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The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i (Model # 15IAU7) is classified by Lenovo as an "Essential Laptop Computer" and in that capacity it delivers. Let me tell you why in this complete review. What you will receive: Yet again arriving in a standard low cost eco friendly box most notebook makers use these days, inside you will find the 3i, 65w PSU, cord and a some pamphlets. First impressions: The 3i is solidly built of an all plastic chassis that feels secure. It is fairly light and I love the grey aesthetics. The keyboard is solid, well spaced and backlit.The system comes installed with Windows 11 Pro which indicates it is geared towards business users or home users who want more flexibility and control. The unit itself is light weighing in at 3lb 11oz (~1.68kg) and the 65w PSU clocking in at 11.6oz (~.329kg) for a total weight of 4lb 6.7oz (~2kg). CPU: The 3i comes equipped with an Intel 12th gen i5-1235u CPU. It is an odd mix of 2 Performance cores + 2 hyper threading and 8 Efficiency cores = 12 threads. This means for tasks requiring 1-4 threads you can expect to achieve the state of the art performance of the modern Performance cores. This encompasses most users who will be looking at this laptop as a potential purchase. If your tasks require multi threaded performance and are computationally heavy you will want to look elsewhere as the remaining 8 essential cores are extremely efficient but also much slower than the Performance cores. This is shown in the mixed bag results of Cinebench R23 showing a fairly strong single core performance of 1597 but a very subpar multi core performance of 5965. Single core never throttled but multi hit ~93c and at this point throttled down to 15-19w and the system dropped down to ~2.0-2.2ghz across both Performance and Efficiency cores. You can give your system a slight boost updating the BIOS (see below). Memory and Storage: The system comes equipped with 8GB of memory in a 1x8GB config and that is unfortunately soldered onto the system board. The system does have one slot free for an upgrade for a max of 16GB, 24GB or potentially 40GB. While the i5-1235u is rated up to 3200mhz memory speed the 3i unfortunately uses 2667mhz memory running in gear 2 resulting in very low bandwidth (~21MB/sec) and high latency (90ns). 8GB is really the bare minimum for a modern day Windows 10 or 11 system. Couple these three things together and you're left with a system that would benefit from a memory upgrade almost immediately to give it dual channel memory and more ram overall. You can give your system a boost to its proper 3200mhz and set it to gear 1 mode by updating the BIOS (see below). The Intel 512GB M.2 drive boasted respectable speeds reaching ~2500 read and ~1600 write which is more than enough for most Windows 11 use cases. Stress testing under full load the Intel 512GB SSD never even came close to overheating. GPU: Since this is geared towards essential users, there is no dedicated GPU only integrated Iris XE graphics which are more than enough for every other usage case that is not GPU heavy. It has enough power to play some games that are light on the GPU but if you're any type of serious gamer this is not the laptop for you. First time starting up and usage: Upon first boot you are greeted with some quick and easy setup steps and off you go. This Lenovo 3i comes with a standard Windows 11 Pro install open and ready for use. During setup you can register your laptop with Lenovo along with the pre-installed Nortons. You will want to run Windows Update as there were numerous updates available. The unit also comes installed with Lenovo's software called Advantage and it will also keep your Lenovo software and BIOS updates up to date. When I checked there was a BIOS update already waiting. BIOS UPDATE: There is a BIOS update dated June 2022 (or later) that you will absolutely want to install as soon as possible. It addresses CPU performance and memory frequency and timing issues. The stock BIOS has the memory stuck at 2667. With the update it will be set to the proper 3200mhz. It also allows the CPU to at least momentarily run a little faster netting ~10% more performance in multi threaded performance. It also addresses several other issues too. This can be either downloaded manually from Lenovo's website or updated via the Lenovo Vantage program. As for pre-installed software... Lenovo's Advantage software and Nortons is pre-installed but I do like that Lenovo didn't cram too much bloatware on their system. You do have the option of installing numerous programs through their Advantage software if you chose to. As it is, if you are a novice user who just wants a 3i that "just works" out of the box this will work for you. Battery Life: Battery life was very good running in balanced mode but my battery already had 3% wear on it fresh out of the box. The system and CPU selection are geared towards battery life and longevity and it shows but I do wish it came with a larger capacity battery than ~48wH (Rated 45WH from Lenovo). Display quality: The 1920x1080 (1080P) is decent but not remarkable. The 3i comes equipped with an AUO B156HAN02.1 panel (Panel ID AUOE48D) which is a standard 60hz panel with 262k colors and a cd/m2 of ~250 meaning it isn't the brightest panel out there and the color reproduction is decidedly average. Still, it is pleasing on the eye and I had no problems with its targeted use for day to day essential computing. Ports: Port selection is spartan but functional. You get a USB-C port, a couple of USB-A ports, SD card reader, HDMI out. There is no Ethernet port so if you require Ethernet you will need to use a USB adapter. Wifi: The 3i does come equipped with onboard Wifi ready to go so you can connect immediately to any available wireless networks. The Intel AX200 series WiFi is nice and speedy. Keyboard, track pad and fingerprint reader: The keyboard is large and spacious which I very much like. The back lighting is solid and bright and typing is more than passable. You can turn the backlight off and on with fn+spacebar. The 3i track pad continues the trend of modern thin and light laptops and notebooks and eschews the left and right keys for one, large area where you press down the entire corner on the left or right for manual usage. It is better to use the touch functions instead. I do wish laptop makers would offer a real touch pad with true left and right buttons even on their lower end models. Webcam: I tested the webcam with a few recording sessions and it more than handles itself well. It isn't on the level of an $80USD+ webcam like a C920 but it more than got the job done for basic use (Zoom, Teams, etc..). You will not be bowled over by it but it will get you from point A to B relatively unscathed. Fan Noise: Under load the fan is definitely audible and even on the desktop and doing mundane tasks it will spin lightly and is audible in a quiet room. Certain web tasks will kick it up even more. This is definitely not a silent computing laptop but instead an acceptable noise level laptop. Summary: You will very much like the fit and finish of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i. It is relatively light, has a spacious backlit keyboard and a screen that is pleasant for day to day use. For basic tasks like web surfing, spreadsheets, word processing and similar you can't go wrong with this unit. It comes with Windows 11 Pro instead of Home which is a delightful surprise. 8GB will get you through and the modern WiFi and BT will keep you connected with no problems. On the other hand, the subpar multi threaded CPU performance is disappointing even after a BIOS update. The fan is usually always on in some capacity even under light usage and the all in one touchpad can be troublesome if you're used to manual buttons. The display, while more than passable, has an average gamut due to its low display colors and could use a touch more luminescence for brightly lit rooms. 8GB is functional but 16GB would have been better. After weighing the pros and cons along with the excellent pricing and target audience, this is a 4/5 for me. If you are an essential user looking for a fairly sturdy laptop to handle basic day to day tasks this will get the job done right out of the box. If you require decent multi threaded CPU performance or real GPU performance, definitely look elsewhere. If you have enjoyed this review and it has aided you in your buying decision, please gently give the "Helpful" button a tap. It is much appreciated.