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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is often significantly less expensive and more portable than the MSI Raider GE78 which is considered high-end and quite heavy. While the Lenovo boasts a respectable performance for general use, gaming, and engineering tasks, the MSI exceeds it, especially in 3D and machine learning tasks with its more powerful main processor and GPU. The MSI Raider has a larger screen, more storage, double the RAM, and a higher-refresh-rate screen which is advantageous for fast-paced gaming but results in shorter battery life. The Lenovo, on the other hand, has a longer battery life, making it suitable for those who need to work on the go. Both have no touchscreen, have hardware ray tracing, and are released in the same period, but the MSI has additional features like a higher screen color coverage and build quality, which may be of interest for color-sensitive work and durability preferences. 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 5i
- The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE78.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
343.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is equipped with a capable processor and a fair amount of RAM, along with a quality screen that's suitable for general use, while its lighter weight and slightly better battery life favor portability; in contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 packs a more powerful processor, double the RAM, and an exceptional screen, making it superior for intensive tasks, but its heftier build and shorter battery life make it less portable.
Gaming and AI
8.0
9.5
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, with its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165Hz, offers very good gaming and 3D capabilities, while the MSI Raider GE78 takes performance to the top level with the more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and an even higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz, making it best for these tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.4
9.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is very good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i, with its capable Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, and a high-quality IPS display, provides very good performance for engineering and design tasks while remaining relatively portable. Conversely, the MSI Raider GE78 excels with its more powerful Intel i9 processor, double the RAM at 32GB, superior Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, and an equally impressive display, but sacrifices portability due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
8.0
8.8
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5i are both very good for content creation, though the MSI Raider GE78 is somewhat better.
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
7.8
8.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.0
8.6
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
343.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i's display offers clarity and vividness thanks to its resolution and brightness, making activities like browsing and watching videos pleasant. Engineers and designers will appreciate the MSI Raider GE78's broader color gamuts, essential for accurate color work and critical detail representation. However, both models fall short for gaming and 3D tasks, as their lower refresh rates don't provide the smooth visual experience desired in fast-paced games and high-frame-rate demands of 3D applications.
Portability
Fair
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,055
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a price of $1,055 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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Key similarities
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 5i | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,055 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.3'' x 0.99'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.29 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.25" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 343 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 5.6/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Slim 5i
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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 Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i or the MSI Raider GE78
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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