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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize high performance for tasks like gaming or design work, the MSI Katana 15 with its dedicated graphics card is a better choice, but it's heavier and more expensive. The Lenovo V15, on the other hand, is more budget-friendly and lighter, making it easier to carry, but its performance is suited for general use and not for demanding applications. Consider the MSI for intensive tasks and the Lenovo for casual use, evaluating whether the price difference is justified by your needs. 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 V15
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Katana 15
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.6
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo V15 is only fair.
The Lenovo V15 is fair for gaming and 3D applications primarily because it uses an integrated GPU, which is less powerful compared to the dedicated Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU in the MSI Katana 15, which is superior for these tasks. Additionally, the MSI Katana 15 has a higher screen refresh rate, which results in smoother visuals, an aspect that contributes to its good performance in gaming and 3D applications, compared to the lower refresh rate of the Lenovo V15.
Engineering and Design
6.3
7.7
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo V15 is only fair.
The Lenovo V15, with an AMD Ryzen processor and integrated Vega graphics, is less suited for demanding engineering and design work than the MSI Katana 15, which is equipped with a more powerful Intel CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, better supporting software that relies on GPU acceleration. Additionally, the MSI Katana 15's superior IPS display offers better color accuracy and viewing angles which are crucial for design tasks, while the Lenovo V15's TN panel falls short in screen quality.
Screen Quality
5.4
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
231.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
The MSI Katana 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo V15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo V15's display may not deliver the vibrant colors and sharpness needed for enjoyable everyday use due to its basic resolution and lower brightness, which can also hinder detail-oriented tasks like engineering design work that rely heavily on accurate color representation. The MSI Katana 15 sports a better display with fair color reproduction, making it more suitable for general use and design-related tasks, although it's still not top-of-the-line in terms of the broader color gamuts professionals might require. For gaming and 3D applications, both laptops have limitations, with the MSI fairing slightly better; however, neither offers the high refresh rates that gamers typically seek for smooth visuals, nor the resolution preferred for immersive 3D environments.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo V15 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 15 has 4 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
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo V15 has good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$579
$949
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Lenovo V15 has a price of $579 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
231.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo V15 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo V15 is suitable for general use because it is lighter and has lower operating noise, making it more portable and quieter, though it has a less powerful CPU and GPU compared to the MSI Katana 15, which also has a better battery life and screen quality, allowing for longer and more visually appealing use. The MSI Katana 15, with its higher performance components, better cooling and richer speaker quality is also good for general use but is heavier, which might affect its portability.
Content Creation
7.3
7.4
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 15 and Lenovo V15 are both good for content creation.
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
7.1
7.0
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo V15 and MSI Katana 15 are both 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
6.7
7.2
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Katana 15 to have good build quality, while the Lenovo V15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Lenovo V15 and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo V15 | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$579 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.75 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.1" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.3" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 38 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 231 nits | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 4.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 480p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo V15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marvin Gollor | April 2022
"The strengths of the Lenovo V15 G2 AMD lie in its expandability of the RAM and allowing you to use two SSDs, in its performance that goes beyond everyday applications thanks to AMD's hexa-core CPU and Vega-7 iGPU, in its good keyboard, and its relatively robust case. In addition, the battery life of the office laptop is also acceptable, and the device stays cool and relatively quiet."
MSI Katana 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The MSI Katana 15 B12 combines a Gen12 CPU with an RTX 4050, which is actually not a bad idea for a budget gamer. The CPU is anything but bad and the GPU in the Katana 15 proves to be significantly more efficient than last year's models. However, our main point of criticism for budget gamers is the price: while you can get budget laptops with RTX 3060 from around US$800, you pay a whole US$1,499.99 here! The efficiency advantages of the RTX 4050 do not justify this price premium."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo V15 or the MSI Katana 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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