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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability with a focus on gaming and intensive tasks like machine learning or engineering, the Lenovo Legion 5 16 is a strong choice. It offers a high-performance Intel i9 processor and a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, which will handle demanding applications with ease. The Legion's 16-inch screen with a 2560 x 1600 resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate is excellent for fast-motion content and has superior color accuracy, making it suitable for both work and play. It's built with a sturdy design and includes a backlit keyboard, though it lacks a number pad. The Legion is slightly heavier and thicker, which is a tradeoff for its superior performance and larger screen. On the other hand, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option that still offers solid gaming performance, the MSI GF65 Thin is a good alternative. It's equipped with a capable Intel i5 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, which will serve well for general gaming and everyday tasks. The 15.6-inch display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate is suitable for gaming, though it falls short in color accuracy compared to the Legion. The MSI is lighter and thinner, making it more portable, but this comes at the cost of performance and screen quality. It also runs cooler and quieter under load, which might be a consideration if you're sensitive to heat and noise. In summary, choose the Lenovo Legion 5 16 for its superior performance, larger and higher-quality display, and robust build, accepting the tradeoff in portability. Opt for the MSI GF65 Thin if you prioritize a lighter, more compact design and are willing to compromise on performance and display quality for a lower price point. 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 GF65 Thin
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.1
6.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
500.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.8
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
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 GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.7
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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 GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.3
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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 GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
500.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin 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
4.5 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin 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
6.7
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) has good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Cost
$1,100
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) has a price of $1,100 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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How the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2024 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10.3'' x 0.97'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.6 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.31" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.25" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-14900HX | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 500 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
MSI GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 5 16 (2024) or the MSI GF65 Thin
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.
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