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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you need a laptop with longer battery life and a higher resolution touchscreen for general use, consider the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14, which is also slightly more portable than the MSI. However, if you prioritize a laptop with better performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, the MSI Katana 15 would be a better fit although it may have a shorter battery life and lacks a touchscreen. Both laptops have similar storage and RAM, but for engineering tasks and general viewing experience, the Lenovo has better color accuracy and the MSI has a faster screen refresh rate. 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 Slim Pro 7 14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.0
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
334.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is very good for general use, while the MSI Katana 15 is good.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 offers a high-resolution display and a lighter, thinner design coupled with better battery life, making it excellent for carrying around and general use. In contrast, the MSI Katana 15 provides robust gaming capabilities with a stronger graphics card but compromises on portability and has a shorter battery life, making it good for general use, particularly if gaming or graphics-intensive tasks are also planned.
Gaming and AI
6.7
7.6
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is only fair.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14's Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics and a screen refresh rate of 90Hz make it suitable for gaming and 3D tasks, and its higher resolution display may offer better screen quality. Meanwhile, the MSI Katana 15, with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, would provide smoother visuals and potentially better performance in gaming and 3D applications.
Content Creation
8.0
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Katana 15 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
7.8
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and MSI Katana 15 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is somewhat better.
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
7.4
6.8
14.5in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
334.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has a better screen than the MSI Katana 15 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 offers a higher resolution and better panel type, which enhance general viewing experiences, as well as greater brightness that benefits outdoor use and well-lit environments. For engineering and design, it provides greater color accuracy with its wider color gamuts ensuring more precise shades and hues which is crucial for professional design work. However, for gaming and 3D tasks, its lower refresh rate limits the smoothness and responsiveness, making the MSI Katana 15 with a higher refresh rate, despite its moderate resolution and panel type, a more suitable albeit not ideal option for these specific demands.
Battery
12.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has 12 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
Very Good
Fair
14.5in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
7.2
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and MSI Katana 15 both have good build quality, though the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,200
$949
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 has a price of $1,200 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
7.7
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
4.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 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.
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How the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,200 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.9'' x 8.9'' x 0.61'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.91" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.92" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 73 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 90Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 334 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 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 | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | May 2023
"The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 is an attractive, portable laptop that’s ideal if you need a combination of CPU and GPU performance. It also nails the fundamentals with solid connectivity, an enjoyable keyboard, a large touchpad, and top-notch webcam. Display quality is a weakness, but it’s an acceptable compromise for the laptop’s extremely competitive $1,199 MSRP. The Slim Pro 7 is a versatile, affordable laptop and hard to beat for the price."
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 Slim Pro 7 14 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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