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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, and gaming, the Lenovo Legion 5 17" is the better choice as it has a more powerful processor and graphics card. However, it's less portable due to its larger screen and heavier weight. The MSI GF63 Thin, while offering less performance, is lighter and more easily transported. Both have similar storage and screen resolutions, but the Lenovo has a higher refresh rate and a better color range, which might be beneficial for creative work or enjoying media. The Lenovo has a longer battery life but also comes at a higher price compared to the MSI. If portability and price are your main concerns, and you're using the laptop for general tasks, the MSI GF63 Thin would be a practical option. 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"
- Good for general use
- 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 speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF63 Thin
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.2
6.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
305.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" edges out the MSI GF63 Thin for general use with a more powerful CPU that can handle multiple tasks with ease, double the RAM for improved multitasking, and a higher-quality screen that offers better colors and brightness, making it suitable for a wider range of activities; however, it's heavier and less portable, with a shorter battery life making it less ideal for on-the-go usage. In comparison, the MSI GF63 Thin, while more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller size, offers a less powerful CPU and half the RAM, which might slow you down during heavy multitasking or demanding applications, and its screen doesn’t match the color and brightness quality of the Lenovo, affecting the viewing experience.
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.0
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" boasts a better GPU with the Nvidia RTX 3060 and a higher screen refresh rate at 144Hz, enhancing gaming and 3D experiences, while the MSI GF63 Thin has a less powerful Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, making it less ideal for demanding games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6
6.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is highly regarded for engineering and design due to its powerful Intel i7 processor, ample 16GB of RAM, and a robust Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU which supports demanding tasks, while the 17-inch IPS display offers quality visuals even though it lacks some color accuracy. In contrast, the MSI GF63 Thin, while lightweight and more portable, comes equipped with a lesser Intel i5 processor, only 8GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU, less suited for intensive tasks and its smaller 15.6-inch display has lower color space coverage, making it fair for engineering and design.
Content Creation
7.2
6.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for content creation, while the MSI GF63 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
7.0
6.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is good for software development, while the MSI GF63 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
7.3
6.1
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
305.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering the Lenovo Legion 5 17" for general use, the combination of its larger display and higher resolution can make it appealing to users who prioritize screen real estate and sharper image quality. For engineering and design purposes, the same device may offer better color accuracy due to its coverage of color gamuts, which is crucial when precise color representation is needed for projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its screen may fall short as it likely has a lower refresh rate, which is less ideal for the fast-paced visuals and smoothness that these activities often require.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF63 Thin 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
6.5
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has good build quality, while the MSI GF63 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$599
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
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Key similarities
Battery
4.5 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GF63 Thin has 4.3 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 5 17" and the MSI GF63 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 17" | MSI GF63 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $599 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | May 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.57 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.41" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i5-10300H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 4.25 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 305 nits | 249 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 4 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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 GF63 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2020
"If you leave aside the meagre port selection (no card reader, no DisplayPort, no Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1 Gen2), the fan control that could be improved (idle mode!) and the relatively dark and slow display, the MSI GF63 Thin 9SC does not have any major weaknesses. The 15-inch gamer is compact, has a low weight and offers a good price-to-performance ratio, which should please gamers that are looking for both a portable and an affordable gaming notebook. Input devices, battery life, case quality and performance are all appropriate for this purchase price."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 5 17" or the MSI GF63 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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