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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is less expensive and better suited for general use with its longer battery life and lightweight design, making it more portable. It's a practical choice for everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and media consumption. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is pricier and optimized for gaming and more intensive engineering tasks due to its powerful CPU, superior GPU, and higher RAM capacity; however, it's heavier with a shorter battery life, which affects its portability. If you prioritize performance for demanding applications over portability and cost, the Legion 5 is the better option. 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
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 17"
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
5.9
7.4
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is equipped with an integrated AMD Vega GPU and a basic 60Hz screen refresh rate, which is serviceable for casual gaming and some 3D applications. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" boasts a powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 dedicated GPU and a higher 144Hz screen refresh rate, providing a significantly better gaming and 3D rendering experience.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.6
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is better suited for engineering and design use due to its more powerful Intel i7 CPU, double the RAM, and superior Nvidia RTX GPU, which excel in demanding tasks like 3D rendering; additionally, it has a higher refresh rate and brightness screen for clearer and more fluid visuals. However, it is heavier and less portable than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, which has a modest AMD Ryzen CPU and integrated graphics, making it fair for less intensive engineering applications and more suitable for everyday use where portability is somewhat important.
Screen Quality
6.4
7.3
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, with a screen that prioritizes resolution and brightness, provides an adequate viewing experience for day-to-day activities yet lacks the color range professionals need for precise engineering and design work. Lenovo's Legion 5 17", by including a wider color gamut in its superior display, facilitates more accurate color representation for creative professionals but falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate that can limit smoothness in fast-moving visuals. While both laptops suit general use and engineering tasks, serious gamers or those working extensively with 3D graphics should consider options with higher refresh rates to ensure fluid motion and an immersive experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a price of $390 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers longer battery life and better portability, making it suited for basic tasks, but it falls short with a less powerful CPU, less RAM, and a lower-quality screen compared to the Lenovo Legion 5 17", which has a stronger CPU, more RAM, and a higher screen quality, thus being better for more demanding general use but at the cost of shorter battery life and reduced portability.
Content Creation
7.2
7.2
3.6/10
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 Slim 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
7.1
7.0
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and the Lenovo Legion 5 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 | Lenovo Legion 5 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$390 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.52 lbs | 6.57 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.25" | 11.41" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47 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 | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | 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 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 Legion 5 17"
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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 Slim 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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