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We’ve had an early look at Intel Arc laptops from Lenovo, specifically the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 (which is powered by an AMD Ryzen 6000 series CPU), as well as the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (which is powered by an Intel processor). The 3i version of the IdeaPad Gaming laptop will include options for either Nvidia RTX 30-series graphics cards or alternatively Intel Arc GPUs, whereas the AMD Ryzen 6000 series option will just have Nvidia RTX 30-series options.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i with Intel Arc A370M graphics card
Early in the Mobile World Congress 2022 the following leak was released, which shows the maximum specifications possible in the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i, which includes the option of the Intel Arc A370M GPU (see under ‘Performance for Budding Gamers’ on the left). Further details of exactly what GPU options are available for each has since been revealed (see below).
What is Intel Arc?
Intel Arc (not to be confused with Intel ARK which is Intel’s Automated Relational Knowledgebase, used to compare specifications of existing Intel chips) is the upcoming series of dedicated GPUs from Intel, which are set to compete with Nvidia and AMD, particularly at the low-mid range of the price spectrum, though the most powerful (the A700) will also be looking to challenge the likes of the RTX 3070 and the RX 6800 XT. Besides the desktop versions, there will be laptop iterations of these graphics cards too (as we can see in the image above).
Intel Arc will use completely new architecture, and though we’ve got some early performance indications of how they will stack up, it’s difficult to know how they compare with AMD and Nvidia’s range based on specs alone.
Will Intel Arc work with AMD Ryzen CPUs?
Generally speaking, Intel Arc GPUs will work with AMD Ryzen CPUs as far as desktop machines are concerned, but we don’t know at this stage whether this will be a worthwhile combination, or whether you’ll lose out on big performance synergies from having matching brand Intel CPUs and GPUs.
In terms of laptop versions of the Intel Arc graphics card, it’s likely you’ll see these combined more often with Intel CPUs, as we can see with the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i (the AMD-powered IdeaPad Gaming 3 not having the option of being paired with the Arc).
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 specifications
The specifications of the different sized Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 specifications are as follows (info taken from Videocardz).
| IdeaPad Gaming 3i (15”, 7) | IdeaPad Gaming 3i (16”, 7) | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions & Weight | 21.8mm+ & 2.4kg+ | 20.9mm+ & 2.5kg+ |
| Display | 15.6” WQHD IPS, 16:9, 165Hz, 100% sRGB, 350 nits | 16” WQHD+ IPS, 16:10, 165Hz, 100% sRGB, 500 nits |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H max | AMD Ryzen 7 6800H max |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU (4G GDDR6; Listed Boost Clock 1485MHz, TDP 85W) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU (4G GDDR6; Listed Boost Clock 1485MHz, TDP 85W) |
| RAM | 32GB 3200MHz DDR4 max | 32GB 3200MHz DDR4 max |
| Storage | 1TB SSD PCIe NVMe (M.2)3 max | 1TB SSD PCIe NVMe (M.2)3 max |
| Ports | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) 1 x Audio Jack (Microphone & Earphone) Right 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) Rear 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C) (DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery 3.0) 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x RJ 45 1 x DC-in |
Left 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) 1 x Audio Jack (Microphone & Earphone) Right 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) Rear 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C) (DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery 3.0) 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x RJ 45 1 x DC-in |
| Colors | Glacier White, Onyx Grey | Onyx Grey |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i specifications
Similarly, the core specs of both the 15-inch IdeaPad Gaming 3i, and the 16-inch version can be seen below. You will note the option for both the more powerful RTX 3060 graphics card, or the Intel Arc GPU, as well as Thunderbolt 4 support.
| IdeaPad Gaming 3i (15”, 7) | IdeaPad Gaming 3i (16”, 7) | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions & Weight | 21.8mm+ & 2.4kg+ | 20.9mm+ & 2.5kg+ |
| Display | 15.6” WQHD IPS, 16:9, 165Hz, 100% sRGB, 350 nits | 16” WQHD+ IPS, 16:10, 165Hz, 100% sRGB, 500 nits |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-12700H max | Intel Core i7-12700H max |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU (6GB GDDR6; Listed Boost Clock 1425MHz, TGP 105W OR Intel Arc Graphics GPU |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU (6GB GDDR6; Listed Boost Clock 1425MHz, TGP 105W OR Intel Arc Graphics GPU |
| RAM | 32GB 3200MHz DDR4 max | 32GB 3200MHz DDR4 max |
| Storage | 1TB SSD PCIe NVMe (M.2)3 max | 1TB SSD PCIe NVMe (M.2)3 max |
| Ports | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) 1 x Audio Jack (Microphone & Earphone) Right 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) Rear 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C) (Thunderbolt 4*, DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery 3.0) 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x RJ 45 1 x DC-in |
Left 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) 1 x Audio Jack (Microphone & Earphone) Right 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A) Rear 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C) (Thunderbolt 4*, DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery 3.0) 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x RJ 45 1 x DC-in |
| Colors | Glacier White, Onyx Grey | Onyx Grey |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 price & 3i price
The following details are taken from the official press release, as reported by Videocardz:
- The 15-inch IdeaPad Gaming 3 will have a starting price of €999, the 16-inch IdeaPad Gaming 3 will retail starting at €1,099.
- Simlarly the 15-inch IdeaPad Gaming 3i laptop will have a starting MSRP of €999, the 16-inch IdeaPad Gaming 3i will retail starting at €1,099.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 release date & 3i release date
- The 15-inch IdeaPad Gaming 3 with AMD Ryzen 6000 series CPU is scheduled to release in June 2022, the 16-inch version of the laptop will follow in July 2022.
- The 15-inch IdeaPad Gaming 3i Lenovo gaming laptop with Intel Core processor and which comes with the option to be powered by Intel Arc is expected to release in May 2022. The 16-inch IdeaPad Gaming 3i release date is June 2022.
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