The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is more budget-friendly and lighter in weight, offering better battery life and a white backlit keyboard, making it suitable for general use and portability. In contrast, the MSI GF63 Thin, at a slightly higher price point, comes with a powerful Intel processor and Nvidia graphics, red backlit keyboard, and an Ethernet port for better connectivity. While slightly heavier, it is designed for more demanding tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering applications. If portability and longer battery usage are priority, the Lenovo is preferable, but if performance in graphics-intensive tasks is crucial, the MSI is a better fit. 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
Good for content creation
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GF63 Thin
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9/10
6.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and MSI GF63 Thin are both only fair for general use, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is somewhat better.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is fair for general use with its AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and integrated Vega graphics delivering decent performance, a solid screen, and very good battery life; however, it is more portable due to its lighter weight compared to the MSI GF63 Thin. The MSI GF63 Thin offers a fair general use experience too, with a slightly stronger Intel i5 CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics which are better suited for tasks that demand more graphical power, but it falls short in battery life and is less portable due to being heavier.
Content Creation
7.1/10
6.0/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is good for content creation, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
6.0/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is good for software development, while the MSI GF63 Thin 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.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
6.1/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 and the MSI GF63 Thin have fair screen quality as they offer acceptable levels of resolution and brightness that satisfy basic tasks like browsing and video streaming, but the panel type may not provide the most vivid colors or viewing angles. In engineering and design, users could find the color reproduction limited due to less coverage of professional color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, which are essential for precise color work. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the fair screen quality stems from having standard refresh rates that are not as high as gaming enthusiasts prefer, while the resolution and panel technology may not match the requirements for the most immersive visual experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI GF63 Thin has 4.3 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has very good portability, while the MSI GF63 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$490
$599
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $490 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and MSI GF63 Thin are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the MSI GF63 Thin are both designated fair for gaming and 3D uses largely because of their GPUs, with the IdeaPad integrating an AMD Vega 7 graphics unit and the MSI laptop sporting an Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q; both are entry-level and not intended for high-end gaming. Although both have the same screen refresh rate, which is quite standard, the MSI model could have a slight edge in gaming performance with its discrete Nvidia graphics, whereas the IdeaPad's screen quality might be slightly better, complemented by a better contrast ratio and higher brightness, though this is typically less crucial than GPU power for gaming.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
6.0/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and MSI GF63 Thin are both only fair for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 with its AMD processor and integrated Vega graphics provides modest capability for engineering tasks, yet its lighter weight and longer battery life grant it better portability, whilst the MSI GF63 Thin, equipped with a more robust Intel CPU and Nvidia dedicated graphics, offers stronger performance but at the cost of reduced battery life and increased weight, making it less portable. Both laptops have similar screen sizes with good quality IPS displays, but the MSI has a slightly lower screen resolution and brightness which may affect the quality of design work; and while both have fair keyboard and speaker quality, the Lenovo manages heat more efficiently, offering a quieter experience during use.
Build Quality
6.5/10
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and MSI GF63 Thin both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the MSI GF63 Thin 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."
"If you leave aside the meagre port selection (no card reader, no DisplayPort, no Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1 Gen2), the fan control that could be improved (idle mode!) and the relatively dark and slow display, the MSI GF63 Thin 9SC does not have any major weaknesses. The 15-inch gamer is compact, has a low weight and offers a good price-to-performance ratio, which should please gamers that are looking for both a portable and an affordable gaming notebook. Input devices, battery life, case quality and performance are all appropriate for this purchase price."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" or the MSI GF63 Thin
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
101,595
Recommendations made
22,013
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.