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Updated January 10, 2024·
Considering your choices between the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15″ and the MSI Modern 14, if you prioritize a larger screen and slightly better performance for general use, the Lenovo would be a better fit, albeit at a higher price. However, if portability and better battery life are more important to you, the MSI Modern 14, being lighter and easier to carry, would be more suitable. Both laptops are similar in terms of storage capacity and have backlit keyboards; the Lenovo has a numeric keypad while the MSI does not. Neither is designed for intensive gaming, but both can handle everyday tasks well. 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"
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.4
6.4
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for software development.
For general use, both the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the MSI Modern 14 have panels that offer adequate resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing, but they might not stand out for their display qualities. When it comes to engineering and design work, these laptops may not completely meet the needs of professionals because their color gamut coverage isn't sufficiently broad to ensure precise color work. In terms of 3D and gaming, the lack of high refresh rates on both models means they won't provide the smoothest visuals that gamers and 3D designers look for, where higher refresh rates can significantly enhance the experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0
7.0
The MSI Modern 14 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
$525
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.2
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and MSI Modern 14 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" suits general use with a good balance of CPU performance, RAM, and a high-quality screen offering touch capability; it's a bit heavier but provides a solid battery life and ample storage. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14 has similar quality specifications with a slightly better portability score due to its lighter weight and smaller screen size, complemented by a very good battery life, although its screen does not support touch interaction.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and MSI Modern 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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
6.6
6.6
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Modern 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" are both only fair for engineering and design.
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
7.4
7.2
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and MSI Modern 14 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
7.1
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and MSI Modern 14 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the MSI Modern 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" | MSI Modern 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$741 | $525 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | 12.7'' x 8.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.57 lbs | 3.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 12.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.29" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 12 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 42 Wh | 39 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 311 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | April 2023
"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."
MSI Modern 14
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Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" or the MSI Modern 14
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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