If performance during intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming is crucial for you, and you don't mind spending more, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro will serve you well with its superior processor, graphics card, and higher quality screen. However, the Legion is less portable due to its shorter battery life and slightly heavier build. On the other hand, if portability and budget are your priorities, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers longer battery life and is lighter, with satisfactory performance for general use at a significantly lower price, though it may not be as capable for highly demanding tasks. 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 Pro 5i
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
8.0/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i surpasses the IdeaPad Gaming 3 in gaming and 3D performance due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and higher screen refresh rate, which offers a smoother visual experience. Although both laptops share similar good screen quality, the Legion Pro 5i's advantage in both the GPU and the refresh rate, essential for gaming and 3D applications, makes it the superior choice.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
8.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
7.2/10
8.1/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers an adequate display that is bright and clear, making documents and videos look crisp, but the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i's display outshines with higher brightness and sharper resolution, enhancing the viewing experience for everyday tasks. In engineering and design, while both laptops may display a wide range of colors, the Legion Pro 5i likely covers a broader spectrum, ensuring more precise color work for professionals. However, both fall short for 3D application and high-paced gaming due to lower refresh rates, restricting the smoothness and responsiveness of on-screen action.
Battery
8.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has 3.5 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.
Cost
$549
$999
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a price of $549 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i costs $999.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers a balance for general use with its AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and 8GB of RAM, coupled with a respectable screen quality and 8 hours of battery life, making it versatile for everyday tasks while being relatively portable. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro steps up performance with an Intel i7 CPU and double the RAM at 16GB, a superior screen with a higher resolution and refresh rate for a more vivid display experience but has a shorter battery life of approximately 3.5 hours, which may limit its on-the-go usability despite its slightly higher portability score due to its build.
Content Creation
7.4/10
7.6/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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
7.3/10
7.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 to have good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i compare to other laptops
"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."
"The midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
132,495
Recommendations made
28,708
Consumer hours saved
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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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.