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What we think
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Updated March 21, 2024·
If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option that can handle everyday tasks and some gaming, the Dell G15 could be a good choice. However, if you require top-of-the-line performance for demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or high-end gaming, and are willing to invest more money and accept a heavier and less portable device, then the MSI Titan is a powerful machine that can meet those needs, at the expense of being less portable and having a shorter battery life compared to more economical laptops. 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 Titan 18 HX
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
251.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Dell G15 5520 is good.
The Dell G15 5520, with a balance of CPU power, RAM, and decent screen quality, offers reliable performance for everyday tasks, while being easier to carry and providing longer battery life, making it a solid choice for general use. However, the MSI Titan 18 HX, with its superior CPU and RAM alongside a higher-quality screen, excels in handling more demanding applications, but at the expense of greater weight and shorter battery life, posing a tradeoff for those requiring top-tier performance over portability and longer use on a single charge.
Gaming and AI
7.7
9.4
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Dell G15 5520 is good.
The Dell G15 5520, with a solid GPU and respectable screen refresh rate, provides a good gaming experience, while the MSI Titan 18 HX, equipped with a top-tier GPU and an even higher screen refresh rate, offers exceptional performance for serious gamers and 3D professionals. Both laptops have capable CPUs and good screen quality, but the standout GPU and refresh rate of the MSI make it the superior choice for high-end gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Dell G15 5520 is very good.
The Dell G15 5520, with capable CPU, ample RAM, and a decent GPU, offers solid performance and good screen quality for engineering tasks but in a more compact and quieter design, making it easier to carry around and work without much noise. However, the MSI Titan 18 HX outshines with a top-tier CPU and GPU, superior RAM capacity, and exceptional screen quality, which translates to unparalleled performance for the most demanding engineering and design applications, albeit with reduced portability and potentially louder operating noise.
Content Creation
7.9
9.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent 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
8.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
9.2
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
251.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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 MSI Titan 18 HX surpasses the Dell G15 5520 thanks to its higher resolution and brighter display, which enhances viewing experiences like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming. When it comes to engineering and design tasks that demand accurate color representation, the MSI's broader color gamuts ensure that it provides a more precise and vibrant visual workspace. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications where high refresh rates are crucial; despite their quality displays in other aspects, they lack the quick screen refresh capabilities that can greatly benefit fast-paced visuals and smoother motion in these scenarios.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Dell G15 5520 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 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
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Dell G15 5520 has only fair portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
$4,949
$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 Titan 18 HX costs $4,949.
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How the Dell G15 5520 and the MSI Titan 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell G15 5520 | MSI Titan 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $4,949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.55 lbs | 7.93 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.06" | 15.9" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.74" | 12.08" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 128 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 4096 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 251 nits | 401 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 5.1/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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 Titan 18 HX
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | January 2024
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Dell G15 5520 or the MSI Titan 18 HX
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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