The Lenovo Legion 5 16 offers superior performance for demanding tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning with its high-end Intel i9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, paired with ample RAM and storage. Its 16-inch high-resolution display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 240Hz refresh rate is excellent for fast-paced motion and detailed visual work, though it comes with a higher price tag. It's also built for expansion with additional RAM and storage slots. However, it's heavier and less portable, and the battery life is only fair.
In contrast, the MSI Cyborg 15 is more budget-friendly and portable, making it a better choice for general use and moderate gaming. It still packs a punch with an Intel i7 processor and the same Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, but with less RAM and storage out of the box. The 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate is suitable for most users' needs, though it falls short in color accuracy and brightness compared to the Lenovo. It has fewer ports and no number pad on the keyboard, but it's lighter and has a longer battery life, making it more suitable for on-the-go use.
Ultimately, if performance and screen quality are your top priorities and you don't mind the extra weight and cost, the Lenovo Legion 5 16 is the way to go. However, if you're looking for a more affordable and portable option that can still handle a variety of tasks well, the MSI Cyborg 15 is a solid choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024)
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
Good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.1/10
7.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
500.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) is very good for general use, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
7.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
9.0/10
7.5/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.5/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) is very good for content creation, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.0/10
7.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) is very good for software development, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
8.7/10
6.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
500.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
3.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.7/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) has good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) or the MSI Cyborg 15
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
123,795
Recommendations made
26,823
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.