To judge pure processing power, we use a giant spreadsheet macro that matches 65,000 names with their addresses, a video transcoder that converts a 4K video to 1080p and the Geekbench 4 synthetic test.

To test endurance, the Laptop Mag Battery test surfs the web at 150 nits of brightness until the system runs out of juice. We also game for several hours to established real-world results. But in the case of gaming laptops, we also make sure to run a number of synthetic gaming benchmarks, using our chosen titles integrated tests. While we use a number of industry standard benchmarks such as Geekbench and 3DMark, we focus heavily on real-world tests that we have developed in-house. When we bring a laptop into our laboratory, our goal is to see how it would work if you brought it into your home or office. Because we see so many different notebooks, we can compare each to its direct competitors and give you an idea of how it stacks up to the average laptop in its price band. Our expert reviewers also use each product to see how it looks and feels in everyday situations. We test over 150 different models per year, subjecting each system to a series of rigorous benchmarks that provides a complete picture of performance, battery life and usability. Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing laptops for over two decades. See our full Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 review Why trust Laptop Mag

At the very least though, the speakers are surprisingly crisp and the battery lasts quite a bit longer than the competition. However, the money you save is also why the IdeaPad Gaming 3 embodies “budget gaming laptop” in nearly every way, as you’re making some serious sacrifices to performance and visual fidelity. If that sounds harsh, keep in mind it is under $800, which makes it a decent choice for those looking to save their money first and foremost. If you don’t care how deep your colors are or how bright your screen can get, this is the laptop for you, especially if you’re willing to settle for playing games at medium graphics settings. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a budget gaming laptop that offers decent performance thanks to its RTX 3050 GPU, but the inadequate display will turn some away.

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