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Updated January 10, 2024· Prices updated 24 hours ago
If you value a higher-capacity storage and more RAM for better multitasking, the IdeaPad Slim 7i may be more suitable, also offering slightly better battery life and build quality. However, if you are mindful of your budget and prefer to spend less, the IdeaPad 3 14" provides reasonable capabilities for general use at a lower cost, with decent portability. Keep in mind, the IdeaPad Slim 7i also has additional features like a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, and a Thunderbolt port, which could be important for some users. Neither are ideal for intensive gaming or the most demanding engineering 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 3 14"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i.
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" offers fair general use mainly because it's equipped with a mid-range AMD Ryzen CPU, a reasonable amount of RAM and storage, and a decent battery life, but it falls short with a less vibrant display and average build quality. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i provides an enhanced experience with a high-end Intel CPU, double the RAM and storage, a significantly longer battery life, a better screen in terms of brightness and color accuracy, and superior overall build quality, making it a pricier but more capable option for general use.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.1
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.1
7.7
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.4
6.9
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's screen may be fine for browsing and office work due to adequate resolution and brightness but lacks the wider color gamut needed for precise engineering and design tasks. The Slim 7i offers a better visual experience with sharper details and more accurate colors for those involved in engineering and design work, though it still falls short for gaming and 3D due to a standard refresh rate. Neither laptop is optimal for gaming or 3D modeling where high refresh rates are crucial to keep motion smooth, and resolution, along with panel quality, enhances the visual detail and depth.
Battery
10.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 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
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" both have very good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.8
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$390
$899
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $390 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i costs $899.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.0
6.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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 Slim 7i and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 with its AMD Vega 7 graphics and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i with its Intel Iris Xe graphics both offer fair gaming and 3D capabilities, due largely to their similar GPU strengths which are adequate for light gaming, but not for high-end gaming. Additionally, both laptops have standard screen refresh rates, which are suitable for casual gaming but may limit the smoothness in more demanding games and graphics work.
Software Development
7.1
7.5
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$390 | $899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | October 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.8'' x 8.5'' x 0.78'' | 12.6'' x 8.2'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.1 lbs | 2.99 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.76" | 12.62" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.49" | 8.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | Intel i7-1165G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 45 Wh | 60.7 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 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 | 313 nits | 340 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 8.9/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
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 7i
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PCMag
Ted Needleman
| January 2022
"Among Lenovo's multiple laptop brands, the IdeaPad family is decidedly the one designed for consumers: people who want decent performance at a reasonable price. Consider, then, this laptop a paragon for the pickier members of that crowd. With a 14-inch touch-enabled display, a comfortable keyboard, an Evo-certified Intel Core i7 11th Generation CPU, and the latest Windows 11 operating system, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro ultraportable ($1,199 as tested) is a slick mainstream machine at a bit of a premium price, and quite capable for everyday tasks."
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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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