The Lenovo Legion 9i offers superior performance for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, thanks to its higher-tier GPU and processor. It also boasts a higher-resolution display with a mini LED panel, which provides excellent color reproduction and brightness, making it ideal for color-sensitive work. However, it's less portable due to its heavier weight and bulkier power brick. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS77 is slightly more portable and offers longer battery life for typical usage, making it a better option for those who need to work on the go. It also has a large screen but comes with a less powerful GPU and processor, making it less suited for very demanding tasks. The Stealth's IPS display still delivers good color accuracy but might be less sharp than the Legion's. If portability and battery life are priorities and you're working with less demanding software, the Stealth GS77 could serve you well, whereas if you need top performance and the best display for professional creative work, gaming, or engineering, and can manage with less portability, the Legion 9i is the better choice. 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
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Best in class overall display quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS77
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
9.2/10
7.9/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Stealth GS77 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
9.6/10
8.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the MSI Stealth GS77 is very good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out for engineering and design use with a more advanced CPU and GPU combination, ensuring high performance for complex tasks, and boasting excellent color coverage and high brightness on its mini LED screen, which is crucial for precise design work. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS77 offers a similarly robust performance with ample RAM and a capable CPU and GPU, but it excels in portability and has a high-quality IPS screen with a higher refresh rate that may appeal to those prioritizing smoother visuals and mobility along with performance.
Screen Quality
9.7/10
8.3/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
682.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS77 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion 9i excels in screen resolution and brightness, making it ideal for everyday tasks and professional design work requiring precise colors and clear visuals. The MSI Stealth GS77 also offers a sharp and bright display, with excellent color accuracy for engineering and design purposes. However, both laptops may fall short for gaming and 3D applications as they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and responsiveness in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
3.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 has 6 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.
Cost
$3,420
$2,499
$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 Stealth GS77 costs $2,499.
The Lenovo Legion 9i and MSI Stealth GS77 are both very good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 9i and MSI Stealth GS77 are both praised for general use because they come equipped with high-end processors and ample RAM, which ensure smooth multitasking and performance. The Legion 9i offers a Mini LED display with higher brightness and contrast, enhancing screen quality, while the Stealth GS77, despite being less portable due to its larger size and weight, offers a larger screen and longer battery life, which may appeal to users who prioritize screen space and time away from an outlet. Both laptops have high-quality keyboards and speakers, but trade-offs come with considerations of carrying convenience and battery endurance.
Content Creation
8.7/10
8.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 9i and MSI Stealth GS77 are both very 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
8.3/10
8.1/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i and MSI Stealth GS77 are both very 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS77 and Lenovo Legion 9i both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i and MSI Stealth GS77 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 9i and the MSI Stealth GS77 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The MSI Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion 9i or the MSI Stealth GS77
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
131,295
Recommendations made
28,448
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.