Chassis Build Quality and Design

Lenovo Ideapad 3 has a very minimal and muted dark blue color which gives it a subtle and clean look.

The Ideapad 3 14” is mostly made of plastic, giving off the look of a metal chassis. The keyboard deck and the entire body of the Ideapad 3 are fairly solid.

The Ideapad 3 hasn’t really changed when compared to its last year’s model in terms of weight and dimensions. It is fairly light, weighing around 1.7 kg, allowing you to move around. And when it comes to dimensions, the Ideapad 3 14” is 14.14” in length, 9.31” in width, and 0.78” in height, which is a bit bigger compared to something like the HP 14.

I/O Ports

The Lenovo Ideapad 14” has standard ports. On the left side, there's USB 3.2 Type-A, Type C, HDMI 1.4, and a combo audio jack, plus the charging port. On the right, there's a USB 2.0 port and an SD card reader. Keep in mind, the USB C can't charge the laptop or connect to an external display. Use the HDMI port for a 1080p display, as it maxes out at 4K 30fps.

Keyboard

Lenovo's well-known for its Thinkpad keyboards, which are great for typing. The Ideapad 3 14” doesn't have the same kind but still offers a good typing experience. The keys are nicely spaced, and you can adjust the 2-stage backlight brightness. However, it only lights up the sides of the keys, not the letters. The keys have short travel, letting you type faster without getting tired. It's a good choice for college students or writers who type for hours. The power button on the top right also has a built-in fingerprint sensor for biometric verification.

Touchpad

The touchpad works well with usual gestures, but it's small, making dragging files a bit challenging. The surface isn't very smooth initially, but it improves over time as it gets covered with hand oils. Note that the touchpad is a bit to the left, which may be bothersome if you're not used to it.

Speakers

The Ideapad 3 14” speakers are just average. Placed beneath the laptop, they reflect sound off surfaces, working well on tables but becoming weaker on soft surfaces. The speakers lack bass, with mids and highs being weak. Comparatively, HP laptops in the same price range have better front-firing speakers on top, providing clearer and louder sound. For a similar price, you can get an HP 14-inch with better speakers than the Ideapad 3 14”.

Webcam

If you give the 720p camera on the Ideapad 3 14" enough life, it will create a clear image. A physical privacy camera cover is also included. Since the cover doesn't disable the camera hardware and the laptop may still accept audio input when the camera is covered, it lacks a software link to the laptop.

Display

Lenovo cuts corners on the Ideapad 3 14” display. While it's bright and has decent contrast, the colors are not accurate. It covers only 62% of sRGB and 43% of DCI-P3 color gamut, making it appear washed out. If you plan on creative work, like video editing or Photoshop, it's not recommended. Spending a bit more on the Acer Swift 3 is advised for a better display and a slightly stronger processor. For casual content consumption, like watching videos, it's okay but not the best experience.

Performance

The Ryzen 5 5500u processor that powers the Lenovo Ideapad 3 has six cores and twelve threads. This CPU can easily raise its base clock of 2.6 GHz to 4 GHz. Other products on the market include the 11th generation Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i3 processors, which the Ryzen 5500u easily outperforms in multi-threaded applications. 

Gaming

The absence of a dedicated GPU on the Lenovo Ideapad 3 14" indicates that it is not meant for gaming. Nevertheless, the integrated Radeon RX Vega 7 is also a powerful GPU. Even though it lacks the capability of an RTX 3050, it is still a very capable GPU. 

Some games, including GTA V, Valorant, Fortnite, and CS GO, can be played at 50–70 frames per second on medium to slow settings, which is perfect if you plan to play a little after work. Although it isn't the most attractive, it does the job.

Battery Life

There are two variations of the Ideapad 3 14". A 45Wh battery powers one, while a 35Wh battery powers the other. Our model, the 45Wh, is less suitable for a strong battery backup due to the power-hungry Ryzen 5500u CPU. 

This results in the Ideapad 3 laptop lasting roughly 6 hours when used casually. If you use this laptop while on the go, you should think about bringing a charger with you because the laptop's battery will undoubtedly run out as the day draws to a close.

We can only imagine how much poorer the battery life would be on the 35Wh model, given that the 45Wh variant lasts for about 6 hours; nonetheless, there is one situation in which you might want to think about the 35Wh version. 

Expandability and Upgradability

The Ideapad 3 14” has 8GB of RAM, with 4GB soldered and the other 4GB in a slot, making it easy to upgrade to 12 or 16GB. The 256GB SSD storage might fill up quickly, but you can replace it. The 35Wh variant has a 2.5-inch drive bay for a cheap hard drive. If you want a bigger battery, go for the 45Wh variant, but if you prefer expanding storage, choose the same variant for better options.

Conclusion