Choosing between the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and the MSI Stealth GS77 comes down to several key factors. The Lenovo is more budget-friendly, lighter, and offers decent gaming performance with respectable battery life, making it suitable for general use and some gaming. On the other hand, the MSI provides much higher performance, particularly for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks due to its more powerful processor and high-end graphics card. It also has a better display, more RAM, and larger storage but is heavier, usually costs more, and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. If top performance and a high-quality screen for professional or intensive gaming use are priority, and budget is less of a concern, the MSI Stealth GS77 is the better choice. If you're looking for a more affordable laptop that can handle general tasks and some gaming on the go, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 could serve you well. 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
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS77
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
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
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for general use due to capable CPU and RAM, decent screen quality, and overall balanced performance; however, it slightly lags behind in portability and battery life when compared to the MSI Stealth GS77, which offers very good general use owing to its superior CPU, ample RAM, high-quality screen, and better portability, along with a longer-lasting battery which makes it more versatile for a range of tasks. While both laptops handle storage, keyboard, speaker quality, noise, and heat competently, the MSI Stealth GS77's edge in very important aspects makes it more suitable for demanding use cases beyond gaming.
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.9/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
The MSI Stealth GS77 outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for gaming and 3D tasks due to its superior GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, and a higher screen refresh rate of 240 Hz, allowing for smoother visuals and better rendering. The Lenovo comes with an Nvidia RTX 2050 and a 120 Hz screen refresh rate, which are capable but result in less graphic detail and slower on-screen action.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
8.7/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is respected for engineering and design tasks due to its competent CPU, sufficient RAM for moderate tasks, and a decent GPU, complemented by a full HD screen. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS77 is highly esteemed for demanding engineering and design applications because it boasts a more powerful CPU, significantly more RAM, a higher-tier GPU, and a superior screen with higher resolution and refresh rate, though it's less portable and a bit heavier.
Content Creation
7.4/10
8.3/10
7.9/10
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 Stealth GS77 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
8.1/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.2/10
8.3/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS77 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and MSI Stealth GS77 have sufficient resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design, with panel types that provide clear and sharp images. However, their limited color accuracy affects their performance in professional design tasks where precise colors are crucial. Their lower refresh rates hinder their ability to deliver the smooth visuals demanded by high-end gaming and 3D applications, despite their decent resolution and panel quality.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability, while the MSI Stealth GS77 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a price of $549 and the MSI Stealth GS77 costs $2,499.
"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 Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 or the MSI Stealth GS77
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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