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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is less expensive and offers good value for everyday tasks, while the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is more expensive but boasts better performance for engineering, 3D rendering, and gaming. If you prioritize portability and battery life for general use, the IdeaPad Slim 3 makes sense. On the other hand, if you need stronger performance and features like a backlit keyboard, a higher resolution display, and the capability for more intensive tasks, consider investing in the Slim 7. 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
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo Slim 7 16
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use, though the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers a fair general-use experience with moderate RAM and a basic processor suitable for everyday tasks, along with dependable battery life and good portability, despite its average screen quality. Conversely, the Lenovo Slim 7 16 is appealing for more demanding general use, featuring double the RAM, a robust processor, an advanced graphics unit, and superior screen quality for sharper and more vibrant images, but at the expense of slightly reduced battery life and portability due to a larger screen and more power-hungry components.
Gaming and AI
5.9
6.6
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, with an integrated AMD GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, delivers moderate gaming and 3D performance appropriate for casual use. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim 7 16, equipped with a dedicated Nvidia graphics card and a higher refresh rate display, offers more advanced gaming capabilities and smoother visuals, making it better suited for more serious gaming and demanding 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
6.1
7.5
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is equipped with a lower-tier CPU and graphics integrated into the CPU, and while it has quality components suitable for general use, it may struggle with more demanding engineering applications due to its limited RAM and less powerful GPU. In contrast, the Lenovo Slim 7 16, with a higher-end CPU and a dedicated NVIDIA GPU, provides more robust performance for engineering and design tasks, along with better screen resolution and quality, although it is slightly heavier and may be less portable.
Screen Quality
6.4
8.3
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 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, with its fair screen quality, offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing, but it doesn't provide the wide color gamut needed for precision work in engineering and design. The Lenovo Slim 7 16's very good screen quality stems from higher resolution and brightness, enhancing the visual experience for general use and providing a vast range of colors needed by professionals in engineering and design. However, both models have screens that fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to lower refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and responsiveness during fast-paced action.
Build Quality
6.5
7.8
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 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
$1,440
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a price of $390 and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 costs $1,440.
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Key similarities
Content Creation
7.2
7.6
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 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
7.6
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Slim 7 16 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Slim 7 16 has 9.5 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and Lenovo Slim 7 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and the Lenovo Slim 7 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 | Lenovo Slim 7 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$390 | $1,440 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | June 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.69'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.52 lbs | 4.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.25" | 9.68" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 9.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 500 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 7.6/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
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 | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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 Slim 7 16
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PCMag
Eric Grevstad | March 2022
"At $1,011, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Pro is a real bargain among full-sized laptops, with a handsome 16-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio touch screen, a speedy CPU, a comfortable keyboard, ample memory, and a roomy solid-state drive. It's not a blazing gaming rig or mobile workstation, but it doesn't pretend to be. Its biggest negative is that it may be hard to find—during our review, it sold out and was marked "Temporarily Unavailable" on Lenovo's site."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 or the Lenovo Slim 7 16
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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