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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you need a laptop for basic tasks and prioritize saving money, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a cost-effective choice with decent performance for everyday activities. However, if you're focused on higher performance for activities like gaming, 3D rendering, or more intensive engineering tasks, the MSI Katana 15, while more expensive, offers significantly better performance, a high-quality display, and additional features that could enhance your experience, like a backlit keyboard and better graphics capabilities. The MSI Katana also has a sturdier build but is heavier, which may affect portability. The Lenovo, in contrast, is lighter and may offer longer battery life, which is great for on-the-go use. 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 15"
- Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.2
7.5
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The MSI Katana 15 is better suited for general use than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" because it has a more powerful CPU and twice the amount of RAM, leading to smoother multitasking and faster performance. Additionally, the Katana 15's higher resolution IPS display provides better screen quality, whereas the IdeaPad 3's TN panel and lower resolution result in inferior visual experience; these qualities, along with the Katana's larger battery capacity, contribute to a more capable device despite being slightly less portable due to higher weight.
Gaming and AI
5.8
7.6
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1366 x 768
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 15" is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a basic integrated GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, making it less suitable for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI Katana 15 comes with a powerful dedicated Nvidia GPU and a higher refresh rate display, catering well to gaming and 3D tasks. Additionally, the MSI Katana 15 has a better CPU and screen quality, which further enhances its performance and visual experience for such demanding use cases.
Engineering and Design
5.8
7.7
4.2/10
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 15" is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has an entry-level CPU and integrated graphics, less RAM, and a low-resolution screen, which make it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks. Conversely, the MSI Katana 15 boasts a more powerful CPU, dedicated graphics card, double the RAM, and a higher resolution screen, all essential for better performance in engineering and design applications.
Content Creation
6.3
7.4
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" 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
6.3
7.0
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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.
Screen Quality
5.2
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI Katana 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's display may not be vivid or bright enough for enjoyable everyday use, and its limited color range can affect the accuracy required for professional engineering and design tasks. Although the MSI Katana 15 offers a better visual experience for general activities and work requiring color precision, it may still fall short for gaming and 3D because of its lackluster refresh rate. Fast-moving visuals in gaming and 3D modeling benefit greatly from higher refresh rates to avoid motion blur and provide smoother animations, which the Katana may not deliver satisfactorily.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.2
The MSI Katana 15 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$360
$949
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a price of $360 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 5 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$360 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.75 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.26" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.98" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1115G4 | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 35 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | February 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
MSI Katana 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"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 15" 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.
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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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