The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is a budget-friendly option with moderate performance suitable for general use, light productivity tasks, and it's quite portable due to its lighter weight and smaller screen size, making it a good option for users who are on-the-go. On the other hand, the MSI GE66 Raider is more expensive but comes with significantly higher performance capabilities, including a more powerful processor and graphics card, making it better for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. It also has a larger and more vibrant screen, but this, combined with its higher specs, means that it's heavier and has shorter battery life, so it's less portable than the IdeaPad. Consider the MSI if you need high performance for gaming or professional work, and the Lenovo for everyday tasks and better portability. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" offers a lower processing power and amount of RAM compared to the MSI GE66 Raider, which affects its performance for demanding tasks. In contrast, the GE66 Raider's high-resolution screen and superior GPU accommodate intensive applications and media content more effectively, but this comes with the tradeoff of being less portable and having a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
8.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
9.1/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers superior performance for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, much higher RAM capacity, and top-tier GPU, along with a high-resolution display that exceeds in both color accuracy and contrast. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 falls short in these areas with a less capable processor, less RAM, a lower-tier integrated GPU, and a standard resolution display, making it only fair for engineering tasks; however, it is lighter and more portable than the MSI GE66 Raider.
Content Creation
7.1/10
8.4/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
7.1/10
8.4/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
6.4/10
8.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's screen may not provide the sharpest details or the most vivid colors due to its fair resolution and brightness, which are fine for web browsing and document editing but fall short for more color-critical tasks or immersive gaming experiences. On the other hand, the MSI GE66 Raider's high-quality display offers better resolution and brightness, making it suitable for detailed engineering work and design where color accuracy is crucial. However, despite the MSI's strengths, its lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming laptops means it won't deliver the ultra-smooth visuals avid gamers seek in fast-paced games.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has very good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
8.5/10
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$490
$3,199
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $490 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
"The low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" or the MSI GE66 Raider
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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