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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell G15 5520 offers a solid performance for general use and gaming at a lower cost, but the MSI Creator Z16P, while more expensive, provides enhanced performance for creative professionals, featuring a higher resolution touchscreen and a more powerful graphics card. If budget is a key consideration and you mainly focus on general use and gaming, the Dell G15 may suit your needs. On the other hand, if your work involves creative tasks like 3D rendering or video editing, the additional investment in the MSI Creator Z16P could be worthwhile for its superior display and performance capabilities. 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 G15 5520
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.1
8.3
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
251.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Dell G15 5520 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, where clarity, sharp readability, and comfortable brightness are key, both the Dell G15 and MSI Creator Z16P excel due to their high-resolution displays and effective brightness, making everyday tasks pleasant and strain-free. In engineering and design, professionals require accurate color reproduction, which is delivered by the MSI Creator Z16P's wider color gamuts, ensuring that the work viewed on screen matches output intentions. However, for gaming and 3D applications, a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth motion, and both laptops fall short in this aspect, leading to less fluid visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator Z16P has good portability, while the Dell G15 5520 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the Dell G15 5520 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell G15 5520 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
251.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Dell G15 5520 and MSI Creator Z16P are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.6
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The Dell G15 5520 and MSI Creator Z16P are both good for gaming and AI.
The Dell G15 5520's NVIDIA RTX 3060 and 165Hz refresh rate support smooth gaming and 3D performance, yet the MSI Creator Z16P's more powerful NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti and better screen resolution also cater to high-end gaming and 3D tasks with the same refresh rate. While both have good CPUs, the MSI's screen quality surpasses that of the Dell due to higher resolution and touch capability, providing an edge for creators needing precise visuals and interactive design work.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell G15 5520 are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.9
7.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell G15 5520 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
7.5
7.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Dell G15 5520 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
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell G15 5520 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 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.
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How the Dell G15 5520 and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell G15 5520 | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.55 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.06" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.74" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 251 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell G15 5520
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Dell G15 (2022) is a 15.6-inch budget gaming laptop, and is great for gaming. You can configure the laptop with powerful Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and various NVIDIA dedicated GPUs, all of which deliver a smooth gaming experience at 1080p. There's also a QHD 240Hz display option if you want better visuals, though you'll have to pair it with the top-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti to get good frame rates. It doesn't get overly hot or loud under load, and there's no noticeable throttling on the CPU or GPU. Unfortunately, the 120Hz panel has a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate."
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Dell G15 5520 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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