A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If affordability is a priority for you, the Lenovo Legion 5 15" might be more attractive as it is less expensive than the MSI GF65 Thin. However, the lower price could mean a compromise on certain features or performance aspects depending on the specifications of each model. If the MSI GF65 Thin offers better performance, particularly for gaming or high-demand applications, the extra cost might prove to be a good investment. Additionally, recognition of the ‘Thin’ in MSI GF65 may indicate a lighter, more portable design, which can be important if you travel frequently or prefer a sleeker laptop. Conversely, the Lenovo Legion 5 with a 15" display might provide a larger screen for an immersive experience but could be bulkier to carry around. Always consider what's more crucial for your daily use, whether it's saving money, higher performance capabilities, or the ease of portability. 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 15"
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.5
6.5
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" shines for general use due to its superior processor and larger RAM, which provide better multitasking and performance, while also featuring a higher-quality screen with better color coverage, making for a more vibrant display and enjoyable viewing experience. Conversely, the MSI GF65 Thin, while more portable due to its lighter weight, falls short in screen color quality and has less RAM, which may hinder performance when running multiple applications or more demanding tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.9
6.8
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" boasts a more powerful GPU and a higher screen refresh rate than the MSI GF65 Thin, offering enhanced graphics capabilities and smoother visuals for gaming and 3D applications. While both have quality IPS screens, the Lenovo provides a sharper resolution for better screen quality, despite the MSI having the advantage of being lighter for portability.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.7
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
7.4
6.8
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 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
7.3
6.3
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 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
8.0
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" offers a well-balanced screen with higher resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design where clarity is crucial. Its screen, however, falls short in gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate that can make fast-paced visuals less smooth. The MSI GF65 Thin provides an adequate display for routine tasks and technical work, but its color range may not be as wide, affecting precision in color-critical projects, and similarly, its gaming and 3D experience are hampered by a subpar refresh rate.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
6.7
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$999
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a price of $999 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
Battery
4.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 5 15" and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 15" | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$999 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.3'' x 0.95'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.3 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.33" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 5 15"
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2021
"The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an affordable gaming laptop with a lot of power. The new AMD processor Ryzen 7 5800H offers plenty of performance and it is also very efficient. The combination with the fast 130W version of the GeForce RTX 3060 ensures high gaming performance. We also like the fast 165 Hz display with the 1080p resolution. The automatic graphics switching causes some problems with stutters, which are very annoying. If you do not need long battery runtimes, you should definitely deactivate the hybrid graphics mode in Lenovo's Vantage app. The Legion 5 15 is never silent."
MSI GF65 Thin
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 5 15" or the MSI GF65 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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
131,595
Recommendations made
28,513
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
