If you're looking for a budget-friendly option for general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is less expensive and offers decent everyday performance with good battery life, which makes it portable. On the other hand, the MSI Bravo 15 costs more but provides more power for 3D tasks, machine learning, and gaming due to its dedicated graphics card. Its larger screen and higher refresh rate improve the viewing experience at the expense of increased weight, reducing its portability compared to the Lenovo. The MSI Bravo 15 also has a more recent release date, indicating more current technology. Consider the Lenovo for cost-effective, general-purpose computing, or the MSI if you need higher performance for specialized tasks and are willing to invest more. 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 3 14"
Good for software development
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Bravo 15
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Bravo 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3, with its integrated AMD Ryzen 5 5500U Vega 7 graphics, is less suited for gaming and 3D applications compared to the MSI Bravo 15, which features a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 dedicated GPU. Furthermore, the MSI Bravo 15 offers a higher screen refresh rate, providing a smoother gaming experience than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3's lower refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
7.2/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Bravo 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a decent CPU and integrated GPU, which may handle engineering tasks but lacks the power needed for more intensive design work, whereas the MSI Bravo 15's newer CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU are better suited for demanding engineering software and tasks. Additionally, the MSI has a higher refresh rate and better contrast screen, enhancing visual detail and smoothness, important for design work, but it is heavier and with less battery life, making it less portable than the Lenovo.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
6.9/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a better screen than the MSI Bravo 15 for software development, while the MSI Bravo 15 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 offers a display that's adequate in clarity and brightness, but the MSI Bravo 15's screen stands out due to its superior sharpness and luminance, enhancing the overall viewing experience. While the MSI Bravo 15's display covers a wider color range than the Lenovo, essential for tasks requiring color accuracy in engineering and design, neither hits the professional-grade color fidelity sought in that space. However, when it comes to 3D and gaming performance, despite the higher refresh rate of the MSI Bravo 15, both laptops fail to provide the smooth visual experience desired due to their lower refresh rates and suboptimal resolution.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Bravo 15 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has very good portability, while the MSI Bravo 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$490
$862
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $490 and the MSI Bravo 15 costs $862.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Bravo 15 to be good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is equipped with an AMD Ryzen CPU and integrated GPU, which offer decent performance for everyday tasks and light multitasking with its 8GB RAM, but it may struggle under more intensive workloads; it has a good portability score and reasonable battery life but falls short with a less vibrant screen and average build quality. The MSI Bravo 15 also provides acceptable performance for general use with a similar amount of RAM and somewhat more capable Ryzen CPU and RTX GPU for light gaming or graphic tasks, although it is bulkier and has a shorter battery life, but it benefits from better heat management and a higher-quality keyboard.
Content Creation
7.1/10
7.1/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Bravo 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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
7.1/10
6.8/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" to be good for software development, while the MSI Bravo 15 is only fair.
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
6.5/10
6.7/10
The MSI Bravo 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the MSI Bravo 15 compare to other laptops
"The low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."
"Overall, the MSI Bravo 15 C7U is a great gaming device for the masses that isn’t too pricey. The capable hardware (for the price range), the 144Hz display, and the comfortable keyboard are one of the things that should attract buyers who don’t want to spend a fortune on a new gaming laptop."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" or the MSI Bravo 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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