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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is more budget-friendly, lighter, and offers longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and portability. However, the MSI Stealth 17, while more expensive and heavier with a shorter battery life, is far superior in performance for 3D, machine learning, gaming, and engineering tasks, thanks to its advanced processor and graphics card. Its larger, higher-resolution screen with a faster refresh rate is also better for those who prioritise visual quality and detail. Consider the MSI if performance and screen quality are your top priorities, otherwise, the Lenovo is a cost-effective choice for everyday tasks. 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 5 15"
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
341.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" delivers smooth performance for general use due to its capable AMD Ryzen processor and adequate RAM, complemented by a good IPS screen and a decent battery life, all packed in a lightweight design enhancing its portability. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 possesses a higher-end CPU and significantly more RAM, which, along with a superior screen in terms of quality and resolution, cater to more demanding tasks, although this comes at the expense of greater weight and reduced battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.2
9.1
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has an integrated AMD GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which provides a fair level of gaming and 3D performance, while the MSI Stealth 17 boasts a much more powerful Nvidia RTX GPU and a high 240Hz refresh rate, making it excellent for those tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.7
9.4
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is only fair.
The MSI Stealth 17, equipped with a higher-end Intel i9 processor, abundant RAM, and a top-tier Nvidia RTX GPU, excels in engineering and design due to its superior performance capabilities and screen quality compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 5, which has a mid-range AMD Ryzen processor and integrated Vega graphics. While the IdeaPad provides better portability and longer battery life, these advantages are outweighed in professional design contexts by the MSI's significantly enhanced CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen features essential for demanding engineering tasks.
Content Creation
7.3
8.8
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" 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
7.3
8.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" 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
6.5
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
341.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5's screen may not be as sharp or bright as you'd like, while the MSI Stealth 17 provides a clearer and brighter display, offering a more comfortable and engaging viewing experience. When it comes to engineering and design, the MSI Stealth 17 stands out with a wider color range, ensuring more accurate color reproduction that is crucial for professional editing work, unlike the Lenovo which may display colors less precisely. However, if you're into 3D work or gaming, both laptops may fall short due to less emphasis on high refresh rates, leading to less fluid motion and responsiveness during fast-paced scenes.
Battery
11.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has 11 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 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
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$690
$3,899
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has a price of $690 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The MSI Stealth 17 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and the MSI Stealth 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" | MSI Stealth 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$690 | $3,899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.2'' x 0.67'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.08 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.18" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 57 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 341 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | August 2021
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is convincing due to its long battery life. The device scores points especially with its large battery and long battery runtimes combined with its low consumption. The CPU and GPU perform in the test as one would expect, and in line with what was familiar from the somewhat smaller 14-inch sister model, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14."
MSI Stealth 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" or the MSI Stealth 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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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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