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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Dell XPS 13 is less expensive, more portable, and offers good performance for general use, but isn't suited for intensive gaming or engineering tasks. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS66 is more expensive and less portable, but it's well-equipped for gaming, machine learning, and engineering due to its powerful hardware, including a high-end graphics card. You'll experience better performance during demanding tasks with the MSI, at the cost of portability and budget. Consider your primary needs: if portability and cost are priorities, the Dell could serve you well for everyday tasks, while the MSI is better for performance-intensive applications. 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 XPS 13
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, is fair for gaming and 3D because it lacks the graphical power and high refresh rates that are crucial for such tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS66 houses a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and boasts a blazing fast 360Hz refresh rate, making it much better suited for the intense graphics processing and smoother visuals required in gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.2
8.2
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell XPS 13 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.
Screen Quality
7.2
8.1
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
442.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen than the Dell XPS 13 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Dell XPS 13, with its high-resolution and bright display, presents crisp and clear visuals for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design, but its lower refresh rate hinders smooth visuals in fast-paced gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Stealth GS66, offering a similar high-quality display with ample brightness and resolution, excels in general use and provides accurate color representation for engineering and design, yet it also falls short in the gaming and 3D arena due to a refresh rate that's lower than what's ideal for such purposes. For both laptops, users engaging in general computing or professional design work will enjoy the visual experience, but gamers and 3D artists will miss out on the fluidity that higher refresh rate screens provide.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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
Excellent
Good
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Dell XPS 13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$850
$1,799
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell XPS 13 has a price of $850 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
442.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 and MSI Stealth GS66 are both good for general use.
The Dell XPS 13 is favored for general use due to its excellent portability and very good battery life, along with a smaller, high-quality screen that enhances its compactness. Meanwhile, the MSI Stealth GS66 also fits general use with its larger screen and high-end CPU and GPU suitable for more demanding tasks, but it compromises on portability and has a shorter battery life due to its powerful hardware.
Content Creation
7.7
7.7
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Dell XPS 13 are both good for content creation.
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
7.5
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 and MSI Stealth GS66 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell XPS 13 and MSI Stealth GS66 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Dell XPS 13 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$850 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.59 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1250U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 442 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | 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 | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Dell XPS 13
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chen | April 2023
"In the past, the XPS 13 was a hands-down contender for the best laptop on the market. But the Apple-silicon MacBook has since barrelled onto the scene, and it wipes the floor with most of the ultraportable Windows laptops that cross my desk on a daily basis. This XPS is no exception. Compared to the M2 MacBook Air, battery life is worse."
MSI Stealth GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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About the laptop team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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