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Updated January 10, 2024·
Considering the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and MSI Vector GP76, if you prioritize budget and portability while still getting good general use and gaming performance, the Lenovo might be the right choice. On the other hand, if you're looking for a machine with higher performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, and don't mind spending more, the MSI with its more powerful processor and graphics card is suitable. Although the MSI is heavier and has shorter battery life, it's better suited for intensive tasks and gaming with its larger screen and higher refresh rate, at the expense of 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 Vector GP76
- 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 build quality
- Good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
264.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Vector GP76 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is equipped with sufficient computing power and memory for general tasks, a decent screen, and a moderately light frame, making it fairly portable with reasonable battery life for daily activities. The MSI Vector GP76 boasts a more powerful processor, more memory, a larger and higher quality screen which is less portable due to its larger size and weight, and it has a shorter battery life, but provides a superior experience for more demanding applications and multitasking.
Gaming and AI
6.5
8.4
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Vector GP76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is only fair.
The MSI Vector GP76 is very good for gaming and 3D because it has a much more powerful GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, and a significantly higher screen refresh rate of 360 Hz, compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, which has a modest Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and a lower refresh rate of 120 Hz. While both have quality IPS screens, the higher-tier graphics and faster refresh rate of the MSI offer a superior experience for fast-paced games and intensive 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.2
8.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Vector GP76 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for engineering and design due to its capable AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU, but the MSI Vector GP76 is considered very good for these tasks because it has a more powerful Intel i7 CPU, a higher-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, and significantly more RAM, ensuring smoother multitasking and handling of complex software. While the IdeaPad offers a good balance of power and portability, the Vector GP76, despite being less portable, provides a superior experience for demanding engineering and design workloads thanks to its enhanced screen quality and overall performance.
Content Creation
7.4
8.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Vector GP76 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.
Screen Quality
7.2
7.9
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
264.0 nits
The MSI Vector GP76 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 Vector GP76 have displays that fare well for general use due to their adequate resolution and brightness, making text clear and viewable in various lighting conditions. For engineering and design, even though they possess good resolution, their color accuracy and spectrum may not meet the high standards required for precise color work. And for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates can result in less fluid motion, lacking the smoothness sought after by enthusiasts, even if their resolution and panel quality are satisfactory for other uses.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Vector GP76 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
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 Vector GP76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.0
The MSI Vector GP76 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
$1,760
$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 Vector GP76 costs $1,760.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.3
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Vector GP76 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and the MSI Vector GP76 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 | MSI Vector GP76 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$549 | $1,760 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.1 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.49" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 65 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 329 nits | 264 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 5.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"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."
MSI Vector GP76
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marvin Gollor | May 2022
"The MSI Vector GP76 12UGS is a gaming laptop on speed. The advantages are clear: The Vector GP76 is a real gamer with its 360 Hz display and super-fast response times. In addition, the Core i7-12700H has double the power of the CPU in its predecessor and another highlight is the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti with a real power consumption of 150 watts. This places the device in the top range of our database. The Vector can also operate rather quietly, offers a full sound range, improved battery runtimes, a key-configurable RGB keyboard, a very stable chassis and good upgrade options. Moreover, the display produces a nice, rich and clear picture."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 or the MSI Vector GP76
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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