If you prioritize gaming or tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, the Gigabyte A5 with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card offers superior performance, but comes at a higher price and shorter battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", on the other hand, is more budget-friendly, with a larger screen but relies on integrated graphics, making it less suitable for intensive tasks but offering better battery life; it could serve well for general use and multimedia consumption. 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 Gigabyte A5
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte A5.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.1/10
6.1/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Gigabyte A5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte A5 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Gigabyte A5's stronger GPU is better suited for the demands of engineering tasks, such as 3D modeling, and it has double the RAM for handling complex designs smoothly, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has less processing power and graphics capability, making it less ideal for such intensive applications. Additionally, the Gigabyte A5 offers superior screen quality with a higher refresh rate, which is crucial for detailed engineering work, as opposed to the Lenovo's larger but less capable display.
Screen Quality
7.2/10
6.7/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Gigabyte A5 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a better screen for content creation.
For general use, both the Gigabyte A5 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 have displays that offer satisfactory resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. When it comes to engineering and design, these laptops have screens that can display a wide range of colors, which is crucial for accuracy in visuals, but they may fall short compared to professional-grade monitors that cover color gamuts more extensively. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens lack the high refresh rates that are important for smooth motion, and while they have decent resolutions and panel types, the overall experience might not be as immersive as dedicated gaming laptops.
Battery
6.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
6.5/10
The Gigabyte A5 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.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and Gigabyte A5 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte A5 offers more RAM and a higher screen refresh rate, which is ideal for smoother performance and better multitasking, but it is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a larger screen and longer battery life, which enhances productivity and entertainment experiences, and contributes to its portability, though it has less RAM, which could affect multitasking and performance.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and Gigabyte A5 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
7.0/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and Gigabyte A5 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and Gigabyte A5 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$830
$784
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte A5 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
"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 Gigabyte A5 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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 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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