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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a budget-friendly option with a larger screen and dedicated gaming features, but has lower portability due to its higher weight. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is more expensive but offers better screen quality and additional features such as a touchscreen, higher resolution, and a more premium build. Both laptops have similar battery life and suitability for gaming, but the Microsoft option may be more suitable for creative professionals who can benefit from its 3:2 aspect ratio and touch capabilities, while the Lenovo is tailored more toward gamers prioritizing cost-effectiveness and hardware ray tracing features. 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
- The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has no clear advantages over the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.2
8.0
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio both provide clear and bright displays with good resolution, but the Surface Laptop Studio offers a sharper image and higher brightness, enhancing visibility and detail. During engineering and design work, color accuracy is crucial, and the Surface Laptop Studio excels with wide color gamut coverage, providing more precise and vibrant colors compared to the IdeaPad. However, for gaming and 3D applications where the smoothness of motion is key, the Lenovo's lower refresh rate makes for less fluid visual transitions, and although the Surface Laptop Studio also falls short in this aspect, its other screen attributes don't compensate for a gamer's need for high refresh rates.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.4in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good portability, though the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$549
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a price of $549 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is equipped with a strong processor and satisfactory RAM for general use, along with a high refresh rate screen with good color coverages and brightness, but is slightly less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which offers a superior screen resolution and tablet mode functionality due to its flexible hinge, more RAM for smoother multitasking, and significantly lighter and thinner design, making it very portable, though this comes at a higher price point. Both laptops provide sufficient storage and feature good keyboard and speaker quality, with the Surface Laptop Studio standing out for its build quality and the IdeaPad for its dedicated number pad and gaming appearance.
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.6
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 comes with an Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 120Hz, which supports fair gaming and 3D capabilities within a certain budget, while its AMD Ryzen CPU and 1080p screen offer decent processing power and visual quality.
Engineering and Design
7.2
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, with an AMD Ryzen CPU, Nvidia RTX GPU, and a full HD screen, is equipped for demanding engineering software; however, it's heavier and has lower screen quality than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which boasts a higher resolution touch display, Intel i7 CPU, Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti, and can morph into a drawing tablet for design work. While the IdeaPad offers raw power and a larger screen, the Surface Laptop Studio offers versatility, superior screen quality, and better portability with a trade-off in weight and the lack of a dedicated numpad.
Content Creation
7.4
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$549 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.1 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.49" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-11370H | |
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 | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 329 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
See more
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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