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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers a higher resolution display and greater color coverage, making it better suited for tasks that require color accuracy, such as photo editing. It's a bit heavier and thicker, which may affect portability. The MSI Stealth GS66 has a higher refresh rate screen, which is beneficial for fast-paced gaming, and is lighter and thinner, offering more portability. Both have comparable performance and battery life for general use and are suitable for intensive gaming. If portability is key and you're an avid gamer, the MSI may have the edge. If display quality for creative work is a priority, consider the Dell Alienware. 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 Stealth GS66.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2
8.1
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS66 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen for software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Dell Alienware m15 R7 offers superior visuals due to its higher resolution and brightness, making text clearer and colors more vibrant compared to the MSI Stealth GS66. For engineering and design tasks, the Alienware's coverage of professional color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB enables more precise color reproduction, an advantage over the MSI. Conversely, for gaming and 3D applications, the MSI Stealth GS66, while still lagging behind in refresh rates crucial for smooth motion, may provide a more balanced compromise between color accuracy, resolution, and speed as compared to the poorer gaming-oriented display performance of the Alienware.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability, while the Dell Alienware m15 R7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,200
$1,799
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has a price of $2,200 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.5
7.7
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for general use.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 is favored for general use largely because of its powerful AMD processor, ample RAM, high-resolution screen with excellent color coverage, and robust build quality, though it is heavier and thicker which impacts portability. In comparison, the MSI Stealth GS66 is also suitable for general tasks with a strong Intel CPU, comparable RAM, quality IPS screen, lighter weight for easier carrying, and marginally better battery life, but trades off some screen resolution for better portability.
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.8
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI Stealth GS66 are both good for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Dell Alienware m15 R7, with its powerful CPU, ample RAM, and high-end GPU, delivers the performance needed for demanding engineering applications, and its high-quality screen benefits design work. Meanwhile, the MSI Stealth GS66 offers similar capabilities but with greater portability and a focus on a quiet experience, albeit with potentially lesser speaker quality than the Alienware.
Content Creation
7.5
7.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for content creation.
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
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Dell Alienware m15 R7 are both good for software development.
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.
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell Alienware m15 R7 and MSI Stealth GS66 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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How the Dell Alienware m15 R7 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Alienware m15 R7 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,200 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.7'' x 0.94'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.93 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.73" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
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 Stealth GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Dell Alienware m15 R7 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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