The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 offers good general use performance at a lower price, which makes it suitable for everyday tasks, but it has less power for engineering or intensive gaming than the MSI Raider GE76. If you prioritize higher performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or want to enjoy gaming with high-quality visuals, the MSI Raider GE76 packs a more powerful processor and a top-tier graphics card, along with more RAM and storage. However, the higher capabilities come with an increase in weight and a shorter battery life, making it less portable than the Lenovo. Consider the Lenovo for cost-effective general use and the MSI if you need a machine for more demanding applications at a higher cost. 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
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE76
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
307.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" offers decent general use performance with enough RAM and a solid processor for typical tasks, plus it has a reasonably bright IPS screen, and at a weight that balances portability with a large screen size, presenting a good option for everyday activities. The MSI Raider GE76, on the other hand, stands out with its very high-end CPU and GPU combination, ample RAM, superior screen quality, and a keyboard meant for intensive use, but its higher performance comes at the cost of reduced portability and shorter battery life, making it ideal for more demanding tasks beyond general use.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
8.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
6.6/10
9.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE76 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE76 outshines the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for engineering and design use because it boasts a far more powerful CPU, a high-end dedicated GPU, substantially more RAM, and a superior screen that offers greater resolution and color accuracy, which are crucial for demanding engineering tasks and detailed designs. On the other hand, the IdeaPad provides better portability due to its lighter weight and a longer battery life, but its less capable integrated GPU, lower RAM, and less impressive screen quality, make it less ideal for intensive engineering work.
Content Creation
7.4/10
8.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is good.
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
7.2/10
8.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE76 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is good.
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
6.7/10
8.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
307.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE76 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3's larger screen offers comfortable viewing and adequate resolution, but it may lack the brightness that the MSI Raider GE76 offers, which has a more vibrant display that is crisp and bright. When considering engineering and design, the MSI Raider excels with a wider color gamut that is crucial for accurate color work, whereas the Lenovo might not reproduce colors as faithfully, which is key for detailed design tasks. For gaming and 3D, both laptops fall short with poor refresh rates; gamers and creators who prioritize smooth motion should look elsewhere, as these models don't cater to the high-speed visuals required for those fields.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE76 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.
Portability
Good
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
4.4 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE76 has very 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
$3,552
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has a price of $784 and the MSI Raider GE76 costs $3,552.
"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."
"The MSI Raider GE76: with Alder Lake and RTX 3080 Ti to gaming heaven. Yes, MSI could improve some aspects (like the quality of the webcam), but the manufacturer offers a very convincing and balanced overall package. The biggest advantage is definitely the immense performance potential. The combination of Core i9-12900HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB DDR5 RAM and two NVMe SSDs offers a lot of performance for the next couple of years and plenty of power for 3D applications. Most titles would run smoothly on an external 4K screen no matter the quality preset. We came away impressed with the integrated 360 Hz panel's fast response times and good color accuracy."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" or the MSI Raider GE76
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.
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