Looking for an affordable laptop that lets you dive into your games when taking a break from school or work? You should consider the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i as it serves your school, work, and gaming needs. There are quite a number of things that this device offers like the 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 processor and Windows 11, a dedicated RTXTM graphics card, rapid charging, and more. Full specs can be found at the end of this article.
Design
What I appreciate about the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i laptop is that it does not compromise the external design of the device . It looks simple enough that I could bring it to work or school without standing out too much. Meanwhile, it is stylish enough that it looks pleasing to the eyes. The smooth finish makes it easier for me to clean from time to time when needed. This is unlike other laptops that have various bumps and holes on the chassis that may prove to be a challenge when trying to remove stubborn dust. Since this is a device that I would be carrying around with me a lot, or placing it on a table in the coffee shop, these are nice considerations reflected in the design.
Camera
There is also a built-in 720p camera which includes a Privacy Shutter for your own security.
Performance: 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 Processor, Windows 11, RTX 30
It would be a mistake to assume that the performance of this laptop is seemingly as plain as it looks at a glance: this is a total savage on the inside. Having Windows 11 already pre-installed, you are immediately greeted by the clean UI. The latest OS also helps better with the efficient use of memory and multi-tasking if you will need a lot of applications open. Its 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 processor eases my workflow using enhanced AI-based intelligent performance in productivity, creative, and other apps to speed up work completion.
Even with the high demand for graphics cards and persisting high prices of these components, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i has a discrete GPU. Not just any GPU either – it comes with an RTXTM 30 series card, namely the NVIDIA® GeForce® RTXTM 3050 Ti. I get to enjoy the extra features of having GeForce Game Ready, NVIDIA® Broadcast, and other softwares with this. As someone who has not experienced the potential of RTX cards until recently, it is a nice boost in experience especially in games.
Display
Looking at the monitor, it sports an FHD IPS display with 100% sRGB at 300 nits of brightness. It is even packed with up to 165Hz refresh rate so that it can churn out smooth frames. The 15.6” size is just right for portability allowing me to move around while getting enough viewing room for what I need to see on the screen. Its color accuracy on an IPS panel is nice to have as well especially in watching videos and content creation.
Rapid Charge Pro
Another favorite feature of mine is that I can easily charge this laptop from 0 to 50 percent in only 30 minutes. This allows me to get back in action right away after I let it charge for a bit in the corner of the room as it comes with a 170W Slim Tip charger. The power brick is more of a small notebook-like size so it snuggles comfortably in your bag while not taking up too much space.
Upgradability: Memory and Storage
If you feel that you have more demanding needs for your work, then you can always upgrade its memory and storage components to get more performance out of this laptop. There are a total of two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots with up to 16GB DDR4-3200 of max memory. As it comes with a 512GB M.2 drive, you can further upgrade this with up to one 1TB 2.5” HDD and up to 512GB M.2 SSD, or one 1TB M.2 SSD plus another 512GB M.2 for your storage solutions.
Ports
Now, let’s talk about ports. On the right side we have:
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1
- 1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)
The ports on the left are as follows:
- 1x Power connector
- 1x Ethernet (RJ-45)
- 1x HDMI® 2.0
- 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (supports data transfer only)
3Y Premium Care Warranty
If you are worried that you might run into problems while using this laptop, you can rest easy knowing that you get a Lenovo 3 Year Premium Care Warranty along with your purchase. They offer 24/7 access to real people, Lenovo technicians, via phone, chat, email, and WhatsApp. No need for you to go to service centers to get your devices fixed as they can also schedule on-site visits. They also have a free annual PC Health Check where their experts quickly check and resolve issues. Their warranty extends with the Accidental Damage Protection unlike a lot of other products. This covers drops, spills, bumps, and even electrical surges. Going abroad? This also covers international carry-in warranty so you do not have to worry about getting help outside of the country.
Is it a good productivity and gaming laptop?
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i is truly versatile for work, school, create, and play. Taking note of its specs, this laptop can be one of the best options for being inexpensive among what is currently available in the market. Its value for money is well-compensated through various features that it offers such asIntel® Core™ 11th Gen processor and the latest pre-installed Windows 11. Not to mention, it boasts an RTX 3050 Ti graphics card and the IPS display can handle up to 165Hz refresh rate. Casual gamers will be able to bring their game with them almost anywhere. Speaking of, I could even run Adobe Lightroom and edit photos on the go. I can toggle on or off the white backlight on the keyboard to help me see the keys better if I need to extend my work hours into the night or in a dim room.
Personally, I got to experience using two Lenovo laptops so I can vouch for the quality. For a time during college before quarantine, and even during the online class era, the Lenovo IdeaPad 330S carried me with my academic and extracurricular activities. I was even able to do light gaming with a few titles in the lowest graphics settings such as Raft, Borderlands 2, and Paladins. The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 was featured on our YouTube channel back in September-October 2020. This is a good 2-in-1 convertible laptop with a 360-degree hinge and a touch screen. Of course, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i outperforms both of these laptops by a lot if it was not already obvious enough with the aforementioned features that it offers.
When you are ready to make a good investment on this device, you can visit https://legion.lenovo.com where you can find more information and even more of Lenovo’s products. For a list of authorized resellers, visit lenovoph.com/AuthorizedResellers. If you want to keep updated with their announcements and new products, you can follow them at @lenovolegionph on Facebook and Instagram as well.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i 82K100Y2PH Specifications
| Display | 15.6″ FHD (1920×1080) IPS Anti-glare(165 Hz / 100% sRGB / 300 nits) |
| Processor | Intel ® Core™ i5-11320H |
| Graphics | NVIDIA® GeForce® RTXTM 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6 |
| Memory | 1x8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200 |
| Memory Slots | Two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, dual-channel capable |
| Max Memory | Up to 16GB DDR4-3200 |
| Storage | 512GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe® 3.0×4 NVMe® |
| Storage Support | 1x 2.5″ HDD + 1x M.2 2242 SSD, or1x M.2 2242/2280 SSD + 1x M.2 2242 SSD• 2.5″ HDD up to 1TB• M.2 2242 SSD up to 512GB• M.2 2280 SSD up to 1TB |
| Keyboard | White Backlit |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home 64 |
| Connectivity | Intel® WiFi 6 (802.11 ax)Bluetooth® 5.0 |
| Ports | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 11x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (support data transfer only)1x HDMI® 2.01x Ethernet (RJ-45)1x Headphone / microphone combo jack (3.5mm)1x Power connector |
| Audio Chip | High Definition (HD) Audio, Realtek® ALC3287 codec |
| Speakers | Stereo speakers, 2W x2, Nahimic Audio |
| Camera | 720p with Camera Privacy Shutter |
| Microphone | 2x Array |
| Security Features | Firmware TPM 2.0 |
| Battery | Integrated 45Wh, up to 8 hrsRapid Charge Pro |
| Power Adapter | 170W Slim Tip (3-pin) |
| Dimensions(WxDxH) | 359.6 x 251.9 x 24.2 mm (14.16 x 9.92 x 0.95 in) |
| Weight | 2.25 kg (4.96 lbs) |
| Accessories | Lenovo® IdeaPad® Gaming M100 RGB Mouse |
| Included Upgrade | Lenovo 3 Year Premium Care Warranty |
| Price | 56,995.00 Php |
This article is sponsored by Lenovo Philippines.
Caroline seems like she has done it all; from petting every four-legged friend out on the street, indulging in different stories through books and anime, or even vibing to any song especially EDM. Nothing can stop her curiosity from trying anything under the sun for that Life XP. Having grown up with a GBA emulator, then owning a PSP and NDS, nothing piqued her interest more than gaming. Fun fact: another hobby of hers is watching gameplay videos while eating brunch. For years, despite her love for all things digital, all she had was a potato laptop and a dream - until now. Although, according to the prophecy, rarely will anyone ever see her go outside after completing her PC setup.
