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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is more affordable and has a larger screen, which is good for general use and productivity tasks with less graphic intensity. Its battery life is longer, making it suitable for extended use without frequent charging. However, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is more expensive but offers significantly better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering, and gaming due to its more powerful processor and graphics card. Its higher resolution and faster refresh rate display will also provide a better viewing experience, especially for fast-motion content. The Legion Slim 7 is slightly more portable and has a better build and keyboard quality but has a shorter battery life compared to the IdeaPad 3. Choose the IdeaPad 3 if cost and battery life are your main concerns, and opt for the Legion Slim 7 if you need higher performance for more demanding tasks and appreciate a premium display. 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 Slim 7 16".
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16"
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
8.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
502.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is suitable for general use with a decent processor and RAM, sufficient for everyday tasks, plus a large 17-inch screen which is good for productivity, but it is less portable and has a longer battery life. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" offers superior performance with a more powerful processor and double the RAM, a higher resolution screen, and better portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight, but this comes with a tradeoff in shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.1
8.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for gaming and 3D because it has a high-performance GPU and a very high screen refresh rate, which are crucial for smooth and visually detailed gaming experiences. In comparison, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only considered fair as it features a lower-tier GPU and a standard refresh rate, making it less suitable for demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.6
8.6
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is fair for engineering and design use due to its modest AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and integrated Vega 7 GPU, whereas the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is very good for such tasks thanks to its more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU which can handle demanding software better.
Content Creation
7.4
8.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
7.2
8.0
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
6.7
8.7
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
502.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 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.
For general use, a laptop with a larger screen, like the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", provides ample workspace and comfortable viewing, and its decent resolution and brightness ensure a pleasant experience for everyday tasks. In engineering and design, color accuracy is crucial, so the premium color gamuts of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" make it superior for professionals requiring precise color representation. However, for gaming and 3D applications that demand smooth motion, the low refresh rates on both models might lead to less fluid visuals compared to laptops specifically designed with higher refresh rates for these purposes.
Battery
9.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has 7 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
7.6
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" 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
$1,344
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a price of $784 and the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" costs $1,344.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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 Slim 7 16" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" | Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$784 | $1,344 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.69'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.49 lbs | 4.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.71" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.79" | 10.21" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 45 Wh | 99.9 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 | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 502 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.2/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
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 Legion Slim 7 16"
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NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | November 2022
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is a slim Legion notebook that is just as excellent with Nvidia & Intel. However, the Legion Slim 7i slightly sullied by lacklustre battery life. You get a slim aluminium chassis, great input devices, decent port selection, fast high-quality WQXGA display and great performance. Supporting Thunderbolt 4 is one advantage of the Intel/Nvidia model tested in this review. Moreover, this variant has slightly higher CPU performance as well as better GPU performance in certain applications (e.g. CUDA-based apps). The Lenovo Legion S7i is thin, premium and performant – but less efficient than its AMD counterpart."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" or the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16"
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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