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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a more budget-friendly option with decent performance for general use, longer battery life, and a larger 17-inch screen that's good for multitasking but it's less portable and not suitable for intensive purposes. The Lenovo Legion 7, while costing more, offers high performance for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks with a more powerful processor and graphics card, better screen resolution, and higher-quality build, but has shorter battery life and a smaller 16-inch screen, which could affect multitasking convenience. Choose the IdeaPad 3 for everyday tasks and the Legion 7 for demanding software and gaming. 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 Legion 7.
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 7
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" offers a suitable balance for general use with capable CPU and RAM, a large screen with decent quality, and excellent battery life, alongside being lightweight for better portability. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 7 boasts a more powerful CPU and RAM, superior screen resolution and quality, and solid build, but it's heavier with a shorter battery life, making it less portable but more appropriate for intensive tasks beyond general use.
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a basic GPU that's part of its CPU and a lower screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, which means it will manage basic gaming and 3D tasks but could struggle with more demanding scenarios. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 7 comes equipped with a dedicated high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a higher refresh rate of 165 Hz, providing smoother and more immersive gaming and 3D experiences.
Engineering and Design
6.6
8.2
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has adequate specifications for engineering with its AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and integrated Vega 7 graphics, but the Lenovo Legion 7 boasts superior performance with a higher-end AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, which is more suitable for demanding engineering applications and design tasks.
Content Creation
7.4
7.9
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 7 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo Legion 7 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.
Screen Quality
6.7
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
469.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3’s larger screen size and resolution offer a spacious and clear viewing experience which is adequate for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, both the IdeaPad 3 and Legion 7 provide rich and accurate color reproduction, important for precision work, yet the IdeaPad 3 might edge out with a larger screen allowing for more content on display. However, the Legion 7's better refresh rate makes it more suitable for 3D applications and gaming where smooth motion is key, even though both fall short in this aspect compared to specialized gaming laptops.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 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.
Build Quality
6.5
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 7 has very 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
$1,500
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a price of $784 and the Lenovo Legion 7 costs $1,500.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.2
7.6
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 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.
Portability
Good
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and Lenovo Legion 7 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and the Lenovo Legion 7 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" | Lenovo Legion 7 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$784 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.49 lbs | 5.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.71" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.79" | 10.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 45 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 469 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.2/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
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 Legion 7
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NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" or the Lenovo Legion 7
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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