Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ITL6, Core i5-1135G7, 12GB, 256GB SSD, Arctic Grey

The IdeaPad 3 15ITL6 has a 94th percentile social proof score and an 81st percentile reliability score, but the specs are stuck in 2021. The CPU ranks at the 26th percentile, storage at the 25th, and gaming performance is a dismal 13.3 out of 100. Buy it only if you find it under USD 500 and your needs are basic.

The Core i5-1135G7 is a 4-core, 8-thread chip from Intel's 11th gen lineup. It's fine for web browsing, document editing, and video calls, but it's not going to impress anyone. At the 26th percentile for CPUs in our database, it's well behind the current crop of M4 MacBooks and Snapdragon-powered Windows laptops. The integrated Iris Xe graphics sit right at the 50th percentile, which means you can play older titles at low settings, but the gaming score of 13.3 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know. This is not a gaming laptop.

The 12GB of DDR4 RAM is an odd configuration. It's better than 8GB, which is the bare minimum these days, but it's not the 16GB you'd want for serious multitasking. The 256GB NVMe SSD is fast for what it is, but it's small. You'll fill that up with Windows, a few apps, and some photos before you know it. The 45Wh battery is also on the smaller side, so don't expect all-day battery life. The 300-nit display is bright enough for indoor use, but it's not going to win any awards at the 40th percentile for screens.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Air M4, this IdeaPad looks ancient. The M4 chip absolutely crushes the i5-1135G7 in every benchmark we track, and the MacBook's storage and screen are in a different league. The ASUS Zenbook UX3405CA and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition are similarly out of reach, with OLED displays and far better battery life. The HP OmniBook X Flip 14 is a closer competitor in spirit, but even that has a newer ARM-based chip that runs circles around Intel's 11th gen. The MSI Creator A13V is the only one where the IdeaPad might hold its own, and that's only because the Creator is aimed at a completely different audience. The honest take: this Lenovo is competing with laptops from 2021, not 2025. The only reason to pick it over the competition is price, and even then, you're making real sacrifices.

The price spread on this thing is wild. We're seeing it listed anywhere from USD 492 to USD 561 across two US listings, and that USD 69 gap matters when you're shopping on a budget. The best deal we found is at Newegg, where it's closer to the USD 492 end. At that price, you're getting a reliable machine with a decent screen and enough RAM for everyday tasks. But once you cross the USD 550 mark, you're dangerously close to laptops with better CPUs, more storage, and newer architectures. The CAD 986 listing in Canada is a harder sell, especially when you factor in the weak specs. If you can snag this under USD 500, it's a reasonable buy. Anything more and you should look elsewhere.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ITL6 sits in a weird spot. It's got a 94th percentile social proof score, which means buyers generally like it, but the specs tell a different story. The Core i5-1135G7 lands at the 26th percentile for CPUs, the 256GB SSD is at the 25th percentile for storage, and the 12GB of RAM is at the 23rd percentile. This is a budget machine wearing a mid-range price tag.

What saves it from being a total pass is the reliability score, 81st percentile, and the fact that it's actually usable as a daily driver for light work. The 15.6-inch 1080p IPS touchscreen is fine, the backlit keyboard is a nice touch, and the 1.65kg weight won't break your back. But Windows 11 in S mode out of the box is going to annoy anyone who wants to install anything outside the Microsoft Store. You can switch out of S mode for free, but it's still an extra step that shouldn't exist on a laptop aimed at students and office workers.

If you need to run anything more demanding than a web browser and Office apps, skip this. The 26th percentile CPU and 13.3 out of 100 gaming score mean video editing, programming, and even light gaming will be a frustrating experience. The 256GB SSD at the 25th percentile is also a dealbreaker if you store a lot of photos, videos, or games. And if you're the type who likes to keep 30 browser tabs open while streaming music and editing a document, the 12GB of RAM at the 23rd percentile will have you staring at a spinning wheel more often than you'd like. This is a machine for basic tasks only, and even then, only at the right price.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15ITL6 is a budget laptop that's showing its age. The 94th percentile social proof score suggests buyers are happy with it, and the 81st percentile reliability score means it won't fall apart on you. But the CPU, storage, and RAM all rank in the bottom quarter of our database, and the gaming score of 13.3 out of 100 is a hard no for anyone who wants to play anything more demanding than Solitaire. If you can find it under USD 500 and you only need a machine for email, web browsing, and light productivity, it's a decent buy. If you need anything more, save your money and look at something newer.