Tag: IdeaPad

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a prime example of what you can expect from an entry-level gaming laptop under $700. It’s just enough to get you going with its midrange AMD processor and a slightly better-than-basic Nvidia graphics chip. It also has a fair amount of ports so you can easily connect to an external display and a keyboard and mouse for desktop gaming. The IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a fine choice for the money, whether this is your first gaming laptop or you’re a casual gamer looking to play undemanding games in between doing office or school work. 

As with all laptops, however, the more you can invest in components up front, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Increasing your budget to $1,000 can get you a lot more gaming performance for your dollar, especially if you can hit the right deal. But not everyone has the extra money, in which case the IdeaPad Gaming 3 at least gives you a solid starting point with room for more storage and memory.

Configuration reviewed

Price as reviewed	$660
Display size/resolution	15.6-inch, 1,920×1,080-pixel, 120Hz, 16:9 display
CPU	3.3GHz AMD Ryzen 5 6600H
Memory	8GB DDR4 4,800MHz RAM
Graphics	4GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050
Storage	256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Networking	Wi-Fi 6 MT7921 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.2
Operating system	Windows 11 Home 21H2

For a newer gaming laptop, $660 is not a lot to spend. Gaming requires a higher level of processing and graphics performance than average productivity tasks. Those components also require better cooling and more power to operate at their peak, too, and all of that adds up. The GeForce RTX 3050 is a notch above the usual low-end graphics chip found at this price, the GeForce GTX 1650. It’s paired with a midrange AMD processor that can outperform Intel’s equivalent Core i5 processor. The combo lands the IdeaPad Gaming 3