The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is usually less expensive and offers decent performance for general use with good battery life, making it suitable for everyday tasks and carrying around. It also has a touchscreen, which can enhance your user experience. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15, though more expensive, is better equipped for intensive tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning due to its more powerful CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics. However, this comes at the cost of portability and battery life, which are less favorable compared to the Lenovo. So if your priority is performance and you're focused on demanding applications or gaming, consider the MSI, but if you prefer a balance of portability, general use, and cost, the Lenovo might be the better 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 IdeaPad 1 15"
Good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
7.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has an integrated AMD Vega 8 graphics and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, attributes that can manage basic gaming and 3D tasks but may struggle with more demanding ones. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 is equipped with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher 144Hz screen refresh rate, offering significantly better performance for gaming and 3D applications, allowing for smoother visuals and more complex graphics processing.
Engineering and Design
6.6/10
7.7/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for software development, while the MSI Katana 15 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the MSI Katana 15 offer screens with adequate resolution and brightness levels that suffice for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, but they might not be as vibrant or as clear as high-end models. When it comes to engineering and design, neither laptop provides the wide color gamuts needed for accurate color work, limiting their effectiveness for professional graphics work. Regarding 3D and gaming, the slower refresh rates on these screens can result in less smooth visuals, which could detract from the gaming experience that relies on fast and fluid motion.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 15 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$741
$949
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers solid CPU performance and RAM for everyday tasks, with a screen that's clear and easy on the eyes, and it's light enough to carry around, making it a practical choice for daily activities and moderate battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 provides a more powerful CPU and additional RAM which enhances multitasking and heavy applications, a high-quality display for better viewing experiences, and though less portable due to its size, it offers longer battery life, making it suitable for more demanding uses.
Content Creation
7.4/10
7.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 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
7.3/10
7.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
Give feedback
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
"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 IdeaPad 1 15" 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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