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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Ultra 16 is less expensive and lighter, offering respectable performance for everyday tasks and moderate battery life, making it suitable for general use and portability. The MSI Raider GE78, on the other hand, is significantly more expensive with high-end performance ideal for intensive tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software; it also has a larger screen, but it's heavier, affecting portability. 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 portability
- Excellent battery life
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
270.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
The LG Ultra 16, with its adequate processing power and solid screen quality, offers extended battery life and is light, making it a good all-around laptop for everyday tasks, while the more robust MSI Raider GE78 has a high-performance CPU and superior RAM, a premium screen, and a significantly more powerful graphics unit, geared more toward heavy users who require top-tier performance and can manage with shorter battery life and less portability.
Gaming and AI
6.2
9.5
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the LG Ultra 16 is only fair.
The LG Ultra 16 is equipped with a built-in Vega 8 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it adequate for casual gaming and entry-level 3D applications. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 boasts a much more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a high 240 Hz screen refresh rate, offering top-tier gaming performance and smoother visuals for demanding 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.0
9.4
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.7
8.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the LG Ultra 16 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
7.5
8.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
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
6.2
8.6
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
270.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The LG Ultra 16 has a display that provides adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but lacks the wide color gamuts crucial for precise color work in engineering and design, and its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for the fast-paced visuals in gaming and 3D applications. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78's screen excels in both resolution and brightness for general usage, and it offers enhanced color ranges necessary for professional design work; however, despite its superior qualities, it still falls short for gaming and 3D content due to a refresh rate that doesn't meet the high standards required for those fields. Therefore, while the MSI Raider GE78 offers distinct advantages in both general and professional scenarios, those looking for a laptop suited for gaming or 3D tasks should consider models with higher refresh rates to ensure smooth visual experiences.
Battery
17.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The LG Ultra 16 has 17 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 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
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The LG Ultra 16 has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very 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.
Cost
$1,000
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The LG Ultra 16 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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How the LG Ultra 16 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 16 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.63 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.78" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 17 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 72 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 270 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the LG Ultra 16 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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