If you prioritize gaming or tasks that require higher graphical performance and can stretch your budget, the Gigabyte A5, with its dedicated Nvidia graphics card, would suit your needs better. However, if you're looking for a more lightweight, portable laptop for general usage and put a higher value on battery life, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is a more economical choice. Keep in mind that the Lenovo may not perform as well in demanding applications due to its less powerful integrated graphics and processor. 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 Slim 3
Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.1/10
5.9/10
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 Slim 3 is poor.
The Gigabyte A5's suitability for gaming and 3D tasks is largely due to its superior Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and significantly higher screen refresh rate at 144Hz, compared to the integrated Vega 6 graphics and 60Hz screen refresh rate of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3. Additionally, the Gigabyte A5 is supported by a more powerful AMD Ryzen 5 processor, enhancing its overall performance in comparison to the Lenovo's Ryzen 3, which, while sufficient, is less optimized for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 is only fair.
The Gigabyte A5 is better suited for engineering and design use due to its stronger CPU, double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU, along with a higher screen refresh rate and better color coverage, which are crucial for resource-intensive applications and accurate visual representation.
Screen Quality
7.2/10
6.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Gigabyte A5 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Gigabyte A5's screen quality suits general users and engineers due to its higher resolution and brightness, making content crisp, with colors appearing vivid and accurate due to a broad color gamut. However, for gamers and those interested in 3D applications, the A5's lower refresh rate means less fluid motion, impacting fast-paced visuals. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers satisfactory resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and some design work, yet it also lacks the high refresh rates desired for smooth gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
6.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Gigabyte A5 both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
6.5/10
The Gigabyte A5 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$400
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $400.
The Gigabyte A5 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte A5 offers better performance for general use due to its superior CPU and double the RAM of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, which contributes to smoother multitasking and overall snappier operation. Additionally, the A5's RTX 3060 GPU provides an edge in screen quality, with better color coverage and higher refresh rates, whereas the Slim 3's integrated Vega 6 graphics and lower screen color coverage might not be as visually impressive.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte A5 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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
7.0/10
7.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 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.
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How the Gigabyte A5 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A5 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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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