IdeaPad Gaming 3 Upgrade (Full Specs)

IdeaPad Gaming 3 Upgrade

Updated: 11/01/2022

Upgrade the RAM and SSD drive in your Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop plus check out the specifications of the laptop.

Yes, upgrading the IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop including part numbers and instructions is in this article, plus specs.

How To Upgrade RAM And SSD On Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 Laptop

And if you want to see my review and the specs for the new IdeaPad Gaming 3 Gen 6, check out my article: Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3: Specs, Review, Tech Info

How To Upgrade RAM In IdeaPad Gaming 3 Laptop

Upgrade the memory in your IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop with DIMM modules in the two RAM slots or add a larger memory module. The RAM is located behind a cover meant to help dissipate heat and is on the center-right of the board. Remember to disconnect the battery first just as a precaution.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 max RAM is 32GB via 2 DIMM slots, which are DDR4 Dual-Channel capable slots.

IdeaPad Gaming 3 ModelRAM Type
15IMH05 (81Y4,82CG)DDR4-2933 -(Buy DDR4-3200)
Two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, dual-channel capable
15ARH05, 15ACH6, 15IHU6DDR4-3200
Two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, dual-channel capable
IdeaPad Gaming 3 Laptop RAM Types

RAM Upgrade Steps:

  1. Make sure the IdeaPad Gaming 3 is turned off and disconnect the A/C adapter.
  2. Close the laptop display and turn the IdeaPad over.
  3. Remove the 10 screws that secure the back panel in place.
  4. Carefully pry up the latches holding the cover in place and remove the back panel. (See diagram)
  5. The memory modules are in the center-right of the board and are covered with shielding.
  6. Remove the heat shielding and the current RAM module.
  7. Insert your new RAM module(s) and replace the cover.
IdeaPad Gaming 3 Back Cover Diagram

Note: Insert the notched end of the memory DIMM into the socket. Press the DIMM in firmly and pivot it down until it snaps into place. Make sure the DIMM is installed firmly in place.

Crucial RAM 16GB DDR4 3200MHz CL22 RAM:

IdeaPad Gaming 3 RAM Sockets Diagram

Enter IdeaPad Gaming 3 EUFI/BIOS:
Verify the correct amount of installed RAM by turning on the laptop and pressing F2 repeatedly. This takes you into the UEFI/BIOS and displays installed memory.

Related Article: Does A NVMe SSD Make A Difference? |Lenovo Laptop Drive

IdeaPad Gaming 3 Location Diagram

How To Upgrade SSD In IdeaPad Gaming 3 Laptop

Upgrading the SSD drive in an IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop is done by removing the back cover and locating the three potential drive locations. Three drive options can be installed in the IdeaPad Gaming 3, a 2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD, an M.2 2242, and an M.2 2280.

The new IdeaPad Gaming 3 Gen 6 models have an improved cooling system and fans, and therefore look different than the picture above. However, the upgrade procedure remains the same.

The two M.2 slots are: PCIe NVMe, PCIe 3.0 x4
The 2.5″ SATA slot is: SATA 6Gb/s

SSD Upgrade:

Follow these steps to upgrade the SSD drive in your IdeaPad Gaming 3. Best practice is to disconnect the internal battery prior to removing or replacing any component.

  1. Make sure the IdeaPad Gaming 3 is turned off and disconnect the A/C adapter.
  2. Close the display and turn over the laptop.
  3. Remove the 10 screws that secure the back panel in place.
  4. Carefully pry up the latches holding the cover in place and remove the back panel. (See diagram above)
  5. All three drive locations are on the lower left of the board, just above the battery. (See diagram)
  6. Unscrew the existing drive and add your replacement. You can add an M.2 2242 or M.2 2280 in either slot and either an SDD or HDD in the 2.5″ slot.
IdeaPad Gaming 3 Drive Diagram

Note: Remove the M.2 2242 drive and also remove its standoff to add an M.2 2280 drive in its place.

Officially only two drives can be installed at the same time on the IdeaPad Gaming 3 because adding a second M.2 2280 drive physically interferes with the 2.5″ SATA drive. That is, if you add a second M.2 2280 drive it will project over any existing 2.5″ drive, so this is not recommended or supported by Lenovo. Users have done this anyway by adding some padding for the protection of the drive.

Keep something in mind: if you do replace your drive, either clone your current drive or re-install the operating system and all your data and programs. Many drives come with software to help you clone your computer.

Want to know about fixing SSD drive issues? Read my article: SSD Not Showing Up | Full Fix
Or, are you having fan problems? Read: How To Fix A Laptop Fan | See How

I listed some compatible RAM and SSD drives below. These are Amazon affiliate links in which I get paid a commission if a purchase is made. The RAM is all CL-22 and unbuffered 3200MHZ.

SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB – M.2 NVMe:

Crucial Ballistix 3200 MHz DDR4 DRAM Laptop Gaming Memory Kit 32GB:

Change IdeaPad Gaming 3 From HDD To SSD

Yes, you can replace the standard 2.5″ HDD in an IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop with an SSD drive. The current HDD is SATA and so will be your replacement. You should already have the HDD drive ribbon cable so all you need to do is swap the drives.

If you are installing a new SSD drive into the 2.5″ slot and don’t have the drive ribbon cable, order the following part number:

IdeaPad Gaming 3 HDD cable (L 81Y4 HDD/B) part number: 5C10S30065

Check out my article on ordering Lenovo parts: How To Find Lenovo Parts (2 options)

IdeaPad Gaming 3 HDD Cable
HDD Cable

Looking for a VR headset? Read my article: Oculus Quest 2 | Specs And Tech Info

Does Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 have WiFi 6?

Most, but not all, IdeaPad Gaming 3 models do have WiFi 6 or 802.11ax 2×2 as it was known. I compared model types and it looks like only the 15ARH05 (82EY) has the WiFi 5 or 802.11ac 2×2 card installed, at least in the U.S.

The WiFi 6 card for the IdeaPad is listed on Lenovo’s website as part number: 01AX798 (Wl Bt 802.11Abgnacax Ax201.ngwg.nv)

Note: 802.11ac 2×2 WiFi only works on the 5GHZ band. 802.11ax 2×2 WiFi works on the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands with single-stream speeds of 3.5Gbps.

Download new WiFi drivers for your IdeaPad laptop from Lenovo Support.

Get your NEW IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop straight from Lenovo using my affiliate link..

$ 791.34
$ 979.99
IdeaPad Gaming 3 AMD (15”) – Onyx Black

IdeaPad Gaming 3 Thermal Performance?

The IdeaPad laptop is installed with Lenovo Vantage software that allows you to choose your desired thermal mode. The options are Performance mode, Balanced mode, and Quiet mode.

Use balanced mode for normal day-to-day usage of the laptop. Performance mode is for heavy use such as playing games. It will be louder as the fans run at high speeds.

IdeaPad Gaming 3 Model 15IMH05 Specifications

I created a table with some of the popular Gaming 3 model 15IMH05 types and their specifications for your reference. Note that these laptops have 120HZ, FHD (1920×1080) displays.

ModelProcessorGraphicsMemorySSD Drive
82K100LWCCIntel Core i7-11370H (4C / 8T, 3.3 / 4.8GHz, 12MB)NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR62x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200512GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe + 1TB HDD 5400rpm 2.5″
82K100RKUSIntel Core i7-11370H (4C / 8T, 3.3 / 4.8GHz, 12MB)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
81Y40007UK
Intel Core i5-10300H (4C / 8T, 2.5 / 4.5GHz, 8MB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR62x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2933256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe + 1TB HDD 5400rpm 2.5″
81Y4000GUKIntel Core i5-10300H (4C / 8T, 2.5 / 4.5GHz, 8MB)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR62x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2933256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe + 1TB HDD 5400rpm 2.5″
81Y4001FUS
Intel Core i5-10300H (4C / 8T, 2.5 / 4.5GHz, 8MB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2933256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
81Y4001JUSIntel Core i5-10300H (4C / 8T, 2.5 / 4.5GHz, 8MB)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2933512GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
81Y4001GUSIntel Core i7-10750H (6C / 12T, 2.6 / 5.0GHz, 12MB)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2933256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe + 1TB HDD 5400rpm 2.5″
81Y4001HUSIntel Core i7-10750H (6C / 12T, 2.6 / 5.0GHz, 12MB)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-2933512GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
IdeaPad Gaming 3 15IMH05
81Y4 / 82CG Specs

IdeaPad Gaming 3 Model 15ARH05 Specifications

The table below lists some popular IdeaPad Gaming 3 model 15ARH05 models and their configurations.

ModelProcessorGraphicsMemorySSD Drive
82K200UYUSAMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8C / 16T, 3.2 / 4.4GHz, 4MB L2 / 16MB L3)NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6, Boost Clock 1500 / 1635MHz, TGP 85W1x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe + 1TB HDD 5400rpm 2.5″
82EY0027USAMD Ryzen 5 4600H (6C / 12T, 3.0 / 4.0GHz, 3MB L2 / 8MB L3)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe + 1TB HDD 5400rpm 2.5″
82EY0028USAMD Ryzen 5 4600H (6C / 12T, 3.0 / 4.0GHz, 3MB L2 / 8MB L3)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe + 1TB HDD 5400rpm 2.5″
82EY0029USAMD Ryzen 7 4800H (8C / 16T, 2.9 / 4.2GHz, 4MB L2 / 8MB L3)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200512GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe + 1TB HDD 5400rpm 2.5″
82EY002AUSAMD Ryzen 7 4800H (8C / 16T, 2.9 / 4.2GHz, 4MB L2 / 8MB L3)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200512GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe + 1TB HDD 5400rpm 2.5″
82EY002BUSAMD Ryzen 5 4600H (6C / 12T, 3.0 / 4.0GHz, 3MB L2 / 8MB L3)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
82EY006YUSAMD Ryzen 7 4800H (8C / 16T, 2.9 / 4.2GHz, 4MB L2 / 8MB L3)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200512GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
82EY00FDUSAMD Ryzen 5 4600H (6C / 12T, 3.0 / 4.0GHz, 3MB L2 / 8MB L3)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200256GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
82EY009XRMAMD Ryzen 7 4800H (8C / 16T, 2.9 / 4.2GHz, 4MB L2 / 8MB L3)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR61x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200512GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
IdeaPad Gaming 3 15ARH05
82EY Specs

Summary

This article was all about upgrading your IdeaPad laptop with more RAM and a larger SSD drive. Also included were information on the WiFi adapter in the laptop and some common popular model configurations. Don’t miss the part numbers included for the components as well. Anyone can upgrade their Lenovo laptop to improve its performance for everyday use or gaming.

Check out some accessories below:

These monitors are on the Lenovo website as part of their gaming accessories. Check them out through my affiliate link if you need a new monitor.

Lenovo G34w-10 34 inch gaming monitor image
Lenovo G34w-10 34 Inch WLED Ultra-Wide Curved Gaming Monitor
G34w-10 34 inch gaming monitor rating

Key Details

  • Curved panel draws you in and places you amid the games you play.
  • Refresh rate of 144Hz coupled with AMD Radeon FreeSyncTM technology.
  • Low blue light certification allows for extended hours of entertainment.
Y25-25
Lenovo Legion Y25-25
24.5-inch FHD LED
Backlit LCD Gaming
Monitor (G-Sync Compatible)
Monitor Rating

Key Details

  • 24.5-inch e-sports size
  • 240Hz refresh rate
  • In-Plane Switching display
  • 4 x USB 3.2 Gen1 (2 x BC1.2)
  • Resolution – 1920×1080
  • G-sync Compatible
G27c-10
Lenovo G27c-10 FHD WLED Curved Gaming Monitor. Full-HD display, 165 Hz refresh rate.
rating1

Key Details

  • 27-inch 1500R Curved Gaming Monitor
  • 1920 x 1080, FHD resolution
  • 144Hz Refresh Rate
  • AMD Radeon FreeSync technology
lenovo-gaming303bundle
Game On Bundle
rating

Key Details

  • Game on the go with the Lenovo Game On Bundle
  • Legion 17″ Backpack lets you pack up and go
  • M600 Mouse and H500 headset compliment the set for gaming anywhere

Includes:

  • Legion H500 Pro 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset
  • Lenovo Legion 17” Armored Backpack
  • Lenovo Legion M600 Wireless Gaming Mouse
Lenovo Gaming Bundle
Basic Gaming Bundle 1
part number

Key details

  • Get in the game with the Legion Basic Gaming Bundle ONE
  • Lenovo Legion K500 Keyboard and M200 Mouse are quick and precise
  • Our gaming mouse mat makes swiping a breeze

Includes:

  • Lenovo Legion K500 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
  • Lenovo Legion M200 Mouse
  • Lenovo Legion Gaming Cloth Mouse Pad
JS Author Picture

J.S. is the owner, content creator, and editor at Upgrades-and-Options.com. I’ve worked in the IT and Computer Support field for over 20 years. The server hardware in my computer labs has mostly been IBM, but I’ve supported Dell, HP, and various other hardware. In addition, as part of my lab administrator responsibilities, I’ve learned, supported, and repaired/upgraded network hardware such as Cisco routers and switches. READ FULL BIO >>