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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming performance with higher graphics capabilities, the Dell G15 5520, being more expensive, offers a stronger processor and graphics card, plus more storage and RAM. However, its battery life is shorter, and it's heavier, which impacts portability. The MSI GF63 Thin is less expensive, lighter and marginally more portable, making it better for general use and carrying around. Still, it falls short in terms of processing power, storage space, and gaming potential compared to the Dell. For high-end gaming, machine learning tasks, or intensive engineering work, the Dell is the recommended option, while for everyday tasks with occasional gaming and a tighter budget, the MSI might suffice. 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 for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF63 Thin
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9
6.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
251.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell G15 5520 is good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Dell G15 5520 is favored for general use with a stronger CPU, more RAM, and a higher-quality display offering better color coverage and brightness than the MSI GF63 Thin, improving performance and visual experience. Although the MSI GF63 Thin is more portable and lighter, it compromises on battery life, storage capacity, and lacks a backlit keyboard, essential features for an optimal user experience in various environments.
Gaming and AI
7.7
6.0
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell G15 5520 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Dell G15 5520 offers better gaming and 3D performance due to its higher-end Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics and a screen with a higher refresh rate conducive to smoother visuals in fast-paced games. In contrast, the MSI GF63 Thin, with its Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics, is less powerful for gaming and 3D applications and has a standard refresh rate, which may not be as fluid for gaming scenarios.
Engineering and Design
8.2
6.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell G15 5520 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
6.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell G15 5520 is good for content creation, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
6.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell G15 5520 is good for software development, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
7.1
6.1
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
251.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Dell G15 5520 has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell G15's screen offers higher resolution and brightness, providing clear and vibrant visuals suitable for everyday tasks and media consumption; the MSI GF63 Thin, while competent, delivers a less impressive visual experience due to its lower brightness and resolution. In engineering and design, the Dell G15's ability to cover a wider range of colors is crucial for accuracy in graphical work, which might be less precise on the MSI's more limited color range. Gamers and 3D designers, however, may find both lacking due to their lower refresh rates, which lead to less fluid motion, though the MSI and Dell's resolutions and panel types are adequate for moderate 3D rendering and casual gaming.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Dell G15 5520 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GF63 Thin has 4.3 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
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF63 Thin 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
6.5
The Dell G15 5520 has good build quality, while the MSI GF63 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$599
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Dell G15 5520 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
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How the Dell G15 5520 and the MSI GF63 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell G15 5520 | MSI GF63 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $599 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.55 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.06" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.74" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i5-10300H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 4.25 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 251 nits | 249 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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 GF63 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2020
"If you leave aside the meagre port selection (no card reader, no DisplayPort, no Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1 Gen2), the fan control that could be improved (idle mode!) and the relatively dark and slow display, the MSI GF63 Thin 9SC does not have any major weaknesses. The 15-inch gamer is compact, has a low weight and offers a good price-to-performance ratio, which should please gamers that are looking for both a portable and an affordable gaming notebook. Input devices, battery life, case quality and performance are all appropriate for this purchase price."
Get a great deal on the Dell G15 5520 or the MSI GF63 Thin
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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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