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Updated January 12, 2024·
When deciding between the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro and the MSI Katana 17, consider that the Lenovo offers superior performance with its higher-tier processor and graphics card, making it a better choice for intensive tasks like engineering, 3D modeling, or high-end gaming. However, the Lenovo is also heavier and less portable, and has a higher price tag. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17 is more affordable, and while it offers good performance suitable for general use and some gaming, it may not handle demanding tasks as well as the Lenovo. The MSI has a longer battery life and is lighter, making it more portable. Ultimately, the best laptop for you depends on whether you prioritize high performance and are willing to invest more, or if you prefer a balance between cost, moderate performance, and 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 Pro 7i
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
469.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 7i Pro excels in screen quality with its sharper, brighter display and higher refresh rate, backed by a more powerful CPU and GPU, which is ideal for tasks needing more processing power, although it has less portability and shorter battery life. Conversely, the MSI Katana 17, while offering lower screen resolution and performance, provides longer battery life and is slightly more portable, making it a better choice for those who prioritize battery longevity and easier transport over top-tier performance. Both come with ample RAM and storage, high-quality keyboards, and effective heat management, balancing good user experience with capability.
Gaming and AI
9.1
7.9
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
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 Pro 7i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
9.3
8.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 is very good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i offers a more powerful CPU and GPU combination, geared towards intensive engineering applications, along with a higher resolution and brighter screen, providing clearer and more vivid image quality for design work. In contrast, while the MSI Katana 17 also supports demanding tasks with its capable CPU and GPU, its screen is less sharp and doesn't display colors as richly, making it slightly less ideal for precision engineering and design purposes.
Content Creation
8.5
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
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
8.2
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is very good for software development, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
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
8.7
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
469.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i's superior resolution and brightness offer clear and vibrant visuals compared to the MSI Katana 17. The Legion Pro 7i excels in the engineering and design context thanks to its wide color gamuts, providing accurate colors necessary for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where the refresh rate is crucial, the Legion falls short, making the MSI Katana 17 a better choice for smoother visuals in fast-paced scenarios despite its lower overall screen quality.
Battery
5.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has 5 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.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has very good build quality, while the MSI Katana 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,000
$1,367
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a price of $2,000 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
6.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and MSI Katana 17 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,000 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10.3'' x 0.94'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.17 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.32" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900HX | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.9 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 469 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 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 | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 | 4 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2023
"Passionate gamers who want to play demanding modern titles with maximum details and don't mind spending the moolah will find the Lenovo Legion 7 Pro to be the right choice. The bright, sharp, and color-accurate 16:10 QHD 240 Hz display makes for an immersive viewing experience. The hardware is housed in a stylish chassis that feels premium and scores well in terms of workmanship and stability. Other aspects such as sound quality, input devices, and connectivity also seem to be near-perfect."
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 Pro 7i 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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