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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" offers a larger screen, more battery capacity, and generally better performance for engineering tasks; it's also equipped with hardware features that support intensive gaming but is less portable due to its size and weight. In comparison, the MSI Katana 15 is more affordable, more portable, and offers a larger storage capacity. However, it has a smaller battery and its performance, while solid, may be slightly less suited for highly demanding tasks such as 3D rendering or machine learning than the Lenovo. Both have similar build quality and are geared towards gaming with their dedicated GPUs. 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 overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion 5 17".
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.3
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
305.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 15 has a better screen for software development.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" offers a larger screen with generally higher resolution and brightness, making it well-suited for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work where clear, crisp visuals are important. Although it has good resolution and panel quality which benefits designers needing accurate colors, for gaming and 3D, its poorer refresh rate means it's less ideal for the fast-paced visuals these users require. Meanwhile, the MSI Katana 15's fair screen quality across uses suggests it's a middle-ground option with neither standout features for professionals nor high refresh rates for gamers, but it can handle daily activities and casual design work competently.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 17" has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,200
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.2
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
305.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" offers a larger screen and a beefy battery suited for those who prefer a spacious display and longer unplugged usage, but is heavier making it less portable, while the MSI Katana 15 has a higher storage capacity and is significantly lighter which enhances its portability, but comes with a smaller screen and battery which may affect long-term viewing comfort and usage time away from power outlets. Additionally, both laptops are equipped with capable CPUs and sufficient RAM for general use tasks, feature quality IPS displays for good viewing angles, and neither will distract with excessive operating noise or heat, but one must consider the Lenovo's marginally better screen quality versus the MSI's more modern operating system and updated GPU.
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.6
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, making it suitable for smooth gaming and 3D applications; similarly, the MSI Katana 15 includes a newer Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and the same 144 Hz refresh rate, offering improved graphics processing power and game play smoothness. The screen quality and processor are also important, with both laptops having IPS screens for good color reproduction and capable processors, though the Legion often comes with a higher tier CPU that can better handle intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for engineering and design.
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
7.2
7.4
7.4/10
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 MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" 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
7.0
7.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" and MSI Katana 15 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.
Battery
4.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.2
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" and MSI Katana 15 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 5 17" and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 17" | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.4'' x 1'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.57 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.41" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i5-12450H | |
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 | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 53.5 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 305 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.8/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 4 | 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 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 Katana 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"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 Legion 5 17" 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.
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