When choosing between the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and the MSI GF65 Thin, consider the following tradeoffs. The ThinkPad P16, while more expensive, has superior battery life, a larger and higher-resolution display, more RAM, and a more powerful processor. It's a premium business-grade laptop that excels in engineering tasks and has a quality build but is heavier, which affects portability. Conversely, the GF65 Thin is less expensive, more portable, and has a much higher screen refresh rate which benefits fast-motion scenarios like gaming. However, it has less RAM, an older CPU, and a lower-resolution screen, which may limit performance in demanding applications. Both have capable GPUs, but the ThinkPad's is more suited to professional applications while the MSI's is geared towards gaming. The ThinkPad is the more recent model, while the GF65 Thin offers a gaming laptop appearance. 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 ThinkPad P16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Excellent speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
6.5/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
569.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
6.7/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.2/10
6.8/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.4/10
6.3/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.2/10
6.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
569.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 likely offers a higher resolution and brighter display, enhancing visibility and clarity for day-to-day tasks, whereas the MSI GF65's display might be less crisp and dimmer. The ThinkPad P16 probably includes a wider color range, serving engineering and design professionals who require more precise color accuracy for their work. However, for 3D applications and gaming, the GF65 may fall short as its refresh rate isn't tailored for fast-moving visuals, which are crucial in those areas, even though both laptops may not excel in this aspect.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
Poor
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.2in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin has good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
6.7/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has very good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,449
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a price of $1,449 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and MSI GF65 Thin are both only fair 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.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
"It's only a few months since we gave the MSI CreatorPro X17 one of our rare 4.5-star ratings and our top mobile workstation honor, but the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 matches that achievement in a more premium overall build. Ultimately, its build quality, screen, and keyboard give our latest Editors' Choice nod to the Lenovo—it's enough of a monster on almost all fronts that it simply cannot be ignored."
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 or the MSI GF65 Thin
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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