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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Ultra 13 offers good performance for general use and is somewhat less expensive, lightweight, and has respectable battery life, making it quite portable. It suits everyday tasks and moderate multitasking. The MSI Prestige 14, while slightly more expensive, features better performance for engineering applications and 3D tasks due to its newer processor, has more storage, and includes additional ports, such as Thunderbolt. However, its battery life is slightly less, and it weighs more, slightly reducing portability. Both laptops lack features for intensive gaming, and neither should be considered for high-end gaming purposes. 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 LG Ultra 13
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 14
- Good for engineering and design
- Good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
6.9
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 14 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 13 for software development.
For general use, the LG Ultra 13 and MSI Prestige 14 both offer screens with sufficient resolution and brightness, providing clear and vibrant displays for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. Engineering and design professionals would appreciate the color accuracy and wide color gamuts of both laptops, ensuring that their creations look true to intended designs. However, the lower refresh rates of these models make them less suitable for 3D tasks and gaming where smooth motion and responsiveness are key for an optimal experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The LG Ultra 13 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.
Cost
$529
$1,040
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The LG Ultra 13 has a price of $529 and the MSI Prestige 14 costs $1,040.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.2
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The MSI Prestige 14 and LG Ultra 13 are both good for general use.
The LG Ultra 13 offers a balance of performance and portability with a lightweight design and a long-lasting battery, making it useful for a range of general tasks, while its screen delivers good color coverage for average needs. The MSI Prestige 14, with its newer CPU and larger storage, caters to more demanding general use and has additional features like a backlit keyboard and touchpad that doubles as a numeric keypad, yet it is slightly heavier and has marginally less battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 14 and LG Ultra 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The LG Ultra 13 and the MSI Prestige 14 are rated fair for gaming and 3D due to their integrated GPUs; the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Vega 7 and the Intel i5-1240P Iris Xe, respectively, which are sufficient for modest gaming but not for high-end games. Both laptops have screens with only a 60Hz refresh rate, which is adequate for casual gaming but not the ideal for competitive gaming where higher refresh rates provide smoother visuals.
Engineering and Design
6.6
7.1
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Prestige 14 to be good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 13 is only fair.
The MSI Prestige 14 is better suited for engineering and design due to a newer CPU and a superior GPU, which result in better performance for demanding tasks, while the LG Ultra 13's older hardware makes it less optimal. Additionally, the MSI Prestige 14 has a higher-quality display with better color accuracy and contrast, contributing to a more precise visual workspace necessary for design work, although it is slightly heavier and less portable than the LG Ultra 13.
Content Creation
7.2
7.5
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 14 and LG Ultra 13 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
7.2
7.3
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 14 and LG Ultra 13 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.
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG Ultra 13 to have excellent portability, while the MSI Prestige 14 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The LG Ultra 13 and MSI Prestige 14 both have good 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 LG Ultra 13 and the MSI Prestige 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 13 | MSI Prestige 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$529 | $1,040 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2021 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.1'' x 0.6'' | 12.6'' x 8.6'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.16 lbs | 2.84 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.08" | 12.56" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.14" | 8.62" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4700U | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 53.8 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 313 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
LG Ultra 13
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | April 2017
"The 13.3-inch LG Gram is a fine fit if you need to travel as light as possible for as long as possible without spending a fortune to do it. It might not be particularly sturdy or have an eye-catching design and its webcam is less than ideal, but with its sharp touch display, comfortable backlit keyboard, responsive touchpad and a fingerprint reader for extra security, the Gram makes a respectible everyday laptop for business or school work."
MSI Prestige 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Tech Radar
Collin Probst | September 2022
"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 LG Ultra 13 or the MSI Prestige 14
About LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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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