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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" offers cost savings and is suitable for general use with sufficient storage and memory for everyday tasks. Its larger screen is better for visibility but with lower resolution, which might not be as sharp as you'd like, and its bulkier size makes it less portable. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14, while generally more expensive, provides higher storage capacity and memory, which is beneficial for more demanding applications and multitasking. It also has a sharper, high-resolution display and is lighter, making it more portable. The MSI's better display and portability make it a strong contender for users who need to move around frequently and work with media, but if simple tasks and budget are the priorities, the Lenovo is a practical choice. 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"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the MSI Modern 14.
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
- Good for general use
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.2
7.2
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The MSI Modern 14 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The MSI Modern 14 surpasses the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" in areas of very important factors such as CPU performance, RAM capacity, and screen quality leading to its assessment as good for general use; its higher screen resolution and IPS panel offer clearer and more vibrant visuals, and its lightweight design coupled with better battery life enhances portability. Although both laptops were released around the same time and have similar somewhat important features like storage and keyboard quality, the MSI's superior CPU and double the RAM contribute significantly to swifter multitasking and overall responsiveness, justifying its advantage over the IdeaPad for general usage.
Engineering and Design
5.8
6.6
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Modern 14 is only fair for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" with a basic Intel i3 processor, integrated graphics, and a lower-quality TN screen is not as capable of handling engineering and design tasks as the MSI Modern 14, which offers a more powerful AMD Ryzen 5 processor, higher-end integrated graphics, and a higher-resolution IPS screen. Additionally, the MSI has double the RAM of the Lenovo, enhancing its ability to run complex software, which is vital for such specialized tasks.
Content Creation
6.3
7.2
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Modern 14 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
7.1
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Modern 14 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
6.4
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The MSI Modern 14 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 screen may not deliver the clarity and vibrant colors you'd want for any purpose due to its lower resolution and brightness, while the MSI Modern 14 offers a slightly better experience with fair image quality, making it more suitable for tasks like document editing and web browsing. However, when it comes to engineering and design work, both laptops fall short as they lack the wide color gamuts necessary to ensure accurate color representation for professional editing and modeling. And for gaming and 3D rendering, neither laptop is ideal as they do not have high refresh rates, which are critical for smooth visuals in fast-paced games or interactive 3D applications.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$360
$525
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a price of $360 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.8
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Modern 14 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a lower quality graphics unit and screen, making it poor for gaming and 3D, while the MSI Modern 14 offers somewhat better visual performance with its superior integrated graphics and higher resolution display, qualifying it as fair for gaming and 3D activities.
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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.
Build Quality
6.5
7.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Modern 14 to have 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" and the MSI Modern 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" | MSI Modern 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$360 | $525 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.78'' | 12.7'' x 8.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.75 lbs | 3.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.26" | 12.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.98" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1115G4 | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 35 Wh | 39 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 311 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
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 Modern 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" or the MSI Modern 14
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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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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