A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
Advantages of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14"
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14".
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.5
6.9
14.5in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
7.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has 7 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
Good
Fair
14.5in
SIZE
17.3in
3.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" has good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
7.2
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" and MSI Katana 17 both have good build quality, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.9
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" 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
7.7
7.9
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" are both good for gaming and AI.
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
8.4
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" and MSI Katana 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.9
7.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" and MSI Katana 17 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
7.9
7.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" and MSI Katana 17 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.
Cost
$1,295
$1,367
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" has a price of $1,295 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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How the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14" | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,295 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2024 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 9.8'' x 0.82'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.86 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.89" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 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 | 7 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 73.6 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1800 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 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 | 8.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 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 | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | August 2023
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
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 Slim 5 14" 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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