If you go to device manager and under display adapters, you'll get the option to disable the integrated graphics. I've done this on my laptop and Nvidia shadowplay works now.
@@megeruflez just bought it too and the only way to turn it off apparently is to hook it up to an external monitor. Like I mentioned doing what OP suggested makes the brightness unavailable to adjust so if you like your eyes bleeding from a bright screen it’s great.
@@megeruflez I haven’t gotten to test since it’s reduced regardless due to the fact I only have the original 8 GB installed. I’m gonna wait to get another 8 and as well from what I’ve heard it’s not that crazy of a performance drop. Somewhat in the 10% or less range according to Reddit. Also you can force the Nvidia GPU in the Nvidia control panel.
I bought this laptop to be a sort of sleeper setup that can run new games with minimal effort, and was not disappointed with the results. I bought this laptop 2 months ago for 849 and upgraded the internals with 32gb DDR4 and 2tb m.2 SSD, and it runs Cyberpunk 2077 on High at 50-60fps. Only downside is the HDMI does not connect to the RTX card, therefore optimus cannot be disabled without turning off integrated graphics.
@@TheIronGabel that's great news then. If it increases frames per second while playing games, then it is an alternative to a mux switch. You can try plugging to external screen of the brightness level is bad after disabling Optimus
😄 One thing you failed to say is that this comes with the 90W 3060. Basically the “Max Q version “ this is why it performs similar to the 2060 full power, but the 3060 runs cooler. Look at the temps always below 70C ? That’s perfectly ideal for me :)
In other more recent tests, there are more FPS (6/7 fps more in every game) with the Ideapad Gaming 3 with the RTX 3060 than with the Legion 5 with the 2060. I think everything has changed a bit with the new drivers. Anyway, excellent review!
You are the only reviewer that I actually trust All of your videos are amazing I just can't thank you enough fro your efforts I bought a Lenovo legion 5 a month ago And I'm very happy with it thanks to you!!
They really improved this year's model compared to last year's, unfortunately it still supports only one external monitor as the usb-c port doesn't have video out. It doesn't matter that much for gaming though.
Doesn't it give you the problem that when connecting a device via HDMI, it is controlled by the AMD video chip? This problem is driving me crazy, the quality of the colors is greatly reduced due to the primary use of the chip AMD to control resolution, refresh rate and color gamut.
@@Pensador155 I was considering the Ideapad Gaming 3, but ended up getting a different model due to the single external monitor limitation. But from what I've seen in reviews, the HDMI port on the Ideapad seems to be always running through the AMD graphics.
@@Pensador155 im becoming crazy, even if i tell windows, nvidia control panel ec ecc to use the 3060, i still get 20-30fps in game, and the GPU is not evven at 50% of work. Any one have solved this problem ??
Great video! Just bought my first gaming laptop! I do have one question though. What tools did you use to take off the back to add more ram and storage? I think I will probably upgrade the ram down the line, but every time I try to upgrade my old laptops I end up breaking them lol.
Actually a regular Phillips screwdriver and a hard plastic card should be enough. Take all the screws off (beware the length of the screws varies so make sure you know where to put them back) and then use your nails to create a small gap, tiny enough so you can fit the plastic card. Once you place the plastic card in the gap, patiently move it along the frame and you'll separate it
What you forgot to mention is that the SSD slot for the smaller size drive, has a metal cover which can be taken out so you can connect a longer size SSD.
Overall it got a decent Price/Performance and great Price/Feature (120-165Hz IPS panel with 100%SRGB for $1000 price range laptops is very rare) but it is nowhere near Legion 5 value with its full power 3060 mobile and Ryzen 7 5800h delivering high-end PC setup while weighing only 2.4 kg, yet it only costs $1200-ish in the US and around $1400-1500 overseas (yeah, customs sucks my soul out of my wallet). That being said, Ideapad Gaming 3 is still a great value to pick, especially if you are also planning to get other gadgets and a massive storage upgrade for the laptop.
Anyone owning this Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop can easily extend their pre-installed ram from 5.9GB to 7.4GB ( the ram is shared with the integrated igpu, which it doesn't need at all and its wasting the ram ) and with no worrying of doing anything wrong with the laptop because its provided by the laptop manufacturer itself LENOVO. Dont worry it's very simple, just shut down your laptop or restart and when its powering up, on the blank black screen press F2 repeatedly until the bios shows up. Now go to the configuration, in configuration look for UMA frame buffer size, you can see its value is pre-set to 2G, change it to 512M. Press F10 to save the new setting and exit. Boom!! Now you have 7.4GB of ram, enjoy your laptop 😊.
"Lenovo" is a portmanteau word of "Le-" (from Legend) and "novo", Latin ablative for "new". The Chinese name (simplified Chinese: 联想; traditional Chinese: 聯 想; pinyin: liánxiǎng) means "association" (as in "word association") or "connected thinking".[3]
You can disabled the amd IGOU in device settings reclaiming some ram. Then just use the dedicated Nidia GPU. I like this laptop. Just brought with 16gig ram for £648.
Hi man its not recommended hard drive with nvme or ssd because the windows or system take time to care about the hard drive and make the laptop very slowly, ssd its not too much cheaper then m.2 so 2 slot is very good i think, the acer company or another made the pc or laptop with 1tb hard drive to make Sense but the true the hard drive very cheaper so i think u understand now why.
12:09 thanks for unboxing and review but i wanna talking about memory(ram) all the lenovo laptop also in legion version have same ram and this ram very low just the chipset on one side and can evrey one read about this problem, so i recomended to change the ram for het better 10% proformance more.
I ordered my IdeaPad Gaming 3 Gen 6 early last month September, and its arriving in less than 2 days from the time I'm writing this comment. Well unfortunately mine does not come with something as nice as RTX 3060, instead I got the default budget choice GTX 1650 as my GPU, but only 1 RAM slot instead of 2 :,( , though with the same Ryzen 5 5600H processor, 512GB SSD and 120Hz screen, for around 740$. (it was during a sale, now its around 800$ for the same model) Hopefully its still worth it. Glad to hear that Lenovo came a long way in their thermals since their last gen, I saw tons of shits and complaints on reddit about the Gen 5 cooling system, describing it like you can cook pancakes on the left WASD of the keyboard and cool it down at the right side numpad of the keyboard. I'm planning to upgrade the RAM to 16GB, and perhaps add another SSD as well, but hearing how hard it is for you to open the bottom lid scared me a little.
I bought the version with GTX 1650 too. I like it! Also, I am upgrading it to 16GB of RAM too. I don't regret my purchase because today the version with 3060 is around 1200. So, 500 dollars more for graphics doesn't sound as a good deal.
@@Nigel222 It was a very good laptop for me, very good for the price when I bought it. But NOW that I checked it back on Lenovo's official page, the price has risen from my 740$ up to around 940$ (for the same GTX 1650 model) since I first purchased it. At this 940$ price tag, I will definitely NOT buy it, it is no longer a sweet deal with a price this high. You will be better off going for the Legion 5 Gen 6 AMD 5000 series GTX 1650, which is just merely 50$ more than this one, which comes with an extra 8GB of 3200 Mhz stock RAM, a larger battery, better build quality, and better thermals.
@@Nigel222 Price might vary and differ from what I saw according to your location, so do your own comparison, I wish you all the best if you want to make a purchase
Can you still do a battery test after disabling the dGPU. I know you don't usually test battery life, but I was wondering if this laptop can handle a bit of schoolwork or TH-cam without bringing a charger with me. This laptop is really nice, it looks really minimal, could bring it to school without looking like a dork, and its budget. Even the legion 5 pro doesn't look this good
@@caol9206 windows has built in features to do so. Can't remember right now, but one way is through device manager, a but crude, or a better way is through Nvidia control panel somewhere. Not too sure about amd. Most laptops have built in software to do this though. Different apps for different brands. Finally the bios will sometimes also have the options, just look in there for a bit
If you ever get the chance, could you take the Heatsink off the CPU and reapply thermal paste with something different? I'm wondering if the temp difference would even be worth it. I'm also not sure how good the Paste is, that Lenovo uses.
I was able to score one in the Lenovo store but is the one with ryzen 7 and rtx 3050 and I use a cupón that if you pay with PayPal on a order over 500 you get a 100 dollars off, total price was 757 😱
Just bought this due to the upgrading potential, although it sucks that you can't disable optimus, i think it's a pretty nice price to performance laptop
Can you do the same comparison for the Ideapad with an external screen vs the Legion 5 2060. This will be a fair comparison an I'm interested in your results, thanks.
Any game that will push this laptop’s performance, will make it sound like a LITERAL jet engine ( its better if you play with a headset ) I personally use it to play older games. I can play those at high fps/high to max settings without it being super loud.
Hi, does this laptop support advanced optimus, because the official website stated that it support advanced optimus and resizable bar with rtx 3050 and later gpu
Im kinda stuck between 2 laptops now, after seeing this. Either the Legion 5 with the R7 5800H & rtx 3050ti or this Ideapad. Which do you think? The legion with mentioned specs is $1,050, but I found the above ideapad for roughly $900. How big of a deal is turning off optimus btw? Cuz the above mentioned legion can toggle it off.
As far as I know the 3050Ti is significantly underpowered compared to the 3060, you might want to check some reviews to see if someone has done similar comparison between 3050ti without Optimus vs 3060 with.
@@HardwareSense oh ok, ill go with the ideapad then, also, do you happen to know whether the hdmi port connects directly to the gpu? That way it may provide even higher fps on an external monitor when im not on the go?
I'm having the same problem as you. Upgrading to legion 5 with RTX 2060 and Ryzen 7 4800H costs $1300, and for the rtx 3060 with Ryzen 7 5800H goes to $1650. Let me know if you buy the ideapad and how does it perform. Probably when there is more stock from it, the prices will go a little bit lower por all laptops
Is there a way to install a HDD and does it include a HDD upgrade kit? I saw it on the spec sheet but it doesn't seem like there is space for it, thanks for the review
i saw almost every video about ideapad gaming 3 2021 and realized that apparently the 3060 models have bigger motherboard, meaning that the 3060 models do NOT have a 2.5 inch HDD drive. you have 2 m.2 with no hdd its not bad but it woulve been better. the other models apparently have 2 m.2s with hdd but its the same as legion 5 you have to choose the second m.2 or hdd. you cannot have 2 m.2 and 1 hdd at the same time.
I received this item in the mail yesterday, and I was extremely excited to have a mobile gaming station again! However, when moving the laptop after initial boot/setup I noticed a loose part or component (most likely a screw) within the chassis. I contacted the seller and am awaiting their reply. I am afraid to open it and remove the likely screw to potentially find a much larger issue, which I may no longer be covered by warranty for because I broke some plastic case prongs or something of the sort. Any tips on how to proceed? The item seems to be in the empty area adjacent to the BIOS battery.
@@walterwhite6216 Hey, this is Duab on my friend's account. I am currently over at his house figuring out what the issue is. We have come to the conclusion that the CMOS between the battery and the m.2 ssd had come loose and was knocking around. I didnt have the trouble HardwareSense had in removing the back casing and it was pretty simple to diagnose. Best of luck.
@@crimps6287 thanks a lot, I’ll check it out when I open it to upgrade the ram. Also is your trackpad a little loose or kinda wierd? Another thing I’m getting like 30-50 fps on gta v at lowest settings and idk what to do, it’s not the integrated gpu and I already updated drivers any tips?
@@walterwhite6216 bro are you running it on performance mode? You should make sure that the machine is plugged in and also in the Lenovo Vantage software that it is on performance mode (you can check an option so every time you run a game it automatically puts it in performance mode). In offline GTA V you should be getting over 90-100 fps on higher settings
Thank you for the full review it was really complete! I just wanted to ask that is this Optimus effect in game recording? or the clip in Nvidia shadowplay? or just the desktop recording? I've searched a lot but I got no answer.
Thanks for the excellent review. I was trying to decide between Legion 5 with RTX 3050 ti or IdeaPad gaming 3 with RTX 3060.. both with 165hz screen and 16 gb of ram and they're both the exact same price. Can someone help me pick one?
Been watching this video over and over, this after I had purchased the same laptop. This is a very good review... Same disappointment you had with the Mux switch. Its been a bummer that we can't disable optimus. Do you think they will really update the bios in the future to add that feature? Or it won't be an option forever?
just got my gen 6 gaming 3 , care to share how to screen record via vantage app ? and is there any tips to optimize the performance of the laptop . thanks for the awesome review too!!
Liked, subscribed, and here I am commenting. Great demonstration. Quick question: I noticed that you upgraded the RAM to 32Ghz, though the manual says: Maximum Memory Supported 16 GB !!! Is it okay to do such upgrade?
i just bought this laptop. what do you think of the screen compared to the legion 144hz screen they put in y540? Also how about the comparison betweeen the old vesrion of the laptop with the gtx 1650?
Any luck for a BIOS update on this model that enables bypassing the iGPU? Considering this unit for 2023 but the inability to directly tap on the dGPU even through the HDMI port is a huge disadvantage since I heavily rely on an external monitor for 3d modeling and rendering. Thanks in advance in case anyone answers this!
Do you drain the battery before taking it apart and adding SSD + ram? I tried unplugging the battery before adding ram to my Lenovo legion 5 and gave up and ended up leaving it plugged in. You’re right removing those Lenovo bottom panels are a pain too but luckily I didn’t break any plastic hinges.
Hi, great video. I wanted to know how long on normal use with full brightness would you get with this laptop (Instagram, twitter, youtube). Is there any way to disable integrated graphics such as hooking it up to an external monitor, from what I know the 3050 variant of the ideapad gaming 3 does not let you disable integrated graphics at all even with an external monitor since it is still connected to the motherboard, any help would be greatly appreciated. :)
Unfortunately there is no possibility to disable Optimus, even with external monitor. As for the battery, I am not sure, I don't test battery life especially on a gaming laptops, I am interested in the performance while gaming.
@@HardwareSense Alright, its a shame to see that there is no way to disable optimus, especially considering the legion and older legion laptops have had a mux switch. And as for the battery, I won't be getting this laptop anyways so its ok haha. Thanks a lot though!
@@HardwareSense do you know if it's possible to swap displays on this model? I have done it once with a Dell G3. Seems this ideapad is dim and not very color accurate, not to mention only being 120hz.
Little help needed. This one but with 3050, or the 1650ti Legion with also 120hz refresh rate screen? They're roughly the same price in two stores here where I live. I do really like the Legion design and construction wise but the 5600h is comparably better than the 4600h of the Legion and so is the 3050 compared with the 1650ti so future wise the ideapad is the better purchase, right? What do you guys think?
The best video on all youtube about this direct laptop. Exactly what I was looking for. I ordered mine yesterday with rtx 3060, ryze 5600, 256gb SSD and 8gb memory yesterday for 799 euros. Next thing as you mentioned in video I am upgrading ssd also with memory. So atleast 512gb SSD is the way to go? And I would love to add 32gb of memory. Or 16gb memory should be enough? Is it very big price difference between 16gb and 32gb of memory cards?
16gb is enough if you just play games and don't do any video editing, as for additional storage, buy the biggest one that fits your budget. Thanks for your support!
I want to install 2280 M.2 SSD in both slots. Is 2280 size M.2 SSD suitable for 2242 slot? Do both slots support PCIe x4? Because on the PSREF site I saw something like: "Installed M.2 2280 SSD is PCIe 3x4 but run at PCIe 3x2 due to M.2 SSD adapter limitation"
Quick question. My laptop came with extra thermal pads. If i put in an SSD like the one in the video should i put a thermal pad over it? Or does it not make a difference either way?
Hello there! Very nice review my friend. Just subscribed to your channel for more great content. Could you tell me if I can plug in one external monitor HDMI or Displayport with a bigger resolution and make the RTX 3060 work with that monitor for gaming and cad designing? Thanks!
@@HardwareSense I am not very experienced with this Optimus stuff. What I actually want is to connect an external monitor in the HDMI to run 1080p with at least 144hz refresh rate. At the datasheet Lenovo says it supports 4k with only 60hz. I don't need 4k, so if I reduce the resolution, would it be possible to achieve 144hz directly at the HDMI 2.0 port? Have you ever tested something like it? Thank you a lot for you reply.
If you go to device manager and under display adapters, you'll get the option to disable the integrated graphics. I've done this on my laptop and Nvidia shadowplay works now.
I did this and you can’t adjust the display brightness. As well the Nvidia control panel still lacks all the options.
really? i just bought this laptop and i want to test optimus on and off
@@megeruflez just bought it too and the only way to turn it off apparently is to hook it up to an external monitor. Like I mentioned doing what OP suggested makes the brightness unavailable to adjust so if you like your eyes bleeding from a bright screen it’s great.
@@zombiebillcosby got it, forgetting about the brightness, do you get more fps?
@@megeruflez I haven’t gotten to test since it’s reduced regardless due to the fact I only have the original 8 GB installed. I’m gonna wait to get another 8 and as well from what I’ve heard it’s not that crazy of a performance drop. Somewhat in the 10% or less range according to Reddit. Also you can force the Nvidia GPU in the Nvidia control panel.
I bought this laptop to be a sort of sleeper setup that can run new games with minimal effort, and was not disappointed with the results. I bought this laptop 2 months ago for 849 and upgraded the internals with 32gb DDR4 and 2tb m.2 SSD, and it runs Cyberpunk 2077 on High at 50-60fps. Only downside is the HDMI does not connect to the RTX card, therefore optimus cannot be disabled without turning off integrated graphics.
What happened when you turned off integrated graphics on device manager? I also want to buy this laptop
@@arico7923 it just wouldn't let you adjust the brightness, and this screen isn't the brightest I've had. I haven't tested with an external monitor
@@TheIronGabel but does it increase frame rate in games
@@arico7923 Yes it does
@@TheIronGabel that's great news then. If it increases frames per second while playing games, then it is an alternative to a mux switch. You can try plugging to external screen of the brightness level is bad after disabling Optimus
😄 One thing you failed to say is that this comes with the 90W 3060. Basically the “Max Q version “ this is why it performs similar to the 2060 full power, but the 3060 runs cooler. Look at the temps always below 70C ? That’s perfectly ideal for me :)
Uhmm Max-Q variants tend to be cooler than Max-P. Not always but pretty much all the time
@@Wintermute-rn2dj I’m sure that’s what I said above.
Actyally 110 watts in performance mode
Where do you watch how many W? Is there some site for it?
Its 90+20 tho so you can get max 110w.
In other more recent tests, there are more FPS (6/7 fps more in every game) with the Ideapad Gaming 3 with the RTX 3060 than with the Legion 5 with the 2060.
I think everything has changed a bit with the new drivers.
Anyway, excellent review!
its because of different tdp between ideapads
Finally a video on this laptop that's not a foreign guy reviewing it! Thank you!
Appreciate the support
Of course Thank you for doing what you're doing! I'm getting this for my friend as a gift for his birthday and I'm sure he'll love it 😁
You are the only reviewer that I actually trust
All of your videos are amazing
I just can't thank you enough fro your efforts
I bought a Lenovo legion 5 a month ago
And I'm very happy with it thanks to you!!
Really appreciate your kind words and the trust in me and my work!
They really improved this year's model compared to last year's, unfortunately it still supports only one external monitor as the usb-c port doesn't have video out. It doesn't matter that much for gaming though.
Doesn't it give you the problem that when connecting a device via HDMI, it is controlled by the AMD video chip? This problem is driving me crazy, the quality of the colors is greatly reduced due to the primary use of the chip AMD to control resolution, refresh rate and color gamut.
@@Pensador155 I was considering the Ideapad Gaming 3, but ended up getting a different model due to the single external monitor limitation. But from what I've seen in reviews, the HDMI port on the Ideapad seems to be always running through the AMD graphics.
What about the battery?.... any better?
@@Pensador155 im becoming crazy, even if i tell windows, nvidia control panel ec ecc to use the 3060, i still get 20-30fps in game, and the GPU is not evven at 50% of work. Any one have solved this problem ??
Was waiting for performance review on
Great video! Just bought my first gaming laptop! I do have one question though. What tools did you use to take off the back to add more ram and storage? I think I will probably upgrade the ram down the line, but every time I try to upgrade my old laptops I end up breaking them lol.
Just be patient and you should be fine, all you need is small tools, laptop screwdrivers
One 🪛 and two hands
Actually a regular Phillips screwdriver and a hard plastic card should be enough. Take all the screws off (beware the length of the screws varies so make sure you know where to put them back) and then use your nails to create a small gap, tiny enough so you can fit the plastic card. Once you place the plastic card in the gap, patiently move it along the frame and you'll separate it
@@HardwareSense what do you recommend me to buy
Lenovo Gaming 3 or Legion 5 or Asus Dash f15?
@@wajdialsaadi1 Legion 5
What you forgot to mention is that the SSD slot for the smaller size drive, has a metal cover which can be taken out so you can connect a longer size SSD.
Overall it got a decent Price/Performance and great Price/Feature (120-165Hz IPS panel with 100%SRGB for $1000 price range laptops is very rare) but it is nowhere near Legion 5 value with its full power 3060 mobile and Ryzen 7 5800h delivering high-end PC setup while weighing only 2.4 kg, yet it only costs $1200-ish in the US and around $1400-1500 overseas (yeah, customs sucks my soul out of my wallet). That being said, Ideapad Gaming 3 is still a great value to pick, especially if you are also planning to get other gadgets and a massive storage upgrade for the laptop.
Medion also have affordable 3060 gaming laptops,but there's not many reviews on TH-cam.
legion 5 same spect but ryzen 5 not 7 wich one is better?
Anyone owning this Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop can easily extend their pre-installed ram from 5.9GB to 7.4GB ( the ram is shared with the integrated igpu, which it doesn't need at all and its wasting the ram ) and with no worrying of doing anything wrong with the laptop because its provided by the laptop manufacturer itself LENOVO. Dont worry it's very simple, just shut down your laptop or restart and when its powering up, on the blank black screen press F2 repeatedly until the bios shows up. Now go to the configuration, in configuration look for UMA frame buffer size, you can see its value is pre-set to 2G, change it to 512M. Press F10 to save the new setting and exit. Boom!! Now you have 7.4GB of ram, enjoy your laptop 😊.
"Lenovo" is a portmanteau word of "Le-" (from Legend) and "novo", Latin ablative for "new". The Chinese name (simplified Chinese: 联想; traditional Chinese: 聯 想; pinyin: liánxiǎng) means "association" (as in "word association") or "connected thinking".[3]
You can disabled the amd IGOU in device settings reclaiming some ram. Then just use the dedicated Nidia GPU. I like this laptop. Just brought with 16gig ram for £648.
When gaming on a tv through hdmi, will the game be played of the dedicated gou or integrated
I wish this also had additional space for a 2.5 hard drive like the Acer Nitro. I prefer the look of this one
Hi man its not recommended hard drive with nvme or ssd because the windows or system take time to care about the hard drive and make the laptop very slowly, ssd its not too much cheaper then m.2 so 2 slot is very good i think, the acer company or another made the pc or laptop with 1tb hard drive to make Sense but the true the hard drive very cheaper so i think u understand now why.
12:09 thanks for unboxing and review but i wanna talking about memory(ram) all the lenovo laptop also in legion version have same ram and this ram very low just the chipset on one side and can evrey one read about this problem, so i recomended to change the ram for het better 10% proformance more.
I ordered my IdeaPad Gaming 3 Gen 6 early last month September, and its arriving in less than 2 days from the time I'm writing this comment. Well unfortunately mine does not come with something as nice as RTX 3060, instead I got the default budget choice GTX 1650 as my GPU, but only 1 RAM slot instead of 2 :,( , though with the same Ryzen 5 5600H processor, 512GB SSD and 120Hz screen, for around 740$. (it was during a sale, now its around 800$ for the same model) Hopefully its still worth it.
Glad to hear that Lenovo came a long way in their thermals since their last gen, I saw tons of shits and complaints on reddit about the Gen 5 cooling system, describing it like you can cook pancakes on the left WASD of the keyboard and cool it down at the right side numpad of the keyboard.
I'm planning to upgrade the RAM to 16GB, and perhaps add another SSD as well, but hearing how hard it is for you to open the bottom lid scared me a little.
I bought the version with GTX 1650 too. I like it! Also, I am upgrading it to 16GB of RAM too. I don't regret my purchase because today the version with 3060 is around 1200. So, 500 dollars more for graphics doesn't sound as a good deal.
Any updates? How have you liked it so far?
@@Nigel222 I'm in love with this laptop.
@@Nigel222 It was a very good laptop for me, very good for the price when I bought it. But NOW that I checked it back on Lenovo's official page, the price has risen from my 740$ up to around 940$ (for the same GTX 1650 model) since I first purchased it. At this 940$ price tag, I will definitely NOT buy it, it is no longer a sweet deal with a price this high. You will be better off going for the Legion 5 Gen 6 AMD 5000 series GTX 1650, which is just merely 50$ more than this one, which comes with an extra 8GB of 3200 Mhz stock RAM, a larger battery, better build quality, and better thermals.
@@Nigel222 Price might vary and differ from what I saw according to your location, so do your own comparison, I wish you all the best if you want to make a purchase
Can you still do a battery test after disabling the dGPU.
I know you don't usually test battery life, but I was wondering if this laptop can handle a bit of schoolwork or TH-cam without bringing a charger with me.
This laptop is really nice, it looks really minimal, could bring it to school without looking like a dork, and its budget.
Even the legion 5 pro doesn't look this good
You can’t disable the GPU
@@juanalvarado7794 yes you can lol.
Disable Optimus, through software or bios.
Alternatively you could just disable in device manager
@@notfunny3397 what software can disable optimus?
@@caol9206 windows has built in features to do so.
Can't remember right now, but one way is through device manager, a but crude, or a better way is through Nvidia control panel somewhere.
Not too sure about amd.
Most laptops have built in software to do this though.
Different apps for different brands.
Finally the bios will sometimes also have the options, just look in there for a bit
The laptop doesn't have a mux switch so disable optimus through external monitor.
If you ever get the chance, could you take the Heatsink off the CPU and reapply thermal paste with something different? I'm wondering if the temp difference would even be worth it. I'm also not sure how good the Paste is, that Lenovo uses.
No sense of doing that, I have done it in the past and the effort never pays off, you will drop 1 to 2 degrees even with the best paste.
I was able to score one in the Lenovo store but is the one with ryzen 7 and rtx 3050 and I use a cupón that if you pay with PayPal on a order over 500 you get a 100 dollars off, total price was 757 😱
If I disable the integrated graphics with Device Manager will they 3060 work with an external display or will no picture show?
Just bought this due to the upgrading potential, although it sucks that you can't disable optimus, i think it's a pretty nice price to performance laptop
Thanks for the review!
Do you recommend adding another 8GB of RAM to the existing one? If yes, which brand/model?
Yes 100%, it's a must to be able to get dual channel. Same brand is recommended, but any brand will work as long as it has similar specs.
@@HardwareSense is it okay if same brand but different model of this brand?(with same Mhz)
@@fadydoumit6448 No problem, as long as it's 3200mhz DDR4
@@fadydoumit6448 don't put different clock speed. it won't boot.
Nice, this is an exact model I am looking to buy right now.
I like the internal review as well, seen nothing like that in other channels
Appreciate the support
Where can we buy one?
@@adamdalal428 Antonline.com, ebay
This is so clear. Thanks.
Can you do the same comparison for the Ideapad with an external screen vs the Legion 5 2060. This will be a fair comparison an I'm interested in your results, thanks.
I can, but there will be little to no difference
Sorry this is a bit late but the RTX 2060 will do better because this one only has 90 watts TGP
Any game that will push this laptop’s performance, will make it sound like a LITERAL jet engine ( its better if you play with a headset )
I personally use it to play older games. I can play those at high fps/high to max settings without it being super loud.
Very realistic review which I can definitely appreciate.
Hi, does this laptop support advanced optimus, because the official website stated that it support advanced optimus and resizable bar with rtx 3050 and later gpu
Im kinda stuck between 2 laptops now, after seeing this. Either the Legion 5 with the R7 5800H & rtx 3050ti or this Ideapad. Which do you think? The legion with mentioned specs is $1,050, but I found the above ideapad for roughly $900. How big of a deal is turning off optimus btw? Cuz the above mentioned legion can toggle it off.
As far as I know the 3050Ti is significantly underpowered compared to the 3060, you might want to check some reviews to see if someone has done similar comparison between 3050ti without Optimus vs 3060 with.
@@HardwareSense oh ok, ill go with the ideapad then, also, do you happen to know whether the hdmi port connects directly to the gpu? That way it may provide even higher fps on an external monitor when im not on the go?
@@SomeSloan Not directly to the 3060
I'm having the same problem as you. Upgrading to legion 5 with RTX 2060 and Ryzen 7 4800H costs $1300, and for the rtx 3060 with Ryzen 7 5800H goes to $1650.
Let me know if you buy the ideapad and how does it perform. Probably when there is more stock from it, the prices will go a little bit lower por all laptops
Haha, I'm stuck at the same point as you! Just put both on my Amazon Cart and come to TH-cam to find the answer.. 😅
Nice review!!! What is its battery capacity? Do Lenovo Legion 80Wh pair to Lenovo IdeaPad gaming?
Is there a way to install a HDD and does it include a HDD upgrade kit? I saw it on the spec sheet but it doesn't seem like there is space for it, thanks for the review
I wonder too🤔
only has 2 slots for M.2 Nvme. 1 is used for the 512gb ssd. so only 1 extra slot free.
@@MrBeachDoctor thant kind of sucks but its still a nice laptop and not a deal breaker
you can either have 2 m.2 or 1 m.2 + a regular ssd. th-cam.com/video/Olo_QNA-YFY/w-d-xo.html this guy explains the process very very well.
@@thesheepthemightythecrazy So I can add a 1tb HDD to the original SSD?
i saw almost every video about ideapad gaming 3 2021 and realized that apparently the 3060 models have bigger motherboard, meaning that the 3060 models do NOT have a 2.5 inch HDD drive. you have 2 m.2 with no hdd its not bad but it woulve been better. the other models apparently have 2 m.2s with hdd but its the same as legion 5 you have to choose the second m.2 or hdd. you cannot have 2 m.2 and 1 hdd at the same time.
If you want 2.5 inch drive, the Gigabyte G5 is your only choice I think
I received this item in the mail yesterday, and I was extremely excited to have a mobile gaming station again! However, when moving the laptop after initial boot/setup I noticed a loose part or component (most likely a screw) within the chassis. I contacted the seller and am awaiting their reply. I am afraid to open it and remove the likely screw to potentially find a much larger issue, which I may no longer be covered by warranty for because I broke some plastic case prongs or something of the sort. Any tips on how to proceed? The item seems to be in the empty area adjacent to the BIOS battery.
dude i got the same issue wtf, when i move the laptop it sounds like theres a screw loose or a plastic thing!!!!!
@@walterwhite6216 Hey, this is Duab on my friend's account. I am currently over at his house figuring out what the issue is. We have come to the conclusion that the CMOS between the battery and the m.2 ssd had come loose and was knocking around. I didnt have the trouble HardwareSense had in removing the back casing and it was pretty simple to diagnose. Best of luck.
@@crimps6287 thanks a lot, I’ll check it out when I open it to upgrade the ram. Also is your trackpad a little loose or kinda wierd?
Another thing
I’m getting like 30-50 fps on gta v at lowest settings and idk what to do, it’s not the integrated gpu and I already updated drivers any tips?
@@walterwhite6216 bro are you running it on performance mode? You should make sure that the machine is plugged in and also in the Lenovo Vantage software that it is on performance mode (you can check an option so every time you run a game it automatically puts it in performance mode). In offline GTA V you should be getting over 90-100 fps on higher settings
@@JuanGarcia-kx8ez yeah I’m on performance mode and still getting pathethic frame rates, do u have 8 gigs or 16 ?
Thank you for the full review it was really complete! I just wanted to ask that is this Optimus effect in game recording? or the clip in Nvidia shadowplay? or just the desktop recording? I've searched a lot but I got no answer.
Optimus is technology that automatically switches between the GPU and IGPU
Thanks for the excellent review. I was trying to decide between Legion 5 with RTX 3050 ti or IdeaPad gaming 3 with RTX 3060.. both with 165hz screen and 16 gb of ram and they're both the exact same price. Can someone help me pick one?
Always go for the better GPU
ideapad rtx 3060
Been watching this video over and over, this after I had purchased the same laptop. This is a very good review... Same disappointment you had with the Mux switch. Its been a bummer that we can't disable optimus. Do you think they will really update the bios in the future to add that feature? Or it won't be an option forever?
Unfortunately I don't think that Lenovo will do anything about it
This is available for 870$ rn what are your thoughts about this? Value for money?
Where at? That's a great deal
@@HardwareSense ebay it's on sale from Antonline !
This is the best deal I've seen on the market so far. It's a wayyy better deal than stock price rtx 3050/3050ti
@@emplays22 bro it adds extra $60 in taxes. Still great price but that was kind of sad lol
@@JuanGarcia-kx8ez yeah tax is lame but at the least i got it for the $870 instead of the original $999 price
Walmart has a 3060 Asus Rog for $999. My local WM just put it on display this week.
@SpamT Port Charlotte Florida
this is sad, I bought a gtx 1650ti for $1000 a few months ago
Its 1300$ Everywhere I've seen?
@@TitaniumTronic I understand, I bought a 1660ti back in November.
@@andrews.9286 yes i got the walmart l5pro, spotted the asus with rtx 3060 but I've seen it for 1300 everywhere
what's the gpu wattage for this one?
105 to 110w
@@HardwareSense how do you reach that much? I thought its 90w?
@@deveendranpathmarajan8949 Performance mode in the Vantage software
@@HardwareSense how much does the rtx 3060, r7-5800h cost? any links to purchase it?
is the limit 16gb or 32gb ram?
@@deveendranpathmarajan8949 $879 the limit is 32gb, the seller is on ebay too
I just got mine today, it has a ryzen 7 5800H, 8GB of ram, and an rtx 3060
Are you happy? Are temperature all right under load?
Does connecting via HDMI could bypass optimus? Thanks!
Yes it does
just got my gen 6 gaming 3 , care to share how to screen record via vantage app ? and is there any tips to optimize the performance of the laptop . thanks for the awesome review too!!
I don't record with the Vantage, nat sure if you can, I do nVidia recording
Liked, subscribed, and here I am commenting. Great demonstration.
Quick question: I noticed that you upgraded the RAM to 32Ghz, though the manual says: Maximum Memory Supported 16 GB !!!
Is it okay to do such upgrade?
yes
Yes it is it can also be upgraded to 64 is what I heard
Great review,. If possible could you do the review for legion 5 2021,?
I will try
damn lenovo why you do me like that, i recently buy the 2020 version 2 month ago..
That's why I m still waiting
Thanks for the review. Can you share your gpu bios verson? I can't get over 90w
Plz check if the cpu is actually R5 5600H bcz most are sold with R5 4600H. Good review
Yes it is 5600h, check out the video
thanks for review sir
Great review! What are the restrictions regarding the RTX 3060? I was thinking of using the laptop connected to an external monitor
Unfortunately you can't bypass Optimus with this one
@@HardwareSense Seems like the laptop isn't a very good choice if you intend to use it with an external display most of the time
@@pedronunes7610 Correct
@@HardwareSense Can you futher explain what the issue here is? Does gaming on the RTX 3060 works while using a external monitor via HDMI?
@@toval6255 No unfortunately, you can't, no way to bypass Optimus
9:30 so... looks like is not possible to add an HDD or SSD sata there...
No
i just bought this laptop. what do you think of the screen compared to the legion 144hz screen they put in y540? Also how about the comparison betweeen the old vesrion of the laptop with the gtx 1650?
The 144hz screen is better but not by much, and no need to compare with 1650, the 3060 has twice the FPS and power
Is it advisable and safe to buy from ant online? because the price is almost 20% less than amazon
Yes of course
Thanks for excellent review. Can you remove the fans without removing the heatsink? So that you dont have to repaste after cleaning dusts...
You can just blow compressed air through them when you open the back panel
My dear brother, does the graphics card of this laptop work with the same power as a computer with the same card, or is there a difference?
The desktop version is twice as powerful
The test from the ideapad gaming 3 were done with or without the 32gb ram?
With
Any luck for a BIOS update on this model that enables bypassing the iGPU? Considering this unit for 2023 but the inability to directly tap on the dGPU even through the HDMI port is a huge disadvantage since I heavily rely on an external monitor for 3d modeling and rendering. Thanks in advance in case anyone answers this!
Not possible
@@HardwareSense aw that sucks... i've read somewhere in reddit that the intel ones don't have this "limitation" for the hdmi port. Anw, thank you!
The fans were small because of the lesser powerful internal components.
Could you please guide me which type of SSD can be installed in the laptop? I'm kinda lost, and afraid to buy a wrong one.
Do you want to add an extra one or replace the original?
@@HardwareSense Add a new one
Do you drain the battery before taking it apart and adding SSD + ram? I tried unplugging the battery before adding ram to my Lenovo legion 5 and gave up and ended up leaving it plugged in. You’re right removing those Lenovo bottom panels are a pain too but luckily I didn’t break any plastic hinges.
No of course not, no need, just ground your self
just disconnect the battery cable
Hi, great video. I wanted to know how long on normal use with full brightness would you get with this laptop (Instagram, twitter, youtube). Is there any way to disable integrated graphics such as hooking it up to an external monitor, from what I know the 3050 variant of the ideapad gaming 3 does not let you disable integrated graphics at all even with an external monitor since it is still connected to the motherboard, any help would be greatly appreciated. :)
Unfortunately there is no possibility to disable Optimus, even with external monitor. As for the battery, I am not sure, I don't test battery life especially on a gaming laptops, I am interested in the performance while gaming.
@@HardwareSense Alright, its a shame to see that there is no way to disable optimus, especially considering the legion and older legion laptops have had a mux switch. And as for the battery, I won't be getting this laptop anyways so its ok haha. Thanks a lot though!
is the hdmi connected to the nvidia card?? if it is then by connecting an external monitor you can get better fps.
No unfortunately it is not
Does the backlit keyboard have other colour options as advertised ?
No, just one
Enable the privacy feature on the GeForce overlay to record desktop
Not possible when the main GPU is the AMD one
@@HardwareSense ah ok I understand now thanks for the info!
@@HardwareSense
stupid question probably, but
I can still record my screen with software like Camtasia, Fraps etc. right?
@@00webnet87 Yes of course
Which one to get ? The Legion 5 (with GTX 1660Ti & Ryzen 7 4800H + 16 GB RAM + 512 GB SSD + 144Hz & 100% sRGB) at around *1388$* including shipping taxes *OR* the Ideapad Gaming 3 (with RTX 3060 & Ryzen 5 5800H + 8 GB Ram + 512 GB SSD + 120Hz & 63% sRGB) at around *1420$* including shipping taxes.
IdeaPad for sure
@@HardwareSense Thank you so much :)
@@HardwareSense If I may further ask, will the mux switch be a problem with the ideapad 3 ?
@@the3king3lion Not compared to the 1660TI.
How are the thermals and fan noise ,i saw some reviews saying there is some cpu throttling
Both are great, no CPU throttling
@@HardwareSense thank you for the feedback just ordered one with 165hz screen ryzen 5800h and rtx3060
@@ACE-ms6fk Great choice
where did u buy this exactly from ? i need da link pls
Ebay
@@hayderjesusnavarrogarcia7741
Ty !
I ended up getting this laptop and I want to ask, how can I upgrade the USB-C port to the newer generation that supports HDMI?
Any idea if you can bypass Optimus by plugging in an external display to the HDMI port?
Yes that's the only way
@@HardwareSense Same goes for using display port instead of HDMI? Disabling optimus just improves GPU performance, right?
@@bobnorman3094 correct, around 10fps more
@@HardwareSense do you know if it's possible to swap displays on this model? I have done it once with a Dell G3. Seems this ideapad is dim and not very color accurate, not to mention only being 120hz.
@@bobnorman3094 It can but it's going to be hard
What about the battery life?
I don't test battery life of any gaming laptops, if you are playing on battery, the performance is going to drop significantly
How is the cooling system for the laptop? Do it suit with bottom cooler pad or suction?
I don't understand the question, the cooling is the same as on the Legion 5, so it's great.
Question, do you need to remove the battery connector before upgrading the ram and ssd?
Not necessarily, if you are grounded
has anybody test it mining? or what the hashrate would be?
Yoooo kicksreason!!!!! I didn't know you have a tech channe???!!! Happy boktober!
Yeah that's the more successful one 🤣
Can you stream on this?
Yes
What is the red color object on the charger cable
Is it okay to put 32gb ram 1x in the other slot which makes it + 8gb of original slot and you get 40gb of ram?
I don't think that you can do 40gb
What’s the sku# of the included ram?
What is its battery life while using a program like solidworks?
Little help needed. This one but with 3050, or the 1650ti Legion with also 120hz refresh rate screen? They're roughly the same price in two stores here where I live. I do really like the Legion design and construction wise but the 5600h is comparably better than the 4600h of the Legion and so is the 3050 compared with the 1650ti so future wise the ideapad is the better purchase, right? What do you guys think?
If you don't have an option for at least 3060, get the 3050 than.
@@HardwareSense i don't. I'd import it but everything worth more that 200usd is criminally overpriced due to importing fares. So Ideapad Gaming 3 the?
@@MasterSynth Looks like it
is the wifi card upgradable?
Yes
can you do more game tests
Sure, which ones
@@HardwareSense rdr2 & gta please
@@ricardosammy5625 Will do
@@HardwareSense if possible rdr2 , hzd , any esport title ,cp 2077 , valhalla
Variety of games giving a good idea
Does the laptop have a 2.5 slot for adding HDDs or does kt only support SSDs?
Thank you for your video and It's really helpful for me ❤️💪
Happy to help
The best video on all youtube about this direct laptop. Exactly what I was looking for. I ordered mine yesterday with rtx 3060, ryze 5600, 256gb SSD and 8gb memory yesterday for 799 euros. Next thing as you mentioned in video I am upgrading ssd also with memory. So atleast 512gb SSD is the way to go? And I would love to add 32gb of memory. Or 16gb memory should be enough? Is it very big price difference between 16gb and 32gb of memory cards?
16gb is enough if you just play games and don't do any video editing, as for additional storage, buy the biggest one that fits your budget. Thanks for your support!
What about the battery?
@@cristopherc.3991 Still better
Hi, I saw the air exhaust vent is facing the hinge, will it affect the durability of the hinge of this laptop?
No, there will be no issue.
I want to install 2280 M.2 SSD in both slots. Is 2280 size M.2 SSD suitable for 2242 slot?
Do both slots support PCIe x4? Because on the PSREF site I saw something like: "Installed M.2 2280 SSD is PCIe 3x4 but run at PCIe 3x2 due to M.2 SSD adapter limitation"
Quick question. My laptop came with extra thermal pads. If i put in an SSD like the one in the video should i put a thermal pad over it? Or does it not make a difference either way?
Yes put it on
Hiii! Thi laptop have RGB Key board? Multiple colors? Or only blue?
Hi thx for the awesome review
Can we add a 2280 SSD in the 2242 slot?
2280 can be added
@@HardwareSense Does it fit?
@@Zoayed Yes
When will sales in India start? I've been waiting like more than 2.5 months to get this sucker!
Don’t deserve one for being from india
@@walterwhite6216 😿😿😿
@@santhoshb2144 alright I’m sorry I was kidding I’m Indian as well 🇮🇳
Do you think they will update the software to disable to integrated GPU in the future?
I hope so, but I also doubt it
It’s not possible, the mux switch is an hardware component, a physical chip that connects the video input/outputs
Could you please share what gpu bios version is in your sample? I have not been able to go over 90w on the gpu
Have you been able to get above 90watt?
Hello there! Very nice review my friend. Just subscribed to your channel for more great content. Could you tell me if I can plug in one external monitor HDMI or Displayport with a bigger resolution and make the RTX 3060 work with that monitor for gaming and cad designing? Thanks!
Unfortunately you won't be able pass around the Optimus even with an external monitor
@@HardwareSense I am not very experienced with this Optimus stuff. What I actually want is to connect an external monitor in the HDMI to run 1080p with at least 144hz refresh rate. At the datasheet Lenovo says it supports 4k with only 60hz. I don't need 4k, so if I reduce the resolution, would it be possible to achieve 144hz directly at the HDMI 2.0 port? Have you ever tested something like it? Thank you a lot for you reply.
@@DiegoWorlitz Yes you can do that
In the specs it says Battery lasts 7 hours, so I guess it lasts 5, am I right or does it last even less
5 is good estimation
I'm betting you could even get 7, if you put it on power saving mode, over performance. But that'd be a thing for school, imo.
@@xalderin3838 that’s great cuz I want it as a desktop when I’m home and as a laptop for school work
And why is the RTX 2060 Legion 5 faster than the RTX 3060 Ideapad it seems that the cooling solution on the Ideapad isn't too bad.
Only on those CPU dependent titles, with the GPU ones like RDR2, Control and others the Ideapad is faster.
I bought that last Friday in Hong Kong but not Ryzen 5 is Ryzen 7
這台好用嗎
@@fengyu5655 我才買了10多天，暫時未能定斷
@@亡魂-u1k 請問質感怎樣呢 謝謝喔
@@fengyu5655 挺好挺順手，但是有點重和大
@@亡魂-u1k same, im from Malaysia 一个月才到. take quite some time. bought the ryzen 7 version
I want to buy this model but im not sure if i have to pqy customs tax when ordering it directly from lenovo to ireland
Depending where are you located
what is the TGP of that RTX 3060 sir?
90W with performance mode up to 110W