Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 And 3i Laptops Rock Ryzen 6000 Or Alder Lake, Arc Or RTX For Gamers
by
Zak Killian
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Monday, February 28, 2022, 06:40 AM EDT
Today at Mobile World Congress 2022, Lenovo unveiled a revitalized lineup of laptops, tablets, and other mobile computers. We've already taken a look at the company's upgraded ThinkPads and ThinkBooks, but let's step over to the IdeaPad category and gawk at some accessible gaming hardware and some flexible ultra-portables.
Lenovo's "Idea" range has historically been its mid-range and value-oriented products. Indeed, Lenovo already has a high-spec gaming brand, Legion, yet you don't want to associate too many entry-level products with your prestige gaming brand. What to do? Launch your less-luxurious gaming hardware under your consumer brand, of course.
So saying, let's appreciate the IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Gaming 3i. These laptops are fundamentally identical; the "3i" models integrate a 12th-generation Intel Core CPU and its associated platform, while the "non-i" models use an AMD Ryzen 6000 CPU and its platform. Both options are available with a 15.6" IPS display in 1920×1080 FHD resolution or in a slightly-larger 16" model using a 2560×1600 IPS panel with a peak brightness of 500 cd/m². Both displays are capable of a 165-Hz refresh rate.
The AMD-based IdeaPad Gaming 3 supports Ryzen CPUs up to the Ryzen 7 6800H, and NVIDIA laptop GPUs up to the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti. It uses DDR5 memory in SODIMM form and can be had with up to 32GB out of the box. Meanwhile, its Intel-powered sibling ships with Intel CPUs up to the Core i7-12700H and GeForce GPUs up to the GeForce RTX 3060. Alternatively, you can get it with Arc graphics, although Lenovo didn't provide any detail on models. The Intel version takes DDR4 SODIMMs.
Whichever model you choose, you get a single M.2 socket with support for PCIe 4.0 SSDs up to 1TB. Battery options on the 15.6" model comprise a 45-WHr 3-cell battery or a 60-WHr 4-cell battery, while the 16" version comes with a 71-WHr 4-cell battery as standard. For external connectivity, both models get two USB Type-A ports, a USB Type-C port, and an HDMI 2.0 connection, although the USB Type-C port is Thunderbolt 4-capable on the Intel model—unless you max out the GPU.
To go along with your brand-new gaming laptop, why not grab a gaming mouse? The Lenovo Legion M600s is a seriously fancy six-button gaming mouse equipped with PixArt's top-end PAW3370 optical sensor, enabling it to track at up 19,000 CPI with a 1-mm lift-off distance. It supports both wired and wireless operation using a 2.4 GHz dongle or, if you don't need maximum gaming performance, Bluetooth 5.0. It supports Qi wireless charging, too.
Also at MWC 2022, Lenovo's showing off its IdeaPad Flex 5 and Flex 5i. These are 2-in-1 convertible laptops that, you guessed it, are pretty much identical besides the choice of processor platform. Naturally, the Flex 5 comes with an AMD Ryzen CPU, while the Flex 5i uses an Intel 12th-gen Core processor. These convertibles are folding-type, not detachable-type, and they feature small bezels on their 14" and 16" screens.
Intel or AMD, whether 14" or 16" display, you'll be using a ULV processor. The top-end Intel option is the Core i7-1255U, while the Ryzen system's best choice is the Ryzen 7 5700U. Both systems use LPDDR4x memory and M.2 storage, with the top options being 16GB and 1TB. There's optional Iris Xe MAX graphics on the 16" Flex 5i, if you need a little extra GPU oomph over that provided by the integrated graphics.
All of this hardware is coming this year. The 15" IdeaPad Gaming 3i will show up in April starting at $990, while its AMD-powered sibling will show in May starting at $929. After that, the 16" models will show in June, with the AMD version starting at $1140 and the Intel model starting out at $1490. The Legion M600s mouse won't show until September, and it should be $100 when it appears.
As for the IdeaPad Flex 5 and Flex 5i, they're appearing in May. The 14" Flex 5 will start at $690, and the 14" Flex 5i will start at $620. The 16" versions will come in at $750 for the AMD model, and $900 for the Intel model.