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Updated January 10, 2024·
If your primary focus is gaming or resource-intensive tasks such as 3D modeling or engineering applications, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 with its dedicated Nvidia graphics would be the suitable choice, although it is heavier and bulkier, which affects its portability. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is lighter and more portable with a significantly better battery life, making it ideal for general use and productivity on the go, but it has integrated graphics that may not be as capable for demanding graphical tasks. The Slim 7i is also pricier but offers more memory which can help with multitasking and has a better build and heat management, while the Gaming 3 is a budget-friendly option with a high-refresh-rate screen, beneficial for smoother gameplay. 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 overall display quality
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.2
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a display that offers a satisfying resolution, brightness, and panel type, providing a comfortable viewing experience for everyday tasks and clarity for detailed engineering work, while its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for fast-paced gaming or 3D rendering. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i boasts a similar quality display in terms of resolution and brightness, suiting it for general productivity and precise design tasks but also falls short for gaming due to a refresh rate not tailored for the high-speed visuals gamers and 3D artists often require. While both laptops provide good color accuracy crucial for engineering and design, neither excels in the gaming or 3D domain, where a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth motion visuals.
Battery
8.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
7.8
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good build quality, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$549
$899
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a price of $549 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i costs $899.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3's Ryzen CPU and RTX GPU figure well for general use with respectable screen quality and ample RAM for multitasking, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i with its Intel CPU and integrated graphics offers a great balance with its lightweight design, longer battery life, high-quality screen, and more RAM that enhances performance for everyday tasks, though it may not handle graphics-intensive applications as well.
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.2
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers a higher screen refresh rate and a dedicated Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU making it more suitable for gaming and 3D applications compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, which has a standard refresh rate and uses an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU.
Engineering and Design
7.2
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 2050 graphics card, is suited for engineering and design thanks to its stronger GPU performance and higher screen refresh rate, which can be beneficial for rendering and real-time simulations. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, while offering less graphical power with its Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, compensates with a higher screen pixel density for crisper images and double the RAM for handling complex tasks, coupled with better portability due to its lighter weight. Both have quality IPS displays and adequate CPU capability for engineering software.
Content Creation
7.4
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 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
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 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 7i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$549 | $899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | 12.6'' x 8.2'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.1 lbs | 2.99 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 12.62" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.49" | 8.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-1165G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 60.7 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
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 | 340 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 8.9/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | 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 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 7i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Ted Needleman
| January 2022
"Among Lenovo's multiple laptop brands, the IdeaPad family is decidedly the one designed for consumers: people who want decent performance at a reasonable price. Consider, then, this laptop a paragon for the pickier members of that crowd. With a 14-inch touch-enabled display, a comfortable keyboard, an Evo-certified Intel Core i7 11th Generation CPU, and the latest Windows 11 operating system, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro ultraportable ($1,199 as tested) is a slick mainstream machine at a bit of a premium price, and quite capable for everyday tasks."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
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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