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Updated January 10, 2024·
If your focus is on higher performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 with its more powerful Nvidia graphics card is the better choice. It also has a larger screen and higher refresh rate, which are beneficial for gaming and video editing. On the other hand, if portability and price are more important to you, the MSI Modern 14 is lighter, has longer battery life, and will cost you less. It's well-suited for general use such as web browsing, office applications, and multimedia consumption but may not handle intensive tasks as smoothly as the Lenovo. Keep in mind, the Lenovo offers a higher level of gaming readiness with features like ray tracing and DLSS, which the MSI lacks. 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
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
- Very good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.0
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is better suited for gaming and 3D applications as it has a superior Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, while the MSI Modern 14 is equipped with an integrated AMD Vega 7 graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, making it less optimal for those tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.0
6.6
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 excels in engineering and design use due to its more powerful main processor and dedicated graphics card, providing better performance for CPU and GPU intensive tasks, coupled with a high-quality screen ideally suited for detailed work.
Screen Quality
7.2
6.4
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 offers a crisp and bright display with high resolution, which makes it great for general use and detailed work required in engineering and design, where color accuracy and a wide range of colors are essential. However, its refresh rate likely falls short for the fast-paced visuals needed in gaming and 3D work. The MSI Modern 14 has a display that's adequate for everyday tasks and some professional design work, but its color range might not be as broad, and the refresh rate does not cater to the high-speed requirements of gaming and 3D rendering programs.
Portability
Fair
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,000
$525
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.2
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and MSI Modern 14 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is well-suited for general use due to its higher GPU performance and screen quality which are very important factors, although it is less portable and has slightly lower battery life than the MSI Modern 14, which also offers strong general use capabilities but leverages its greater portability and longer battery life, despite having a less powerful GPU and a lower refresh rate screen. Both laptops have comparable CPU and RAM, ensuring good performance for everyday tasks, but the MSI Modern 14 edges forward in screen color accuracy, which alongside its lightweight design can appeal to those who prioritize mobility and display fidelity.
Content Creation
7.5
7.2
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and MSI Modern 14 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
7.1
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and MSI Modern 14 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.0
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and MSI Modern 14 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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How the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and the MSI Modern 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 5 | MSI Modern 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $525 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.3'' x 0.99'' | 12.7'' x 8.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.29 lbs | 3.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 12.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.25" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 39 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 311 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 8.7/10 | |
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 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Slim 5
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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 Modern 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 or the MSI Modern 14
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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