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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" offers superior graphics performance suitable for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing, but it's less portable due to its size and weight. The MSI Thin GF63, while offering good enough performance for general use and some gaming, is more portable and affordable. If you're looking for high-end performance and a bigger screen, and don't mind spending more, go with the Lenovo. However, if portability, price, and a decent performance for everyday tasks are your priority, the MSI would be a better choice. 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 gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
- Good portability
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
262.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a better screen than the MSI Thin GF63 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Thin GF63 has a better screen for software development.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" provides a larger, high-resolution display with adequate brightness, making it suitable for general use and detailed engineering work; however, its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for smooth rendering in gaming or 3D applications. The MSI Thin GF63 offers a balance with respectable brightness and resolution for both everyday tasks and technical projects, but like the Legion, its screen refresh rate limits performance in fast-paced gaming scenarios. Neither laptop excels in color accuracy pivotal for professional design and engineering, nor do they provide the high refresh rates required for optimal gaming and 3D rendering experiences.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI Thin GF63 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 Thin GF63 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
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Thin GF63 costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.2
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
305.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Lenovo Legion 5 17" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 5, with its larger screen and higher performance CPU and RAM, provides an immersive experience and smooth multitasking for general use, but its portability is limited due to its size and weight. On the other hand, the MSI Thin GF63 offers a balance between performance and portability with a decent CPU and RAM, making it easier to carry around, but it may have a shorter battery life compared to bulkier models.
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.9
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 5 17" to be good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Thin GF63 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" boasts a high screen refresh rate and a robust GPU, which are crucial for a smooth gaming experience and effective 3D rendering, making it an attractive option for those activities. The MSI Thin GF63 also offers a capable GPU and decent refresh rate, contributing to its gaming and 3D capabilities, but with the added benefit of being more compact and easier to transport.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" with its ample screen and robust CPU and GPU setup is well-suited for engineering and design tasks that demand large visuals and computation, albeit at the expense of portability. The MSI Thin GF63, while also offering a strong CPU and sufficient RAM for similar tasks, has the advantage of being more portable, but potentially at a compromise in screen size and immersive experience for design work.
Content Creation
7.2
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Thin GF63 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
7.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Lenovo Legion 5 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.
Battery
4.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 17" has 4.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 has 4.5 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 5 17" and the MSI Thin GF63 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 17" | MSI Thin GF63 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
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 i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 4.5 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 305 nits | 262 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 | 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 Thin GF63
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Charles Jeffries | November 2022
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 5 17" or the MSI Thin GF63
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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