The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is a budget-friendly option best suited for general use with its AMD Ryzen processor and integrated graphics, making it more affordable but less powerful for intensive tasks. Conversely, the MSI Katana 15 is midrange priced, built for higher performance with an Intel processor and Nvidia RTX graphics, better tailored for 3D, machine learning, gaming, and engineering applications. The MSI also offers a larger screen, double the storage, and greater RAM which enhances multitasking and heavy workloads, but with a tradeoff of heavier weight and shorter battery life, reducing its portability compared to the Lenovo. Hence, for demanding tasks and better visuals, consider the MSI, but for everyday tasks and greater portability at a lower cost, the Lenovo is a strong contender. 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"
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall build quality
Good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9/10
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a moderate processor, adequate RAM, and a respectable screen, but its portability and longer battery life make it a fair choice for general use. The MSI Katana 15, on the other hand, offers a stronger processor and graphics, double the RAM and storage, and a higher quality screen, making it more suitable for demanding tasks despite being less portable and having shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
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 3 14" is only fair.
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
6.1/10
7.7/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's CPU, RAM, and integrated GPU may be less capable for demanding design and engineering software compared to the MSI Katana 15, which benefits from a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a dedicated high-performance graphics card. Furthermore, the MSI Katana 15 also has a higher-quality screen than the IdeaPad 3, which is crucial for design accuracy, though it is heavier and may be less portable.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI Katana 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 and MSI Katana 15 have screens that are adequate for everyday tasks due to their resolution and brightness levels, making them suitable for general use like browsing and office work. However, their color accuracy and range may not meet the precise demands of professionals in engineering and design who need wider color gamuts for detailed and color-critical work. For gaming and 3D applications, both laptops' screens lag behind due to lower refresh rates, which can result in less smooth visuals that are less immersive for fast-paced gaming or complex 3D rendering tasks.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
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 Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 15 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$490
$949
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $490 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The MSI Katana 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
7.0/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the MSI Katana 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."
"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 3 14" 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
100,995
Recommendations made
21,883
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.