The Lenovo Legion 7 provides superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and other engineering tasks, making it a strong choice for intensive usage such as gaming. However, its weight and size reduce its portability compared to the MSI Modern 14. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14 offers a more budget-friendly option with decent general-use capabilities and better portability. It has less storage capacity and lower performance, particularly for demanding tasks. So if high performance for specialized tasks is essential and budget is less of a concern, then the Lenovo Legion 7 is a better fit. For everyday use with the benefit of greater portability and a lower price, consider the MSI Modern 14. 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 7
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
469.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and MSI Modern 14 are both good for general use, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Legion 7, with a more powerful CPU and RAM, superior screen quality with higher resolution and refresh rate, is well-suited for demanding tasks but is heavier and has moderate battery life, impacting portability. Conversely, the MSI Modern 14, while still capable with satisfactory CPU and RAM for everyday tasks, offers a lighter and more portable design with similar battery life, but at the expense of a less robust screen and processor performance.
Gaming and AI
7.8/10
6.0/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 7 is superior for gaming and 3D tasks due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, providing smoother visuals and better performance in graphically demanding applications. In contrast, the MSI Modern 14 has a much less capable AMD Ryzen integrated Vega 7 graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it only moderately suitable for gaming and 3D content, but more portable due to its lighter weight.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.6/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion 7 typically boasts a more powerful CPU, GPU, and higher RAM capacity, essential for running complex engineering and design software, alongside a high-quality screen that benefits detailed work. The MSI Modern 14, while more portable and having a decent keyboard and speakers, falls short in performance due to its less powerful hardware, making it a fair option but not optimal for demanding engineering tasks.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 7 and MSI Modern 14 are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
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
7.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and MSI Modern 14 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
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
8.3/10
6.4/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
469.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion 7 boasts a high-resolution, bright display with a wide color gamut, making it excellent for both general use and color-sensitive tasks like engineering and design, but its lower refresh rate means it falls short for fast-paced gaming and 3D applications. While the MSI Modern 14 offers a decent resolution and acceptable brightness for everyday tasks and some design work, its limited color range doesn't quite meet the needs of professional designers. And for 3D enthusiasts, both laptops' screens might not be fast enough due to the importance of high refresh rates, which is not a strong point for the MSI Modern 14, and an area where the Lenovo Legion 7 also struggles.
Portability
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 7 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 has very good build quality, while the MSI Modern 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$748
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $748.
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 7 or the MSI Modern 14
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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