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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i excels in performance with its faster processor, making it suitable for intensive tasks and multitasking, and offering better screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, which is beneficial for creative work that demands fidelity in color rendition. It also has more RAM, meaning more applications can be run simultaneously without slowing down. The IdeaPad has a general advantage in heat management, but you pay for these features with a higher price and reduced portability due to a slightly higher weight. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin has a gaming edge with hardware ray-tracing support, important for the latest games, and has better fast motion handling on its screen for gaming and watching fast-paced videos. It also offers a generally better build quality and is lighter, thus more portable. However, it has less RAM, which might limit performance for heavy multitasking, and a shorter battery life, meaning you'll need to recharge more often. In summary, choose the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i if you prioritize performance and screen quality in your day-to-day tasks and creative applications at the expense of battery life and a bit of portability. Opt for the MSI GF65 Thin for a balance of gaming performance and portability, especially if you are conscious of budget and want to have a better build quality. 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 for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i.
Key differences
General Use
7.7
6.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
409.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is deemed better for general use primarily because it has a higher-quality CPU and more RAM, which lead to smoother performance in everyday tasks, as well as a higher-quality screen for better viewing experiences. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin, while more portable and with effective heat management, has a lower-capacity battery and a less powerful CPU, making it less suited for prolonged general use.
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.8
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers a superior GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which are crucial for smooth visuals and gaming performance, while the MSI GF65 Thin, with a less powerful GPU and lower refresh rate, may not handle intense gaming or 3D tasks as effectively. Considering the CPU and screen quality, the Lenovo still holds an edge for these specific uses, although the MSI may suffice if these factors are less of a priority and cost savings are a significant consideration.
Engineering and Design
8.1
6.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.8
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.3
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
7.8
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
262.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers a sharper image and brighter display, making documents and websites look crisp and vibrant, which is ideal for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, its color accuracy and wider color gamuts provide professionals the ability to work on projects with color-sensitive requirements. However, the MSI GF65 Thin, while not as sharp or bright as the IdeaPad, may suit users who prefer a more balanced display across different tasks, but it might fall short for gamers and 3D designers who need high refresh rates for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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.
Build Quality
7.6
6.7
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$880
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $880 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and MSI GF65 Thin both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$880 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.3 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 51 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 | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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 GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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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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