For general use and portability, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is a strong contender with its higher resolution touchscreen, better color accuracy, and slimmer design, making it suitable for professionals who value display quality and mobility. However, it comes at a higher price point. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14", on the other hand, offers a more budget-friendly option with a decent performance for everyday tasks, but with a lower refresh rate and no touchscreen, it may not be as versatile. If performance for intensive tasks like gaming or engineering is a priority, the Surface Laptop's better GPU and additional RAM will serve you well, despite its higher cost. Consider the Surface Laptop for its superior screen, build quality, and performance, especially if you're looking for a device that can handle more demanding tasks while still being relatively portable. Choose the IdeaPad 3 if you're looking for an affordable, no-frills laptop for basic tasks and are less concerned with high-end features. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9/10
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is somewhat better.
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
7.8/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
7.1/10
7.8/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for content creation, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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.
Software Development
7.1/10
7.8/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for software development, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is somewhat better.
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
8.1/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.4/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $390 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" costs $1,200.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 9 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
15.0in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" to have very good portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
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.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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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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
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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.