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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you are looking for a more affordable option with strong gaming capabilities, the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is the better choice with its advanced RTX 4060 GPU. Despite its gaming focus, it maintains some portability. On the other hand, the MSI Creator Z16P, which is slightly more expensive, offers a higher resolution touch-enabled display and superior hardware for content creation, with double the storage and a robust Intel i9 processor, but it might not perform as well for gaming due to its slightly less powerful RTX 3070 Ti GPU. 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 5i
- Very good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.1
8.3
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
368.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i for engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, both the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i and MSI Creator Z16P have screens with high resolution and brightness, making text and images sharp and easy to view in various lighting conditions. Their displays cover a wide color gamut, which is crucial for engineering and design applications where color accuracy is essential for professional work. However, for gaming and 3D tasks, the lower refresh rates of these laptops may lead to less fluid motion and slower response times compared to screens designed with higher refresh rates specifically for gaming.
Battery
3.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has 3.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator Z16P has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
368.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.0
7.6
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Pro 5i to be very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Creator Z16P is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i stands out for gaming and 3D tasks because of its high-performance GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4060, and a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, which is pivotal for smooth gameplay and 3D rendering. The MSI Creator Z16P, while also good for these tasks, features a slightly less powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU but compensates with a better quality screen that covers more color spaces, beneficial for tasks requiring accurate color reproduction.
Engineering and Design
8.4
8.3
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i and MSI Creator Z16P are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is equipped with a high-performance CPU and a powerful GPU, making it ideal for demanding engineering and design software, while its screen offers high resolution and color accuracy for detailed work. The MSI Creator Z16P goes a step further with a top-tier CPU, superior GPU, and twice the storage capacity, plus a high-quality touchscreen and slightly better portability, making it a standout for intensive creative tasks. Both have ample RAM and solid build quality, but the Legion is thicker and heavier, which could affect portability, and the Creator has slightly better speakers and a less intrusive operating noise, which may enhance the overall user experience..
Content Creation
7.6
7.9
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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
7.5
7.6
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 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.
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How the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 5i | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10.3'' x 0.97'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.6 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.31" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.25" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 3.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 368 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Pro 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Brian Westover | August 2023
"The midpriced Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 follows some of our favorite gaming machines, including last year's model and the higher-end Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 tested earlier this year. But pedigree doesn't count for much in the computer world, and gaming laptops require a certain level of power and graphics performance to justify their prices. The Pro 5i Gen 8 just doesn't do that, offering middling CPU and GPU performance rather than the sort of muscle that would make it a great value."
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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