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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is often less expensive and it may be a solid choice for gaming and general use, including for tasks like engineering applications. It has a large screen and good performance, but is less portable due to its larger size and weight, and it has a lower battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Creator Z16P is slightly more pricey, offers a higher-resolution touchscreen for creative work, and has better portability with increased battery life. While both have similar RAM and powerful CPUs, the MSI has more storage out of the box and a stronger graphics card, which might make it more suitable for intensive 3D work and machine learning tasks. 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 Legion 5 17"
- The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has no clear advantages over the MSI Creator Z16P.
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.2
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
305.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use, though the MSI Creator Z16P is somewhat better.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a strong CPU and GPU suitable for engineering, but its screen quality falls short for design work compared to the MSI Creator Z16P, which not only boasts a more powerful CPU and superior GPU but also a higher resolution and touchscreen panel for intricate tasks. While the Lenovo is heavier and less portable with modest speaker quality, the MSI Creator offers better portability and superior speakers yet operates more noisily, making it more ideal for design professionals who prioritize screen quality and performance over noise level.
Content Creation
7.2
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for content creation, though the MSI Creator Z16P is somewhat better.
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
7.0
7.6
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for software development, though the MSI Creator Z16P 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
7.3
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
305.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo Legion 5 and MSI Creator Z16P both offer displays with satisfying resolution and brightness, making text clear and colors vibrant, essential for everyday tasks. Their capabilities in engineering and design are enhanced by wide color gamuts providing accurate color representation, crucial for professionals in these fields. However, despite their sharpness and color precision, both laptops have subpar refresh rates, diminishing the smoothness and responsiveness critical for immersive gaming and fluid 3D modeling experiences.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator Z16P has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$1,300
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.6
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3060 and a 144Hz screen refresh rate, suitable for a smooth gaming and 3D experience; while the MSI Creator Z16P offers an even more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti with a 165Hz screen refresh rate, catering to high-end gaming and professional 3D work with better graphics and fluid visuals. Both have capable CPUs, but the MSI's CPU is newer and typically more powerful, and while they have high-quality screens, the MSI has a higher resolution and screen pixel density for sharper images.
Battery
4.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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.
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How the Lenovo Legion 5 17" and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 17" | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.57 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.41" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 305 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 4 | 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 Legion 5 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | February 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 5 17 is a current-gen 17-inch gaming laptop and equipped with the latest AMD CPU and a powerful GPU, that manages to reach its full potential. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600H is a very good choice for this laptop and able to maintain its performance level for long periods of time. Our test model only falls behind consistently in a direct comparison with its competitors that are often equipped with eight cores and 16 threads. Despite this, the Legion 5 17 leaves an excellent impression and is almost able to keep up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU in synthetic benchmarks."
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 Legion 5 17" 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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