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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Ultra 16 is a better choice if you're looking for stronger performance, especially with its better processor for intensive engineering tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14, being lighter and slightly more portable, may be more suitable if you travel frequently and need something easier to carry. The LG has a larger screen, which is great for productivity and entertainment, but may also affect its portability. If battery life is crucial, the LG offers significantly longer usage between charges. Ultimately, the MSI Modern 14 is more budget-friendly, whereas the LG Ultra 16 is often more expensive, but offers higher performance and a longer battery life. 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 16
- Good for engineering and design
- Excellent battery life
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.2
6.4
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
270.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The LG Ultra 16 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for software development, and content creation, while the MSI Modern 14 has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
The LG Ultra 16 and MSI Modern 14 have displays that provide sufficient clarity and color accuracy for daily tasks and professional work like engineering and design, but their color gamut coverage may not meet the high standards required by some professionals in those fields. While adequate for general productivity and casual creative work, they lack the wide color gamut necessary for high-end design work that requires precise color representation. For gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates limit the smoothness of motion, and while the resolution and panel type may provide acceptable image quality, the slower refresh rates can hamper the immersive and responsive experience gamers and 3D professionals seek.
Battery
17.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The LG Ultra 16 has 17 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the LG Ultra 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,000
$525
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The LG Ultra 16 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.2
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
270.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The LG Ultra 16 and MSI Modern 14 are both good for general use.
The LG Ultra 16 offers a blend of performance and endurance with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor and a significantly long battery life, combined with good screen quality and lightweight design, making it suitable for everyday tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14, although lighter and very portable, has a shorter battery life and uses a less powerful AMD Ryzen 5 processor, but compensates with a quality screen and keyboard, making it a solid choice for general use as well.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.0
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The LG Ultra 16 and MSI Modern 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The LG Ultra 16 and the MSI Modern 14 are both fair for gaming and 3D because they have integrated graphics, which are less powerful than dedicated GPUs, and standard screen refresh rates, which are not as smooth as higher ones used in specialized gaming laptops. While both have suitable CPUs and good screen quality, they lack the high-end GPU and fast refresh rates preferred for the best gaming and 3D experience.
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.6
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG Ultra 16 to be good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The LG Ultra 16 stands out for engineering and design use compared to the MSI Modern 14 primarily due to its superior CPU, RAM, and screen quality, which are essential for demanding tasks. While both are equipped with adequate RAM and similar GPU capabilities for moderate graphics work, the LG's better-performing CPU paired with a larger, higher-quality screen gives it an advantage, especially considering that its silent, fanless operation makes it comfortably usable for extended periods.
Content Creation
7.7
7.2
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Ultra 16 and MSI Modern 14 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
7.5
7.1
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The LG Ultra 16 and MSI Modern 14 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
6.5
7.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Modern 14 to have good build quality, while the LG Ultra 16 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 LG Ultra 16 and the MSI Modern 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 16 | MSI Modern 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $525 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64'' | 12.7'' x 8.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.63 lbs | 3.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 12.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.78" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 72 Wh | 39 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 270 nits | 311 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
LG Ultra 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | October 2022
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
MSI Modern 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the LG Ultra 16 or the MSI Modern 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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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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