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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a lightweight and compact design with a high-resolution touchscreen and longer battery life for general use, the Dell XPS 13 Plus is preferable, but it comes at a higher price. Alternatively, if you need superior graphics performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning tasks, the MSI GP66 Leopard provides a powerful dedicated GPU and a high refresh rate display, though it has shorter battery life and is heavier, making it less portable. Both laptops offer high-quality builds and keyboards, but the MSI's hardware is more gaming-focused with features like RGB keyboard lighting and ray tracing capabilities. 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 Plus
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.5
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
374.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus stands out for general use due to its higher-resolution OLED screen, lighter weight, and longer battery life, making it ideal for portability without sacrificing performance with its powerful Intel i7 CPU and ample RAM. The MSI GP66 Leopard, while also capable in its performance with a robust Intel i7 CPU and dedicated graphics, is bulkier and has a shorter battery life, but offers a larger screen and is better suited for tasks that require more intense graphics processing, such as gaming or 3D applications.
Gaming and AI
6.4
7.8
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is apt for gaming and 3D applications due to its Intel Iris Xe graphics and OLED screen, although its lower refresh rate may not be as smooth for gaming as higher refresh options. On the other hand, the MSI GP66 Leopard comes with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a higher refresh rate screen, offering superior performance and fluid visuals for gaming and 3D tasks.
Content Creation
8.3
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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
8.3
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for software development, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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
8.4
7.5
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus likely offers high resolution and brightness, important for vivid displays and readability across various lighting conditions, making it excellent for general use and detailed engineering tasks where color precision is critical, but it might have a lower refresh rate, which hampers performance for gaming and 3D applications. The MSI GP66 Leopard probably boasts adequate resolution and panel quality suitable for both everyday tasks and technical applications where accurate colors are needed, yet its screen may not support the high refresh rates desired for smooth motion in gaming and 3D rendering. Both laptops may fall short for gaming and 3D purposes specifically because they do not prioritize refresh rates as gaming-specific models would.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 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.
Portability
Excellent
Fair
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,849
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a price of $1,849 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.9
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell XPS 13 Plus to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus offers better performance for engineering and design due to its higher RAM and superior OLED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, which is crucial for detailed work, whereas the MSI GP66 Leopard, while having a more powerful GPU suitable for intensive tasks, offers a larger screen and a dedicated numeric keypad but falls short on screen quality and portability compared to the Dell. Additionally, the Dell has a quieter operating noise and better build quality, making it more comfortable for prolonged use in professional settings, while the MSI trades some noise and weight for enhanced heat management and raw graphical performance.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and MSI GP66 Leopard 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 Plus and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,849 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.71 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.84" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1280P | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 55 Wh | 65 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 374 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.2/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell XPS 13 Plus
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The XPS 13 Plus is powerful, but has its drawbacks. Dell did not only update the processor generation, but also decided to offer two completely different models from now on. The XPS 13 Plus gets the faster Intel Alder Lake-P chips, and the Core i7-1260P in our review unit offers good performance figures. However, the device once again shows the problems of the current Intel CPUs, because the high performance requires a lot of power. This affects the battery runtime as well as temperatures, so the new model (even with the Optimized power profile) is louder than the older model."
MSI GP66 Leopard
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Dig into reviews and images
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 XPS 13 Plus 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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