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Updated March 22, 2024·
When choosing between the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and the MSI Creator Z16P, consider that the ThinkPad is generally more affordable and offers durability and business-friendly features, making it suited for general use and work environments; however, the Creator Z16P, while pricier, delivers superior performance for demanding tasks such as 3D design, machine learning, and gaming, alongside a potentially more vibrant display, but these perks come at the cost of reduced portability due to its larger size and possibly shorter battery life. 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 T14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.5
7.8
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
321.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for general use, while the MSI Creator Z16P is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 offers robust CPU performance and ample RAM for smooth multitasking, with a high-quality screen and a keyboard that's comfortable for long typing sessions, making it well-suited for general use; it's highly portable with decent battery life but may not excel in storage capacity and speaker quality. The MSI Creator Z16P, while also providing capable CPU and plenty of RAM conducive to general purposes, focuses on screen quality for creative work, potentially sacrificing some portability and battery life for better graphics handling, which can be important for tasks beyond general use.
Gaming and AI
6.7
7.6
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is only fair.
The MSI Creator Z16P is equipped with a higher-end GPU and a screen with a faster refresh rate, providing smoother graphics and better performance for gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while having a capable CPU and good screen quality, has a less powerful GPU and slower screen refresh rate, which makes it less ideal for these tasks.
Software Development
8.3
7.6
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for software development, while the MSI Creator Z16P 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
6.9
8.3
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
321.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a better screen than the MSI Creator Z16P for software development, and content creation, while the MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 offers a balance with its display, which presents clear visuals and suitable sharpness for day-to-day tasks and detailed work in engineering and design due to its resolution and decent color accuracy. The MSI Creator Z16P stands out with a display that provides wider color gamuts, making it ideal for professionals in engineering and design who need precise color representation for their work. However, both laptops may not satisfy gamers or 3D designers because they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for fluid motion and a responsive experience in fast-paced visual environments.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has very good portability, while the MSI Creator Z16P has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.0
8.3
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 are both very good for engineering and design.
The MSI Creator Z16P typically has a higher-end CPU, more RAM, and a more powerful GPU than the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, which are crucial for the demanding tasks in engineering and design, plus it often boasts superior screen quality for detailed visuals. While the ThinkPad T14 is more portable and has a well-regarded keyboard, its hardware may not handle intensive design software as smoothly as the MSI, which may also offer better speaker quality but could be louder under heavy use.
Content Creation
8.3
7.9
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad T14 to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Creator Z16P 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.
Build Quality
8.0
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and MSI Creator Z16P both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,241
$1,300
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a price of $1,241 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad T14 | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,241 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | September 1, 2023 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.5'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.96 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.51" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.93" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 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 | 9 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 39.3 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 321 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.5/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.4/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo ThinkPad T14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Benjamin Herzig | December 2023
"We like a lot about this laptop. It has many ports, with the inclusion of RJ45-Ethernet as a defining feature. WWAN is upgradable for maximum flexibility and the ThinkPad has many security functions. Working with the ThinkPad input devices is a lot of fun, and Lenovo puts in a serviceable Low Power panel. The AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U delivers a great performance and does not drain the battery fast. Fan noise and temperatures are nothing special, but also far away from bad. With the user replaceable keyboard, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has a special feature rarely present on most modern laptops."
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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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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