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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you're seeking a budget-friendly option for general use, the IdeaPad 3 is significantly less expensive and will handle basic tasks with efficiency. However, if you need superior performance for intensive tasks like 3D, machine learning, or engineering, the ThinkPad P16, though more costly, offers a high-end processor, better graphics capabilities, larger and higher resolution display, and more memory and storage space but comes with a hit to portability due to increased weight and size. The ThinkPad also has a sturdier build and professional features that might be overkill for casual use. Choose based on your performance needs and willingness to invest in durability and advanced 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 15"
- 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
- Very good battery life
- Excellent speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.2
8.0
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" offers a basic CPU and less RAM, making it satisfactory for general tasks, and its lighter weight and longer battery life enhance portability despite its lower screen quality. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 boasts a higher-end CPU and more RAM, providing smooth performance for demanding tasks, along with a high-quality screen, although it's heavier and less portable due to its size and shorter battery life when used heavily.
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.9
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1366 x 768
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 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16, with its high-end Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU, is well-suited for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has an Intel UHD Xe G4 graphics unit which is significantly less powerful for such tasks. Both laptops have similar screen refresh rates, but the ThinkPad P16's superior CPU alongside a higher resolution display offers a better gaming and 3D experience than the IdeaPad 3.
Engineering and Design
5.8
8.3
4.2/10
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 15" is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is equipped with an entry-level CPU and integrated graphics, which may struggle with demanding engineering software, and has a lower-resolution TN screen that can affect the clarity and viewing angles necessary for design work.
Content Creation
6.3
8.2
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
6.3
8.4
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
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 15" is only fair.
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
5.2
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's screen may not offer the sharpness, brightness, or viewing angles desired for everyday tasks, thus not ideal for general use or detail-oriented work like engineering and design which benefit from higher resolution and color accuracy. The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 likely has a superior panel that provides better resolution, brightness, and color range, making it a solid choice for general use and professional design tasks requiring precise color representation. However, for gaming and 3D work, where fast-paced visuals are crucial, the ThinkPad P16's possibly lower refresh rate may not deliver as smooth an experience as screens optimized for those activities.
Battery
5.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
8.5
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$360
$1,449
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a price of $360 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 costs $1,449.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" | Lenovo ThinkPad P16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$360 | $1,449 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | July 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.78'' | 14.3'' x 10.5'' x 1.2'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.75 lbs | 6.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.26" | 14.3" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.98" | 10.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1115G4 | Intel i7-12800HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 35 Wh | 94 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 569 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 3 | |
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 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | February 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Lenovo ThinkPad P16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Eric Grevstad | February 2023
"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 15" 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.
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