The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is generally a more budget-friendly option and is lighter, making it more portable with a longer battery life for typical use; ideal for general use and light tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo LOQ 16 costs more but offers a larger screen, better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to its more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card. However, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. Neither model is particularly well-suited for intensive gaming. Choose the IdeaPad for everyday tasks and portability or the LOQ 16 for more demanding, performance-intensive work. 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
Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo LOQ 16
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9/10
7.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" with its lighter weight and a longer battery life is better suited for portability, whereas the Lenovo LOQ 16 provides a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU, making it better for more demanding tasks despite heavier weight and shorter battery life. The IdeaPad 3's screen is decent, but the LOQ 16 delivers a slightly higher resolution and screen size, enhancing the content viewing experience, and its better keyboard and speaker quality also contribute to an overall improved performance for general use.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
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
6.1/10
7.9/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 excels in engineering and design use because it boasts a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU complemented by double the RAM of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3, which significantly enhances performance for demanding tasks. Additionally, the LOQ 16's screen offers a higher resolution and refresh rate, important for detailed design work, although its larger size and weight make it less portable than the IdeaPad 3, and the improved hardware may lead to less operating noise.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
7.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When selecting a laptop for general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3's fair screen quality can be attributed to an adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but it may lack the sharpness and vibrancy of higher-end displays. For engineering and design professionals, the Lenovo LOQ 16's good screen quality delivers a wider range of colors, crucial for precision work, despite not reaching the highest standards in color gamuts. Gamers and those involved in 3D might find both models lacking due to their poorer refresh rates, which can limit the smoothness of motion and responsiveness in fast-paced visual environments.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo LOQ 16 has 6 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has very good portability, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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
$490
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $490 and the Lenovo LOQ 16 costs $1,000.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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
7.1/10
7.5/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the Lenovo LOQ 16 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 are available starting from about 1,000 Euros (~$1,060), even in 16-inch format. For the supposedly affordable Lenovo LOQ 16 (1,500 Euros, ~$1,591), the manufacturer particularly saves in the equipment and materials compared to the more expensive Legion series. In addition, the LOQ is slightly heavier and more bulky. What remains is anything but a laptop full of difficult compromises. Instead, this is a more than solid gaming laptop that focusses on the 3D performance.Q is slightly heavier and more bulky."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" or the Lenovo LOQ 16
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
100,995
Recommendations made
21,883
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.