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Updated January 16, 2024·
Choosing between the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the MSI GE66 Raider involves several trade-offs. The Dell is often less expensive and still provides strong performance with excellent graphics, making it suitable for gaming and general use. However, the MSI, while more expensive, has higher storage and memory, a more powerful processor, and a superior graphics card, which translates into exceptional performance that may be necessary for demanding engineering tasks, 3D rendering, or machine learning. The MSI also boasts a higher resolution display, which could improve your visual experience. Note that the higher specs of the MSI may result in shorter battery life compared to the Dell, and it is also slightly lighter, which could be a factor if portability is a concern. Both machines run on Windows 11 and have RGB keyboards with similar sizes and build quality, so your choice may ultimately depend on whether you value higher performance and resolution over cost and potentially 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 Dell Alienware m15 R7
- The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has no clear advantages over the MSI GE66 Raider.
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.4
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider is rated higher for general use than the Dell Alienware m15 R7 because it has a higher portability score, indicating it is easier to carry around, and has a keyboard that is considered excellent compared to the Dell's good rating, which can enhance the overall user experience. Additionally, the MSI has superior battery life, which makes it more practical for use without constant charging, a crucial factor for general use .
Gaming and AI
7.8
8.6
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a screen refresh rate of 240Hz, making it suitable for gaming and 3D applications, but the MSI GE66 Raider steps up the game with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a higher screen resolution, although its refresh rate is lower at 120Hz. While both have quality IPS displays, the GE66 Raider's higher GPU power is a significant advantage for the most demanding tasks, though it may come at a higher cost.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 is very good.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is lauded for engineering due to its strong AMD Ryzen CPU and high-refresh-rate screen, but the MSI GE66 Raider takes the edge with its more powerful Intel i9 processor, double the RAM, and superior GPU, along with a higher-resolution display, making it excellent for more demanding design work. While the Alienware offers good portability and a balance of key features, the Raider excels at screen quality and performance at the expense of being slightly less portable.
Content Creation
7.5
8.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
7.3
8.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 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
8.2
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for gaming and AI, while the MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI GE66 Raider both have high-resolution panels with strong brightness levels, making them well-suited for general tasks like web browsing, document editing, or video streaming. Their ability to display a wide range of colors accurately also benefits professional engineering and design work where color fidelity is crucial. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates may not be as satisfying for users who need smooth motion and quick screen updates for a more immersive experience.
Cost
$2,200
$3,199
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a price of $2,200 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GE66 Raider and Dell Alienware m15 R7 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI GE66 Raider both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell Alienware m15 R7
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | October 2022
"The Alienware M15 offers solid gaming and leading endurance. It makes the most of its CPU and GPU while delivering stellar battery life for a gaming laptop. Opening the lid presents a full-size keyboard with honeycomb cutouts above it on the deck. An oblong RBG lightning element surrounds the entire rear panel and can be color-synced with the other lights on the laptop. There’s not a lot to dislike about the M15 Its productivity performance lagged in some areas, particularly in the storage benchmark, and it’s a bit heavy. Alienware has a clear winner here with the M15 based on its strong overall performance and endurance."
MSI GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the MSI GE66 Raider
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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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