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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" comes with a larger screen size, more powerful processor, and more storage and RAM, which makes it better suited for intensive tasks and multitasking. It's a fit for engineering work and general usage but is heavier which affects portability. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14", on the other hand, is lighter and more portable, making it easier to carry around, and it still maintains a good battery life. It is less expensive but has a smaller screen, less storage, and a less powerful processor, making it more suited for general use rather than performance-intensive tasks. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
- Good for general use
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
- Very good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.4
6.4
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 and IdeaPad 3 have screens with resolutions and brightness levels that are adequate for browsing, streaming, and office applications, making them sufficient for general use. However, for engineering and design tasks that demand accurate color representation, these models fall short in covering professional color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. For gaming and 3D applications, where smooth motion is crucial, the lack of high refresh rates on these models may lead to less fluid visuals, affecting the overall experience.
Build Quality
6.0
6.5
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" both have only fair build quality, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$741
$490
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" costs $490.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
6.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" to be good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a better CPU, more RAM, and a higher capacity storage, making it more capable of handling various tasks efficiently which contributes to its good rating for general use, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a slightly less powerful CPU, less RAM, and smaller storage, contributing to its fair rating for general use. Both have similar screen quality and battery life, but the IdeaPad 1's larger screen may be less portable despite its slightly larger battery capacity.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both considered fair for gaming and 3D because they share similar integrated GPUs which provide adequate but not top-tier performance for such tasks. While the IdeaPad 1 has a slightly better GPU and larger screen, which is beneficial for visual experiences, the IdeaPad 3's smaller screen leads to a greater pixel density which may provide a slightly clearer image, but both have standard refresh rates and the CPUs, although reasonable for general use, are not the highest performing for gaming or 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
6.6
6.1
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
12.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is equipped with a higher-end CPU and GPU, more RAM, and a larger screen, enhancing its prowess for engineering and design tasks, but its larger size affects portability. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14", while more portable with a smaller frame and weight, compromises on performance due to a lesser CPU, GPU, and reduced RAM, which could affect multitasking and complex design software usage.
Content Creation
7.4
7.1
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
12.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
7.3
7.1
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
12.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" to have very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$741 | $490 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | 12.8'' x 8.5'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.57 lbs | 3.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 12.76" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.29" | 8.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 12 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 42 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 313 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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NotebookCheck
Marvin Gollor | February 2023
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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.
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