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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell G15 5520 is more budget-friendly and offers slightly longer battery life, suitable for general use and moderate gaming or engineering tasks. Conversely, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while more expensive, provides enhanced performance for demanding gaming, 3D, machine learning, or intensive engineering work but at the cost of some portability and battery life. Choose the Dell for cost-efficiency and longer unplugged use or the MSI for high-end tasks if the budget allows and you're okay with more frequent charging. 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
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Content Creation
7.9
7.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell G15 5520 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for content creation, though the Dell G15 5520 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.1
7.5
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
251.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Dell G15 5520 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for software development, and content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Dell G15 5520 and the MSI GP66 Leopard feature panels with a resolution and brightness that provide a sharp and clear image, making activities like browsing and watching videos enjoyable. Engineering and design professionals will find these laptops suitable due to their coverage of color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation which is crucial for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and a competitive disadvantage in fast-paced gaming scenarios.
Portability
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Dell G15 5520 both have only fair portability, though the MSI GP66 Leopard has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell G15 5520 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
251.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Dell G15 5520 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The Dell G15 5520 stands out for general use due to its powerful Intel i7 processor, substantial RAM and storage, and a decent battery life, along with a high-quality screen and keyboard; its heft and potentially limiting battery longevity, however, affect portability. On the other hand, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while also featuring a robust processor and equivalent RAM, offers a superior graphics card and screen brightness which enhances visual tasks, but it falls behind in storage capacity and battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.7
7.8
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Dell G15 5520 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
7.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell G15 5520 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
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.
Software Development
7.5
7.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell G15 5520 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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 GP66 Leopard 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 GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell G15 5520 | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.55 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.06" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.74" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 65 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 | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 251 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 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 | 6.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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 GP66 Leopard
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NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Dell G15 5520 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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