LENOVO IDEAPAD GAMING 3I

REVIEWED BY GABRIEL PE

I had the opportunity to try out the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming L340 back in 2020. I was thoroughly impressed then, with the laptop offering outstanding performance without breaking the bank. Come 2022, and I get to relive that trial with the new Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i. Does it offer the same bang for the buck performance as its predecessor?

DESIGN 4 / 5

While the IdeaPad Gaming L340 had a toned-down gaming aesthetic, this newer version ups the ante by adopting the Legion-line’s gaming aesthetic over its IdeaPad roots. Despite its more “gamer” look, the laptop doesn’t push it that far. You can actually bring it to a meeting without getting those weird looks.

The only thing that screams gaming is the massive exhaust on the back and the sides of the device. The shape of the cover is patterned after the Legion line but is much more subtle than the exhaust.

You’ll be greeted with the 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS display as you open the laptop. Our test unit is the 165Hz refresh rate version, but there is a 120Hz version as well as another version with 2560 x 1440 resolution and 165Hz refresh rate. The display itself looks good and is rated at 100% sRGB so you can do some graphic work.

Despite its mostly plastic body, build quality is good. In particular, I found the full-sized keyboard amazing.

Ports, however, are limited. On the left is a USB 3.2 Type-A and the headphone port. On the right is a lone USB 3.2 Type-A. At the back is the USB Type-C with ThunderBolt, the RJ45, the HDMI, and the power input.

HARDWARE 4.5 / 5

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming continues with its tradition of high performance at a budget with this edition carrying up to an Intel Core i7-12700H processor and up to an RTX 3060 graphics.

Our review unit has an Intel Core i5-12500H paired to an NVIDIA 3050 graphics. It also has 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage which can go up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. There is an extra NVMe slot in case you need to upgrade your storage later.

Laptop performance is as expected. It scored 6279 on PCMark 10 with 7992 on Digital Content Creation. You can definitely do some graphic or video editing on the laptop. As for gaming, 3DMark Time Spy pegged it at 5006, with an estimated 65+ fps for Battlefield V and 50+ fps for GTA V.

I tried Valorant and it averaged 120+ fps on high settings. As for AAA games, I ran Cyberpunk 2077’s Benchmark and it averaged 51 fps though that’s on medium with DLSS on Auto. Still, Cyberpunk looked extremely good.

USER EXPERIENCE 4 / 5

If you’re looking for a laptop that’s big on performance, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i has it. During my time with the laptop, it was able to take on everything I threw at it, from gaming to a bit of video editing.

The keyboard is one of the laptop’s strong points. I have always loved how Lenovo’s keyboards feel, and the IdeaPad Gaming 3i is no exception. I also love the webcam, which captured outstanding video quality for a 720p camera, helping to save my skin during online classes.

Thermals are also satisfactory, although the keyboard area could get warm during extended gaming sessions. The fans are audible when you really push the laptop, but there is a customization option to dial down the fan speed. You can also tinker with the CPU speed and GPU overclocking, in case you need more power.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is definitely made for gaming, so it now suffers the same pains of a gaming laptop. Battery life is not great. On use, I was only able to get four hours of straight usage from the laptop before I needed to rush and find a plug. The proprietary charging port also doesn’t help since you need to bring around the charger wherever you go.

The laptop itself is not the most portable as it weighs 2.3kg and comes at 21.8mm thick.

VALUE 4 / 5

Starting at PHP 64,995, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i still falls in the realm of a budget gaming laptop. But unlike its predecessor, it’s now a gaming laptop rather than an IdeaPad. If you want a powerful laptop, then go for it. If you’re looking for portability, I would recommend the regular IdeaPad series.

WHAT'S HOT

• 12th Gen Processor

• RTX 3050

• Great Keyboard

WHAT'S NOT

• Bulky

• Battery life

BOTTOMLINE

A powerful laptop for those on a budget