Lenovo is present in force at MWC 2022 to unveil a wide range of laptops. The IdeaPad Gaming range is aimed at a gamer audience while wanting to remain accessible.
Let’s face it, a portable PC sufficiently equipped for video games is often sold at a golden price, especially in times of shortage of components. With its new IdeaPad Gaming range, Lenovo seems to have wanted to rework the possible compromises to offer a gaming PC at a reasonable price. Better, the brand leaves the choice between an AMD or Intel platform.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i: the choice between Nvidia and Intel
As the i indicates in the product name, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i incorporates a 12th generation Intel Core processor (at best an Intel Core i7-12700H). It can be associated with up to 32 GB of DDR4 3200 MHz RAM and up to 1 TB of NVMe SSD storage. The graphics part will be entrusted to Nvidia, at best a GeForce RTX 3060 with a TGP of 105W and 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, or a dedicated Intel Arc graphics chip. Remember in this regard that the year 2022 should be marked by the arrival of Intel on the market for dedicated graphics cards against AMD and Nvidia.
The PC is offered in a 15.6-inch or 16-inch version, in both cases an IPS LCD panel that can go up to 165 Hz and with a definition approaching QHD 2560 x 1440 pixels. If the small diagonal difference appeals to you, that’s normal. In reality, the 15.6-inch version has a 16:9 screen, while the 16-inch version offers 16:10. With this change in screen ratio, the two laptops should offer a real difference in size, despite what the diagonal may suggest.
Depending on the configuration, the on-board battery will be 45 Wh, 60 Wh or 71 Wh (for the 16-inch version). Lenovo promises fast charging support to recover 50% of the battery in less than 30 minutes.
Finally, the connection seems quite generous, but it is expected for a PC of this caliber: 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) ports, 1 USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port, a 3.5 mm jack port, an HDMI port 2.0, an RJ45 port and a proprietary power port. It will therefore be possible to play online with a wired connection. Otherwise, you will have to rely on a Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 connection.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3: the AMD variant
As mentioned above, Lenovo also announces the same computers in AMD version. There is therefore a latest generation AMD processor, at best an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, with up to 32 GB of DDR5 4800 MHz RAM and up to 1 TB of SSD storage. On the other hand, no Radeon graphics chip in these versions, nor Intel, but only an Nvidia chip which could be at best a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti with a TDP of only 85W. On paper, AMD configurations should therefore be slower than their Intel cousins.
The rest of the options are similar, same format and screen size, same battery and same connectivity in general terms. Only the Thunderbolt 4 port will have to give way to a more classic USB-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 port.
Availability and prices
Here are the dates and prices revealed by Lenovo for this entire range.
- Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (Intel) 15 inches: May 2022 from 999 euros
- Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (AMD) 15 inches: June 2022 from 999 euros
- Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (Intel) 16 inches: June 2022 from 1099 euros
- Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (AMD) 16 inches: July 2022 from 1099 euros
Several things should be noted. Once again, the price difference that could be seen between AMD and Intel on previous generations seems to have been erased. We will have to wait to see the details of the configurations to know if it really reflects the price of the processors, or if the storage, the graphics chip or the RAM offered at these prices will be different from one version to another. It can also be seen that the release will be staggered over several months, presumably to alleviate shortage issues. This is an increasingly common laptop exit method. Lenovo therefore seems to offer machines on the market powerful enough for video games around the symbolic bar of 1000 euros.
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