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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If portability is important, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers better battery life and is lighter, ideal for travel. With a lower price, it provides reasonable performance for general use and some engineering applications, but may fall short for heavy 3D or machine learning tasks. The MSI Creator Z16P, on the other hand, has a higher price but offers a more powerful processor and GPU, making it better for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and machine learning. Its touchscreen, better screen color coverage, and higher refresh rate make it suitable for creative professionals. However, it is heavier, which affects portability, and has a slightly lower battery life compared to the Lenovo option. Both have similar screen sizes and resolution, but the MSI’s extra features come at the cost of price 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 Pro 5i
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
8.3
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers a solid combination of resolution and panel technology that provides clear and vibrant images, while the MSI Creator Z16P also delivers a high-resolution experience with excellent brightness, benefiting day-to-day tasks. In the realm of engineering and design, the MSI Creator Z16P stands out with its wider color gamuts ensuring more accurate color reproduction, which is crucial for professional editing work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may fall short due to the lack of high refresh rates which are crucial for smooth motion and a more immersive experience in fast-paced visuals.
Cost
$950
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $950 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
409.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, with its lighter build and slightly better battery life, is well-suited for general use where portability and endurance are key, whereas the MSI Creator Z16P boasts a higher-end CPU and larger storage, making it a fit for more demanding tasks despite being slightly heavier with shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.6
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is well-suited for gaming and 3D tasks, thanks to its Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a screen that refreshes at 120 times per second, providing smooth visuals. In comparison, the MSI Creator Z16P steps up with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher refresh rate screen, delivering even smoother gameplay, making it ideal for more demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.3
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both very good for engineering and design.
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
7.7
7.9
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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
7.7
7.6
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and MSI Creator Z16P 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 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
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and MSI Creator Z16P both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Creator Z16P to have very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 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 Pro 5i and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$950 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.3 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i9-12900H | |
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 | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 409 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | January 2024
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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