The Lenovo LOQ 15 and MSI Thin 15 are two of the most common budget gaming laptops in the Indian market. The former is a bit newer on the market, while the latter is a more established model. Moreover, they sport similar specs, which further confuses people.
In this article, we will compare the two to determine the better laptop for budget gaming.
Lenovo LOQ 15 vs MSI Thin 15: Detailed comparison
Specs comparison
Here are the specs of the Lenovo LOQ 15 and MSI Thin 15:
Design, build quality, and display
Both the Lenovo LOQ 15 and the MSI Thin 15 feature plastic build quality, which is decent but nothing out of the ordinary. The chassis is decently solid, and while there is some flexing, it is acceptable at this budget market. The Lenovo laptop is a bit thicker and heavier, but it also has much better cooling potential and a larger battery, which we will discuss later.
However, the MSI gaming laptop is slightly thinner and lighter. When it comes to design and looks, the Lenovo LOQ is the better-looking laptop, but you can choose MSI as well. As for the display, both the Lenovo LOQ 15 and the MSI Thin 15 have extremely similar display technologies.
However, the former’s screen is color-tuned from the factory to deliver 100% sRGB, while the latter hovers around the lower 75% sRGB range. Therefore, the Lenovo LOQ 15 wins in design and display.
Productivity and performance
The Lenovo LOQ 15 is powered by an AMD processor, while the MSI Thin 15 features an Intel CPU. Here’s how they perform in popular benchmarks:
On average, the Intel Core i5-13420H inside the MSI Thin 15 is 25-48% faster than the Ryzen chip inside the Lenovo laptop. However, the scene changes when it comes to the GPU.
The RTX 3050A inside the Lenovo laptop is based on the newer Ada Lovelace architecture, while the RTX 3050 inside the MSI laptop is based on the older Ampere. Moreover, the Lenovo LOQ 15 has a higher TGP for the GPU, allowing it to reach higher clock speeds, and its better cooling system keeps the chip cooler.
On the other hand, the MSI Thin 15’s limited 45W TGP slows it down slightly, and its less-than-average cooling system further becomes a problem. Therefore, although the Lenovo LOQ 15 has a slower CPU, its gaming performance is still better, thanks to the use of a newer GPU chip, higher TGP, and better cooling performance.
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Battery, features, and pricing
Gaming laptops generally don’t have great battery life, which is also true here. However, the Lenovo LOQ 15 still delivers higher battery life than the MSI Thin 15 due to the inclusion of a more power-efficient Ryzen CPU, an RTX 3050A GPU, and a larger battery. It can last around four to six hours on a single charge with normal usage, but the MSI laptop can only last up to five hours under the same conditions.
When it comes to pricing, the Lenovo LOQ 15 costs ₹62,990 while the MSI Thin 15 is priced at ₹59,609, which is slightly lower.
Which laptop is better for budget gaming?
The Lenovo LOQ 15 delivers a great design, a better display, higher gaming performance, and longer battery life than the MSI Thin 15. Therefore, it is the better laptop for budget gamers compared to the MSI one. Even its cooling performance is better.
The MSI Thin 15 should be avoided for gaming. Its design, cooling potential, and the power budget (TGP) largely remained the same year after year.
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Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul
