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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize a lower price while still getting good performance for general use or even some more intensive tasks, you might lean towards the Lenovo LOQ 16, which also offers a 16:10 display aspect ratio, beneficial for productivity tasks. However, if you require better performance for tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, and don't mind spending more, the MSI Katana 17 could be a better choice as it has a more powerful GPU and a larger screen, although it may be slightly less portable due to its size. Both laptops offer good battery life, but you might find the Lenovo to be more portable and easier to carry around, whereas the MSI might provide a better gaming and content consumption experience owing to its larger display. 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 LOQ 16
- Good overall display quality
- Good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Katana 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.2
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 likely has a high-resolution display combined with decent brightness, providing sharp and clear content, which is great for general tasks and detailed engineering work. Its screen probably has a wide range of colors, covering extensive parts of the DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB color gamuts, which is essential in accurately displaying designs. However, it may have a lower refresh rate, resulting in less smooth visuals, which is a drawback for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is crucial.
Battery
6.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has 6 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.
Cost
$740
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has a price of $740 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.9
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo LOQ 16 are both good for general use.
The MSI Katana 17 is deemed better for general use than the Lenovo LOQ 16 as it offers a more powerful CPU, more RAM for multitasking, a larger screen, and double the storage, while both have similar portability and weight. Although the Lenovo LOQ 16 has a slightly higher battery life and the same quality keyboard, the MSI's advantages in core performance and screen real estate are significant for an overall smoother and more responsive user experience.
Gaming and AI
7.5
7.9
7.0/10
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
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo LOQ 16 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo LOQ 16, with its Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, offers solid gaming and 3D performance; however, the MSI Katana 17's more advanced Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU delivers superior capabilities in these areas, along with a larger screen, enhancing the overall experience despite both having the same screen refresh rate. Screen quality is somewhat important too, and both models feature IPS displays with high-refresh-rate screens, which is beneficial for smooth visuals in fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
7.9
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Katana 17 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 is good.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is geared towards engineering and design work due to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU coupled with a high-resolution screen, suitable for detailed tasks. The MSI Katana 17 offers increased storage and memory, higher GPU performance for demanding software, and a larger screen, which may be more appealing for extensive design projects, but is less portable due to its size. Both have quality IPS displays and efficient heat and noise management, but vary in portability and battery life, with the Lenovo offering slightly more hours of typical usage.
Content Creation
7.6
7.8
9.1/10
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 LOQ 16 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
7.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 and Lenovo LOQ 16 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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and MSI Katana 17 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.2
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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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How the Lenovo LOQ 16 and the MSI Katana 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo LOQ 16 | MSI Katana 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$740 | $1,367 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.9'' x 1.02'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.99'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.16" | 15.67" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.92" | 10.75" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 329 nits | 256 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.3/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo LOQ 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | September 2023
"Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 are available starting from about 1,000 Euros (~$1,060), even in 16-inch format. For the supposedly affordable Lenovo LOQ 16 (1,500 Euros, ~$1,591), the manufacturer particularly saves in the equipment and materials compared to the more expensive Legion series. In addition, the LOQ is slightly heavier and more bulky. What remains is anything but a laptop full of difficult compromises. Instead, this is a more than solid gaming laptop that focusses on the 3D performance.Q is slightly heavier and more bulky."
MSI Katana 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | February 2023
"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 LOQ 16 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.
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