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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is a larger laptop and usually more expensive, which may provide a more comfortable viewing experience and has a numpad, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15". The IdeaPad 5 15", on the other hand, is budget-friendly, more portable due to its smaller size and weight, has a longer battery life, and features a better performing processor, which might be preferable for demanding tasks and general efficiency. 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 17"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15".
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
- Good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.7
6.5
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
341.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" for general use, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's larger 17" screen with better resolution and brightness offers a clear and vibrant display that enhances the visual experience for both general use and detailed engineering work, despite its shortcomings in refresh rates for gaming. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5's smaller 15" screen may not offer as expansive a viewing area but can still serve adequately for general tasks and some engineering work, with fair color representation and adequate brightness. However, both models suffer in gaming and 3D graphics-related tasks due to their lower refresh rates and limited color range compared to models specifically designed for those purposes.
Battery
9.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has 11 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.6
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$784
$690
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a price of $784 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" costs $690.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
341.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" offers a solid general-use experience with a decent CPU, ample RAM for everyday tasks, a quality IPS screen that's larger for more comfortable viewing, but is less portable due to its size and has an average battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" strikes a balance with a more powerful CPU, equally sufficient RAM, a quality IPS touchscreen display, a smaller and more portable form factor, and longer battery life, making it versatile for varied general-use scenarios.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a less powerful integrated GPU and a larger, yet standard quality screen, making it less suited for intensive gaming and 3D applications, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" includes a slightly better integrated GPU and smaller, higher quality touchscreen, offering modest gaming performance and a better viewing experience. Both have modest CPUs and refresh rates that limit their abilities in demanding gaming scenarios.
Engineering and Design
6.6
6.7
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" with an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and Vega 7 GPU offers a larger screen for better viewing but sacrifices some portability and performance compared to the IdeaPad 5 15", which has a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Vega 8 GPU, plus a touchscreen. Both models present balanced RAM and similar screen quality, but the IdeaPad 5 is more portable with a higher-quality keyboard and speaker, although both could improve in operating noise and GPU for more intensive engineering tasks.
Content Creation
7.4
7.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" 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
7.2
7.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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 17" and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$784 | $690 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | 14'' x 9.2'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.49 lbs | 4.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.71" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.79" | 9.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 45 Wh | 57 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 341 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.2/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | December 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
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NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | August 2021
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is convincing due to its long battery life. The device scores points especially with its large battery and long battery runtimes combined with its low consumption. The CPU and GPU perform in the test as one would expect, and in line with what was familiar from the somewhat smaller 14-inch sister model, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" or the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 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.
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