The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is notably less expensive and lighter, making it more portable with decent battery life, which might be good for general use and casual activities. However, it has lower storage capacity, less RAM, and an integrated graphics unit, resulting in less powerful performance for intensive tasks. The Lenovo ThinkPad P16, while heavier and at a higher price point, offers significantly more storage, more RAM, a high-end dedicated graphics card, and a much more powerful processor, making it better suited for demanding engineering work, 3D rendering, machine learning, and even gaming despite its less portable nature. Both have good keyboards, but the ThinkPad P16 has a higher build quality, better heat management, and a higher-quality screen resolution, making it more suitable for professional use. 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 ThinkPad P16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9/10
8.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 sports a fair main processor and 8GB RAM, which is adequate for routine tasks, and its lighter weight and longer battery life lend to it being fairly portable. However, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16, with its more robust processor, double the RAM, a significantly better screen, and superior keyboard quality, offsets its higher weight and shorter battery life, making it a better choice for more demanding general use scenarios.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" uses an integrated GPU which is passable for light gaming and 3D tasks, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 features a dedicated Nvidia GPU well-suited for these demands, although both have the same screen refresh rate which is a limitation for high-end gaming. Additionally, the ThinkPad has a higher resolution screen and better screen quality which enhance overall visual experience crucial for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
8.3/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3, with its AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and integrated Vega graphics, is suitable for lighter engineering tasks and design work, considering it has average screen quality but might struggle with more complex computations due to modest RAM and CPU.
Content Creation
7.1/10
8.2/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is good.
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
8.4/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is good.
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
6.4/10
8.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's screen, while suitable for everyday tasks due to adequate resolution and brightness, lacks the wide color gamuts necessary for precision work in engineering and design. The ThinkPad P16 offers a superior display with higher resolution and brighter output, along with expansive color coverage, making it ideal for professional creative work where color accuracy is critical. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications because their screens do not offer the higher refresh rates required for smooth visuals in these scenarios.
Portability
Very Good
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has very good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has very 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
$1,449
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $490 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 costs $1,449.
"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."
"It's only a few months since we gave the MSI CreatorPro X17 one of our rare 4.5-star ratings and our top mobile workstation honor, but the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 matches that achievement in a more premium overall build. Ultimately, its build quality, screen, and keyboard give our latest Editors' Choice nod to the Lenovo—it's enough of a monster on almost all fronts that it simply cannot be ignored."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" or the Lenovo ThinkPad P16
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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