The Lenovo Flex 5 16 is a more budget-friendly option with good general use performance and a touchscreen, making it suitable for everyday tasks and some light creative work. However, if you need top-notch performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, gaming, or engineering, the MSI Raider GE78 with its powerful processor and advanced graphics card is a superior choice. Note that the MSI has a heavier build and a shorter battery life, which might affect portability. The Lenovo offers a balance of affordability and versatility, while the MSI is designed for intense use cases but comes at a higher price and reduced mobility. 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 portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Best in class for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
6.2/10
9.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE78's superior gaming and 3D capabilities are largely due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and significantly higher screen refresh rate, which enhances smoothness and responsiveness during gameplay, whereas the Lenovo Flex 5 16, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and lower refresh rate, offers more modest gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
9.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 is good.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16, with an Intel i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and integrated graphics, is suitable for engineering and design, also offering the flexibility of a 2-in-1 convertible and good overall build quality. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 elevates performance with its top-tier Intel i9 processor, 32GB RAM, and Nvidia RTX graphics, making it excellent for demanding engineering tasks and design work, at the cost of lower portability due to increased size and weight.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.8/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.5/10
8.5/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.3/10
8.6/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Lenovo Flex 5 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo Flex 5 16's screen offers clear images and vibrant colors suitable for everyday tasks and professional work that involves color accuracy, but its lower refresh rate can be a downside for gaming and 3D work where smooth motion is crucial. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78's screen, while also providing sharp and accurate colors for both daily use and demanding engineering applications, may not deliver the high refresh rate needed for an optimal gaming and 3D graphics experience. Both laptops have limitations for gaming and 3D due to their screens not prioritizing the high refresh rates that these activities typically require.
Battery
11.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$779
$4,386
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a price of $779 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
"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."
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Flex 5 16 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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