Table of Contents
amazon Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 reviews
Design and Build Quality
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 features a minimalist design that focuses on practicality rather than flashy aesthetics. The laptop sports a matte black finish with subtle blue accents on the keyboard and the Lenovo logo on the lid. The overall look is understated, making it suitable for both gaming and professional environments.
Chassis and Build
The chassis is primarily made of plastic, but it feels sturdy and well-constructed. There’s minimal flex on the keyboard deck and the lid, giving the laptop a solid feel. The hinge mechanism is robust, allowing for smooth opening and closing of the lid with one hand. While it may not have the premium feel of more expensive gaming laptops, the build quality is commendable for its price range.
Portability
Weighing in at around 2.2 kg (4.85 lbs) and measuring 24.9 mm (0.98 inches) in thickness, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 is relatively portable for a gaming laptop. It’s not the lightest or thinnest device, but it strikes a good balance between performance and portability. The laptop easily fits into most backpacks, making it a viable option for students and professionals who need to carry their device on the go.
Display Quality
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is available with various display options, including Full HD (1920×1080) and higher refresh rate panels. Our review unit features a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate, providing a smooth and immersive gaming experience.
Color Accuracy and Brightness
The IPS panel offers wide viewing angles, ensuring consistent colors and contrast from different perspectives. The display covers around 65% of the sRGB color gamut, which is decent but not exceptional. It’s adequate for gaming and casual media consumption but may fall short for professional photo or video editing tasks. The peak brightness of 250 nits is sufficient for indoor use, but it might struggle in brightly lit environments or direct sunlight.
Refresh Rate and Response Time
The 120Hz refresh rate is one of the standout features of the IdeaPad Gaming 3’s display. It delivers smooth and fluid motion in fast-paced games, providing a noticeable advantage in competitive gaming scenarios. The response time is also respectable, with minimal ghosting or motion blur, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
Performance and Hardware
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 comes equipped with various hardware configurations, catering to different performance needs and budgets. Our review unit is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. This combination offers a solid performance for gaming, multitasking, and general productivity.
CPU Performance
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It boasts a base clock speed of 3.3 GHz and can boost up to 4.2 GHz. The CPU excels in both single-threaded and multi-threaded tasks, making it a versatile performer. In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 5600H scores impressively, indicating its capability to handle demanding workloads. In real-world use, the processor delivers smooth performance in tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and video conferencing.
GPU Performance
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is an entry-level gaming GPU, but it still packs a punch for 1080p gaming. Most modern AAA titles run smoothly at medium to high settings, delivering playable frame rates and good visual quality. While it may not support ray tracing or DLSS like the higher-end RTX series, the GTX 1650 is more than capable of handling popular esports titles such as Fortnite, League of Legends, and CS: GO with ease.
Memory and Storage
With 16GB of DDR4 RAM, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 ensures smooth multitasking and efficient handling of memory-intensive applications. Users can easily switch between multiple tasks, including gaming, web browsing, and media playback, without experiencing significant slowdowns. For storage, our review unit features a 512GB NVMe SSD, offering fast read and write speeds. Boot times are quick, and applications load swiftly, enhancing the overall user experience. The laptop also includes an additional 2.5-inch drive bay for those who need more storage capacity.
Thermals and Cooling
One of the critical aspects of any gaming laptop is its thermal performance. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 features a dual-fan cooling system with heat pipes and vents designed to dissipate heat efficiently.
Thermal Performance
During gaming sessions and intensive workloads, the laptop’s cooling system does an admirable job of keeping temperatures in check. The CPU and GPU temperatures remain within safe limits, although the fans can get quite audible under heavy load. The keyboard area stays relatively cool, making it comfortable for extended gaming sessions. The laptop’s base does get warm, but it’s manageable and doesn’t lead to any thermal throttling.
Fan Noise
While the cooling system is effective, the fans can be quite loud when running at full speed. It’s noticeable but not overly distracting, especially if you’re using headphones. Lenovo’s Vantage software allows users to adjust fan profiles, offering a balance between performance and noise levels.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 features a full-sized keyboard with a dedicated number pad. The keys have a decent amount of travel and provide a tactile feel, making typing and gaming comfortable.
Keyboard
The keyboard includes blue backlighting, which adds a touch of style and improves visibility in low-light conditions. The layout is well-spaced, with large keys that are easy to hit accurately. The arrow keys are full-sized, which is a plus for gamers who rely on them for navigation. Overall, the keyboard is comfortable and responsive, suitable for both gaming and productivity tasks.
Trackpad
The trackpad is large and responsive, supporting Windows Precision drivers for accurate gesture control. It’s positioned centrally, making it easy to use for everyday tasks. While most gamers will prefer using an external mouse, the trackpad is more than capable of handling casual browsing and navigation.
Audio Quality
Audio quality is an essential aspect of the gaming experience, and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 delivers respectable sound for its price range. The laptop features dual speakers located on the bottom front edge.
Sound Quality
The speakers produce clear and loud audio, with a decent amount of bass. While they may not match the quality of high-end gaming laptops or dedicated external speakers, they are more than adequate for gaming, media consumption, and video calls. The Dolby Audio software enhances the sound quality, providing various presets for different types of content.
Headphone Experience
For a more immersive audio experience, using a good pair of headphones is recommended. The laptop’s 3.5mm audio jack provides a reliable connection, and the sound quality through headphones is significantly better, offering richer bass and clearer highs.
Connectivity and Ports
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers a comprehensive selection of ports to accommodate various peripherals and accessories.
Port Selection
- Left Side:
- Power connector
- RJ-45 Ethernet port
- HDMI 2.0 output
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port
- 3.5mm audio jack
- Right Side:
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port
- USB 2.0 Type-A port
The inclusion of an Ethernet port is a significant advantage for gamers who prefer a stable wired connection. The HDMI 2.0 port allows for easy connection to external monitors, supporting up to 4K resolution at 60Hz. The USB Type-C port provides versatile connectivity options, although it lacks Thunderbolt support, which is expected at this price point.
Wireless Connectivity
The laptop supports Wi-Fi 6, ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections. It also includes Bluetooth 5.0, allowing users to connect various wireless peripherals, such as headphones, mice, and keyboards.
Battery Life
Battery life is often a trade-off for performance in gaming laptops, and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is no exception. The laptop features a 45Wh battery, which provides moderate battery life considering its hardware.
Battery Performance
In everyday use, such as web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 lasts around 5-6 hours on a single charge. However, during gaming or intensive tasks, the battery life drops significantly, lasting around 1-2 hours. For extended gaming sessions, it’s advisable to keep the laptop plugged in to ensure consistent performance.
Charging
The laptop comes with a 135W power adapter, which provides sufficient power to keep the device running at peak performance while charging the battery. The charging speed is decent, with the battery reaching around 50% charge in about 30-40 minutes.
Software and Features
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 comes with Windows 10 Home pre-installed, providing a familiar and user-friendly operating system. Lenovo includes several software utilities to enhance the user experience.
Lenovo Vantage
Lenovo Vantage is a comprehensive software suite that allows users to customize and optimize their laptop. It provides a centralized hub for monitoring system performance, adjusting fan profiles, and configuring power settings. The Lenovo Vantage software also includes features for updating drivers, managing network connections, and optimizing battery life. Users can access various system settings and monitor hardware performance, making it a valuable tool for both casual users and gamers.
Pre-installed Software
While the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 comes with a few pre-installed applications, it is relatively bloatware-free compared to some other manufacturers. Pre-installed software includes:
- McAfee LiveSafe: A trial version of the antivirus software, which can be useful for security but might prompt for subscriptions.
- Microsoft Office Trial: A trial version of Microsoft Office is included, allowing users to try out the software before committing to a purchase.
These applications can be easily uninstalled if they are not needed, freeing up storage space and ensuring a cleaner user experience.
User Experience
The overall user experience with the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is positive, thanks to its combination of solid performance, practical design, and useful features.
Day-to-Day Use
In everyday tasks, such as browsing the web, streaming videos, and using productivity applications, the laptop performs admirably. The keyboard is comfortable for typing, the trackpad is responsive, and the display provides clear visuals. The laptop’s portability and battery life make it suitable for use on the go, though it’s more comfortable as a semi-portable desktop replacement.
Gaming Experience
For gaming, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers a great experience at 1080p resolution. Most modern games run smoothly on medium to high settings, and the high refresh rate display enhances the gaming experience by providing fluid and responsive gameplay. The cooling system ensures that the laptop remains cool during extended gaming sessions, though fan noise can be noticeable.
Value for Money
One of the key selling points of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is its value for money. It provides a solid gaming experience and reliable performance at a relatively affordable price point. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of high-end gaming laptops, it delivers where it matters most: performance, build quality, and user experience.
Pros
- Affordable Pricing: The IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers great performance at a competitive price, making it accessible to budget-conscious gamers and users.
- Solid Performance: With a powerful CPU and a capable GPU, the laptop handles gaming and multitasking with ease.
- High Refresh Rate Display: The 120Hz display provides smooth and immersive visuals for gaming and everyday use.
- Effective Cooling System: The dual-fan cooling system keeps the laptop cool under load, ensuring consistent performance.
- Comprehensive Connectivity: A good selection of ports and Wi-Fi 6 support offer versatile connectivity options.
Cons
- Mediocre Battery Life: Battery life is average, particularly during gaming or intensive tasks.
- Limited Color Accuracy: The display’s color accuracy may not be sufficient for professional creative work.
- Fan Noise: The cooling fans can be quite loud under heavy load.
Conclusion
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a well-rounded gaming laptop that offers excellent value for money. It provides solid performance, a high-refresh-rate display, and a comfortable keyboard, making it suitable for both gaming and everyday use. While it has some trade-offs, such as average battery life and limited color accuracy, these are minor issues compared to the overall package.
For budget-conscious gamers and users looking for a reliable, high-performance laptop, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a compelling choice. It delivers on its promises, providing a great balance of performance, features, and affordability, making it one of the best options in its price range.
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