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Updated January 10, 2024·
If your priority is portability and cost-effectiveness, you'll find the LG Ultra 13 to be lighter, with a higher portability score, and also cheaper compared to the MSI Prestige 15. However, the MSI Prestige 15 has double the storage capacity, a more powerful Nvidia graphics card, a larger screen, and is better suited for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering due to its superior performance in these areas. It also offers a longer battery life. The tradeoff for these added benefits is a higher price and less portability due to increased weight. 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 15
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Engineering and Design
6.6
7.2
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 15 is good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 13 is only fair.
The LG Ultra 13's mid-range AMD Ryzen processor and integrated graphics make it fair for engineering and design, while the MSI Prestige 15's higher-end Intel CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU deliver better performance suitable for more demanding engineering and design tasks.
Screen Quality
6.9
6.8
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 15 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 13 for software development.
The LG Ultra 13 and MSI Prestige 15 both offer panels with high resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks as well as detail-oriented work in engineering and design where crisp text and clear visuals are important. Their color accuracy covers a wide spectrum, meeting the standards required for professional design work that relies on precise color representation. However, both laptops lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth rendering in gaming and 3D applications, resulting in less optimal experiences for those specific activities.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The LG Ultra 13 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 15 has 7.5 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
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The LG Ultra 13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$529
$1,044
$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 15 costs $1,044.
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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
298.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Prestige 15 and LG Ultra 13 are both good for general use.
The LG Ultra 13 provides a balance of performance and portability with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB RAM, and high screen quality on a 13.3-inch display, coupled with great battery life, making it ideal for general use. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 15, with a powerful Intel i5 CPU, the same amount of RAM, and a larger 15.6-inch screen with dedicated Nvidia graphics, excels at demanding applications but is heavier and has slightly less battery life, yet it still maintains good portability and screen quality for general use.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.3
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
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
7.0/10
The MSI Prestige 15 and LG Ultra 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The LG Ultra 13 is limited for gaming and 3D due to its integrated Vega 7 graphics, while the MSI Prestige 15 features a dedicated Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU, better suited for these tasks, although both are constrained by a 60Hz screen refresh rate. Additionally, the MSI Prestige's Intel i5 CPU and slightly better screen quality may provide a somewhat improved experience over the LG Ultra's AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and screen, though both are considered of fair quality for gaming and 3D work.
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 15 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
7.2
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 LG Ultra 13 and MSI Prestige 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
7.4
7.4
The LG Ultra 13 and MSI Prestige 15 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 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 13 | MSI Prestige 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$529 | $1,044 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2021 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.1'' x 0.6'' | 14.1'' x 9.2'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.16 lbs | 3.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.08" | 14.05" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.14" | 9.2" | |
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 | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
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 | 298 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
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 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | December 2022
"The MSI Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the LG Ultra 13 or the MSI Prestige 15
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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