If you prioritize a lighter, more compact laptop that is easy to carry around, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 might be the better choice for you. It has a solid performance capability for general use and can also handle more intensive tasks like gaming or engineering work at a somewhat lower price point. However, if you're looking for a laptop with a larger screen, more storage, and potentially better performance for demanding applications, the MSI Katana 17 could be worth the extra cost. Just keep in mind that the MSI is heavier and may have a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go usage. 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 overall display quality
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
The MSI Katana 17 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion Slim 5.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.2/10
6.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
300.0 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, and engineering and design, while the MSI Katana 17 has a better screen for software development.
When selecting a laptop for general use, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and MSI Katana 17 both offer screens with adequate resolution and brightness, along with panel types that provide clear and vivid imagery, making them suitable choices. For engineering and design, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 offers better color accuracy and wider color gamuts, which are essential for precision work, whereas the MSI Katana 17 might not render colors as faithfully. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may fall short due to lower refresh rates, which could lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness compared to laptops with higher refresh rates tailored for those activities.
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
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and MSI Katana 17 both have only fair portability, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,000
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.7/10
7.9/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
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 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 offers reliable gaming and 3D performance with its capable GPU and a screen refresh rate suitable for smooth visuals, complemented by a decent CPU and good screen quality. However, the MSI Katana 17 steps up the game with a more powerful CPU, double the memory, and larger storage, along with the same level of GPU performance, enhancing its capability for very high-end gaming and 3D tasks, despite both sharing a similar high screen refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
8.4/10
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and MSI Katana 17 are both equipped with powerful CPUs and GPUs, substantial RAM, and high-quality IPS screens which are essential for demanding engineering and design tasks. While the Legion Slim 5 is more portable and has a better keyboard and lower operating noise, the Katana 17 offers a larger screen and more RAM, enhancing multitasking and detailed work, albeit with less battery capacity and portability.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.8/10
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 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
7.4/10
7.5/10
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.2/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and MSI Katana 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
"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."
"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 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.
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.
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