If you're on a tighter budget but still want a solid laptop, the Lenovo Flex 5 16, being less expensive, offers good value. Its 2-in-1 convertible design makes it versatile for both laptop and tablet use. However, if you need a machine for more demanding tasks like gaming, 3D or machine learning, and are willing to pay for higher performance, the MSI Katana 17 could serve you better with its more powerful hardware. The MSI also has a larger screen and higher refresh rate, making it preferable for an immersive experience in gaming or media consumption, yet it's heavier and likely to be less convenient to carry around compared to the lighter Lenovo. Keep in mind that the MSI Katana 17 might not be as long-lasting on battery when performing intensive tasks. 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 17
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.9/10
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 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its integrated graphics, is adequate for some gaming and 3D applications but falls short in more demanding ones, whereas the MSI Katana 17, equipped with a dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate, excels in these areas, offering a smoother and more immersive experience. Additionally, while both have IPS screens, the better screen quality and performance of the MSI Katana 17 makes it more suitable for such intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
8.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The MSI Katana 17 is better suited for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior dedicated GPU compared to the integrated graphics of the Lenovo Flex 5 16, which means increased performance for computation and graphics-intensive tasks. However, the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a higher resolution, touch-enabled screen with better color accuracy, a more compact and lighter build that is more portable, and a quieter operation which may benefit users favoring mobility and less noise over raw performance.
Screen Quality
7.3/10
6.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for software development.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 likely has a panel with high resolution and brightness suited for general activities, and wide color gamuts which are beneficial for engineering and design work, ensuring accurate color representation. However, it probably has a lower refresh rate that isn't ideal for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D applications. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 may have acceptable brightness and resolution for everyday tasks, but the color accuracy may fall short for professional design, and similar to the Lenovo, it has a lower refresh rate, making it less suitable for gaming and 3D purposes.
Battery
11.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 3 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$779
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $779 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both good for general use.
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.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.8/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.5/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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.
Build Quality
7.0/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 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 17 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 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the MSI Katana 17
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
100,695
Recommendations made
21,818
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.