If you prioritize a touchscreen and longer battery life for everyday use, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 would be preferable and typically comes at a somewhat lower price. However, if you require higher performance for tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the MSI Katana 15 with its more powerful graphics card is a better choice, although it may be heavier on your budget and has a shorter battery life. The MSI also offers a higher screen refresh rate, which improves the experience in fast-paced scenarios. The Lenovo provides a higher resolution and potentially better screen for detailed work in engineering or creative tasks, but it's not as tailored for demanding applications that can leverage a dedicated GPU. 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 Flex 5 16
Good overall display quality
Good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
Good for gaming and AI
Good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.2/10
7.7/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for engineering and design, though the MSI Katana 15 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16's stronger CPU, high-resolution touchscreen with stylus support, and the versatility of a 2-in-1 design make it an attractive option for engineering and design where screen quality for fine detail work matters. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15, with a dedicated Nvidia GPU and a faster screen refresh rate, is better suited for engineering tasks that require more GPU power and benefit from a higher refresh rate, although it lacks the higher screen resolution and touchscreen capability of the Lenovo. Both have suitable portability and decent keyboards, but the Lenovo may offer a quieter operating experience with less powerful internals, while the MSI's more robust specs could result in more noise under load.
Screen Quality
7.3/10
6.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, engineering and design, and software development.
If the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a high-resolution display with vibrant colors, it would be great for general use and engineering tasks where visual clarity and color accuracy matter. However, if it lacks a fast refresh rate, this would make it less suitable for gaming and 3D work, where smooth motion is key. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15, with adequate but not exceptional resolution and color range, offers a balanced experience for general use and engineering, but like the Flex, if it also has a lower refresh rate, it wouldn't be the best option for gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
11.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 15 has 4 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.
Cost
$779
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $779 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is suited for general use with its higher screen resolution and brightness for better visual experience, plus it offers longer battery life and convertible flexibility, making it portable and versatile. The MSI Katana 15, while it has a larger storage capacity and a dedicated graphics card for better gaming or graphic-intensive tasks, it compromises on battery life and does not offer the 2-in-1 feature, positioning it less favorably for users prioritizing portability and battery longevity for general use.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for content creation.
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
7.5/10
7.0/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development.
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.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Flex 5 16 to have good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Flex 5 16 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
"The MSI Katana 15 B12 combines a Gen12 CPU with an RTX 4050, which is actually not a bad idea for a budget gamer. The CPU is anything but bad and the GPU in the Katana 15 proves to be significantly more efficient than last year's models. However, our main point of criticism for budget gamers is the price: while you can get budget laptops with RTX 3060 from around US$800, you pay a whole US$1,499.99 here! The efficiency advantages of the RTX 4050 do not justify this price premium."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the MSI Katana 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.
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