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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize higher resolution and touchscreen, with a focus on content creation, the MSI Creator Z16P is well-suited with its vibrant display and powerful components. However, it is more expensive and has slightly lower battery life compared to the Lenovo Legion Slim 5. For gaming or general use, the Lenovo is lighter and offers better battery life, making it more portable, and it is also a bit cheaper. Both devices have sufficient power for engineering tasks, but the MSI has a slight edge in performance metrics, particularly in screen color accuracy important for design work. Keep in mind, though, the Lenovo still delivers good gaming performance and has a more understated design that might blend in better in professional settings. 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 Slim 5
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.2
8.3
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering general use, both the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and the MSI Creator Z16P are equipped with screens that offer crisp resolution and high brightness, making text and images clear and easy to see. For engineering and design purposes, the MSI stands out with its superior color reproduction, representing a wider range of colors more accurately, an important feature for precise visual work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short as they lack high refresh rates, resulting in less fluid motion and responsiveness which are key for these activities.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 5 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
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator Z16P has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.8
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5, with its decent CPU, ample RAM, and a standard quality IPS screen, offers good general use capabilities with a fair balance between portability and battery life, catering well to those who need to move around yet require reliable performance. In contrast, the MSI Creator Z16P steps up with a high-end CPU, a better screen resolution, and a touchscreen, but these come at the cost of reduced battery life and portability, making it more suitable for users prioritizing power and screen quality over mobility.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.6
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and MSI Creator Z16P 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
8.0
8.3
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen CPU and an RTX GPU, both suitable for demanding engineering software, and its IPS screen offers good color coverage and brightness, making it a fit for design tasks. Meanwhile, the MSI Creator Z16P boasts a higher-end Intel i9 CPU and RTX GPU, providing robust performance for engineering workloads, and its screen not only has higher resolution and color accuracy but also features touch capability, enhancing design work; however, it is less portable and noisier under load.
Content Creation
7.5
7.9
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.4
7.6
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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.
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How the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 5 | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.3'' x 0.99'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.29 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.25" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Slim 5
See more
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 Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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