When choosing between the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, it's important to consider your needs. The IdeaPad 1 is significantly less expensive and more portable, with a smaller screen and lighter weight. It's suitable for basic tasks like web browsing and document editing. However, the IdeaPad Gaming 3, while costlier and heavier, offers a superior performance for demanding applications, such as gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering software, thanks to its advanced processor and dedicated graphics card. It also has a larger, higher-resolution screen which is better for multimedia consumption and a more responsive gaming experience. 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 14"
Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.1/10
7.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
239.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has a less powerful CPU and half the RAM of the IdeaPad Gaming 3, along with a lower-quality screen and smaller battery capacity, which makes it poor for general use compared to the Gaming 3, which has a more powerful CPU and GPU, more RAM, a higher-quality IPS screen, and larger battery capacity, enhancing its general use performance. Despite being a bit heavier and thicker, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3's superior keyboard, speaker quality, and better heat management contribute to a good general use experience, whereas the IdeaPad 1 14" compromises on these aspects for its portability and silent operation.
Gaming and AI
5.5/10
6.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has a basic Intel UHD Graphics GPU and a screen that refreshes at 60 times per second which is why it's poor for gaming and 3D tasks, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 includes a more powerful Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and a screen with double the refresh rate, enabling fair performance in those areas.
Engineering and Design
5.5/10
7.2/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has a basic CPU and GPU, less RAM, and a lower quality screen, making it less capable of handling the demanding tasks of engineering and design work, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is equipped with a more powerful CPU, superior GPU, double the RAM, and a higher quality screen suitable for intensive applications and visual tasks. While the IdeaPad 1 is lighter and has a longer battery life, making it more portable, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better keyboard and is better for sustained performance despite being heavier and having a shorter battery life.
Content Creation
6.2/10
7.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" is only fair.
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
6.4/10
7.3/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" 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
7.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
239.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has a screen that lacks sharpness and vividness which could be due to lower resolution and brightness, making it less suitable for general use and detail-oriented tasks like engineering and design. For the IdeaPad Gaming 3, the better resolution and brightness provide clearer and more accurate visuals, enhancing the experience for general activities and design work which benefits from its superior color representation through wider color gamuts. However, its screen falls short for 3D usage and gaming where a higher refresh rate is critical for smooth motion, and the Gaming 3's refresh rate isn't as high as dedicated gaming laptops.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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
6.0/10
7.2/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$153
$549
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14" has a price of $153 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
"The IdeaPad 1 14 is a simple machine, but it’s well-designed and has nearly everything you’d expect from a no-nonsense laptop that allows you to check emails and get schoolwork or other light tasks done with relative ease. A "true" 128GB SSD (as opposed to an eMMC drive) and a roomy 14-inch full HD display are arguably the star attractions, with the comfortable keyboard and reasonably modern styling playing important backup roles."
"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 14" 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.
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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