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Updated January 12, 2024·
When choosing between the Lenovo Legion 5 15" and the MSI Katana 17", consider their respective strengths. The Lenovo is often more budget-friendly and has a better battery life, making it good for longer use away from power outlets. Its smaller screen size and lighter weight improve portability, while the display resolution is higher for sharper visuals. On the other hand, the MSI Katana offers a larger screen and enhanced visual experience for gaming or multimedia, at the expense of lower battery performance and being bulkier, which might not suit frequent travelers. It also comes with more storage and memory right out of the box, beneficial for demanding tasks like video editing or running multiple applications. Choose the Lenovo for cost-efficiency and mobility or the MSI for superior visual real estate and ready-to-go higher-end specs. 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"
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion 5 15".
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.0
6.9
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo Legion 5 15" offers a high-resolution screen with ample brightness and a panel type that delivers sharp images, whereas the MSI Katana 17, while still providing good resolution and brightness, might have a less premium panel. In the context of engineering and design, the Lenovo's screen covers a broader range of colors, essential for precision work, but the MSI might fall short in delivering the same color fidelity. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the Lenovo's poor refresh rate hinders the smoothness of motion which is crucial for such tasks, while the MSI likely also struggles with refresh rate despite having decent resolution and panel type.
Battery
4.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" and MSI Katana 17 both have only fair portability, though the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$999
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a price of $999 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.9
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Legion 5 15" are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" offers a balance between performance and portability with a higher-resolution screen and efficient heat management, making it suitable for a range of general-use scenarios. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17, with a larger screen for more immersive viewing, double the storage and RAM for smoother multitasking, and quality keyboard, prioritizes power and productivity at the expense of some portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.9
7.9
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" and MSI Katana 17 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Legion 5 with its higher resolution and slightly higher screen refresh rate may offer crisper visuals and smoother motion for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI Katana 17, despite having a lower resolution and refresh rate, provides a larger screen size which could enhance the gaming and viewing experience for some users. Both laptops feature the same GPU, a crucial element for gaming performance, but the differences in screen characteristics cater to different preferences for display sharpness versus size.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.4
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Legion 5 15" are both very 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
7.4
7.8
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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
7.3
7.5
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Legion 5 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.2
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" and MSI Katana 17 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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How the Lenovo Legion 5 15" and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 5 15" | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$999 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.3'' x 0.95'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.3 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.33" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
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 | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.8/10 | 6.2/10 | |
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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 5 15"
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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 Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"The MSI Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 5 15" or the MSI Katana 17
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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