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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize higher performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering, and desire a laptop with a superior display, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is the better option, offering a high-resolution Mini LED touchscreen and a powerful Intel processor with dedicated Nvidia graphics. However, it comes at a higher price and has a smaller screen. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is significantly less expensive and provides a much larger screen, which could be more suitable for general use and multitasking, but it has lower performance due to its AMD processor with integrated graphics and less RAM. Additionally, the IdeaPad has longer battery life but is less portable due to its size and weight. If cost and screen size are your primary concerns, the IdeaPad may be your choice, while the Slim Pro 9i is tailored for those seeking high performance and portability at a premium price. 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 Slim Pro 9i.
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" provides ample screen size and a solid processor that's suitable for everyday tasks, with a respectable battery life, affording it a good general use status. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i offers a higher RAM, stronger processing capabilities, superior screen quality, and better portability due to its smaller size and lighter weight, elevating it to a very good status for general use, despite a slightly shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.6
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
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
6.6
8.9
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" with its AMD Ryzen 5 processor, built-in AMD graphics, 8 GB of RAM, and an IPS display panel is suited for entry-level engineering tasks, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i takes performance to a higher level with an Intel i7 processor, Nvidia RTX graphics, a substantial 32 GB of RAM, and a superior Mini LED display, fitting for more demanding engineering and design applications. Although the IdeaPad 3 offers a larger screen and potentially better battery life, the Slim Pro 9i excels in portability, screen resolution, and overall computing power, but these enhancements come at the cost of a higher price and possibly more operating noise due to its more powerful components.
Content Creation
7.4
8.5
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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
8.3
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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
9.6
17.3in
SIZE
14.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
618.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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 screen quality for general use, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i stands out with its superior panel type, higher resolution, and greater brightness, which contribute to sharper images and better visibility in various lighting conditions. For engineering and design, the Slim Pro 9i again excels due to its wider coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, ensuring more accurate color reproduction necessary for these tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications where high refresh rates are crucial, both the IdeaPad 3 and Slim Pro 9i may fall short as they prioritize attributes other than refresh rate, which could lead to less fluid motion during fast-paced scenes.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has 6 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
14.5in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" both have good portability, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
8.0
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 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 Slim Pro 9i costs $1,500.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" | Lenovo Slim Pro 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$784 | $1,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | 12.9'' x 9.6'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.49 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.71" | 12.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.79" | 9.64" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | Intel i7-13705H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 45 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3072 x 1920 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 618 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.2/10 | 7.7/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
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 Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Slim Pro 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | August 2023
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is an impressive laptop with a brilliant Mini-LED display, a powerful 100-watt version of Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, and excellent connectivity. Having run the Cinebench benchmark again, we were impressed with the CPU performance. That makes the Slim Pro 9i is an easy recommendation, especially for those who care about GPU and CPU performance. It’s also a fantastic choice if you frequently view HDR movies and games on your laptop."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" or the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
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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