The Dell XPS 13 Plus is best suited for general users who prioritize a balance between performance and portability, with a premium display featuring high resolution and touch capability. Its lighter weight and smaller screen size make it highly portable, with a decent battery life but less suited for intensive gaming or engineering applications where high-end graphics are essential. Conversely, the MSI Raider GE66, with a more powerful graphics card and a larger screen with a higher refresh rate, is better equipped for gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning. While offering higher performance for such tasks, it is significantly heavier and has reduced battery life, making it less portable. Both laptops come at a similar price point and have substantial RAM and storage, but each excels in different use cases. 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
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE66
Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
8.5/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics, offers decent gaming and 3D capabilities on its high-resolution OLED display but is outmatched by the MSI Raider GE66 which houses a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and features a higher screen refresh rate, pivotal for smoother visuals in fast-paced games. While both support gaming, the Raider GE66 is specifically designed for gaming superiority, evident in its superior graphics processing abilities and display designed for gaming responsiveness.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.9/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 and Dell XPS 13 Plus are both very good for engineering and design, though the MSI Raider GE66 is somewhat better.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus stands out in engineering and design use due to its high-quality OLED screen with a dense resolution that enhances visual detail, paired with a capable Intel i7 processor and integrated graphics suitable for less demanding design tasks.
Screen Quality
8.4/10
8.4/10
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the MSI Raider GE66 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the Dell XPS 13 Plus offers a sharp and bright display with vibrant colors, making it suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos. However, for engineering and design, while the XPS has excellent color coverage that professionals need for accurate visual work, the MSI Raider GE66 also ensures very good color fidelity, serving engineers and designers well. For gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth visuals and fast-paced action, making neither ideal for high-end gaming or fast frame rate demands.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 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.
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 Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,849
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a price of $1,849 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and MSI Raider GE66 are both very good for general use.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus excels in general use thanks to its high-resolution OLED screen, lightweight and slim design for superior portability, long battery life, and capable CPU and RAM for multitasking, though it offers less storage than some alternatives.
Content Creation
8.3/10
8.3/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and MSI Raider GE66 are both very 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
8.3/10
8.0/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and MSI Raider GE66 are both very 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
8.5/10
8.5/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus and MSI Raider GE66 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 Raider GE66 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the MSI Raider GE66
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.
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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