When considering the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, the Lenovo is more budget-friendly and offers solid performance for general use and gaming. However, the MSI, while costlier, typically provides higher-end specifications catering to intensive tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or professional-grade content creation, so it may perform better in those areas. The MSI might be less portable due to its design focusing on power over portability, which also generally results in a shorter battery life compared to the Lenovo, which strikes a balance between performance and mobility. Choose the Lenovo for a cost-effective, versatile option or the MSI if you need top performance and specialize in advanced computational 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 Pro 5
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has no clear advantages over the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
340.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 offers a balance of performance with capable CPU and RAM for everyday tasks, along with decent battery life and portability; however, its screen quality may not be as superior as the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, which boasts high screen quality and excellent performance hardware suitable for more demanding applications, but this comes at a cost of reduced battery life and portability. Both laptops have sufficient storage, comfortable keyboards, and good speaker quality, but the MSI may produce more noise and heat due to its more powerful components.
Gaming and AI
8.4/10
8.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio and Lenovo Legion Pro 5 are both very good for gaming and AI, though the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 offers a solid gaming experience with its capable GPU and high screen refresh rate, ensuring smooth and responsive gameplay. Meanwhile, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, with its superior GPU, excels not only in gaming but also in demanding 3D tasks, while its high-quality screen enhances visual fidelity, although both benefit from strong CPUs for overall performance.
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
9.1/10
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5, with a robust CPU, ample RAM, and dedicated GPU, delivers reliable performance for engineering and design tasks while providing a high-quality screen, but it sacrifices some portability due to its size and weight. In comparison, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio exceeds with superior processing power and graphics capabilities, ensuring smoother operation in complex engineering software, and although it also achieves high screen quality, the premium features do come with a higher cost and a slight compromise on portability.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.5/10
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is good.
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
7.6/10
8.2/10
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is good.
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
8.0/10
8.4/10
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 for gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize general use and engineering tasks, both the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio have screens with high resolution and brightness, providing sharp images and good visibility. Their panels likely cover a broad spectrum of colors which is crucial for tasks like engineering and design, ensuring accurate color reproduction. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates could lead to less smooth visual experiences, making them less optimal choices for those particular activities.
Battery
3.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has 6 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
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio both have only fair portability, though the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,320
$2,900
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a price of $1,320 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
"It doesn't quite match its Legion Pro 7i sibling as an Editors' Choice winner, but Lenovo's AMD-powered Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is a stylish, well-built gaming laptop with solid performance at both 1080p and its sharper native resolution. It's cheaper than some comparably equipped machines and better than some similarly priced ones. That's a recipe for success, even without its frequent availability of discounts or sales. A brighter screen and longer battery life would be nice, but even as is the Legion Pro 5 earns a solid recommendation."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 or the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
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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