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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is a premium option with a larger OLED display, higher resolution, more memory, internal storage, and better battery capacity, making it well suited for business and engineering where screen quality and multitasking are crucial. The MSI Bravo 15 has a lower price, a decent IPS display with a higher refresh rate, and gaming-focused features like a more powerful graphics card, making it a good fit for gaming and general multimedia use. The ThinkPad Z16 will excel in professional tasks, while the Bravo 15 is for users looking for a budget-friendly gaming laptop with decent all-around capabilities. 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 Z16
- 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
- Good portability
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Bravo 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.6
7.1
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
393.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the MSI Bravo 15 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 typically offers robust CPU and RAM configurations, high-quality screen, durable build, and extended battery life, prioritizing performance and reliability for general use, while also keeping portability in mind. Conversely, the MSI Bravo 15, while serviceable for general tasks, leans towards a gaming-oriented build which may compromise on screen quality, battery life, and portability, but might provide stronger speakers and larger storage at a typically lower price point.
Engineering and Design
8.4
7.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
4.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Bravo 15 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers a higher-performing CPU and GPU, more RAM, and a superior OLED screen, making it very suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks. The MSI Bravo 15, while also good for these tasks, provides a lesser CPU and GPU, less RAM, and an IPS screen, which does not match the Lenovo's screen quality.
Content Creation
8.5
7.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Bravo 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
8.2
6.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.0/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for software development, while the MSI Bravo 15 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
8.5
6.9
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
393.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the MSI Bravo 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a sharp and bright display for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers superior detail and visibility with its panel type and resolution. For engineering and design work, where accurate color representation is crucial, the ThinkPad Z16 stands out because of its wider color gamut coverage. However, for fast-paced gaming or 3D modeling where fluid motion is key, neither laptop is ideal due to lower refresh rates, with the Bravo 15 slightly trailing behind in overall screen quality for these high-motion needs.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability, while the MSI Bravo 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0
6.7
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has very good build quality, while the MSI Bravo 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,120
$862
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a price of $1,120 and the MSI Bravo 15 costs $862.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.7
7.2
4.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Bravo 15 to be good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, with an AMD RX 6500M GPU, is suited for gaming and 3D tasks but has a standard screen refresh rate, while the MSI Bravo 15, equipped with a more gaming-focused Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, offers a high screen refresh rate conducive to smoother gameplay. Despite both having strong graphics capabilities, the Lenovo's OLED screen may offer better overall screen quality, which could enhance visual work, but for fast-paced games, the MSI with its higher refresh rate will provide a more fluid visual experience.
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Bravo 15 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.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and the MSI Bravo 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 | MSI Bravo 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,120 | $862 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.27 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.95" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 72 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 393 nits | 267 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
MSI Bravo 15
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Nikolay Palaozov | July 2023
"Overall, the MSI Bravo 15 C7U is a great gaming device for the masses that isn’t too pricey. The capable hardware (for the price range), the 144Hz display, and the comfortable keyboard are one of the things that should attract buyers who don’t want to spend a fortune on a new gaming laptop."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 or the MSI Bravo 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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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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