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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell Precision 5470 is the choice for you if you need high performance for tasks like engineering, thanks to its powerful processor and professional-grade graphics, as well as if you prefer a laptop made for business use with good overall build quality, superior keyboard, and additional features like facial recognition. However, it comes at a higher price and is less suitable for intensive gaming. The MSI GF65 Thin, on the other hand, is more affordable and offers better performance for gaming due to its high-refresh-rate screen and gaming-capable graphics, but it has a lower battery life and is not as portable due to its marginally larger size and heavier weight. If your priority is general use and gaming at a lower cost, and you can compromise on build quality and battery life, then the MSI could be the better option for you. 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 Precision 5470
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the Dell Precision 5470.
Key differences
General Use
7.7
6.5
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
500.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell Precision 5470 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Precision 5470 is noted for its superior CPU, ample RAM, high-quality screen, and longer battery life, making it more suitable for general use, whereas the MSI GF65 Thin, despite offering more storage and a larger screen, falls short with a less powerful CPU, less RAM, and a shorter battery life, compromising its overall effectiveness for general tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.8
6.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell Precision 5470 is good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Dell Precision 5470 is equipped with an Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU, and a high-resolution 1920 x 1200 IPS screen, making it well-suited for engineering and design due to its balance of high performance and quality display.
Content Creation
7.8
6.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Precision 5470 is good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 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
7.7
6.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Precision 5470 is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 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
7.3
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
500.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Dell Precision 5470 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell Precision 5470 features a panel that offers crisp resolution and high brightness, making it ideal for general use where text readability and image clarity are crucial. Its coverage of professional color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB ensures the accurate color representation needed in engineering and design tasks. However, the lower refresh rate of the Dell makes it less suitable for 3D applications and gaming, where a higher refresh rate is crucial for smooth motion rendering.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Dell Precision 5470 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell Precision 5470 has very good portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
6.7
The Dell Precision 5470 has very good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,669
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Dell Precision 5470 has a price of $1,669 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.8
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GF65 Thin and Dell Precision 5470 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Precision 5470's higher-end GPU is better suited for gaming and 3D applications than the MSI GF65 Thin's GPU, while the latter's faster screen refresh rate enhances smoother gameplay visuals, but may not fully compensate for its less powerful GPU in demanding scenarios.
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How the Dell Precision 5470 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell Precision 5470 | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,669 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.3'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.26 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.27" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 72 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 500 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 4 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell Precision 5470
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Brian Westover | August 2022
"The Dell Precision 5470 is a mobile workstation that's far more portable than most alternatives. Between its slim 14-inch design and top-quality MIL-STD 810H build, it's one of the best options around for taking professional-grade performance on the road or to the job site. There are tradeoffs for its portability, and users of the most demanding, graphics-intensive applications will need to carry something heavier. But the Dell's exceptional battery life underscores its desirability as the most portable workstation we've seen."
MSI GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Dell Precision 5470 or the MSI GF65 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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