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Updated January 10, 2024·
For general use, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is more affordable and quite capable, with decent performance and a lightweight design for better portability. However, if you're involved in more intensive tasks, such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, the MSI Raider GE78 offers significantly higher performance necessary for such demanding applications, albeit with a higher price and less portability due to its larger screen and weight. The MSI also boasts a much longer battery life, which might be important if you frequently work away from power outlets. Both laptops have excellent display quality, but given the Raider's larger screen and higher resolution, it provides a more immersive visual experience, helpful for design work or entertainment. If gaming is a priority, the higher-end graphics card in the MSI will deliver a better experience with smoother gameplay and advanced features like ray tracing. Consider your priorities and budget when choosing between the two, as the right option will depend on the balance of price, performance, and portability that meets your specific needs. 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 portability
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 for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 stands out for general use with its more powerful CPU and double the RAM, offering smooth and fast performance, along with a better quality and larger screen which enhances viewing experience; however, this also makes it less portable and clunkier with a shorter battery life compared to the Lenovo Legion Slim 7, which strikes a balance between decent performance, longer battery life, and greater portability.
Gaming and AI
7.4
9.5
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 is considered best for gaming and 3D because it features a much more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which significantly improves game fluidity and visual detail. While the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 also offers good performance with its Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and respectable refresh rate, it does not match the raw graphics power or smoothness of the MSI laptop, making the Raider GE78 more suitable for the most demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.8
9.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.1/10
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 7 15.6" is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is considered good for engineering and design use because it comes with a capable AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, a decent Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, ample RAM, and a good IPS screen. Meanwhile, the MSI Raider GE78 is rated excellent in this category due to its more powerful Intel i9 processor, superior Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics, double the RAM, and a higher-resolution, brighter screen, but this comes at the cost of reduced portability and greater weight.
Content Creation
7.7
8.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" is good.
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
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
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 7 15.6" 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
7.7
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 offers a good balance of panel type, resolution, and brightness suited for everyday tasks and precise engineering work, but its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for the fast visuals required in 3D and gaming. The MSI Raider GE78 boosts similar strengths in resolution and panel quality, ensuring sharp and vibrant images for general use and professional design software that demands wide color gamuts, but also falls short for gaming due to a refresh rate that doesn't keep up with rapid motion. Therefore, both laptops serve well for productivity and creative tasks but won't satisfy users looking for the smoothest gaming experience.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has 9 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.
Portability
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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How the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Slim 7 15.6" | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.69'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.92" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 71 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 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 7 15.6" 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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