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XPS 15
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GF65 Thin
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What we think

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Updated January 10, 2024·

The Dell XPS 15 offers better battery life, a higher quality keyboard, and superior performance for general use and engineering tasks with its better processor and more RAM. If you prioritize color accuracy for creative work, it provides complete sRGB coverage and better color space coverage overall. However, the MSI GF65 Thin, with its higher refresh rate display and more powerful Nvidia RTX graphics card, is better suited for gaming and some types of 3D work. Considering portability, both laptops are similarly weighted, but the XPS 15 is slightly slimmer. If high-performance gaming or 3D rendering is important to you, consider the MSI GF65 Thin, while the Dell XPS 15 is a better all-rounder with an emphasis on productivity and creative tasks. 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 15
  • Very good for general use
  • Very good for engineering and design
  • Very good for software development
  • Very good for content creation
  • Good overall display quality
  • Very good overall build quality
  • Very 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 XPS 15.

Key differences

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General Use

8.2
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
6.5
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
606.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.

Engineering and Design

8.1
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
6.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.

Content Creation

8.3
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
6.8
9.0/10
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 XPS 15 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.

Software Development

8.1
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
6.3
9.0/10
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 XPS 15 is very good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.

Screen Quality

7.4
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
606.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Dell XPS 15 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.

Battery

10.0 Hours
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
4.5 Hours
The Dell XPS 15 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 hours of battery life.

Build Quality

8.5
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
6.7
The Dell XPS 15 has very good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.

Cost

$1,000
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
$1,100
Product image
Product image

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$1,400

$1,600

$1,800

The Dell XPS 15 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities

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Gaming and AI

6.8
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
6.8
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Dell XPS 15 and MSI GF65 Thin are both only fair for gaming and AI.

Portability

Good
XPS 15
GF65 Thin
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Dell XPS 15 and MSI GF65 Thin both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.

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How the Dell XPS 15 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops

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Spec Comparison

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Dell XPS 15MSI GF65 Thin
Dell XPS 15MSI GF65 Thin

GENERAL

Price
$1,000
$1,100
Release Date
May 1, 2023January 1, 2021
Overall Dimensions
13.6'' x 9.1'' x 0.71''14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85''
Weight
4.21 lbs4.1 lbs
Width
13.57"14.13"
Depth
9.06"9.99"

INTERNAL

Processor
Intel i7-13700HIntel i5-10500H
RAM
16 GB8 GB
DDR Memory Version
54
RAM Slots
22
Storage
512 GB512 GB

BATTERY

Battery Life
10 Hours4.5 Hours
Battery Capacity
86 Wh51 Wh

SCREEN

Diagonal Size
15.6"15.6"
Display Technology
IPSIPS
Resolution
1920 x 12001920 x 1080
Refresh Rate
60Hz144Hz
Display Brightness
606 nits262 nits

RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS

Build Quality Score
8.5/106.8/10
Portability Score
7.8/107.4/10
Gaming Laptop Appearance
NoYes
Premium Business Laptop
NoNo
Fan Noise Score
9.1/106.5/10

HARDWARE FEATURES

Keyboard Quality Score
9/107/10
Speaker Quality Score
10/106.8/10
Webcam
720p720p
Fingerprint Reader
YesNo
Backlit Keyboard
YesYes
Number Pad
NoNo

CONNECTIVITY

USB Type-A
02
USB-C ports
32
USB-C Charging
YesNo
Display Outputs
31
Thunderbolt Version
4N/A

Shopping

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Dell XPS 15

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Dig into reviews and images

PCMag

Matthew Buzzi | May 2023
"The 2023 Dell XPS 15 is more or less exactly what you'd expect from the company flagship. Its fresh components deliver measurably superior power and longevity, while the machine's premium build and design remain intact. It may not be overly exciting, but XPS loyalists and upgraders should be more than happy."

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 XPS 15 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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Why trust us

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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

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Craig Russell

Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.

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