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Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) Laptop Review

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2
Review updated Jan 24, 2023 at 12:36 pm
Latest change: Test bench update Dec 07, 2023 at 07:56 am
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) Picture
7.4
School
5.9
Gaming
7.2
Multimedia
6.9
Workstation
7.3
Business

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) is a budget Windows ultraportable laptop. It's available with AMD Ryzen 5000 U-series CPUs, integrated graphics, up to 16GB of memory, and over 1TB of storage. You can choose between a TN or IPS display; they're both 1080p 60Hz panels with no variable refresh rate support. It has a 720p webcam, a Wi-Fi 5 wireless adapter, and a 48Wh battery. Its port selection includes two USB-As, a USB-C, an HDMI 1.4, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The USB-C port doesn't support video output or charging. You can see more details about the configurations in the Differences Between Variants section below.

Our Verdict

7.4 School

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 is decent for school use. It feels well-built, it's easy to carry around thanks to its thin and light design, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day. The display provides enough space for multitasking and gets bright enough for use in most settings; however, the touchpad is small, and the keyboard can be fatiguing over time. Its AMD Ryzen CPU and integrated graphics can handle most student workloads, but they aren't ideal for graphically intensive tasks like video editing.

Pros
  • Easy to carry around.
  • Battery lasts over nine hours of light productivity.
  • Feels well-built.
  • Decent webcam video quality for video calls.
  • CPU can handle most light productivity tasks.
Cons
  • CPU and Integrated graphics can't handle demanding workloads.
  • Can't charge laptop via USB-C.
  • Keyboard can cause fatigue over an extended period.
  • Small touchpad makes dragging and dropping hard.
5.9 Gaming

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 is mediocre for gaming. Its CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough to handle graphically intensive games, resulting in low frame rates and stuttery motion. It also has a slow 60Hz display with no VRR support to reduce screen tearing. On the bright side, there's very little thermal throttling over time, and it doesn't get hot under load.

Pros
  • Minimal performance loss over time.
  • Memory and storage are user-upgradeable.
Cons
  • CPU and Integrated graphics can't handle demanding workloads.
  • 60Hz refresh rate with slow response time and no VRR support.
7.2 Multimedia

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 is decent for media consumption. It's a thin and light device that's easy to carry around, with enough battery life to get you through a couple of movies and TV show episodes. The display gets bright enough for use in most settings; however, it looks washed out, and its low contrast makes blacks appear gray in the dark. Likewise, the speakers sound clear but don't get very loud.

Pros
  • Easy to carry around.
  • Battery lasts nearly eight hours of video playback.
  • Display supports touch input.
Cons
  • Screen looks washed out.
  • Low contrast ratio makes blacks look gray in dim settings.
  • Can't charge laptop via USB-C.
6.9 Workstation

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 is okay as a workstation. Its CPU can handle light or even some moderately heavy workloads, especially the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, but it's still very limited in graphical performance because it's only available with integrated graphics. Its port selection is decent, but the HDMI port is limited to the HDMI 1.4 standard. It doesn't get hot or throttle much under load, though the fans are a bit loud.

Pros
  • Minimal performance loss over time.
  • Memory and storage are user-upgradeable.
  • Fast storage drive.
Cons
  • CPU and Integrated graphics can't handle demanding workloads.
  • HDMI port limited to 1.4 standard.
  • Screen's narrow color gamut isn't ideal for color-critical work.
7.3 Business

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 is decent for business use. It's portable due to its thin and light design, and it has good battery life, lasting over 9 hours of light productivity. The webcam captures a decent image for video calls, the touchpad tracks reasonably well, and the keyboard is spacious but slightly tiring to type on over an extended period. Its AMD Ryzen processor can handle most tasks like text formatting, spreadsheets, and presentations. If you perform heavy multitasking, you can upgrade to the Ryzen 5 5500U or the Ryzen 7 5700U for better multi-thread performance. Unfortunately, you can't charge the laptop via USB-C, and the HDMI port is limited to the HDMI 1.4 standard.

Pros
  • Easy to carry around.
  • Battery lasts over nine hours of light productivity.
  • Feels well-built.
  • Decent webcam video quality for video calls.
  • CPU can handle most light productivity tasks.
Cons
  • CPU and Integrated graphics can't handle demanding workloads.
  • Can't charge laptop via USB-C.
  • Keyboard can cause fatigue over an extended period.
  • Small touchpad makes dragging and dropping hard.
  • HDMI port limited to 1.4 standard.
  • 7.4 School
  • 5.9 Gaming
  • 7.2 Multimedia
  • 6.9 Workstation
  • 7.3 Business
  1. Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2.
  2. Updated Nov 03, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.
  3. Updated May 16, 2023: Added mention of the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) as an alternative with a better touchpad in the Touchpad section.
  4. Updated Apr 28, 2023: Added mention of the Acer Swift 3 14 (2022) as an alternative with a brighter display in the Brightness section.
  5. Updated Jan 24, 2023: We've updated the review to improve clarity and fixed an error regarding the CPU. We tested a model with an AMD Ryzen 3, not Ryzen 5. This change doesn't affect the score.
  6. Updated Feb 03, 2022: Review published.
  7. Updated Jan 28, 2022: Early access published.
  8. Updated Dec 02, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  9. Updated Nov 30, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  10. Updated Nov 23, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (model 82KU00YQUS) with a 1080p touch-sensitive IPS display, an AMD Ryzen 3 5300U CPU, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 integrated graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. The display, CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and color are configurable; you can see the options in the table below. There are many Lenovo IdeaPad 3 models, so to avoid confusion, our review applies only to variants with a model number starting with '82KU'.

Screen
  • 15.6" TN 1920 x 1080 60Hz (with or without touch input)
  • 15.6" IPS 1920 x 1080 60Hz (with or without touch input)
CPU
  • AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (4 cores/ 8 threads, up to 3.8GHz)
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (6 cores/12 threads, up to 4.0GHz)
  • AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (8 cores/16 threads, up to 4.3GHz)
GPU
  • AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (integrated, Ryzen 3 5300U, 6 cores, 1500MHz)
  • AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 (integrated, Ryzen 5 5500U, 7 cores, 1800MHz)
  • AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (integrated, Ryzen 7 5700U, 8 cores, 1900MHz)
Memory
  • 4GB DDR4 3200MHz
  • 8GB DDR4 3200MHz
  • 12GB DDR4 3200MHz
  • 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
Storage
  • 128GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
  • 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
  • 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
  • 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
  • 1TB 2.5" HDD 5400 RPM
  • 128GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB 2.5" HDD 5400 RPM
  • 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB 2.5" HDD 5400 RPM
Color
  • Sand
  • Abyss Blue
  • Arctic Gray
  • Galaxy Blue 

Our display and performance results are only valid for the configuration we tested. If you come across a different configuration option not listed above, or you have a similar Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop that doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update it. Some tests, like black uniformity and color accuracy, may vary between individual units.

You can see our unit's label here.

Compared To Other Laptops

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 is among the best laptops in its class. It stands out for its sturdy build and good battery life. However, the keyboard can be tiring to type on for an extended period, and the touchpad is small, making it hard to use. 

For other options, check out our recommendations for the best laptops under $300, the best laptops under $400, and the best laptops under $500.

Acer Aspire 5 15 (2020)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 (2019) are both thin and light Windows laptops. The Surface Laptop 3 provides a better user experience for the most part because it has a sharper, brighter, and more color-accurate display, its keyboard feels better to type on, and its touchpad is larger and more responsive. The Surface Laptop 3 has a better webcam and microphone for video calls. However, the IdeaPad 3 has a wider port selection, longer battery life, and its AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs perform significantly better than the AMD Ryzen 3000 processors on the Surface Laptop 3.

Acer Aspire 3 15 (2023)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) is better than the Acer Aspire 3 15 (2023) for most uses. The Lenovo's build feels sturdier, and its battery lasts much longer. It's available with a better IPS display, as it gets brighter to combat glare, and its wider viewing angle makes it easier to share the screen with someone else. The Lenovo is an older model with AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPUs; however, depending on which configuration you get, it performs just as well or better than the Acer, which is only available with an Intel Core i3-N305 CPU.

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15 (2021)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15 (2021) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) are very similar overall, as the IdeaPad 5 is essentially a higher-tier model of the same lineup. The IdeaPad 5 provides a better user experience as its keyboard feels more comfortable to type on, and its touchpad tracks better. Also, the IdeaPad 5's USB-C port supports charging and video output, whereas the IdeaPad 3's USB-C can only transfer data. The IdeaPad 5's Intel 11th Gen processors perform better than the IdeaPad 3's AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPUs, but they aren't as power-efficient, meaning battery life is better on the IdeaPad 3, especially for video playback.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023)

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2023) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) are very similar overall. The Slim 3i has a better keyboard and a more responsive touchpad, and its USB-C supports video output and charging. Also, the IdeaPad Slim 3i is available with newer and faster Intel 13th Gen. CPUs. However, the IdeaPad 3 15's screen gets slightly brighter to combat glare, and its battery lasts longer.

ASUS X515 (2020)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) is much better than the ASUS X515 (2020) for most uses. The IdeaPad 3's build feels sturdier, its screen gets brighter to combat glare, and it displays more accurate colors out of the box. Also, its keyboard provides a better typing experience, its touchpad is more responsive, and its webcam captures a better image for video calls. The IdeaPad 3's AMD processors have much better multi-thread performance than the Intel CPUs on the X515 to handle heavier workloads, and they're more power-efficient, resulting in longer battery life.

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (2020)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) and the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (2020) are both 15.6 inch Windows laptops. The IdeaPad 3 is better than the Inspiron 15 for most uses because it has a sturdier build, a brighter and more color-accurate display, and longer battery life. It also has a more comfortable keyboard, a better webcam, and a wider port selection. The IdeaPad 3 is available with AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs, while the Inspiron 15 is available with Intel 11th Gen CPUs. The AMD and Intel processors have similar single-thread performance for the most part; however, the AMD Ryzen CPUs perform better in multi-threaded workloads due to their higher core count, especially the Ryzen 5 5500U and Ryzen 7 5700U processors.

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) and the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020) are both thin and light laptops; however, the IdeaPad 3 runs Windows, while the MacBook Air runs macOS. The MacBook Air is better in nearly all aspects, but it has a smaller display, isn't as serviceable, and its port selection is much more limited as it only has two USB-C ports.

Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2023)

For most uses, the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2023) is better than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021). The Inspiron 16 has a sturdier build and a longer battery life, and it's more versatile, as its 2-in-1 form factor lets you set up the laptop in tent mode for media consumption or use it as a tablet. It has a better keyboard and touchpad and is available with newer, faster CPUs. The Inspiron 16 also has a wider port selection, and unlike the IdeaPad 3, its USB-C ports support charging and video output.

ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 (2020)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) and the ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 (2020) are both thin and light Windows laptops. However, the IdeaPad 3 is a clamshell laptop with a limited hinge range, while the VivoBook Flip has a 360-degree hinge that lets you use the laptop as a tablet. The IdeaPad provides a better user experience as its display is sharper and brighter, its keyboard is more comfortable to type on, and its touchpad is more responsive. The IdeaPad also has a better webcam for video calls and a wider port selection, and it's available with more powerful AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPUs.

HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15 (2021)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) is a basic laptop meant for light productivity tasks, while the HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop 15 (2021) is meant for gaming and other graphically intensive tasks. The Lenovo is better if you need something more compact and lightweight to take around, and its battery also lasts much longer, and the laptop runs much cooler. On the other hand, the HP is much larger and heavier, but it's equipped with powerful AMD Ryzen H-series CPUs and dedicated entry-level NVIDIA GPUs that are significantly better suited for heavy workloads like gaming, 3D design, and physics simulations.

Acer Swift 3 14 (2020)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) and the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020) are ultraportable Windows laptops. The Acer's display is smaller, but it's sharper and more colorful. The Acer has better-sounding speakers, a wider port selection that includes a USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 support, and longer battery life. However, the Lenovo has a much better webcam for video calls. It's available with AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPUs, while the Acer is available with Intel 11th Gen CPUs. Regardless of which laptop you choose, all the CPU options are more than capable of handling light tasks like web browsing, text formatting, and video playback. That said, if you need the best multi-thread performance, the Lenovo's higher-end AMD Ryzen 7 5700U is the best option as it has more cores and threads than any of the Intel CPU options on the Acer.

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2019)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2019) are very different. The IdeaPad is a budget ultraportable Windows laptop with a power-efficient processor. The MacBook Pro 16 is a macOS mobile workstation with a much more powerful H-series CPU and dedicated graphics. The MacBook Pro 16 is better in nearly every way, but it isn't as portable as the IdeaPad 3, and it gets hotter and louder under load.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 (2019)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 (2019) are both thin and light Windows laptops. The Surface Laptop 3 provides a better user experience for the most part because it has a sharper, brighter, and more color-accurate display, its keyboard feels better to type on, and its touchpad is larger and more responsive. The Surface Laptop 3 also has a better webcam and microphone for video calls. However, the IdeaPad 3 has a wider port selection, longer battery life, and its AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs perform significantly better than the AMD Ryzen 3000 processors on the Surface Laptop 3.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 is a basic-looking laptop that shouldn't stick out in a professional environment. As it's a 15.6-inch device, it has enough room on the deck for a full-size keyboard with a Numpad on the right side. The exhaust vents are on the bottom near the back, while the speakers are near the front. It's available in four color schemes: Sand, Abyss Blue, Arctic Gray, and Galaxy Blue.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has good build quality. The keyboard deck is a mix of plastic and metal, but the display and the bottom are mostly plastic. There aren't any obvious gaps in the construction, and it feels fairly solid overall, although the display flexes a lot.

5.7
Design
Hinge
Range
165°
Stability
Decent
One Finger Lift
No

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's hinge is sub-par. It has a wide range and a good amount of resistance; however, the screen wobbles a bit when typing or moving around.

8.0
Design
Portability
Size
15.6"
Thickness
0.7" (1.9 cm)
Width
14.1" (35.9 cm)
Depth
9.3" (23.6 cm)
Volume
98.2 in³ (1,609.8 cm³)
Weight
3.6 lbs (1.7 kg)
Charger Size
10.3 in³ (168.8 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.9 lbs (0.4 kg)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 is relatively thin and light for a 15.6-inch device, and its included power adapter is compact. Both fit easily into most bags.

7.5
Design
Serviceability
Ease Of Access
7.5
RAM Slots
1
Storage Slots
1
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
Yes

The serviceability is good. To access the internals, you have to remove ten Philips screws and pry open the panel with a pick or prying tool. The model with 8GB of memory has 4GB soldered onto the motherboard and the other 4GB in the form of a user-replaceable SO-DIMM module. Lenovo's specifications indicate that you can upgrade the SO-DIMM module up to 8GB for a maximum of 12GB. The laptop comes with an M.2 2242 SSD, but the slot also supports longer M.2 2280 SSDs.

Design
In The Box

  • Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 laptop
  • 65W power adapter
  • Documentation

Display
Display
Screen Specs
Resolution
1920 x 1080
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Pixel Density
142 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
Touch Screen
Yes
Screen-To-Body Ratio
85%

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is available with the following displays:

  • 15.6" TN 1920 x 1080 60Hz (with or without touch input)
  • 15.6" IPS 1920 x 1080 60Hz (with or without touch input)

A 1080p resolution looks decently sharp on a 15.6-inch screen. You can see the individual pixels at normal viewing distances, but it's not too bad. Its 16:9 aspect ratio is great for media consumption since most videos are in the same format, although a 16:10 or 3:2 aspect ratio would have been better for productivity, as the increased vertical space lets you see more text when reading a document or website, meaning you won't have to scroll as much. For the best viewing experience, it's best to get a model with an IPS panel because TN panels usually have worse viewing angles and color reproduction.

5.9
Display
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is only available with 60Hz displays. The IPS panel has a slow response time causing visible ghosting, which isn't ideal for viewing fast-moving content or gaming. The TN panel will likely perform similarly.

7.3
Display
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,325 : 1

The contrast ratio is decent and within the typical range of most IPS panels. However, blacks still look gray in dim settings. The TN panel's contrast is likely worse, between 700 to 1000:1.

7.1
Display
Brightness
Maximum Brightness
308 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
3 cd/m²

The display gets reasonably bright, just slightly above the advertised 300 cd/m². It's bright enough to combat glare in most settings, but not for outdoors in broad daylight. It gets very dim at the lowest brightness setting, which is great for dark room viewing, as it causes less eye strain. The TN panel is advertised to have a maximum brightness of 250 cd/m². If you need a laptop with a brighter display, check out the Acer Swift 3 14 (2022).

7.2
Display
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.14%
Indirect Reflections
2.87%
Calculated Direct Reflections
2.27%

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 has decent reflection handling. Its matte anti-reflective coating does a good job of diffusing bright lights and reducing their intensity. However, it's still possible to see some reflections even with the screen at maximum brightness.

6.7
Display
Black Uniformity
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
1.489%

The black uniformity is okay. The whole screen is more dark blue than black. There's some clouding here and there, as well as some backlight bleed along the top and bottom edges of the screen. The TN panel's uniformity will likely be much worse due to the TN panel's narrow viewing angles.

6.6
Display
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
23°
Color Washout From Right
26°
Color Shift From Left
44°
Color Shift From Right
48°
Brightness Loss From Left
25°
Brightness Loss From Right
30°
Black Level Raise From Left
60°
Black Level Raise From Right
60°
Gamma Shift From Left
24°
Gamma Shift From Right
29°

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has an okay horizontal viewing angle. The image looks noticeably darker from the sides, so you have to be close or directly in front of the screen to get the best accuracy. The TN panel will have a significantly worse viewing angle.

6.8
Display
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
25°
Color Washout From Above
28°
Color Shift From Below
25°
Color Shift From Above
45°
Brightness Loss From Below
25°
Brightness Loss From Above
30°
Black Level Raise From Below
45°
Black Level Raise From Above
45°
Gamma Shift From Below
30°
Gamma Shift From Above
33°

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has an okay vertical viewing angle. There's some color shift and darkening of the image when viewing from above or below. However, you still have a bit of play to tilt the screen before image accuracy degrades. The TN panel's viewing angle will be worse.

7.0
Display
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
Avg. White Balance dE
1.9
Avg. Gamma
2.15
Avg. Color dE
5.09
Avg. Color Temperature
6,399.6 K

The display's overall accuracy is only decent. Most colors look inaccurate due to the panel's narrow color gamut; however, the white balance is outstanding, and the color temperature is very close to the standard 6500K target. The gamma doesn't quite follow the sRGB curve, causing dark scenes to appear darker than they should and bright scenes to be over-brightened.

3.9
Display
Color Gamut
sRGB xy
63.69%
sRGB uv
51.87%
Adobe RGB xy
43.39%
Adobe RGB uv
44.88%
DCI P3 xy
48.12%
DCI P3 uv
41.7%
Rec. 2020 xy
34.52%
Rec. 2020 uv
30.38%

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a poor color gamut. It doesn't even have full coverage of the commonly-used sRGB color space, so most content looks washed out. It also has poor coverage of wider color spaces like Adobe RGB, DCI P3, and Rec. 2020. This display isn't suitable for any color-critical work or viewing HDR content. The TN panel will perform similarly.

10
Display
Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
Flicker Frequency
No Flicker
Flicker Active Below
0%

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 has a flicker-free backlight, which helps reduce eye strain. The line at maximum brightness isn't completely flat, but it seems to be just noise.

Interface
7.4
Interface
Keyboard
Typing Quality
7.0
Numpad
Yes
Backlighting
Adjustable
Operating Force
72 gf
Actuation Force
32 gf
Pre-Travel
0.91 mm
Total Travel
1.39 mm

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a decent keyboard. The size and key spacing are alright, though the Numpad feels a bit more cramped. The keys have a good amount of travel and provide tactile feedback, but they require a lot of force to actuate, which might cause fatigue over an extended period. They also feel unstable and somewhat cheap. You can adjust the backlight brightness or turn it off completely using FN and the spacebar. Unfortunately, the backlight only lights up around the keys, not through the key legends. Also, backlighting is an optional feature, so some models don't have it. If you want a similar laptop with a better keyboard, check out the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15 (2021).

6.5
Interface
Touchpad
Tracking Quality
6.5
Size
11.2 in² (72.2 cm²)
Material
Plastic
Dedicated Buttons
No

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 has an okay touchpad. It's a bit small and doesn't feel smooth, and you can only click near the bottom of the touchpad, making dragging and dropping over long distances hard. Palm rejection is usually okay, but there are some instances where it would register a movement or tap. If you want a laptop with a better touchpad, check out the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023).

7.4
Interface
Speakers
Max Volume
73 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
5.4 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
0.4
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
261 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
20 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
1.2 dB

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has decent speakers. They sound clear but slightly unnatural, with almost no bass whatsoever. There's very little dynamic compression at max volume, although these speakers don't get very loud, to begin with.

7.5
Interface
Webcam & Microphone
Video Quality
7.0
Resolution
720p
Position
Top Center
Privacy Cover
Yes
Face Unlock
No

The webcam's video quality is decent. It captures some fine details like the writing on the bottle or the cards, but the whole image is overexposed, making colors appear washed out. The microphone sounds good overall; however, it's a bit quiet, and there's some static in the background. The privacy cover is only a physical switch and doesn't deactivate the camera at the software level, so it can still record audio when shut. Lastly, Lenovo's specifications indicate there's a Windows Hello-compatible IR camera to log in via facial recognition, but the feature isn't available when we tried activating it in Windows.

Connectivity
7.0
Connectivity
Ports
USB-A Ports
2
USB-C Ports
1
Thunderbolt
No
USB-C Charging
No
USB-C Display Out
No
HDMI
1.4
DisplayPort
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
SD UHS 1
Ethernet
No
Proprietary Port
No
Security Lock
No

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a decent port selection. There are two USB-A ports; the one on the left supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard (up to 5Gbps data transfer), while the one on the right supports only USB 2.0 standard (up to 480Mbps). The USB-C port also supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 data transfer rate. Unfortunately, you can't use the USB-C to charge the laptop or connect an external display.

Connectivity
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Bluetooth
5.0

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop's wireless adapter is a Realtek 8822CE. Lenovo advertises Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 support on some models; however, they don't specify which wireless adapter those models use.

Configuration
Configuration
CPU
Brand
AMD
Model
Ryzen 3 5300U
Core Count
4
Thread Count
8

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is available with the following CPUs:

  • AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (4 cores/ 8 threads, up to 3.8GHz)
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (6 cores/12 threads, up to 4.0GHz)
  • AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (8 cores/16 threads, up to 4.3GHz)

All three options are low-power CPUs designed for general productivity tasks like text processing, video playback, and web browsing. For most people with such a light workload, the Ryzen 3 5300U is likely more than powerful enough. If you have a heavier workload or need to run heavily multi-threaded applications, it's best to go with the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U or the Ryzen 7 5700U, as their increased core count and faster clock speeds will result in a smoother experience.

Configuration
GPU
Brand
AMD
Model
Radeon RX Vega 6 (4000/5000)
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is only available with integrated graphics. The AMD Ryzen 3 5300U CPU has Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U has Radeon RX Vega 7 graphics, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 has Radeon RX Vega 8 graphics. All three GPUs can only handle light tasks, not for demanding workloads like gaming or video editing. Although there's some difference in graphical performance between the three GPUs, the difference is extremely minimal.

Configuration
RAM
Capacity
8 GB
Modules
2
Type
DDR4
Speed
3,200 MHz

You can configure the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 with 4, 8, 12, or 16GB of memory. It's best to get at least 8GB because 4GB is only barely enough for the operating system and may cause some slowdowns or stutters when multitasking.

Configuration
Storage
Advertised Capacity
512 GB
Usable Capacity
455 GB
Drive 1
UMIS RPJTJ512MEE1OWX
Drive 1 Type SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type No 2nd Drive

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is available with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. You can also configure it with only a 5400 RPM 1TB hard drive or in combination with an SSD; however, it's best to avoid these models as the physical drive is significantly slower, and to make space for the drive, these models have a smaller 38Wh battery.

Performance
6.9
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
CPU Single-Thread
1,070 points
CPU Multi-Thread
4,023 points
GPU Compute
10,857 points

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 scores reasonably well in the Geekbench 5 benchmarks. These scores indicate that the AMD Ryzen 3 5300U can provide a smooth experience in light workloads like text formatting, web browsing, and video playback. However, it'll struggle if you push it too hard with demanding tasks like video editing. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U and Ryzen 7 5700U have better single-thread performance than the Ryzen 3 5300U, but it's mainly in multi-thread performance that you'll see the most gains, so they're better suited for people who perform heavy multitasking or use heavily multi-threaded applications. As for GPU computing tasks, none of the integrated graphics are powerful enough to handle such tasks. If you need to perform GPU-intensive tasks, it's best to get a laptop with a dedicated GPU.

7.9
Performance
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
Single-Thread
1,121 points
Multi-Thread
5,113 points

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 with an AMD Ryzen 3 5300U performs well in Cinebench R23's CPU rendering test. That said, if you do rendering work professionally, there are much faster CPUs on the market that are more suitable, like the Intel and AMD H-series processors and Apple's in-house ARM-based silicon. Upgrading to the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U or the Ryzen 7 5700U will give you better performance overall, but they still won't match the H-series CPUs found in mobile workstations and gaming laptops.

4.8
Performance
Blender (3D Rendering)
CPU Render Time
7.6 min
GPU Render Time
12.0 min
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop performs poorly in Blender. The CPU takes a long time to render the simple bmw27 scene, and it takes even longer with the integrated GPU. The AMD Ryzen 5 and 7 can complete this task faster, as Blender scales well with core count, but they'll likely still be too slow for professional workloads.

3.8
Performance
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
Overall Score
9,054

Like most systems with integrated graphics, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 performs poorly in the Basemark GPU benchmark. This means it can only handle simple puzzle-like games, not graphically demanding AAA titles. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U and the Ryzen 7 5700U will only perform slightly better, not enough to make much of a difference in most games.

8.9
Performance
Storage Drive Performance
Sequential Write Speed
686.2 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
1,825.4 MB/s
Random Write Speed
68.1 MB/s
Random Read Speed
45.7 MB/s

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's storage drive performance is excellent. Its fast read and write speeds mean the system can boot up, launch apps, and transfer large files quickly. Some models have a 2.5 inch physical hard drive as the primary or secondary drive. It's best to avoid models with a physical hard drive as the main drive because it's significantly slower than SSDs, and these variants have a smaller battery, which means you're trading battery life for storage. The speed of the SSD may vary depending on the size, as larger SSDs tend to perform better.

7.7
Performance
Battery
Capacity
45 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
9.3 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
7.9 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
1.6 hrs
Charge Time
1.9 hrs

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 has good battery life. You can get through a typical 8-hour day of light productivity with a bit of charge to spare. Video playback drains the battery faster; however, it still lasts long enough to get through a couple of movies and TV show episodes. Battery life is very short for gaming but much better than most gaming laptops with a dedicated GPU. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U and Ryzen 7 5700U models will likely have shorter battery life due to their higher CPU core count and faster clock speeds. Models with a 2.5-inch hard drive or space to add one have a smaller 38Wh battery. Battery life can vary greatly depending on your usage.

1.6
Performance
Borderlands 3
Avg. FPS
10 fps
1% Low
6 fps
0.1% Low
3 fps
1% Low Delta
69 ms
0.1% Low Delta
206 ms
Avg. FPS On Very Low
25 fps

Borderlands 3 runs terribly on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15. It's near unplayable even at the lowest graphical settings due to low frame rates and stutters. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U can likely reach an average of 30fps with low settings, but you'll still see a lot of stutters.

3.9
Performance
Civilization VI
Avg. FPS
19 fps
1% Low
13 fps
0.1% Low
12 fps
1% Low Delta
26 ms
0.1% Low Delta
29 ms
Avg. FPS On Minimum
78 fps
Avg. Turn Time
8.37 s

Civilization VI runs poorly on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 with an AMD Ryzen 3 5300U. It's a bit choppy at high graphical settings due to low frame rates, but it's much smoother if you turn down some settings. The turn time is okay and within the same ballpark as other AMD Ryzen 5000 and Intel 11th Gen. U-series CPUs. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U will perform only slightly better.

5.7
Performance
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Avg. FPS
53 fps
1% Low
27 fps
0.1% Low
22 fps
1% Low Delta
18 ms
0.1% Low Delta
26 ms
Avg. FPS On Low
101 fps

The performance in CS:GO is middling. It doesn't quite reach 60fps at 1080p with high settings, and the frame rate frequently drops into the 20s, causing noticeable stutters. However, you can get much smoother gameplay if you turn the graphical settings down to minimum. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U and the Ryzen 7 5700U will perform better, but not by much.

2.2
Performance
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Avg. FPS
14 fps
1% Low
4 fps
0.1% Low
2 fps
1% Low Delta
165 ms
0.1% Low Delta
549 ms
Avg. FPS On Lowest
23 fps

Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs awfully on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 with an AMD Ryzen 3 5300U. The average frame rate doesn't even reach 30 fps at the lowest graphical settings, and there are lots of stutters. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U models will only perform slightly better, not enough to make the game playable.

7.8
Performance
Thermals And Noise
Keyboard Temp While Idle
28 °C (83 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
38 °C (100 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
25.0 dBA
Fan Noise Under Load
48.5 dBA
Power & Fan Control App
No

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's keyboard deck is cool at idle and only gets slightly warm under load. However, the fans kick in pretty quickly, which explains the low temperature, and they get fairly loud. There's some space between the keyboard and the motherboard keeping the two parts separate, which also helps keep the keyboard cool.

9.8
Performance
Performance Over Time
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
67 °C
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
2% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
53 °C
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
0% loss

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's performance over time is outstanding. Neither the CPU nor GPU gets hot under load, and although there's a little bit of throttling on the CPU, the average amount of performance loss is extremely minimal and isn't noticeable. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500U or Ryzen 7 5700U will likely perform similarly.

Additional Features And Software
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
Windows 11
Additional Software
Yes

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a few pre-installed applications, including:

  • McAfee LiveSafe: Antivirus/Anti-malware software.
  • Dolby Audio: Lets you access the EQ settings for the built-in speakers.
  • Lenovo Vantage: Helps keep the drivers and BIOS up to date.
  • Lenovo Voice: Text-to-speech application.
  • Lenovo Hotkeys: Lets you create keyboard macros.

Additional Features And Software
Extra Features
RGB Illumination
No
Touch Pen
No
Secondary Display
No
Biometrics
Fingerprint Sensor

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a fingerprint sensor built into the power button, allowing you to log into Windows quickly. The fingerprint sensor is an optional feature, so some models don't have it.