It is often seen that brand A smartphones are slightly redesigned and sold as brand B. This was done by Xiaomi with Redmi and Oppo with OnePlus once upon a time. Rarely do we see it done by laptop manufacturers. But we can say IdeaPad Gaming 3i is a skin copy laptop to Lenovo Legion with cheaper price tag.
In terms of specifications and many design elements it resembles the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro that we reviewed last September. So is it still worth buying the IdeaPad 3i in 2023 or is it better to buy another gaming laptop on the market now?
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i
16″ WUXGA screen, (1920 x 1200 pixels)
IPS LCD, 165Hz, 350 nits
Intel Core i7-12650H Gen-12 CPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 GPU
RAM 16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz
(2 x 8GB Dual Channel)
Internal Storage up to 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen4
ThinkShutter 1080p Primary Camera
I/O 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1
1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
1x RJ45
1x HDMI 2.0
Battery 71 Wh (4 Cells)
230W charging
SIM/Telephony None
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/6
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof None
Scan System None
Selling Price RM5299 (Core-i5)
RM6284 (Core-i7)
SCREEN
The large 16″ IPS LCD type screen supports WUXGA resolution with a refresh rate of up to 165Hz. There is no NVIDIA G-SYNC or HDR support on the screen. This is the first noticeable difference because on the Legion 5i the screen used has all of the above as well as a higher resolution. The screen surface is of the matte type so there is no glare issue during the review period.
There is no touch support but this feature is rarely offered on a gaming computer. FHD resolution alone is also not a big issue for us because on a 16″ screen, it is difficult to distinguish it from 1440P or 4K resolution. Comply with the price offered by Lenovo. In terms of description, it only reaches 350 nits which is also just normal. This means there's no point in watching HDR content or video games because it's not bright enough to see the difference.
Viewing angles are also moderate with color changes visible when the screen is not viewed at the right angle. One advantage of the IdeaPad is that the screen can be opened up to around 170 degrees. Not as good as the Yoga model but better than the Legion 5i which can only open up to around 110 degrees. This hinge however is not very robust because if we type hard the screen will wobble.
A screen with a 16:10 ratio is satisfactory for watching video content but is more compatible for those who produce a lot of paperwork. With high resolution support, the image looks sharp and does not hurt the eyes after a long video game session.
SHAPE
The design borrows elements from the Legion 5i where it looks aggressive. The entire gray body is made of plastic material. Feels less premium but helps reduce weight. Because it is also made of plastic, the body of the Gaming 3i will bend if pressed. It's not chronic but it can be noticed if the fingers press the cover and keys hard.
The power button is placed in the center with an LED light that lights up when the computer is turned on. Same location as the Legion computer. There is no fingerprint scanner built into the power button or a physical fingerprint scanner included. Support for Windows Hello using a webcam is also missing.
There are two air intake vents for ventilation on the right and left sides. At the back, the air vents for hot air look like the grille on a high-performance racing car complete with neon blue blades. At first we thought it was an RGB lamp but it really wasn't. It looks really stylish because there is a touch of interesting color and it's not just all gray.
A USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 and an audio jack for earphones are located on the left side. On the right side there is another USB-A 3.1 Gen 1. With two USB-A on the side, it is easy to install the mouse whether you are left-handed or not. For those who need USB-C it's placed on the back but it's just USB 3.2 Gen 1 without Thunderbolt 4 support. Also on the back is HDMI 2.0, RJ45 and the Slim Tip power port that is usually used by Lenovo computers.
Although the design looks aggressive it is still elegant. It doesn't look too extreme with sharp jacks like the Decepticon robots that were popular half a decade ago.
The I/O options provided are quite limited if we compare it to the Legion 5i. For a gaming computer, more ports may be given to facilitate the connection of various accessories. For easy access to the I/O on the back, there are clear icons on the top. Another element of the Legion 5i borrowed by the IdeaPad Gaming 3i.
More air vents are placed at the bottom to provide an effective cooling system. The cooling system configuration used draws air from the sides and bottom before blowing it out the back. With this, hot air does not arise to burn the player's hands while using the IdeaPad Gaming 3i. This cooling system also works relatively quietly. Even at the highest power setting the fan roar is not so strong that it is louder than the speaker system used.
Speaking of speakers, two stereo speakers are placed at the bottom. We're less fond of the audio system that shoots down this but that's the only configuration on offer.
The web camera is placed on the top bezel of the screen and it is not intrusive because it is well hidden. There is no Windows Hello facial recognition system support and also no fingerprint scanner. In terms of security, users only need to be satisfied with the pin and password system. For those concerned about privacy, ThinkShutter's physical button to turn off the webcam is located on the right side as we said a few paragraphs above.
KEYBOARD
The keyboard is of the Smiley type that is commonly found on Lenovo products. It is comfortable to use but from the type of membrane that makes it feel a little soft. For typing it is very comfortable and for gaming sessions the same experience can be enjoyed. The keyboard is also complete with NumPad and four-way arrows. The lighting system provided is blue and can be turned off if needed. The light can also be changed to two levels by pressing the Fn+Space Bar button simultaneously.
In video game sessions it is still a good key because it detects all the finger pressure we give. Detection is also satisfactory without us noticing that a given control is not detected or has a noticeable time delay.
TOUCH PAD
The touchpad is not as large as it is common on gaming laptops. It feels a bit soft but detects finger movements, touches and clicks quite well. In our opinion it is not the best component on this laptop. We are more used to laptops with larger touchpads. But we realize the touchpad is not the most important component of a gaming computer because owners more often use a mouse for more precise game control.
PERFORMANCE AND USAGE
The reviewed model is equipped with an Intel Core i7-12650H Gen-12 CPU and is offered with up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 512GB of M.2 2242 PCIe Gen4 storage. Two 8GB RAM sticks are used to provide dual channel capabilities that offer better performance. Lenovo changed it compared to the original configuration of a 16GB RAM which made the performance almost half. In terms of moon storage there are two M2 slots. One of the 2242 type and the other 2280 to give a total size of up to 2TB.
All RAM and SSD can be changed by the owner himself but it should be noted that the RAM supported is DDR4 only and not the faster DDR5. This is another example of cost reduction to differentiate the Gaming 3i from the Legion 5i which supports higher performance components.
The storage used is only able to reach a read level of 3,352 GBps and write up to 3,222 GBps. This isn't the fastest memory we've seen. On the Legion 5i, for example, the read speed reaches 13.25 GBps and the write speed is 10.34 GBps.
In the Fire Strike Extreme and Time Spy Extreme tests, the scores recorded were comparable to the average of other gaming laptops with comparable specifications. But with the advent of RTX 4000 series gaming laptops on the market now, this mark will be easily surpassed. Based on our tests games like Cyberpunk 2077 can be played on medium settings, Atomic Heart on high settings and GTA V also on high settings. As long as at 1080P settings the majority of modern games can be played at frame rates above 60FPS.
Doing video editing work can also be done by the Gaming 3i because the RTX 3060 with the included 6GB of RAM has a CUDA core that speeds up the video encoding process on Adobe Premiere. The cooling system is able to reduce the temperature well without sounding like a jet engine trying to fly.
AUDIO
The 2W stereo speakers shoot down but come with a Nahimic Audio audio system. The speaker volume is just satisfactory with it not going too high. It's loud enough to drown out the whirring sound of cooling fans during intensive video game sessions. For video games we felt the audio output was satisfactory but for streaming music the bass was not strong and boomy at higher settings. In other words the audio is just average.
Battery
The battery is advertised to last 7 hours on a single charge with fast charging allowing it to reach 50% in 30 minutes. But the fact is that in our use, it can last a little more than 4 hours only because we like to set the screen to a medium high brightness level.
When used for video game sessions, usage time drops below 3 hours depending on the selected performance level. The included 230W charger is quite large and heavy. So make sure you have a bag that is big enough to carry this laptop and its charger once.
CONCLUSION
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is not a skinned Legion 5i. It's an alternative that offers a satisfying 1080P gaming experience in 2023 with a beautifully designed, work-compatible keyboard at a more affordable price.
There is a lack of build quality, memory and a graphics card that is a generation behind. A more critical shortcoming is that laptops with NVIDIA GeForce RTX4060 GPUs have already started to be offered in Malaysia but at a comparable selling price.
For example, Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 with Intel Core-i5 and 16GB DDR5 memory is sold at a price of RM4899. Ideapad Gaming 3i with Intel Core-i5, 16G RAM DDR4 and GeForce RTX3060 is sold at a price of RM5299. So it's hard to recommend buying it now unless Lenovo gives a big price cut in the near future.
PROs and Advantages
Very satisfactory performance for gaming and work.
Adequate I/O options.
Nice keyboard for typing and gaming.
Neat design is not too aggressive.
Fast screen with attractive visual quality.
Quiet cooling system.
CONS and Cons
There is no biometric scanner included.
Short battery life.
The touch pad is a little soft.
The speaker lacks life