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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro offers a better price-to-performance ratio for general use, featuring a higher quality display with greater color accuracy and battery life suited for longer use without charging. It's lighter and thus more portable, making it a good choice for everyday tasks and some light gaming. The MSI Katana 15, on the other hand, has a stronger graphics card and processor combination, better suited for 3D rendering, engineering applications, and intensive gaming, though at the cost of battery life and with a heavier build which makes it less portable. 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 Pro
- Good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.6
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro is only fair.
The MSI Katana 15 delivers better performance for gaming and 3D applications due to its more capable Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro’s Nvidia RTX 3050 and 120 Hz refresh rate. Additionally, while both laptops have quality IPS screens, the faster GPU and refresh rate on the Katana 15 makes it a more suitable choice for action-packed gaming scenarios where these factors are very important.
Screen Quality
7.8
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro boasts a higher resolution and brighter display, making it ideal for crisp text and vibrant images needed in general use and detail-oriented tasks in engineering and design. Its color accuracy, covering a wider range of the color spectrum, benefits professionals working with visual content, like those in engineering and design fields. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-moving images are common, its lower refresh rate does not provide as smooth an experience as screens optimized for those activities.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has 10 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$860
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro has a price of $860 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
409.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro with a Ryzen CPU and good screen quality offers long battery life and solid performance making it suitable for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 with a higher-end GPU is also suitable, but its heavier weight and shorter battery life make it less portable. Although both have the same amount of RAM and IPS screens, the IdeaPad emphasizes a balanced mix of performance and portability, whereas the Katana focuses on power, potentially at the expense of longer off-plug usability and ease of carrying.
Engineering and Design
7.2
7.7
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro, with its AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, is designed for demanding tasks in engineering and design, coupled with a high-resolution screen for sharp visuals. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 15 boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and an Intel CPU, suiting the high-end graphics needs of engineering software, although its screen offers lower resolution compared to the IdeaPad.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and MSI Katana 15 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
7.4
7.0
6.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and MSI Katana 15 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.2
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and MSI Katana 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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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$860 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.67'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.3 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 6600HS | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 409 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | 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 5 Pro
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | September 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro turns out a successful all-rounder that, aside from 3D applications, always strikes a good or very good figure. This begins with the elegant metal case that isn't particularly light but fairly robust, giving a high-quality impression. The input devices are also better than those of many competitors. Both the keyboard and the touchpad are attractive and comfortable. In addition, the performance of the Ryzen 5 6600HS is easily able to keep up with the Intel competitors."
MSI Katana 15
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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 5 Pro 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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