The Lenovo ThinkPad P16, being more expensive, offers high-end performance suitable for intensive engineering, 3D, and machine learning tasks with its powerful processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics. It has a significantly larger screen with a higher resolution, a number pad on the keyboard, and a longer battery life, but it is heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 14 is more affordable, lighter, and offers greater portability with a commendable battery life, but it relies on integrated graphics and a less powerful processor, making it more suitable for general use and less demanding creative tasks. Both laptops have similarly sized RAM and storage, good build quality, and backlit keyboards, but tradeoffs between performance and portability are clear. 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 Prestige 14
Very good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9/10
6.2/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and MSI Prestige 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is considered good for gaming and 3D due to its higher-performance Nvidia RTX A1000 graphics card, compared to the MSI Prestige 14, which only has an Intel Iris Xe graphics card, suited for less graphically-intense tasks. Although both laptops have similar screen refresh rates, the superior GPU of the ThinkPad P16, along with a higher screen resolution, makes it more suitable for high-fidelity visual applications.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
7.1/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Prestige 14 is good.
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
7.5/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Prestige 14 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
8.4/10
7.3/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for software development, while the MSI Prestige 14 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
8.2/10
6.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
569.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 offers superior screen resolution, brightness, and panel type, ensuring crisp and clear images for general tasks and detailed work in engineering and design, but the lower refresh rate may hinder the smoothness in gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Prestige 14 also provides a quality display with respectable resolution and brightness for everyday use and precision tasks, but, like the P16, it isn't optimized for the higher refresh rates required for seamless motion in gaming and 3D environments. Meanwhile, both laptops boast good coverage of professional color gamuts, delivering accurate colors essential for design and engineering projects, but this doesn't compensate for their gaming and 3D limitations.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 14 has 8.5 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
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
1.2in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 14 has very good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has very good build quality, while the MSI Prestige 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,449
$1,040
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a price of $1,449 and the MSI Prestige 14 costs $1,040.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad P16 to be very good for general use, while the MSI Prestige 14 is good.
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.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and the MSI Prestige 14 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 Prestige 14” is excellent for productivity and business use cases, but it is not ideal for creators or visual content editors. The Prestige was able to power through days of email, spreadsheets, and text documents without breaking a sweat and was a joy to use. The additional ports were a breath of fresh air, as most laptops seem to be moving towards just Thunderbolt ports. The security options made signing in effortless, with two quick, more secure, and faster options than even the most complex alphanumeric passcode."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 or the MSI Prestige 14
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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