
Lenovo IdeaPad 3
Reliable and affordable. A great all-around student laptop with good build quality.
We may earn a commission when you buy through our links.
Our Verdict
Reliable and affordable. A great all-around student laptop with good build quality.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- •Reliable brand
- •Good keyboard
- •Decent speakers
- •Affordable
- •Clean design
Cons
- •Average display
- •Modest performance
- •Heavier than ultrabooks
Specifications
| OS | Windows 11 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1155G7 |
| RAM | 16GB - 40GB |
| Storage | 256GB - 2TB SSD |
| GPU | Intel Iris Xe |
| Display | 15.6" FHD 1920x1080 |
| Weight | 4.0 lbs |
| Battery | Up to 7 hours |
Who Is This For?
Best For
- Students on a budget
- Everyday tasks
- Note-taking
Not For
- Heavy multitaskers
- Content creators
Where to Buy
Customer Reviews
Alternatives to Consider
MacBook Air M4
Apple
The best laptop for most students. The 2025 MacBook Air features the M4 chip with 10-core CPU, now starting at 16GB unified memory. Fanless design, all-day battery, and Apple Intelligence capabilities.
MacBook Air M5
Apple
The current MacBook Air for most students. The 2026 refresh moves to Apple's M5 chip and doubles base storage to 512GB, while keeping the fanless design and all-day battery life that made the M4 generation a top student pick.
Acer Aspire 5
Acer
Best budget laptop for students. Solid performance for everyday tasks at an unbeatable price.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 (2026)
Lenovo
Lenovo's 2026 IdeaPad Slim 3 replaces the older 11th Gen IdeaPad 3 with a 13th Gen Core i5-13420H processor and DDR5 memory, giving budget students a meaningfully newer machine at a similar price point.