Lenovo - IdeaCentre 3 Desktop - Intel Core i5-14400 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Cloud Grey

This is the best for Windows usage. All the hookups works great . I truly recommend this product

I saw this computer as a good simple computer for my daughter to use for high school this August, since she mostly used her fruit-brand tablet for middle school. I've always trusted the Lenovo brand and wanted to get her this for simple document creating and internet. Upon receiving this computer, I was amazed at how small the tower was. I already had a large 32" monitor to attach. The IdeCentre 3 comes with a simple wired mouse and keyboard, and I knew immediately I wanted to her something bluetooth enabled later. But for set up purposes, the original keyboard and mouse would be sufficient. The mouse and keyboard are nothing too fancy, plugs in using usb-A in the back. Set up was simple as are all window's computers nowadays. I really like the basic look and aesthetics of this tower. In the front you have the power button, 3.5mm microphone and audio jacks, two USB-A and 1 USB-C IO. The back has 4 additional USB-A ports and the HDMI port. I wished this had more USB-C since it is 2024. The performance is very good for this computer. The core i5 14th gen does not slow down at all. I appreciated that this came with 8GB of RAM, would have liked if this had double that, but I am not expecting her to be gaming on this. The 256GB SSD is more than enough and felt that SSD is something she would be accustomed to with her tablet. What was frustrating was after initial set up, 50 GB's were used up already! Don't expect to save a lot of large sized files on this computer. For simple gaming like Roblox and Minecraft, this handled really well with no dropped frames. This Lenovo IdeaCentre 3 excels in documents/office files and internet browsing. I already have an account to utilize the full Microsoft Suite and it perfectly synced with all of her documents. Browsing the internet is really snappy for her (and me), and felt this is a very decent entry-level computer for home/school usages. We watched videos on YouTube and they loaded fast (not as fast as I would have hoped) but fast enough. Going back to the keyboard, the travel is fine but I don't like the tactile feel of the keys themselves. They are hard but the depth of them is strange for me as I noticed I was making a lot of mistakes typing since I feel their depth is shallow. Overall, this is again a very good computer for those on a budget or are just wanting a simple device for school and office usage. It is very quiet and compact, but in need of more up-to-date IO.

The Lenovo IdeaCentre 3 Desktop, equipped with the Intel i5-14400 processor, is a compact yet powerful machine designed to cater to a wide range of users, from work professionals to content creators to students. As a long-time Lenovo laptop user, I was eager to test their desktop offering. The support at Lenovo is top-notch and affordable so you know you're in good hands. This computer compes with a 1-year warranty and there are upgrade options in the Lenovo Vantage software equipped with the computer. I would recommend extending the warranty if you have limited experience with computers. For me, the 1-year warranty will typically be enough time to make sure everything is working properly. **Setup** You get a computer, and a basic keyboard and mouse. It comes with a power cable and an instruction booklet. Unpacking, setting up cables, and powering up takes about 15 minutes. You will need an external monitor and display cable. This computer comes with 2 input options for an external monitor, HDMI & an old school VGA. If you use the HDMI AND the VGA you can hook up 2 monitors at 60Hz. There are (2) USB-A 2.0 inputs to connect your USB mouse and USB keyboard. There are 4 USB-A 3.2 superspeed inputs (2 are in the front.) Finally, you will have 1 USB-C 3.2 input in the front as well. I hooked up a nice webcam through one of the USB inputs with no problem. There is a mic and a headphone jack in front, along with a 7-in-1 card reader. These are convenient if you have a camera and you want to transfer photos to your computer. Once I booted up into Windows 11 home, there weren't many Windows updates, so I downloaded and installed software as necessary and I was up and running. I uninstalled McAfee and used the built-in Windows 11 antivirus which has suited me fine. If you're not comfortable with computers, leave on McAfee Antivirus and leave it to the experts. **Performance** The heart of this machine is the Intel i5-14400 processor, a true beast released in early 2024. With 10 cores and 16 threads, it delivers exceptional performance, handling demanding tasks with ease. This processor was released in early 2024 so it's brand new. There's a max frequency of 4.7 GHz. There are 6 P-cores with 12 threads (these tackle the more intensive tasks) and 4 E-cores with 4 threads (these are take on the easy tasks.) Frequency on P-cores range from 2.5 to 4.7 GHz. E-cores range from 1.8 to 3.5 GHz. On the Microsoft Edge browser, I opened up 11 tabs and it zipped right through them, no slowdown at all. Memory ran up to 85% capacity during this test. Even at high utilization, I noticed no slowdown at all. The processor is air-cooled with a basic intel fan that does its job well. The highest temps arrived when testing Adobe Creative Suite at about 75 degrees Celsius, and when I ran Cinenbench R23 I saw a max temp of 84 degrees Celsius. Cooling is excellent and I wouldn't expect any less from a Lenovo machine. These Intel processors will throttle at 100 degrees Celsius if necessary, so you are getting full power when running even the most demanding apps with a max temp of 84. The integrated Intel UHD 730 graphics may not be top-of-the-line or dedicated graphics, but it surprised me with its capabilities. A few details on the 730: It launched March of 2021 with 14 nm technology. It will game pretty good at 720p, but most importantly it supports DirectX 12 which is essential for today's games. I tested Minecraft Windows 10 version and it ran smooth, no lag, and looked great on default settings. For anyone that wants some light gaming on the side. This computer will have no problem gaming at 720p. I installed Adobe Creative Suite and played around with InDesign and Illustrator. Both of these apps were quite zippy. Memory is adequate but was pushed to the max around 92% on the performance monitor in Creative Suite. I would highly recommend adding a second stick of memory at 8GB to allow you more room to open up more apps. Suprisingly, there was no lag even when memory hit 92% of its capacity. Cinebench R23 Scores: Multicore 13800, Single-Core 1743, Excellent scores here. CrystalMark NVME Speed Test: Read/Write Scores were 4000/2000 MB/s These are very good scores. For reference I've had top of the line hard drives hit between 5000 and 7000 MB/s on read/write. **Design and Build** The IdeaCentre's compact size (12 x 10 x 4 inches) makes it ideal for small spaces. It can be positioned either upright or on its side, and the large cooling vent ensures efficient heat dissipation. The plastic front is made from 75% recycled materials, a plus for the environmentally conscious. This computer runs cool and there's almost no noise at all from cooling fans, impressive. This computer can go almost anywhere, just keep it clean and allow the large vent to breathe. The keyboard is very basic with the 10 Key Number pad. Keys are a little squishy so there will be some fatigue. I would recommend upgrading to an entry level keyboard with ergonomic keys that are easier to press. The mouse worked well for me. It has the scroll wheel making it easy to browse web pages. Hard Drive - Supports a 3.5 SATA HDD w/a SATA 6 Gb/s (these are very affordable) & a M.2 2280 SSD, 4.0 NVME. If you choose to upgrade and fill the 3.5 HDD, it will run a little hotter than your NVME that is installed, but with CPU temps this low you won't have any issues with heat. Memory - Up to 32GB DDR4-3200 (Memory is one generation behind, but solid), 2 Slots. It comes with 8GB, and it's very efficient w/8GB but again, I would recommend getting 16GB (Fairly cheap.) More details below. **Upgradability** While the included 8GB of memory is efficient, I recommend upgrading to 16GB for smoother multitasking and optimal performance in memory-intensive applications. The computer only has 256GB of storage space, which might work for some. For those of you needing more space, you have 2 options to upgrade HD space. Your best option would be to add a 3.5" HDD to the empty bay. I will most likely add a 2TB HDD to the empty 3.5"SATA bay. The great things about the 3.5" HDD (ones that spin) is they are very affordable, and this computer has an empty bay waiting for the upgrade. You can remove the side cover very easily by unscrewing 2 screws and pressing the metal tab. The memory is a little bit harder to get to (it's under the 3.5 SATA bay) but I would upgrade this as well. You can also add an external hard drive and plug it into one of the many 3.2 USB-A ports or even USB-C if you prefer a more portable option for extra space. **Connectivity and Features** The IdeaCentre boasts a wide array of ports, including six USB 3.2 ports (five USB-A and one USB-C), a 7-in-1 card reader, and both Wi-Fi 6E and 1 GB Ethernet connectivity if you want to run a network cable. It also comes with a free trial of McAfee antivirus software, but thankfully, there's no bloatware to clutter the system. There are no speakers so plug in a pair unless you choose to go the headphone route. If using headphones fortunately you can go bluetooth, USB, or headphone jack. **Conclusion** This is an excellent option for a home, family, students, work professionals, or content creators. Lenovo saved a little bit of money offering only 8GB of memory and 256GB of hard drive space. I would have like at least 500GB of space and 16GB of memory to future proof the machine, but you can easily upgrade both the memory and space when necessary for less than $100. The performance and efficiency of both the CPU and memory are exceptional. You can play a ton of games at 720p. You will have to move graphics to low or medium on some of the more graphics intensive titles but 720p is still good enough visually. For a desktop computer, I would highly recommend this model. There's excellent support from Lenovo, it runs cool, and the Intel I5-14400 is a really good CPU for this price. This workhorse will perform really well for at least 3 or 4 years and possibly longer. In the price category it's hard to beat. **Pros** * Powerful Intel i5-14400 processor * Compact and space-saving design * Efficient cooling system * Upgradable memory and storage * Wide range of ports and connectivity options * Wifi on a desktop is a convenient option (nice where network cables aren't available) **Cons** * Included 8GB of memory may be limiting for some users * Limited storage capacity out of the box * Integrated graphics may not be sufficient for demanding tasks **Recommendation** A compact yet powerful desktop computer. A leading brand with excellent support. It's a versatile machine that can handle a wide range of tasks and offers adequate room for future upgrades. Recommended.