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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is more affordable and offers solid general use performance with ample storage and memory for everyday tasks, plus it has a touch screen and a longer battery life which increases its portability. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 is at a much higher price point but provides exceptional performance capable of handling intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software due to its advanced processor and powerful graphics card. It also features a higher resolution and refresh rate display, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. Choose the Lenovo for practicality and value or the MSI for high-end, specialized performance needs. 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 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
7.3
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers decent general usability with its good balance of CPU performance, RAM, screen quality, and notably better portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, making it suitable for everyday tasks and mobile use. The MSI Raider GE78, however, stands out for very good general use with its superior CPU, larger RAM, higher screen resolution and quality, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life, though its top-tier performance makes it ideal for more demanding applications including gaming and content creation.
Gaming and AI
6.1
9.5
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE78 offers superior gaming and 3D performance due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 240, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a more modest integrated AMD Vega 8 GPU and a lower refresh rate of 60, making it fair for these tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.6
9.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
12.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE78 excels in engineering and design due to its top-tier CPU, substantial RAM, and a powerful GPU, complemented by a high-quality screen with superior resolution. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers modest performance with its mid-range CPU and integrated graphics, and a standard resolution screen, making it fair for engineering tasks but less powerful and visually adept than the MSI Raider GE78.
Content Creation
7.4
8.8
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
12.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
7.3
8.5
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
12.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
6.4
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad's screen may not be as crisp or bright as the MSI Raider's, which offers higher resolution and better luminance, improving the viewing experience for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. Engineering and design professionals will prefer the MSI's wider color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color representation crucial for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion and a responsive gaming experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 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
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very 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
$4,386
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$741 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.74'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.57 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.29" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 12 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 42 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
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 Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"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 IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
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