The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a budget-friendly option with lower performance compared to the MSI Raider GE77Hx. The IdeaPad has a smaller screen, less storage, less RAM, and a GPU that’s less suitable for intensive 3D tasks and gaming, but offers better portability due to its lighter weight. The Raider, however, delivers superior performance in general use, engineering applications, 3D rendering, and gaming owing to its higher RAM, more powerful processor and advanced GPU; this makes it apt for intensive engineering tasks and gaming, but it is more expensive and less portable due to its larger size and weight. Additionally, the Raider offers a higher resolution and refresh rate display which is better for detailed work and fast motion; however, it comes at the expense of battery life and portability. 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 Gaming 3
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE77Hx
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The MSI Raider GE77Hx excels in general use over the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 given its significantly more robust CPU and double the RAM, contributing to smoother multitasking and performance, along with a screen that offers higher resolution and quality; however, it is less portable and has shorter battery life due to its larger size and more power-hungry components. Despite these differences, the IdeaPad Gaming 3 stands as a solid choice for general use with adequate CPU and RAM for everyday tasks, a decent screen, and better portability and battery life, striking a balance for those who need to move around more frequently.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
8.7/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, with its Nvidia RTX 2050 graphics card and a screen refresh rate of 120hz, offers a decent gaming and 3D performance for its class, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx takes it a step further with a high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a screen refresh rate of 240hz, offering a much smoother and visually dynamic gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
8.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.4/10
8.2/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE77Hx is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.3/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for software development, though the MSI Raider GE77Hx is somewhat better.
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
7.2/10
8.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE77Hx has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx offer clear and vibrant displays due to their resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos. Engineering and design professionals will appreciate the wider color gamuts on both devices, ensuring accurate color representation for tasks such as photo editing and CAD work. However, the lower refresh rates of these laptops make them less ideal for 3D applications and gaming, where a higher refresh rate can significantly enhance the smoothness of motion on screen.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE77Hx 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
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE77Hx has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE77Hx has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$549
$1,999
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a price of $549 and the MSI Raider GE77Hx costs $1,999.
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
"The MSI Raider GE77 offers a lot of power for a lot of money. The main components consist of a Core i9-12900HX CPU, a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP, 16 GB VRAM), and 64 GB of RAM, which makes for a high overall performance level. The GeForce GPU in particular scores some of the highest scores we have seen from this chip. Both the CPU and the GPU are able to run at continuously high clock speeds. The relatively high heat and noise emissions match our expectations for this device class. With approximately 5.5 to 6.5 hours, the battery life is good for a powerful 4K laptop."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 or the MSI Raider GE77Hx
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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