The HP Dragonfly Pro is a midrange laptop well-suited for general use and business applications, with a higher resolution and touchscreen display that enhances productivity. However, it's pricier compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, which offers a lower price point and is designed specifically for gaming with a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card that provides better performance in 3D and machine learning tasks. While both have similar battery life, the HP Dragonfly is lighter and more portable but less capable for intensive gaming or engineering software compared to the more robust Lenovo, which is heavier and not as portable but better for gaming or engineering tasks. If your priority is business work with occasional media consumption, choose the HP Dragonfly; for gaming or engineering software, go for the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3. 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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14"
Very good for general use
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has no clear advantages over the HP Dragonfly Pro 14".
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
405.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Software Development
7.8/10
7.3/10
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for software development, though the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" is somewhat better.
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
7.1/10
7.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
405.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The HP Dragonfly Pro and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both offer screens with resolution and brightness levels that suit everyday tasks and are satisfactory for most users, making them suitable for general use. Their displays cover a range of color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation crucial for engineering and design work, even though they might not reach the high color fidelity expected by professionals in those fields. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens lack high refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals during fast-paced activities, affecting the overall experience in these scenarios.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has 10 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.2/10
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$549
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a price of $1,400 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" has a lower screen refresh rate and uses integrated graphics which are less powerful compared to dedicated GPUs for gaming, making it fair for gaming and 3D work. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, while also fair for gaming and 3D, benefits from a higher refresh rate and a dedicated gaming GPU, offering better performance for these tasks despite its more economical CPU and screen quality.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.2/10
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for engineering and design.
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" offers higher RAM, a touch-enabled higher resolution screen, and superior ratings in screen quality and portability; its advanced audio and well-managed operating noise make it a strong choice for engineering and design if mobility and collaborative work are priorities. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a dedicated gaming graphics card and a higher refresh rate display that can handle detailed design work and 3D modeling, though it compromises on screen resolution and is less portable due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.4/10
7.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Dragonfly Pro 14" 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.
Give feedback
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How the HP Dragonfly Pro 14" and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
"I’d say that the HP Dragonfly Pro checks off most of the boxes for this freelancer. It feels nice to use, is zippy and responsive, has great speakers, and even has a relatively sane price. Although it’s an unorthodox choice to pick AMD for this kind of machine, it’s clear that when Ryzen is given a chance to shine, it can kick a lot of butt."
"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 HP Dragonfly Pro 14" or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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