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日本[Video Review] Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (16, Gen 7) – If you can’t get a Legion 5 Pro, this is for you
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (16", RTX 3060, 2022) in-depth review
Ever since it was released to the market, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 stormed out to the top ranks of the gaming market. Why? Because money rules and affordability will always beat sheer power.However, this doesn't mean you need to spend a lot of money to get a powerful device. The IdeaPad Gaming 3i (16", 2022) is here to prove that. If you are not new to our website, you will know that we already tested two versions of the IdeaPad Gaming - one Intel-based, and one from AMD. However, today, we have something conceptually different - it has a 16-inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio.More ofte[...]
Pros
- Pretty good gaming performance
- 2x M.2 PCIe x4 Gen 4 slots, 2x DDR4 RAM SODIMM slots in dual channel
- Covers 96% of sRGB and accurate colors (LEN156WUXGA (LEN9153))
- 165Hz refresh rate (LEN156WUXGA (LEN9153))
- No PWM (LEN156WUXGA (LEN9153))
- Affordable price tag
- Great keyboard
Cons
- No SD card
- No Thunderbolt 4
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (16", RTX 3060, 2022) - Specs
- HDD/SSD
- up to 1000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2242 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 + 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 16GB
- OS
- Windows 11 Home, No OS, Windows 11 Pro
- Battery
- 71Wh
- Body material
- Plastic / Polycarbonate
- Dimensions
- 359.6 x 277.8 x 20.9 mm (14.16" x 10.94" x 0.82")
- Weight
- 2.60 kg (5.7 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 2x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- 1x USB Type-C
- 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- HDMI
- Card reader
- Ethernet LAN
- 10, 100, 1000 Mbit/s
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11ax
- Bluetooth
- 5.1
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- FHD with privacy shutter, fixed focus
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- Dual Array Microphone
- Speakers
- 2x 2W Stereo Speakers, Nahimic Audio
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
All Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (16″, RTX 3060, 2022) configurations
[Intro]
The best that the IdeaPad Gaming series has to offer, the 16-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i brings a very similar experience to the more expensive Legion 5 Pro, with a similar 16:10 display that opens the laptop to a lot of productivity.
[Design]
Even on the outside, the device appears more Legion-y, with blue accents on the sides and the back, while the overall extended backside and grey color scheme seem like a perfect fit. It’s fully made of plastic, which is common with budget offerings. It’s not very portable by any stretch of the imagination, weighing 2.6 kg. On the other hand, the 20.9 mm profile keeps the device thin.
[Ports]
The ports are split between the three sides, with one USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port and an audio jack on the left. On the right, there’s one more Type-A port, while the back has the bulk of it, with an HDMI connector, a LAN port, one USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen. 2) port which brings Thunderbolt 4 support for the RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti configurations, and a power plug for the 230W power adapter.
[Input devices]
The hinges on the lid open easily with one hand while going back almost 180 degrees for a flat position. On the top bezel, there’s a Full HD webcam with a privacy shutter, a feature we see more and more of, something we appreciate. Going to the base, the full-sized keyboard brings a 4-zone RGB backlight, long key travel, and clicky feedback.
The touchpad as always uses a Mylar cover, while the responsiveness and accuracy are fantastic when paired with the snappy 165Hz display.
[Display]
Speaking of the display, the unit here has a Full HD+ resolution, great viewing angles, and a max brightness of 363 nits, which is enough even for outdoor use. The contrast ratio is high at 1310:1, while the 96% sRGB ensures punchy and vibrant colors.
Paired with our Design and Gaming profile, we get very accurate colors, with a dE value of 1.1, making the display great for any sort of color-related work.
In the description below, you can find links to all of our profiles.
[Sound]
The speakers are on the bottom, with two cutouts just below the edge of the base. The quality is okay, while the volume is high as well. There are no major deviations from the low, mid, and high frequencies.
[Performance]
For processors, you can pick between the Core i5-12450 and 12500H, or i7-12650 and 12700H. We tested the base i7, a 10-core CPU with 16 threads. It has the 3D Rendering performance of a Ryzen 7 6800H, as the Core i7-12700H is much more powerful, thanks to the additional E-cores.
For graphics, you can pick between the RTX 3050, 3050 Ti, and 3060. The two 3050 GPUs have an 85W power limit, while the 3060 maxes out at 105W. We tested the most powerful one, and we’re pretty happy with its performance. It beats out the 4050 inside the Katana 15, being able to max out games at the native resolution of the display.
You can enjoy the art style of Borderlands 3 all you want, while smoothly running the game at 64 fps on the Badass preset.
If you enjoy exploring an open world in first person, and shooting some guns while at it, then Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands will suit you better, as the laptop gets 62 fps at the Ultra preset.
Lastly, you can’t benchmark a GPU without playing some Tomb Raider. Here we have Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with 71 fps on the highest preset.
[Cooling]
On the inside, the cooling setup is simple, with two fans and three heat pipes. It keeps the Core i7 well above its 45W TDP, reaching 102W in short loads and 70W in prolonged tasks, which is much better than what other devices with the same chip have accomplished.
The RTX 3060 runs at 105W with no problem, while maintaining comfortable temperatures and high clock speeds. It’s better than the 2022 MSI Pulse GL76, with extra 100-120 MHz on the chip at the same TGP.
In terms of comfort, the laptop is pretty quiet even with the OC option in the Vantage software. As for the hotspot of the keyboard, it hovers around 45°C, which is good enough.
[Battery]
The 71Wh battery pack doesn’t offer the best battery life, lasting for 6 hours and 23 minutes of Web browsing, or 6 hours and 35 minutes of video playback.
[Teardown and upgradeability]
Diving into the insides of the IdeaPad Gaming 3i, the upgradeability includes two SODIMM slots for DDR4 memory, as well as two M.2 slots. Both fit Gen 4 SSDs, however, one of them fits shorter 42mm drives.
If you want to see the teardown in action, we have a full video linked in the description.
[Verdict]
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (16”, Gen 7) is a pretty good gaming machine, thanks to a clever cooling setup and a display that is able to compete with most Creator laptops out there. If you really like the Legion 5 Pro and the 16:10 display, this is a more affordable option with some sacrifices in the right places.
If you like what you’re hearing, you should go over to our website to check pricing and look at the rest of the tests that we’ve done in our in-depth review. It’s linked down below.
