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    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″) vs MSI GL63 8RC – a mid-range fight

    From: Nikolay Palaozov | 0

    It’s time for a mid-range battle again. Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″) and MSI GL63 8RC are here to show us their key-selling points. At this price point, buyers are always looking for the best bang for their buck. We’ll make a close-up dissection of every part of the innards of those notebooks. Maybe this will ease your choice.  Let’s see which one is the superior.

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″): Detailed review
    MSI GL63 8RC: Detailed review

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″) configurations:

    MSI GL63 8RC configurations:

    Contents

    1. Design and construction
    2. Display
    3. Our display profiles
    4. Specs sheet comparison
    5. Battery
    6. Gaming tests
    7. Temperatures
    8. Verdict

    Design and construction

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)
    MSI GL63 8RC

    MSI GL63 8RC is a bit thick with its 29.5 mm profile. In the meantime, Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming is much thinner with a 23.9 mm profile.

    Both laptops are made out of plastic but you can’t ask for more in this price range. The paint of the Ideapad L340 Gaming is easy to scratch so you have to be careful with it.

    Unlike the Legion series, the camera of the Ideapad L340 Gaming is normally placed (such a relief).

    Two hands are required for opening the lid no matter the device. Keep in mind that the Lenovo’s lid is flexing too much and there isn’t such a problem with MSI GL63 8RC.

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)
    MSI GL63 8RC

    The backlit keyboard in the Ideapad L340 Gaming has nice feedback and good key travel but it’s somehow more suitable for typing than gaming. While in the GL63 8RC we are finding once again the SteelSeries backlit keyboard – only red color for it but it’s not a big deal because its biggest advantage is the better gaming experience. Nice one, MSI.

    The touchpad in the Lenovo is too sensitive and isn’t very comfortable to use. The MSI one is just a normal touchpad, no bonuses here.

    HeightWeight
    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)23.9 mm (0.94″)2.19 kg (4.8 lbs)
    MSI GL63 8RC29.5 mm (1.16″)2.20 kg (4.9 lbs)

    Interesting idea, all the ports of the Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming are placed on its left side – dedicated Lenovo charging port, an RJ-45 connector, an HDMI 2.0 port, then two USB Type-A 3.1 (Gen. 1) ports, an audio jack, and a USB Type-C 3.1 (Gen. 1) port.

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)>

    MSI GL63 8RC

    MSI GL63 8RC ports are placed more “conservatively” on both sides of the machine. The left side is equipped with a lock slot, Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI, a Mini DisplayPort, a USB 3.1 Type-A port, a USB Type-C port, and two 3.5 mm jacks for a microphone and headphones. For the right side, we have a DC jack, another two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, and the SD card reader.

    So, the MSI device has some extra ports like Gigabit Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, one extra USB 3.1 Type-A port, and one more audio jack, as opposed to Lenovo’s ports.

    Display

    For the beginning, we have some common specs for both panels – 15.6″, 16:9 ratio, 1920 x 1080 resolution (142 ppi) and the pixel pitch is 0.18 х 0.18 mm.

    We got TN panels for both contenders but if you look closely at the pictures down below you will notice that the MSI panel got better viewing angles. The Lenovo panel is a BOE NT156FHM-N61, and for MSI is an N156HGA-EAL.

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)
    MSI GL63 8RC

    Values of dE2000 over 4.0 should not occur, and this parameter is one of the first you should check if you intend to use the laptop for color-sensitive work.

    The BOE NT156FHM-N61 can show a better color temperature (7060K) next to the N156HGA-EAL (7820K).

    Despite that, the contrast ratio of the MSI panel is better – 330:1 (290:1 after profiling). Sadly, a sub-par contrast ratio for our MSI contender – 230:1.

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)
    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)MSI GL63 8RC

    Only 50% of the sRGB for the Lenovo panel, such a disappointing result but don’t forget that it’s only a TN display. MSI is showing us that they can squeeze more from their panel – 100% of the sRGB color space and 96% of DCI-P3 in CIE1976. Hats down, please.

    We were not very impressed by the stock dE values of the two panels (sky-high levels for each one of them) but it is what it is. Lenovo is a bit better before profiling 11/19 vs 12/21 for MSI, but after profiling MSI is turning the tables with a decent result – 2.1/4.4 (there is a big improvement for Lenovo too – 3.5/6.7)

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)
    MSI GL63 8RC

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)
    MSI GL63 8RC

    One of the most important things about a display is its safety towards the user. Here, we are happy to see that both of the laptops don’t use PWM to regulate the brightness of its screens.

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15) is PWM-free at any brightness level. For the MSI display, PWM is used only below 60 nits and the frequency is very high so it is safe too.

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)
    MSI GL63 8RC

    Our display profiles

    Here at LaptopMedia, we create a set of custom-tailored profiles for every notebook we review. They boost the productivity of display and reduce negative effects such as blue light emissions and PWM. You can read more about them here.

    Buy our profiles from here:

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″): Profiles

    MSI GL63 8RC: Profiles

    Specs sheet comparison

    More information about Intel Core i5-9300H and its position in our Top CPU Ranking you can find HERE.

    More information about Intel Core i7-8750H and its position in our Top CPU Ranking you can find HERE.

    More information about the GTX 1050 (3GB GDDR5) and its place in our Top GPU Ranking you can find HERE.

    More information about the GTX 1050 (4GB GDDR5) and its place in our Top GPU Ranking you can find HERE.

    Lenovo IdeaPad L340 (15") Gaming series

    • Dimensions
    • 363 x 254.6 x 23.9 mm (14.29" x 10.02" x 0.94")
    • Weight
    • 2.19 kg (4.8 lbs)
    • Price
    • Starting at $672.00
    Full specs sheet and benchmarks

    MSI GL63 8Rx / 8Sx / 9Sx series

    • Dimensions
    • 383 x 260 x 29.5 mm (15.08" x 10.24" x 1.16")
    • Weight
    • 2.20 kg (4.9 lbs)
    • Price
    • Starting at $2160.81
    Full specs sheet and benchmarks

    Battery


    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming got a decent score here – 7 hours of web browsing and 5 hours and 45 minutes of video playback.

    Unfortunately, MSI GL63 8RC is on the other side of the coin – 3:30 min web browsing and 2:53 for video. Now, that’s disappointing battery life. We consider the following facts, its battery unit is 4Wh smaller compared to the Lenovo one (45Wh vs 41Wh), and the CPU is more powerful but no matter what, the battery life is still on the low side.

    In order to simulate real-life conditions, we used our own script for automatic web browsing through over 70 websites.

    Lenovo IdeaPad L340 15 Gaming 45Wh, 3-cell
    421 min.
    MSI GL63 8RC 41Wh, 6-cell
    200 min.-52.5%

    For every test like this, we use the same video in HD.

    Lenovo IdeaPad L340 15 Gaming 45Wh, 3-cell
    343 min.
    MSI GL63 8RC 41Wh, 6-cell
    173 min.-49.6%

    Gaming tests

    Nothing spectacular here, it is very clear the MSI GL63 8RC is faster in our benchmarks because of its “heart” – the GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5. Lenovo L340 is equipped with GTX 1050 3GB GDDR5.
    GTA-V-benchmarks

    Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5)Full HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Very High (Check settings)
    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)61 fps35 fps
    MSI GL63 8RC62 fps33 fps

    rise-of-the-tomb-raider

    Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016)Full HD, Medium (Check settings)Full HD, Very High (Check settings)Full HD, MAX (Check settings)
    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)82 fps58 fps27 fps
    MSI GL63 8RC80 fps52 fps25 fps

    Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon WildlandsFull HD, High (Check settings)Full HD, Very High (Check settings)Full HD, Ultra (Check settings)
    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)42 fps38 fps33 fps
    MSI GL63 8RC39 fps36 fps31 fps

    Temperatures

    In this test, we load the CPU cores to 100%, while monitoring the fluctuations in their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column is indicative of the computer’s response under a short load (between 2 and 10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of whether the laptop is suitable for heavy and continuous loads such as video rendering.

    Average core frequency (base frequency + X); CPU temp.

    Core i5-9300H (45W TDP)0:02 – 0:10 sec0:15 – 0:30 sec10:00 – 15:00 min
    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″) i5-9300H2.39 GHz @ 52°C3.72 GHz (B+55%)@ 87°C2.92 GHz (B+22%)@ 78°C

    Average core frequency (base frequency + X); CPU temp.

    Core i7-8750H (45W TDP)0:02 – 0:10 sec0:15 – 0:30 sec10:00 – 15:00 min
    MSI GL63 8RC i7-8750H2.16 GHz (B-2%)@ 56°2.40 GHz (B+9%)@ 62.5°2.47 GHz (B+12%)@ 79°C

    Real-life gaming

    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 2 min)GPU frequency/ Core temp (after 30 min)
    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)1691 MHz @ 74°C1620 MHz @ 74°C
    MSI GL63 8RC (GTX 1050)1658 MHz @ 65°C1645 MHz @ 69°C

    GTX 1050 is available for both sides but the one in the MSI GL63 8RC is the 4GB version (3GB VGA memory for Lenovo).

    MSI GL63 8RC is doing a better job here keeping the temperatures of its GTX 1050 4GB lower (69°C) compared to Ideapad L340 Gaming (74°C) in the continuous load test.

    Gaming comfort

    Not much to say here but temperature-wise the two notebooks are comfortable for long gaming sessions. MSI GL63 8RC shell is 2°C cooler.

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)
    MSI GL63 8RC

    Verdict

    The Ideapad L340 Gaming and GL63 8RC are decent devices. They both have their strengths and weaknesses but at the end of the day, either of the two is a good choice.

    The Lenovo machine is more suitable for outdoor use because of the much better battery life and its display is PWM-free (reminder – the MSI one is safe too because the screen is using PWM only below 60 nits).

    The GL63 8RC is keeping the temperatures of the CPU/GPU combo under control in every situation and the gamers will like that. Speaking of gaming, the SteelSeries keyboard is a nice feature to have. The touchpad of the MSI model is better too so if you forget your mouse somewhere you can rely on its touchpad.

    The GTX 1050 is doing a great job in both notebooks, delivering acceptable framerates in our benchmarks.



    Why choose Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″)?

    • PWM-free display
    • Good battery life




    Why choose MSI GL63 8RC?

    • Better display
    • SteelSeries keyboard
    • Better touchpad
    • SD card reader


    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″): Detailed review
    MSI GL63 8RC: Detailed review

    Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming (15″) configurations:

    MSI GL63 8RC configurations:

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