The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i offers a lower price, longer battery life, and is more portable with higher ratings in portability. It's suitable for general use but less so for intensive tasks like gaming. Conversely, the MSI Katana 15, while slightly heavier and pricier with shorter battery life, packs a more powerful GPU suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks. It also has a larger screen and higher refresh rate, advantageous for fast-paced games and engineering applications, but its portability is lower as it's a bit bulkier and heavier. Choose the Lenovo for everyday tasks and better battery life, or the MSI for performance-heavy tasks and gaming. 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 Slim 7i
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a lower tier integrated GPU and a standard 60 Hz screen refresh rate, making it less suitable for gaming and 3D tasks, whereas the MSI Katana 15 is equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher 144 Hz refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and enhanced gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
7.7/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i are both good for engineering and design, though the MSI Katana 15 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is favored for engineering and design work due to its high-quality IPS display and powerful Intel i7 processor with Iris Xe graphics, while the MSI Katana 15 appeals to the same audience with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, larger screen size, and higher screen refresh rate, better suited for tasks that require more graphical horsepower like 3D modeling. While both laptops come equipped with 16 GB of RAM, the MSI Katana 15's stronger GPU and gaming-type appearance may attract those who also want to use their engineering laptop for gaming, at the cost of decreased portability and shorter battery life compared to the slimmer and lighter Ideapad.
Software Development
7.5/10
7.0/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is somewhat better.
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
6.9/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Katana 15 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i offers a higher resolution and brightness, making text and images sharper and colors more vibrant for general use and engineering tasks, while its broader color coverage benefits professional design work by accurately representing a wide range of colors. However, its screen's lower refresh rate is less suitable for fast-paced gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion is critical. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15's screen quality, while adequate for daily tasks and some design work, may not illuminate as vibrantly or depict colors as precisely due to its average brightness and color range, and its low refresh rate similarly hampers its ability to provide fluid visuals in gaming and 3D contexts.
Battery
11.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 15 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.2/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a price of $899 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.7/10
7.4/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and MSI Katana 15 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
"Among Lenovo's multiple laptop brands, the IdeaPad family is decidedly the one designed for consumers: people who want decent performance at a reasonable price. Consider, then, this laptop a paragon for the pickier members of that crowd. With a 14-inch touch-enabled display, a comfortable keyboard, an Evo-certified Intel Core i7 11th Generation CPU, and the latest Windows 11 operating system, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro ultraportable ($1,199 as tested) is a slick mainstream machine at a bit of a premium price, and quite capable for everyday tasks."
"The MSI Katana 15 B12 combines a Gen12 CPU with an RTX 4050, which is actually not a bad idea for a budget gamer. The CPU is anything but bad and the GPU in the Katana 15 proves to be significantly more efficient than last year's models. However, our main point of criticism for budget gamers is the price: while you can get budget laptops with RTX 3060 from around US$800, you pay a whole US$1,499.99 here! The efficiency advantages of the RTX 4050 do not justify this price premium."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i or the MSI Katana 15
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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