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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a more budget-friendly option and offers a balance of features suitable for general use. Its performance is adequate for everyday tasks such as browsing, office work, and media consumption, with moderate battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Katana is a higher-priced laptop with significantly more powerful components, including a dedicated gaming-grade graphics card and a higher-performance processor. This makes it well-suited for demanding tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software. However, this also means the Katana will typically be heavier and may exhibit shorter battery life due to its more powerful hardware. If you prioritize portability and value, the Lenovo may be the better choice; however, if performance is crucial for your activities and you don't mind the additional cost and reduced portability, the MSI Katana would be more appropriate. 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 17"
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use, though the MSI Katana 17 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.9
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 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The MSI Katana 17 delivers a very good gaming and 3D experience due to its Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card which is more powerful than the integrated Vega 7 graphics on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17", and it also has a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz compared to 60Hz on the Lenovo, which results in smoother visuals during fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
6.6
8.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The MSI Katana 17 offers superior performance for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel CPU, significantly greater RAM, and advanced Nvidia RTX GPU, complemented by a high contrast screen. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a less powerful AMD CPU and GPU, and less RAM, which might limit its capabilities in demanding tasks, despite having a similar screen size and type.
Screen Quality
6.7
6.9
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" likely has a display with adequate resolution and brightness for crisp and clear viewing in general tasks, and a color range that meets the precision needs for engineering and design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is critical, the IdeaPad's refresh rate may fall short, leading to less fluid visuals. The MSI Katana 17 also offers suitable resolution and brightness for everyday use, but its fair color representation might not be as vivid for detailed design work, and like the IdeaPad, it probably has a lower refresh rate that's not ideal for the fast-paced action in games and 3D rendering.
Battery
9.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 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
Good
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.2
The MSI Katana 17 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$784
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a price of $784 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
Content Creation
7.4
7.8
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
7.2
7.5
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$784 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.49 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.71" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.79" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 45 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 307 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.2/10 | 6.2/10 | |
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 | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | December 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
MSI Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" or the MSI Katana 17
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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