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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out with its superior performance suitable for intensive tasks such as 3D, machine learning, and engineering work thanks to its high-end processor and advanced graphics card; however, it's more expensive and less portable due to its weight. On the other hand, the MSI Katana 17, while less expensive, offers midrange performance that's adequate for general use and mainstream gaming. It also provides a larger screen but has a lower battery capacity and might not handle demanding tasks as smoothly. Both have ample storage and memory, but the Lenovo's display is sharper and brighter, making it more suitable for graphics-intensive tasks. 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 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class 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 9i.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.9
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
682.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 17 is good.
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
9.2
7.9
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
3200 x 2000
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 9i 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
9.6
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 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 is very good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out for engineering and design work due to its top-of-the-line CPU, higher-end GPU, and superior Mini LED display with higher resolution and color accuracy, which offer significant advantages for compute-intensive tasks and high-fidelity visual work.
Content Creation
8.7
7.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
8.3
7.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
9.7
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
682.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion 9i excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high resolution, exceptional brightness, and wide color gamuts, making text sharp, videos vibrant, and designs accurate in color representation. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less appealing for gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion is crucial. Conversely, the MSI Katana 17, while providing an adequate display for everyday tasks and some design work, falls short for both specialized engineering use and gaming due to its limited color range and refresh rate.
Build Quality
8.5
7.2
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
$3,420
$1,367
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a price of $3,420 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
Battery
3.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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 9i and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 9i | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,420 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.64 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.93" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13980HX | 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 | 3 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 | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3200 x 2000 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 682 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 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 | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 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 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
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 9i 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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