The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is much less expensive and offers sufficient capabilities for everyday use and moderate multitasking, with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and integrated Vega graphics. This laptop is more budget-friendly, easy to carry around due to its lighter weight and also provides a decent screen size and resolution for typical tasks. Conversely, the MSI Stealth GS66 comes at a premium cost and is designed for high-performance needs such as intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning work, with a more powerful Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX graphics, but it is heavier and thus less portable. 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 Stealth GS66
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.9/10
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
313.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" offers a moderate level of performance with its AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and 8 GB of RAM, complemented by a fair quality keyboard and adequate battery life, which is suitable for basic tasks but may struggle with more demanding applications.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The MSI Stealth GS66 outpaces the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" in gaming and 3D applications largely due to its substantially more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics processor and a screen with a much higher refresh rate of 360 compared to the IdeaPad's 60, which is critical for smoother gameplay and more intense graphic work. While both laptops have IPS displays for good screen quality, the better GPU and refresh rate significantly enhance the visual experience and performance in demanding tasks on the MSI Stealth GS66.
Engineering and Design
6.1/10
8.2/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
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.
Content Creation
7.1/10
7.7/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for content creation, though the MSI Stealth GS66 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
8.1/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
313.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3's display provides adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, but the MSI Stealth GS66 offers higher resolution and brightness, enhancing the viewing experience. The MSI's display also excels in color accuracy with wider color gamuts, which is crucial for engineering and design where precise color representation is needed, whereas the Lenovo's narrower gamuts are serviceable but not ideal for professional color work. However, for 3D applications and gaming, the MSI's lower refresh rate doesn't match the smooth visuals required by fast-paced content, though it still offers a better overall picture quality compared to the Lenovo, which furthermore lacks sufficient refresh rate and resolution for optimal gaming and 3D rendering performance.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$1,718
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has a price of $490 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,718.
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
"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 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" or the MSI Stealth GS66
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
100,995
Recommendations made
21,883
Consumer hours saved
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.