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Updated January 10, 2024·
Without access to detailed specifications or reviews of the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and MSI Katana 15, I can offer you some general advice based on common characteristics of these models. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is known for being thin and light for a gaming laptop, which makes it more portable, but this slim design can sometimes limit the cooling which affects performance under heavy loads. On the other hand, MSI laptops like the Katana 15 often prioritize performance and may provide better gaming experience but could be heavier and bulkier. Consider portability if you travel a lot with your laptop, or prioritize performance if the laptop will mostly be used in one place for gaming or intensive tasks. Always check for the latest components like CPU and GPU to ensure your choice can handle current gaming requirements or software for engineering tasks. Additionally, compare battery life if you plan on using the laptop on the go without frequent access to power. Remember, a higher price can mean better performance or build quality, so decide what features are most important for your needs and how much you are willing to spend. 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 7 15.6"
- Good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- The MSI Katana 15 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6".
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.7
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize crisp and clear visuals for everyday tasks or professional design work, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 might suit you better because its screen offers higher resolution and brightness, providing more detail and easier visibility under various lighting conditions. However, for engineering and design where accurate color representation is crucial, this laptop also stands out with better coverage of professional color gamuts, ensuring that your creative work reflects true-to-life colors. On the other hand, for smooth visuals in fast-paced 3D environments, both laptops may not be ideal as they lack the high refresh rate screens that are essential for those applications.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 15 has 4 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
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,200
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and MSI Katana 15 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 offers a good balance between portability, thanks to its thinner and lighter design, and longevity with a higher battery capacity, while still delivering capable performance for general use with a strong CPU and ample RAM. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15, though slightly bulkier and heavier with a shorter battery life, provides more storage and a high-quality screen suitable for general use, along with a newer CPU that can handle everyday tasks efficiently.
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.6
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" 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
7.8
7.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and MSI Katana 15 are both 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
7.7
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and MSI Katana 15 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
7.5
7.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and MSI Katana 15 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
7.6
7.2
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and MSI Katana 15 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 7 15.6" and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.69'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.92" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 71 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | November 2022
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is a slim Legion notebook that is just as excellent with Nvidia & Intel. However, the Legion Slim 7i slightly sullied by lacklustre battery life. You get a slim aluminium chassis, great input devices, decent port selection, fast high-quality WQXGA display and great performance. Supporting Thunderbolt 4 is one advantage of the Intel/Nvidia model tested in this review. Moreover, this variant has slightly higher CPU performance as well as better GPU performance in certain applications (e.g. CUDA-based apps). The Lenovo Legion S7i is thin, premium and performant – but less efficient than its AMD counterpart."
MSI Katana 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The MSI Katana 15 B12 combines a Gen12 CPU with an RTX 4050, which is actually not a bad idea for a budget gamer. The CPU is anything but bad and the GPU in the Katana 15 proves to be significantly more efficient than last year's models. However, our main point of criticism for budget gamers is the price: while you can get budget laptops with RTX 3060 from around US$800, you pay a whole US$1,499.99 here! The efficiency advantages of the RTX 4050 do not justify this price premium."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" or the MSI Katana 15
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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