Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15.6" 3 Arctic Grey

The IdeaPad 3 3 has a touchscreen IPS display and backlit keyboard that punch above its price, but the CPU and storage both rank in the bottom quarter of our database. At USD 492 it's a decent budget pick for basic tasks. Just don't expect it to handle anything demanding.

The Core i5-1135G7 is a 4-core, 2.4GHz chip from Intel's 11th gen lineup. In our database, that puts it at the 23rd percentile for CPUs in this category. Translation: it's fine for web browsing, document editing, and video calls, but it's going to feel sluggish if you push it. The 12GB of DDR4 RAM also lands at the 23rd percentile, which is a bit odd since 12GB is actually more than the 8GB you usually see on budget laptops. The problem is that most competitors in this category have moved to 16GB or faster LPDDR5 memory, so the IdeaPad 3 is running older tech.

The Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics sit at the 49th percentile for GPU performance. That's about average, which means light photo editing and casual games will run, but anything demanding is off the table. The 256GB NVMe SSD is the real bottleneck here. At the 25th percentile for storage, you'll be managing disk space constantly. Windows 11 in S mode doesn't help either, since it locks you to the Microsoft Store until you switch out of it. The SSD is at least NVMe, so boot times and app launches will feel snappy, but capacity is tight.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Air M4, this thing gets embarrassed. The M4 chip is in a completely different performance class, and the MacBook's storage and display quality are leagues ahead. But the MacBook also costs significantly more, so that's not a fair fight. The MSI Prestige and ASUS Zenbook are similarly out of reach on price but offer dramatically better CPUs and port selections. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition and HP OmniBook X Flip both bring newer processors, better screens, and more modern connectivity. Where the IdeaPad 3 wins is raw affordability. It's the cheapest way to get a touchscreen IPS display with a backlit keyboard, and for some buyers, that's enough. But every competitor here beats it on CPU performance, storage capacity, and port selection.

At USD 492 in the US, this laptop is priced like a budget machine, and that's exactly what it is. The CAD 986 listing in Canada is a different story entirely, but currency differences and regional pricing make direct comparisons tricky. What you're getting for your money is a decent screen, a backlit keyboard, and a touchscreen, all wrapped around a CPU and storage setup that's already showing its age. The value proposition really depends on what you need. If you want a basic machine for school or office work and you don't mind managing a small SSD, the US price is reasonable. If you're paying anywhere near the Canadian listing price, you should look elsewhere.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 3 sits in a weird spot. It's got a touchscreen, a backlit keyboard, and 12GB of RAM, which sounds decent on paper. But our database puts its CPU at the 23rd percentile and its storage at the 25th percentile, so you're getting a budget machine dressed up with a few mid-range features. The 5/5 customer rating from 8 reviews is nice, but that's a tiny sample size and the social proof ranking of 85th percentile mostly reflects that people who bought it didn't hate it, not that it's a hidden gem.

The 15.6" 1080p IPS display with 300 nits is actually the most interesting spec here. Most laptops in this price bracket ship with TN panels at 220 nits, so the screen is a genuine upgrade. But then you look at the port selection, one USB-C, two USB-A, HDMI 1.4b, and Wi-Fi 5, and it's clear Lenovo cut corners where they thought nobody would notice. The 45Wh battery and 1.65kg weight are both middle of the pack. This is a laptop that does a few things well and a lot of things just okay.

If you need to store a lot of files, install large applications, or do any kind of creative work, this laptop will frustrate you. The 256GB SSD ranks at the 25th percentile and fills up quickly once you switch out of S mode and start installing real software. Gamers should absolutely look elsewhere, the gaming score of 13/100 is one of the worst we've seen in this category. And if you rely on external monitors or fast peripherals, the single USB-C port and Wi-Fi 5 connectivity will feel limiting. Anyone who needs more than basic productivity performance should spend a bit more on something with a better CPU and more storage.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 3 is a budget laptop with a few nice surprises and a lot of compromises. The touchscreen IPS display and backlit keyboard are genuinely good features at this price, and the 12GB of RAM gives you a bit more breathing room than the typical 8GB. But the CPU and storage both rank in the bottom quarter of our database, and the port selection feels dated. If you need a basic machine for school, light office work, or web browsing, and you can find it at the USD 492 price point, it's a reasonable buy. Just know that you're trading performance and storage for a nicer screen and keyboard.