The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15".
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
341.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
292.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
6.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.7/10
6.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.6/10
6.7/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
6.5/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
341.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
292.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
11.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has 11 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.2/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$631
$658
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
$1,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a price of $631 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $658.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.