When choosing between the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and the MSI Raider GE78, consider your primary needs. The ThinkPad T14 is more budget-friendly, offers solid performance for everyday tasks, and is lightweight, making it good for portability and general office work. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 is more expensive but provides high performance for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning applications; however, it is heavier and may have shorter battery life, reducing its portability. If your work involves resource-intensive tasks and you don't mind the additional cost and weight, the MSI Raider is a better fit. Otherwise, for general use and the need for mobility at a lower cost, the ThinkPad T14 is a sensible choice. 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 portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
Excellent for engineering and design
Best in class for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7/10
9.5/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while a solid choice for general use, has a less powerful GPU and lower screen refresh rate, making it less suitable for high-end gaming and 3D tasks. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 comes with a top-tier GPU and high refresh rate screen, offering smoother and more immersive gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
9.4/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 offers a strong CPU and ample RAM for various engineering tasks, but the MSI Raider GE78 steps it up with a superior CPU, more RAM, and a high-end GPU, delivering faster performance needed for more intensive engineering and design software; plus, it has a higher-quality screen for detailed visuals. While the ThinkPad provides better portability and has a reputation for an excellent keyboard, the Raider, despite being bulkier and possibly louder under load, offers an overall more powerful workstation for demanding applications.
Content Creation
8.3/10
8.8/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 are both very good for content creation, though the MSI Raider GE78 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.9/10
8.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
321.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14's screen offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and professional use such as document editing and browsing, and it covers a suitable range of colors for engineering and design work, ensuring accuracy. However, for gaming and 3D tasks, it lacks a high refresh rate which is crucial for smooth motion and responsiveness. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78 provides a high-quality display with ample brightness and resolution that enhances general usage and design work, with superior color coverage beneficial for precision in creative projects, but still falls short for gaming due to its insufficient refresh rate.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has very good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,241
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a price of $1,241 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
The MSI Raider GE78 and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 are both very good for general use.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 offers a balance of performance with its capable CPU and sufficient RAM for efficient multitasking and good screen quality, housed in a portable design with robust battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go users. The MSI Raider GE78, on the other hand, boasts a more powerful CPU and extra RAM, providing an edge for more demanding applications and gaming, but trades off with less portability and shorter battery life, catering to users needing higher performance at the cost of ease of movement.
Software Development
8.3/10
8.5/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 are both very 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.
Build Quality
8.0/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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