The HP Pavilion 15 is a budget-friendly option with a smaller screen and lower resolution, which could be more portable and offer longer battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" comes at a slightly higher price point but provides a larger, higher-resolution display that may be better for media consumption and multitasking. The IdeaPad has a more powerful CPU and graphics, making it more suitable for demanding tasks, but it's also heavier and may have shorter battery life. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the HP Pavilion 15
The HP Pavilion 15 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17".
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
Good for software development
Good battery life
Key differences
Software Development
6.6/10
7.2/10
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is good for software development, while the HP Pavilion 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
5.3/10
6.7/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a better screen than the HP Pavilion 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The HP Pavilion 15's screen may offer a lower resolution and dimmer display, which is less ideal for general use and detail-oriented work required in engineering and design. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" likely boasts higher resolution and brightness, enhancing the experience for general use and professional design tasks due to improved color accuracy and detail reproduction. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-moving visuals are crucial, neither laptop excels, especially as the Lenovo falls short with a screen that doesn't offer a high refresh rate, making fast-paced imagery less smooth compared to screens designed for gaming.
Battery
3.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The HP Pavilion 15 has 3 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Pavilion 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" both have good portability, though the HP Pavilion 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$600
$784
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The HP Pavilion 15 has a price of $600 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and HP Pavilion 15 are both good for general use.
The HP Pavilion 15, with a lighter build and a smaller screen, offers greater portability and longer battery life, making it well-suited for on-the-go use, while its ample RAM and competitive CPU provide smooth general use. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", on the other hand, features a larger, higher-quality IPS screen and superior speaker quality, offering an enhanced multimedia experience, but trades off with a heavier form factor and reduced battery life, suited for those who prioritize screen real estate and sound over portability.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
6.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and HP Pavilion 15 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The HP Pavilion 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are fair for gaming and 3D because they both have basic integrated GPUs which are less powerful than dedicated gaming GPUs, affecting game performance and complexity of 3D tasks. Additionally, their screen refresh rates are standard at 60Hz, which is fine for casual gaming but not ideal for fast-paced or competitive gaming where higher refresh rates can provide smoother visuals.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
6.6/10
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and HP Pavilion 15 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The HP Pavilion 15, although equipped within an entry-level Intel CPU and integrated graphics, might handle basic engineering and design tasks, but its screen quality, with below-average color accuracy, detracts from tasks that rely on visual fidelity. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" offers an AMD CPU paired with integrated graphics as well and has a larger screen, potentially benefitting design work, but like the HP, it also suffers from screen quality and may appear less sharp due to its size. Both are hindered in very important aspects for engineering and design use such as CPU and GPU power, and screen quality, while portability and operating noise are secondary issues.
Content Creation
7.1/10
7.4/10
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and HP Pavilion 15 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.
Build Quality
6.2/10
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and HP Pavilion 15 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the HP Pavilion 15 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
"The HP Pavilion 15 carries a fair amount of power and a sharp display in its handsome slimline shell. It's not perfect, but it's a hard worker. This is wonderfully designed and totes a heck of a lot of desktop power, with the added benefit of a decent webcam and a full-sized keyboard. If you're getting down to business on a budget, it's a great fit."
"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 HP Pavilion 15 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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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