The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is less expensive and offers budget performance suitable for general use and everyday tasks with a lower weight for better portability. It also has a longer battery life for typical usage - making it good for on-the-go activities. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16, although more costly, provides higher performance, with a more powerful processor and dedicated graphics, ideal for engineering, 3D rendering, machine learning, and demanding tasks. It features a more color-accurate, high-resolution display but is heavier, which may affect its portability. Both have similar storage and the ThinkPad has more RAM, enhancing multitasking and complex applications. 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
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad P16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
8.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
6.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 in gaming and 3D tasks mainly due to its superior Nvidia RTX A1000 graphics card, which handles complex visuals more effectively than the integrated AMD Vega 6 graphics in the IdeaPad Slim 3. Additionally, the ThinkPad P16 features a higher screen resolution, providing sharper images, although both laptops have the same screen refresh rate, which is very important for smooth visuals in games and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
8.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is suited for more portable use with its lighter weight and adequate performance from its AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and integrated GPU, making it fair for engineering and design tasks. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 boasts a stronger Intel i7 CPU, dedicated Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU, and superior screen quality, all enhancing its capability for demanding engineering and design work, despite being less portable due to its heavier weight.
Content Creation
7.2/10
8.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good.
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
7.1/10
8.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
8.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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 clarity and brightness for daily tasks like browsing and document editing but lacks the wider color gamut and higher resolution needed for precise engineering and design work. The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 excels in screen quality for general use and professional applications due to its higher resolution and coverage of professional color gamuts, providing accuracy for detailed projects. For gaming and 3D rendering, however, both laptops fall short as they do not prioritize high refresh rate screens, which are essential for smooth motion and responsiveness in fast-paced visual content.
Portability
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has very 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
$1,449
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a price of $390 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 costs $1,449.
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."
"It's only a few months since we gave the MSI CreatorPro X17 one of our rare 4.5-star ratings and our top mobile workstation honor, but the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 matches that achievement in a more premium overall build. Ultimately, its build quality, screen, and keyboard give our latest Editors' Choice nod to the Lenovo—it's enough of a monster on almost all fronts that it simply cannot be ignored."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 or the Lenovo ThinkPad P16
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.
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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