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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is usually more expensive but offers better battery life and more RAM, making it suitable for general use with reliable performance. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, on the other hand, is less expensive and includes a dedicated graphics card, providing superior performance for gaming, 3D work, and engineering applications, but it is heavier and may not be as easy to carry around. 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"
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
6.6
7.2
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
12.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a capable AMD Ryzen 7 CPU with integrated Vega 8 graphics, which is fair for engineering and design use; however, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is equipped with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and a discrete Nvidia RTX GPU, providing better performance suitable for more demanding engineering and design tasks. Both laptops have IPS screens with good quality and resolution, but the Gaming 3's higher refresh rate and better color coverage make it stand out for design work, although it is heavier and less portable than the IdeaPad 1 15".
Screen Quality
6.4
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When considering general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers adequate resolution and brightness; however, it might lack the vibrancy and sharpness of the Gaming 3, which has a good screen that offers clear images and is comfortable to look at for everyday tasks. For engineering and design professionals, the Gaming 3's screen covers a wider range of colors, making it suitable for tasks requiring color accuracy, though it may not match high-end professional displays. Meanwhile, gamers and those involved in 3D work might find the IdeaPad Gaming 3's poor refresh rate limiting for fast-paced visuals, despite its reasonable resolution and panel technology.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0
7.2
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$741
$549
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for general use.
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.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.5
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has integrated graphics which are less capable for gaming and 3D applications compared to the dedicated Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU in the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3; while both have the same screen refresh rate and resolution, the superior GPU in the Gaming 3 makes it more suitable for these tasks despite their shared capability. The processing power in the Gaming 3 is also likely to be higher, contributing to its better performance in demanding applications.
Content Creation
7.4
7.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
12.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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.
Software Development
7.3
7.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
12.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$741 | $549 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.57 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.29" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 12 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 42 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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 Gaming 3
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NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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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