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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The IdeaPad Slim 3 is a budget-friendly option that suits general use with adequate performance for everyday tasks; however, its build and screen may not be as high quality as the Slim 7i. The Slim 7i, while more expensive, offers better performance, particularly for more demanding tasks such as engineering. It also has a higher quality display, more RAM for multitasking, and a lighter, slimmer build, which makes it more portable. The Slim 7i's higher expense may be justified if you need extra power and portability, while the Slim 3 is suitable for cost-conscious buyers seeking a larger screen laptop for basic use. 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 Slim 3
- The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i.
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is somewhat better.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i outperforms the Slim 3 mainly due to its more powerful i7 processor versus the Ryzen 3, and double the RAM which significantly enhances multitasking and general performance. Furthermore, the Slim 7i boasts a better screen quality with higher brightness and color space coverage, contributing to a clearer and more vibrant display, while also offering superior portability with less weight and a slightly longer battery life.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.1
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is better suited for engineering and design tasks over the Slim 3 because it comes with more RAM, a higher-quality screen, and a more powerful Intel i7 processor compared to the Slim 3's AMD Ryzen 3 and its lower screen quality.
Screen Quality
6.4
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers adequate resolution and brightness for typical tasks like web browsing and video streaming, but it falls short for gaming and 3D applications where a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth visuals. The Slim 7i, with a higher-quality display, provides sharper images and better color accuracy, making it suitable for engineering and design work that requires precise color representation. However, both models lack the high refresh rates desired for smooth gameplay and 3D rendering, affecting their performance in these more demanding visual applications.
Battery
10.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.8
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$390
$899
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a price of $390 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i costs $899.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3's integrated Vega 6 graphics in the AMD processor and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate makes it fair for gaming and 3D tasks, but not ideal for high-end, fast-paced games. Similarly, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i also provides fair performance in these areas with its Intel Iris Xe graphics and the same 60Hz screen refresh rate, although its CPU is somewhat more capable, the GPU and screen attributes limit its gaming and 3D capabilities.
Content Creation
7.2
7.7
3.6/10
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 Slim 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
7.1
7.5
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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 Slim 3 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$390 | $899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | October 1, 2020 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | 12.6'' x 8.2'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.52 lbs | 2.99 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 12.62" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.25" | 8.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | Intel i7-1165G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47 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 | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 340 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | 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 Slim 3
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
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 Slim 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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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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