For a balance of performance and price, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a solid choice, offering a capable AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Nvidia RTX 2050 graphics within a lower midrange price point. It's well-suited for general use and gaming, with a 120Hz refresh rate that enhances fast-motion visuals on its 15.6-inch IPS display. However, it's not as portable as some other options, with a shorter battery life and a heavier build.
On the other hand, if you prioritize portability, battery life, and superior display quality, the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is the way to go. Its 16-inch Mini LED screen with a 3200 x 2000 resolution and touch capability provides vibrant colors and sharp images, making it ideal for creative work and entertainment. The Yoga Pro 9i also boasts an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and newer RTX 4050 graphics, delivering excellent performance for demanding tasks, though at a higher price point. It's sleeker and lighter, making it more suitable for on-the-go use, and its premium build quality and all-day battery life add to its appeal for professionals and power users. 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
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
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.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.7/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
8.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 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.
Content Creation
7.4/10
8.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
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
8.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
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
7.2/10
9.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Cost
$549
$1,450
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a price of $549 and the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i costs $1,450.
"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 Gaming 3 or the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i
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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