Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i: At First Glance
In May 2020, Lenovo released the IdeaPad Gaming 3i to add to its collection of gaming laptops. Having used a Lenovo product before, I was particularly interested in seeing what Lenovo has to offer with the IdeaPad Gaming 3i.
One of the things that boosted my interest in this laptop is its affordability. Speaking of which, at the time of writing this article in January 2022, it starts at a price of $998.00.
Impressively, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is more budget-friendly than some gaming laptops in the same category. More impressively is the fact that this laptop even looks costlier than it is.
However, will the performance offered by the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i meet the performance offered by its more expensive competitors? Find out by reading the remaining sections in this review.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i: Design, Dimension, and Weight
The IdeaPad Gaming 3i is among the entry-level gaming laptops from the Lenovo family. Despite being in the entry-level category, this laptop still features a solid design with a striking appearance.
Specifically, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i features an Onyx-Black plastic chassis. Although this plastic chassis cannot compete with the aluminum chassis of the Lenovo Legion y545, it is durable enough.
Moreover, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i has nicely-trimmed curves along its edges. Thus, this laptop is one of the most sleek-looking laptops you can use for gaming.
Moving on, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i features a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display. This IPS display is very bright, recording a maximum brightness of 250 nits.
With a max brightness of 250 nits, this laptop’s display will be good enough for outdoor usage. In addition to its outstanding brightness, as an IPS display, the IdeaPad Gaming 3i display has impressive color accuracy and wide viewing angles.
Interestingly, the bezels surrounding the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i’s display are relatively thin. Thus, the bezels won’t obstruct any player from viewing the screen from whichever angle they choose during a multiplayer game.
Moreover, on the top bezel, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i features an HD webcam. Surprisingly, this webcam comes with a privacy shutter – a small switch that covers the lens of the webcam.
For more details, a privacy shutter stops your camera lens from recording when the laptop is in Home mode. Thus, the privacy shutter offers you additional security by preventing webcam spying.
With this HD webcam, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i should perform well during live video chats.
Moving on to the left side of the hinge, you will see an inscription that reads “ideapadGAMING”. To add to its beauty, this inscription illuminates in an appealing blue light when the laptop is running.
Impressively, the hinge of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is strong enough despite being a plastic material. Thus, the laptop’s display should only flex a bit even when nudged with force.
Coming to the base, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i features a broad, six-row chiclet keyboard. Meanwhile, the concave surface of the keys makes your fingers comfortable during typing.
Impressively, this keyboard has an appealing light-blue backlight. Hence, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i’s keyboard is okay for use at night.
Going further, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i has its touchpad located towards the left, below the keyboard. As with most Lenovo laptops, this touchpad is quite big with a very smooth surface.
Also, instead of dedicated buttons, this touchpad features integrated click buttons.
That said, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i has a decent number of ports. Specifically, the left side of the laptop houses a charging port and an RJ-45 (Ethernet) port.
Additionally, you will also find a USB 3.2 Type-C port, and one USB 3.2 Type-A port. That is not all, there is also a headset jack and an HDMI 2.0 port on the left side of this laptop.
Meanwhile, the right-hand side of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i houses only a USB 3.2 port.
For wireless connections, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i features Bluetooth 5.0 and a Wi-Fi 6 chip (802.11ax).
Underneath this laptop, the first things you’ll notice are four aggressive ventilation openings. These vents allow the laptop to easily exit hot air during extreme gaming sessions.
Also, you’ll find a pair of 1.5W, down-firing speakers which don’t produce any bass. Still, these speakers offer a reasonable sound clarity when playing sounds.
Coming to dimension and weight, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i measures 359 x 249.6 x 24.9 mm (W x D x H). Meanwhile, for the weight, this laptop weighs 2,200 g.
Although the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is a bit heavy, it weighs slightly less than most of its competitors. For example, the Lenovo Legion Y545 measures 361.1 x 266.7 x 24.7 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 2,300 g.
The Acer Predator 15 on the other hand, is significantly heavier and bigger than both laptops. Specifically, the Acer Predator 15 measures 391 x 299.5 x 38.5 mm (W x D x H) and weighs a massive 3,700 g.
In conclusion, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is a solidly built laptop, its display is stunning, and there is enough port selection.
Therefore, to end this design, dimension, and weight review section I will rate the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i an eight out of ten.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i: Processor (CPU) Performance
Talking about the processor, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i comes with two processor options to choose from. These processor options are the Intel Core i5-10300H and the Intel Core i7-10750H.
The Core i5 variant of this laptop has 4 CPU cores and 8 MB of cache memory. Additionally, the Core i5 processor has a base CPU frequency of 2.50 GHz and a max frequency of 4.50 GHz.
On the other hand, the Core i7 variant of the Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3i has 6 CPU cores and 12 MB cache memory. Also, this core i7 processor has a base CPU frequency of 2.60 GHz and a max frequency of 5.0 GHz.
Meanwhile, this review is based on the Core i7 model of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i. With the Core i7 processor, one should be able to perform basic computing tasks like word processing and internet surfing with ease on this laptop.
Here is the area we’re most interested in – this processor’s ability to handle extensive processing tasks. To find out about that, I will now share with you the Cinebench R15 benchmark test result for the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i.
For clarity, a Cinebench R15 test is a benchmark that utilizes all the CPU cores and threads. Hence, this test puts more stress on the processor rather than the GPU while rendering a complex image.
Thus, a higher score on the Cinebench R15 test indicates a better performance of the CPU. Interestingly, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i scored a total of 1,275 points in this test.
When you compare this score with that of other laptops, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i performed better than some of its competitors. Speaking of which, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i performed slightly better than the Acer Predator Helios 300.
Specifically, the Acer Predator Helios 300 had a total of 1,223 points in the same test. On the other hand, the Dell G5 15 SE performed better than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i.
Precisely, the Dell G5 15 SE scored 1,834 points in the Cinebench R15 benchmark.
This score is pretty much above the average of 700 points for multi-core gaming laptops which is a good thing anyway.
Considering the decent processor performance of this laptop, I will conclude this CPU review section by rating the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i a nine out of ten.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i: Memory (RAM) Performance
To meet up with memory demands, Lenovo fortified the IdeaPad Gaming 3i model I am reviewing with a whopping 8 GB DDR4 memory. This RAM has a frequency of 2933MHz.
Moreover, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i comes with two memory slots. Therefore, its max memory of 16 GB can be achieved with two 8 GB RAM sticks.
Thankfully, with either 8 GB or 16 GB RAM, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i should perform very well during multitasking. Thus, this laptop can open up to forty Chrome tabs including five YouTube videos at the same time without lagging.
Moving on, I’ll now present to you the PCMark 10 benchmark test result for the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i. For more details, the PCMark 10 test is used to assess the overall performance of a laptop on basic office tasks.
In this test, the higher the score, the better the performance of the laptop. Consequently, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i got a total score of 4,692 points.
On a good note, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i’s score of 4,692 points is above the category average score of 4,500 points.
However, comparing the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i’s score with that of its competitors, we see that it falls below others. For example, the Acer Predator Helios 300 had a total score of 5,189 points in the same test.
Also, in the same PCMark 10 benchmark test, the Dell G5 15 SE scored 5,665 points, which is pretty much higher than that of the other two laptops.
Putting the benchmark score into consideration, I, therefore, rate the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i an eight out of ten in this memory review section.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i: Storage Options and Performance
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i comes with two storage options that you can choose from. The first storage type is an SSD (solid-state drive).
Meanwhile, the second storage type is an HDD (hard disk drive) with a speed of 5400 RPM.
The maximum capacity that both storage options support is 1 TB. Thus, you can choose to buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i with any of the storage types depending on your needs.
For clarity, SSD storages are faster compared to HDDs. Hence, the gaming performance of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i will be affected by the type of storage drive in it.
That said, it’s important to note that this laptop doesn’t have an SD card slot. However, the large storage spaces available may not give you any reason to look for further storage expansion.
Meanwhile, I will be sharing with you, the CrystalDiskMark test result carried out on this IdeaPad’s storage drive. CrystalDiskMark is a benchmark test that is used to determine the read and write speeds of a storage drive.
For more insight into what that means, read speed refers to how fast files can be opened on a storage drive. Meanwhile, write speed refers to the speed at which files can be saved to a storage drive.
From the CrystalDiskMark test, a higher score shows better performance and vice versa. However, before I proceed to the test result, let me inform you that this test is based on an SSD variant of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i.
As a result of the CrystalDiskMark test, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i got a total of 5,037 points. In comparison, the Acer Predator Helios 300 scored a total of 5,014 points in the same test.
Also, the Dell G5 15 SE got a total of 5,021 points in the same test. Thus, it is safe to conclude that the IdeaPad Gaming 3i is better than its competitors in terms of storage performance.
Therefore, I’ll rate the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i a nine out of ten in this storage review section.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i: Graphics Card Performance
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i offers two options for its graphics. The first GPU option is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics while the second is an NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti graphics card.
The first option has a base GPU frequency of 1410 MHz and a boost frequency of 1590 MHz. On the other hand, the second GPU option has a base frequency of 1350 MHz and a boost frequency of 1485 MHz.
Furthermore, it’s important to know that both GPUs are dedicated graphics cards. This implies that they both have a dedicated VRAM which makes them suitable for playing games.
Speaking of which, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card has a 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM. In the same fashion, the NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti graphics option has 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM.
Considering these graphics configurations, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is powerful enough to handle entry to mid-range gaming. Simply put, you can play virtually any game on this laptop except for some games with triple AAA titles.
For example, the Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card on this laptop should be able to play Wolfenstein at more than 30 fps.
At this point, I will now share the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i’s 3DMark test result. Before I do that, let me also mention that the test was carried out on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card.
For clarity, a 3DMark test is a benchmark that tests the 3D graphics rendering performance of a computer’s GPU. Note also, that the higher the score in this test, the better the performance of the GPU.
In the bench ark test, Sky Diver was played on this laptop and the IdeaPad scored a total of 25,205 points. On the other hand, the Acer Predator Helios 300 scored a total of 34,555 points in this test.
Meanwhile, the Dell G5 15 SE scored a total of 33,937 points in the same test. Thus, it can be seen that the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i’s GPU delivered less performance than most of its competitors.
Therefore, I will conclude this section by rating the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i an eight out of ten in this Graphics Card Performance review.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i: Battery Life and Performance
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is powered by a 3-cell, 45 Wh battery. According to Lenovo, this battery should last for up to 7 hours.
It is a common norm that gaming laptops do not deliver long battery life, However, with the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i promising up to 7 hours, we can consider this a welcomed improvement.
Nevertheless, before we get too excited, let us find out if the 7 hours claim by Lenovo is correct. To do this, I’ll now share the result of a battery rundown test conducted on this laptop.
This battery test involves looping an HD video offline while the PC is in airplane mode. During this test, the screen brightness was set to 50% and the speaker volume was set to 100%.
Impressively, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i’s battery lasted for 7 hours 33 minutes before the laptop went off. In this same test, it took the Acer predator only 3 hours 19 minutes to shut down.
From the test results, we were able to confirm that Lenovo’s 7 hours claim was truly achievable. However, the battery test does not depict how most people use their laptops.
Precisely, most laptop users perform more extensive tasks than streaming videos offline. Therefore, this prompts us to discuss the battery performance of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 under more extensive tasks like gaming.
Consequently, the battery life reduces drastically to 2 hours while playing games. However, this battery performance is still fairly good for a budget gaming laptop.
One good thing to bear in mind is that the battery charges faster than average. That’s because Lenovo includes a fast charger in the IdeaPad Gaming 3i pack.
To conclude this battery performance review section, I, therefore rate the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i a nine out of ten.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is good for first-time and casual gamers, but hardcore gamers may find the graphics wanting.
As of January 2022 when I wrote this review, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i had a starting price of $998.00.
A full charge of its 45 Wh battery will last about 7 and a half hours for minimal tasks. However, the battery life will drop to about 2 hours when playing games.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i measures 359 x 249.6 x 24.9 mm (W x D x H). In comparison with the Lenovo Legion Y545, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is a bit smaller in width and depth.
However, it is slightly thicker than the Lenovo Legion Y545 which measures 361.1 x 266.7 x 24.7 mm (W x D x H).
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i was released in May 2020.
Conclusion
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is the most sleek-looking gaming laptop among its competitors. Even so, it looks costlier than it actually is.
It is also one of the cheapest mid-range gaming laptops you will come across. In addition to that, this laptop features a wide 15.6″ FHD display, a powerful processor, and two RAM slots.
Moreover, this laptop’s battery life isn’t the worst among those laptops in its category. Therefore, if you’re a beginner or a mid-range gamer, you should give the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i some thought.
I hope you found this Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i review helpful. If you found the review helpful, we would love to hear from you.
Kindly spare two minutes to share your thoughts with our community using the comments form below.
Alternatively, simply respond to the “Was this page helpful” question below and provide us with your feedback.
Finally, for more gaming laptop reviews, visit our Gaming Laptop Reviews page. You may also find our Laptop Specs page very helpful.
