Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 vs Lenovo Legion Slim 5

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is considered fair for general use because it has a lower-tier CPU and half the RAM of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, which affects performance; moreover, its screen quality and battery life are modest compared to the Legion Slim 5. On the other hand, the Legion Slim 5 is better suited for general use with its higher-tier CPU, double the RAM, superior screen quality including a higher resolution and brightness, and a larger battery capacity, although it is less portable due to its extra weight.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, with its integrated Vega 6 graphics in the AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and a standard 60Hz screen, offers a fair gaming and 3D experience suitable for casual play. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 steps up with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU for more demanding titles and a higher refresh rate screen at 144Hz, providing smoother visuals and making it more suited for serious gaming and 3D applications.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is suitable for basic engineering and design tasks with its average CPU and GPU, whereas the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 offers a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU, making it ideal for more demanding engineering and design tasks. While both offer good screen quality, the Legion Slim 5's higher resolution and refresh rate would be particularly beneficial for detailed design work; however, it's less portable and has a louder operating noise than the IdeaPad Slim 3, which may affect workspace flexibility and comfort.

For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers an adequate display with sufficient resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks, but it may lack the vibrancy and sharpness of higher-end panels. The Lenovo Legion Slim 5, with its higher-resolution and brighter screen, provides a more enjoyable experience, displaying more precise details and offering better visibility in various lighting conditions. However, despite their respective merits in general and engineering applications, neither laptop excels in gaming or 3D work, as their screens don't support high refresh rates that are vital for smooth motion and responsiveness in these scenarios.

Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.

PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.

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.

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.