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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the MSI Katana 17, consider that the Lenovo typically costs less and offers a high-resolution screen suitable for sharp images, while the MSI provides double the storage, a larger screen with a faster refresh rate which is ideal for gaming, and more memory potentially allowing it to handle more tasks at once. The Lenovo is lighter and might be easier to carry while the MSI's more robust performance may better suit demanding applications and multitasking. Both run Windows 11 Home and offer similar build qualities, but battery life, portability, and screen features could dictate the better option for your specific needs. 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 overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.8
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks and detail-oriented work like engineering and design, though it's limited in refresh rate for smooth gameplay. The MSI Katana 17 offers adequate brightness and resolution for day-to-day activities and some professional applications, but it falls short in color range which is crucial for high-level design tasks. Due to its lower refresh rate, the MSI Katana 17 is also less optimal for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
6.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 3 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
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$950
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $950 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
409.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 17 offers significantly more RAM, which helps in multitasking, and a larger storage capacity, making it very good for general use, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, which still provides decent performance and better portability with a longer battery life for general purpose tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.9
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is considered good for gaming and 3D tasks as it has a relatively strong GPU and a screen with a decent refresh rate. The MSI Katana 17 is seen as very good for these functions, thanks to a more powerful GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals.
Engineering and Design
8.1
8.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is equipped with a powerful CPU and high-quality GPU suitable for demanding engineering software, complemented by a high-resolution screen enhancing design work, while being lighter for better portability. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17, despite being less portable, offers more storage, double the RAM for better multitasking and a slightly better GPU, which may give it an edge in extremely intensive tasks, but has a lower resolution display compared to the IdeaPad.
Content Creation
7.7
7.8
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 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
7.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and MSI Katana 17 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.2
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and MSI Katana 17 both have 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 Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$950 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.75'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.3 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
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 | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 6.2/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
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 Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i or the MSI Katana 17
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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