Lenovo Legion 5 15" vs MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio

The Lenovo Legion 5 15" offers ample CPU power and RAM for everyday tasks, balanced with decent portability and battery life, making it a solid choice for general use; the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, on the other hand, has superior screen quality, additional RAM, and a more robust CPU, offering a smoother experience for demanding applications, but with added weight and reduced battery life, it's less ideal for on-the-go usage. Both laptops have ample storage and good keyboard and speaker quality, with effective heat management and acceptable operating noise levels, contributing to their overall appeal for general use scenarios.

The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a strong GPU that ensures good gaming and 3D performance, while its high screen refresh rate makes gameplay smooth, but the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, with a superior GPU and equally high refresh rate, offers an enhanced experience for those same tasks. The MSI's advanced CPU and superior screen quality also contribute to better overall performance and visual fidelity, but at a higher price point than the Legion.

The Lenovo Legion 5 offers a solid CPU, ample RAM, and a decent GPU that can handle engineering tasks, while its screen is good enough for design work without breaking the bank; however, for more demanding engineering and 3D design, the MSI Stealth stands out with a top-tier CPU, more RAM, a superior GPU, and exceptional screen quality, but it comes at a higher cost and is less portable. The Lenovo has a good balance of performance and value with a satisfactory keyboard and cooling system, but for users requiring the utmost in power and display fidelity for professional-grade design, the MSI is the superior choice, albeit with added weight and likely a louder operating noise.

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.

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.

General use prioritizes a clear and bright display, and both the Lenovo and MSI models provide this with good resolution and brightness levels, which makes text, images, and videos sharp and vibrant. Engineering and design professionals need accurate colors for their work, and these laptops offer wide color gamuts, enabling precision in color-sensitive tasks. However, gaming and 3D applications benefit from high refresh rates to ensure smooth motion, which these laptops lack, making them less ideal for fast-paced gaming or intensive 3D work where fluid visuals are essential.

Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.

PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.