a high-end subnotebook nowadays. The OLED screensaver causes increased power consumption when in idle mode."
"The low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 14X or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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
98,295
Recommendations made
21,298
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.