What to know
- The Legion, on the other hand, offers a 16-inch IPS panel with a slightly higher 165Hz refresh rate and a 5ms response time.
- The Legion, on the other hand, offers a slightly more powerful configuration, featuring an Intel Core i9 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, and 32GB of RAM.
- The Crosshair offers a modest battery life of around 4 hours on a single charge, while the Legion provides slightly better endurance with a battery life of around 5 hours.
The world of gaming laptops is highly competitive, with numerous brands and models vying for the attention of gamers. Two of the most renowned names in this arena are MSI and Lenovo, both offering exceptional gaming experiences. In this comprehensive comparison, we pit the MSI Crosshair against the Lenovo Legion, examining their key features, performance, and overall value to determine which one emerges as the superior choice for gaming enthusiasts.
Design and Build Quality
Both the MSI Crosshair and Lenovo Legion boast sleek and sturdy designs. The Crosshair features a stealthy black chassis with angular lines and sharp accents, exuding a sense of aggression and power. In contrast, the Legion adopts a more subtle and minimalist approach, with a clean and understated design that emphasizes functionality.
In terms of build quality, both laptops are constructed from premium materials, ensuring durability and longevity. The Crosshair utilizes a combination of aluminum and plastic, while the Legion employs a full aluminum chassis. Both designs offer excellent rigidity and resistance to wear and tear, making them suitable for the rigors of gaming.
Display
The display is a crucial aspect of any gaming laptop, and both the Crosshair and Legion deliver impressive visuals. The Crosshair features a 17.3-inch IPS panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 3ms response time. This combination provides smooth and responsive gameplay, minimizing ghosting and motion blur.
The Legion, on the other hand, offers a 16-inch IPS panel with a slightly higher 165Hz refresh rate and a 5ms response time. While the difference in refresh rate is marginal, the lower response time of the Legion may provide a slight edge in competitive gaming scenarios. Both displays support wide color gamuts and offer vibrant and accurate colors, ensuring an immersive visual experience.
Performance
Under the hood, both the Crosshair and Legion are powered by the latest generation of hardware, providing exceptional performance for gaming and other demanding tasks. The Crosshair comes equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. This hardware configuration delivers high frame rates and smooth gameplay in even the most demanding AAA titles.
The Legion, on the other hand, offers a slightly more powerful configuration, featuring an Intel Core i9 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, and 32GB of RAM. This combination provides even higher frame rates and improved performance in ray tracing-enabled games. Both laptops also offer ample storage space with fast NVMe SSDs, ensuring quick load times and seamless multitasking.
Cooling System
Effective cooling is essential for maintaining high performance during extended gaming sessions. The Crosshair employs a Cooler Boost 5 cooling system, which consists of two large fans and multiple heat pipes. This system effectively dissipates heat and prevents thermal throttling, ensuring optimal performance even under heavy loads.
The Legion utilizes a Coldfront 3.0 cooling system, which features a vapor chamber and four fans. This system is designed to provide even more efficient cooling than the Crosshair’s solution, allowing the Legion to maintain higher clock speeds for longer periods. Both cooling systems perform admirably, keeping the laptops cool and quiet during intense gaming sessions.
Battery Life
Battery life is often a compromise in gaming laptops, as powerful hardware typically consumes more power. The Crosshair offers a modest battery life of around 4 hours on a single charge, while the Legion provides slightly better endurance with a battery life of around 5 hours.
However, it’s important to note that battery life will vary significantly depending on usage patterns and power settings. For extended gaming sessions, both laptops will require an external power source.
Connectivity
Both the Crosshair and Legion offer a comprehensive range of connectivity options. They feature multiple USB ports, including USB-C and Thunderbolt 4, allowing for fast data transfer and external device connectivity. Additionally, both laptops have HDMI ports for external displays and Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired network connections.
In terms of wireless connectivity, the Crosshair and Legion support the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard, providing fast and reliable wireless internet access. They also feature Bluetooth 5.2 for wireless peripherals and accessories.
Software and Features
The Crosshair and Legion come pre-installed with Windows 11 and offer a range of proprietary software and features to enhance the gaming experience. The Crosshair features MSI‘s Dragon Center software, which provides control over performance settings, cooling profiles, and RGB lighting. The Legion comes with Lenovo’s Vantage software, which offers similar functionality and also includes a dedicated Gaming Mode to optimize system performance for gaming.
Both laptops also feature dedicated keyboard and touchpad designs optimized for gaming. The Crosshair’s keyboard utilizes SteelSeries switches for precise and responsive keystrokes, while the Legion’s keyboard offers customizable RGB lighting and dedicated macro keys. Both touchpads provide smooth and accurate navigation, making them suitable for both gaming and productivity tasks.
Which One Should You Choose?
The choice between the MSI Crosshair and Lenovo Legion ultimately depends on your individual needs and preferences. If you prioritize raw performance and a high refresh rate display, the Lenovo Legion is the superior choice. However, if you prefer a more aggressive design and a slightly more affordable price point, the MSI Crosshair is an excellent option.
Both laptops offer exceptional gaming experiences and are well-equipped to handle even the most demanding titles. Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your specific requirements and budget.
Beyond the Verdict: Additional Considerations
Portability: The Crosshair is slightly more portable than the Legion, weighing in at 5.95 pounds compared to the Legion’s 6.28 pounds. However, both laptops are relatively large and heavy, making them less suitable for frequent travel.
Upgradability: Both the Crosshair and Legion offer some degree of upgradability. The Crosshair allows for RAM and storage upgrades, while the Legion also supports graphics card upgrades. However, it’s important to note that upgrading these components may void the warranty.
Price: The MSI Crosshair typically retails for a slightly lower price than the Lenovo Legion, making it a more budget-friendly option. However, pricing may vary depending on specific configurations and promotions.
Popular Questions
1. Which laptop has a better display?
Both laptops offer excellent displays, but the Lenovo Legion has a slight edge with its higher 165Hz refresh rate and 5ms response time.
2. Which laptop is more powerful?
The Lenovo Legion offers a more powerful hardware configuration, featuring an Intel Core i9 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card.
3. Which laptop has a better cooling system?
Both laptops have effective cooling systems, but the Lenovo Legion‘s Coldfront 3.0 system provides slightly better cooling performance.