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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is often somewhat more expensive than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, offering slightly better general performance capabilities suitable for day-to-day tasks, alongside a smaller 14-inch screen for greater portability. The Slim 3, on the other hand, has a larger 15.6-inch screen that's also a touchscreen and comes at a lower price. It has more storage space than the IdeaPad 3, but its performance for demanding tasks like engineering or 3D work is not as strong. Both have similar battery life and come with Windows 11 Home installed. If portability and stronger performance for general use are high priorities, consider the IdeaPad 3, while if you prefer a larger touchscreen and more storage at a lesser cost, the Slim 3 may be more appealing. 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 3 14"
- Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
- Good for general use
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.4
6.4
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 have similar screen quality.
Both the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 and Slim 3 have screens with resolutions that are adequate for browsing and productivity tasks, but lack the high resolution desired for detailed engineering work and the crisp visuals gamers seek. They don't offer wide color gamut coverage necessary for precision color work in engineering and design. Additionally, these models have standard refresh rates that fall short for the smooth visuals critical in 3D gaming, where higher refresh rates are beneficial.
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Key similarities
General Use
6.9
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 to be good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" with its AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and integrated Vega 7 graphics offers adequate power for everyday tasks and is lighter, making it relatively portable, but its smaller screen size and battery may limit extended use away from power sources. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 comes with a slightly less powerful AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and Vega 6 graphics, offers a larger screen and bigger battery, plus higher storage capacity, which may better suit users who prioritize screen real estate and storage over portability, though it is heavier and may be less convenient for frequent travel.
Gaming and AI
6.0
5.9
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.1
6.1
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a stronger CPU and GPU which are crucial for engineering and design tasks; however, it has a less impressive screen quality compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, which has touchscreen capability but a slightly weaker processor and graphics, making it less ideal for demanding workloads.
Content Creation
7.1
7.2
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
7.1
7.1
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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 3 14" has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 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 Slim 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
6.5
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$390
$390
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $390 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $390.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$390 | $390 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.8'' x 8.5'' x 0.78'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.1 lbs | 3.52 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.76" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.49" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 45 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 313 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.9/10 | |
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 | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | 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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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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