The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 is a solid choice for gamers looking for an affordable yet capable gaming laptop. With a combination of modern hardware, a sleek design, and a competitive price point, this laptop positions itself as a great entry-level gaming machine. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at its features, performance, and overall value to help you determine if it’s the right fit for your gaming needs.
Design and Build Quality
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 sports a clean, minimalist design with a matte Shadow Black finish. The laptop’s exterior is sturdy, with a solid build that feels durable yet not overly heavy. Weighing in at about 2.2 kg (4.85 lbs), it’s slightly on the heavier side for a 15.6-inch laptop, but it’s still manageable for most users who are willing to carry it around.
One standout feature is the backlit keyboard, which adds a touch of style and functionality. The key travel is decent, and the tactile feedback makes it comfortable for typing during long gaming sessions. The anti-glare coating on the display also contributes to the overall usability, ensuring you can game or work in different lighting environments without dealing with annoying reflections.
Overall, the design is simple yet effective. While it’s not the flashiest gaming laptop out there, the clean lines and functional features make it an appealing option for gamers who prefer subtle aesthetics over bold gaming aesthetics.
Display
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display. This is the standard resolution for gaming laptops in this price range, and it strikes a good balance between clarity and performance. The anti-glare coating on the screen does an excellent job of minimizing reflections, making it easier to use in brightly lit rooms or outdoor settings.
However, while the screen is sharp and bright enough for most indoor environments, it doesn’t have the best color reproduction or brightness levels when compared to more expensive gaming laptops. The display is adequate for casual gaming and general use but may fall short for users looking for vibrant colors and higher brightness, especially in graphically intensive games.
In terms of refresh rate, this model comes with a 60Hz display, which is suitable for casual gaming but could be limiting for competitive gamers who prefer smoother, faster refresh rates (120Hz or 144Hz). If you’re primarily into competitive titles, this may be a downside, but for general gaming and media consumption, the display should suffice.
Performance
Under the hood, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 packs a AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor, which is a mid-range chip known for its solid performance in gaming and multitasking scenarios. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the Ryzen 5 is efficient at handling not only gaming workloads but also productivity tasks like content creation, web browsing, and office applications.
Combined with 8GB of RAM, the Ryzen 5 delivers a smooth and responsive performance for most modern games. While 8GB is standard for many entry-level laptops, you may run into limitations with more demanding games or when multitasking with multiple applications open. Fortunately, the RAM is upgradable (up to 16GB), which can significantly boost multitasking performance if you find yourself needing more memory in the future.
When it comes to gaming, the dedicated graphics card—an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650—is one of the standout features of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3. The GTX 1650 is an entry-level gaming GPU, offering good performance for 1080p gaming at medium to high settings in many titles. You can expect solid frame rates in popular games like Fortnite, Minecraft, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty: Warzone, although more demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 might require lower settings to maintain smooth gameplay.
Storage
The laptop features a 512GB SSD, which is a great choice for gamers and general users alike. SSDs are much faster than traditional hard drives, providing quicker boot times, faster load times for games, and an overall snappy system performance. The 512GB capacity offers a good amount of storage for a few games, applications, and media files, but if you’re planning to install a large library of games, you might find yourself running out of space relatively quickly.
While you can always upgrade or add an external drive, the built-in SSD provides a smooth user experience, and the performance boost compared to HDDs is noticeable.
Battery Life
Gaming laptops are notorious for having short battery lives, and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 is no exception. With a 48Wh battery, you can expect around 5 to 7 hours of usage for light tasks such as web browsing, media consumption, and productivity. However, during gaming or intensive tasks, the battery will drain much faster, typically lasting 2-3 hours depending on the game’s demands.
For serious gamers, you’ll likely need to keep the laptop plugged in during gaming sessions to ensure optimal performance and avoid interruptions.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The backlit keyboard is a solid addition to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3. While it’s not as fancy as some high-end gaming laptops, the backlight helps when gaming in low-light environments. The keycaps are well spaced, and the keyboard offers a good typing experience for both casual and professional use.
The trackpad is responsive and functional, but for serious gaming, most users will prefer using a mouse. The trackpad is adequate for everyday tasks, but it doesn’t offer the precision required for fast-paced gaming.
Operating System and Software
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Home, the latest operating system from Microsoft. Windows 11 offers a sleek and modern interface, with improved performance and support for gaming technologies like DirectStorage and Auto HDR. It’s a good fit for gaming, as it’s optimized for newer hardware and provides a smoother overall user experience.
Lenovo also includes some helpful software, such as Lenovo Vantage, which allows you to customize your system’s settings, including battery management, system updates, and performance modes. There’s also pre-installed bloatware, but it’s minimal compared to some other manufacturers.
Connectivity and Ports
For connectivity, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 is well-equipped. It offers a variety of ports, including:
- 1 x USB 3.2 Type-C port
- 2 x USB 3.2 Type-A ports
- 1 x USB 2.0 port
- 1 x HDMI 2.1 port (perfect for connecting to external monitors or TVs)
- 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet port
- 1 x headphone/microphone combo jack
- Wi-Fi 6 support for faster wireless internet speeds
These ports cover all your connectivity needs, whether you’re connecting gaming peripherals, an external monitor, or a wired internet connection. The inclusion of Wi-Fi 6 ensures fast and stable internet connectivity, ideal for online gaming.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Affordable Price: The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 is budget-friendly for gamers, offering solid performance without breaking the bank.
- Decent Gaming Performance: Powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 5600H and NVIDIA GTX 1650, this laptop handles 1080p gaming well.
- Upgradable RAM: You can easily upgrade the RAM from 8GB to 16GB, allowing for better multitasking and future-proofing.
- Backlit Keyboard & Anti-glare Screen: These features enhance the overall usability and user experience, especially in different lighting conditions.
- Solid Build Quality: The laptop is durable and has a clean, professional design.
Cons:
- Limited Battery Life: As expected from a gaming laptop, the battery life is not impressive under heavy load.
- Display Could Be Better: The 60Hz refresh rate and average color accuracy may disappoint users who want a more premium visual experience.
- Only 8GB of RAM by Default: While upgradeable, 8GB of RAM might be limiting for power users and more demanding games.
Conclusion
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 is an excellent choice for gamers on a budget who want solid gaming performance without spending a premium price. With its Ryzen 5 processor, GTX 1650 GPU, and solid storage options, it provides a great balance of power and affordability for casual and mid-tier gamers. While the display and battery life aren’t exceptional, they are adequate for most users, and the ability to upgrade RAM offers flexibility for future needs.
If you’re looking for a gaming laptop that can handle modern games at 1080p on a budget, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ACH6 is a strong contender that offers great value for the price.
