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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers better performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering or gaming, owing to its powerful AMD Ryzen processor and RTX GPU. It also has a high refresh rate display for smoother visuals but is heavier and has shorter battery life. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, though less powerful with its AMD Ryzen 3 and integrated graphics, is more portable with longer battery life and includes a touchscreen. It is also more affordable. Choose the Gaming 3 for better gaming and task performance or the Slim 3 for portability, longer use on a single charge, and savings. 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 Gaming 3
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
5.9
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, with its Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and higher screen refresh rate of 120 Hz, offers a better gaming and 3D experience compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, which comes with an integrated Vega 6 GPU and a lower refresh rate of 60 Hz. While both have similar CPU and screen quality, the higher-end GPU and refresh rate in the Gaming 3 are more suitable for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.2
6.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 stands out for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, and high refresh rate screen, making it well-suited for tasks needing significant processing and graphics power. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, while lighter and more portable, has a less potent AMD Ryzen 3 with integrated graphics and a standard refresh rate screen, which means it can handle engineering and design tasks but not as effectively as the Gaming 3.
Screen Quality
7.2
6.4
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3's screen offers a balance of resolution and brightness that suits everyday tasks well, but for gaming, where high refresh rates are crucial, it falls short, leading to less fluid visuals. On the other hand, its good color range makes it suitable for engineering and design work, where accurate color representation matters. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, with its fair screen quality, manages everyday tasks adequately but doesn't excel in color accuracy or refresh rate, making it less ideal for both design and gaming pursuits.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
6.5
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$549
$410
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a price of $549 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $410.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers better performance for general use due to its superior CPU and graphics card, which would handle a variety of tasks more efficiently when compared to the IdeaPad Slim 3, which has a lower-tier CPU and integrated graphics.
Content Creation
7.4
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
7.3
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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 Gaming 3 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$549 | $410 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.1 lbs | 3.52 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.49" | 9.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 329 nits | 281 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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.
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