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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is often less expensive and more portable, making it suitable for budget-conscious customers who need to move around frequently. It also has a white backlit keyboard and adequate performance for general use and casual gaming. Conversely, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is usually more expensive and offers better performance for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks, benefiting from a larger screen, higher refresh rate, more RAM, and a more powerful graphics card. However, its larger size and weight make it less portable, and it has a shorter battery life. Both laptops have number pads, are not touchscreen, and come with ample ports for connectivity. 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 portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.4
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" offers a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which provide smoother and more detailed gaming and 3D experiences compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3's Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and 120Hz screen. While both models have quality IPS displays, the Legion's superior graphics performance and faster screen will appeal more to intensive gamers and professionals in 3D fields.
Screen Quality
7.2
7.3
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen for gaming and AI.
When choosing between the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17", both offer satisfactory display features such as resolution and brightness for general tasks like browsing or working with documents, making them adequate for daily use. For engineering and design tasks, which demand accurate color reproduction, both laptops may have decent coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, ensuring that the colors you work with are represented well. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates on these displays could lead to less fluid visuals, so neither would be ideal for those looking for a premium gaming or 3D experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$549
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a price of $549 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers a balance for general use with its sizable storage, moderate memory, and the latest CPU, ensuring smooth operation for everyday tasks, complemented by quality speakers and good battery life, making it more portable. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" steps up to more memory and a higher-end CPU, enhancing performance for demanding applications, with a larger and higher-quality display that's preferable for visual tasks, though it compromises on portability with a heavier build and shorter battery life.
Engineering and Design
7.2
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is suitable for engineering and design due to its capable AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX GPU, supported by a moderate amount of RAM and an IPS screen that provides decent color accuracy and contrast for visual tasks. The Lenovo Legion 5 17" further enhances performance with a higher-end Intel i7 processor and a more powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, along with a larger screen and double the RAM, which is more favorable for demanding engineering simulations and 3D rendering, though it is heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
7.4
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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.
Build Quality
7.2
7.4
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 | Lenovo Legion 5 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$549 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.1 lbs | 6.57 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.49" | 11.41" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 80 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 329 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 4 | |
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 Legion 5 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 or the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
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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