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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If your priority is performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI Raider GE78 with its higher-end processor and graphics card would be a better fit, but it comes at a higher price and is heavier, which might affect portability. On the other hand, the Dell G15 5520 is a more budget-friendly option that still offers good performance for general use and some engineering tasks, with a lower weight making it easier to carry. The MSI also has a larger screen and better display quality, but it should be noted that both laptops have a similar battery life despite the MSI's larger battery capacity due to its more power-hungry components. Choose the MSI for top-tier power and screen quality at the expense of price and portability, or the Dell for general purpose use and better portability at a more affordable price. 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
- The Dell G15 5520 has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE78.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
251.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Dell G15 5520 is good.
The Dell G15 5520, with decent battery life and keyboard quality, is suitable for general use and benefits from fair portability; however, while the MSI Raider GE78 offers exceptional CPU and RAM performance and a superior screen, its heavier weight and lower portability make it less convenient for frequent travel.
Gaming and AI
7.7
9.5
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Dell G15 5520 is good.
The Dell G15 5520, with its RTX 3060 graphics card and a screen refresh rate of 165Hz, delivers a strong gaming and 3D performance balance. The MSI Raider GE78 stands out for top-tier gaming and 3D tasks with its superior RTX 4090 GPU and higher refresh rate of 240Hz, significantly enhancing visual fluidity and graphical processing power.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Dell G15 5520 is very good.
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design use as it has a higher-end GPU and CPU along with more RAM, which provide superior computing and graphical processing power necessary for demanding tasks, and a higher-resolution screen for sharper images and more workspace. On the other hand, the Dell G15 5520 is very good for such use with a capable but less powerful CPU and GPU, less RAM, and a lower-resolution screen, making it a solid yet less advanced choice compared to the MSI Raider GE78.
Content Creation
7.9
8.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the Dell G15 5520 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
7.5
8.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the Dell G15 5520 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
7.1
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
251.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Dell G15 5520 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Dell G15 5520’s display offers clear visuals and suitable brightness for everyday tasks, while the MSI Raider GE78’s higher resolution enhances detail for crisper images. Both laptops have screens that provide wide color coverage essential for engineering and design work, ensuring colors are represented accurately and consistently. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key, the lower refresh rates on both models may lead to less smooth visuals compared to laptops with faster screens designed for such purposes.
Portability
Fair
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Dell G15 5520 has only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 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
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell G15 5520 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell G15 5520 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Dell G15 5520 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell G15 5520 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.55 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.06" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.74" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 251 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 5.6/10 | |
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 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
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 | 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 Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Dell G15 5520 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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