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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is often significantly less expensive than the MSI GP66 Leopard, making it a more budget-friendly option. If battery life and portability are important, the Lenovo has a slightly better battery and weighs less. Both have similar storage and RAM, but the MSI's superior GPU makes it better suited for intensive gaming and 3D/machine learning tasks. Both laptops lack Thunderbolt ports but offer ample USB connectivity. The Lenovo offers a higher screen resolution and aspect ratio, which could enhance productivity and entertainment experiences, while the MSI has a higher refresh rate, favorable for gaming. 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 Pro 5i
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Software Development
7.7
7.2
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for software development, though the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is somewhat better.
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
7.8
7.5
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When choosing between the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, consider that while both have respectable resolution and brightness, the panel type on the Lenovo might yield sharper images and better viewing angles. For engineering and design tasks, both laptops offer good color accuracy, which is crucial for precision work, but the Lenovo might edge out with slightly broader color coverage. However, for gaming and 3D applications, despite both having adequate resolution, neither laptop has a high refresh rate that's critical for smooth motion, making them less ideal for fast-paced, immersive experiences.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$950
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $950 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.5
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
409.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i offers a balance suitable for general use thanks to its high-quality screen, efficient heat management, and considerable battery life for its light weight, making it portable and user-friendly. In contrast, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while less portable due to being heavier, excels in heat management and speaker quality, offering a more robust performance suitable for gaming which can also be advantageous for demanding general-use scenarios.
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.8
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both good for gaming and AI.
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
8.1
7.9
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i stands out for engineering and design use due to its superior CPU and GPU which are central to compute and graphics tasks, along with a high-quality screen that provides better color coverage and resolution, enhancing visual clarity for detailed work. While the MSI GP66 Leopard offers a robust CPU and high-end GPU suitable for engineering tasks, it falls slightly behind in screen resolution and quality, but it maintains a competitive edge with its gaming-friendly hardware, though it is less portable and has a louder operation noise.
Content Creation
7.7
7.4
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and MSI GP66 Leopard are both 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 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.
Build Quality
7.6
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GP66 Leopard to have very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$950 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.75'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.3 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.88" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 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 | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 75 Wh | 65 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 409 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Brandon Hill | January 2024
"Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i represents an impressive opening salvo for Meteor Lake in the ultraportable space against familiar foes from AMD and Apple. Not only does the Core Ultra 5 125H processor provide good performance across the board, but battery life remains a strong point against the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor. It can’t quite match the endurance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but the gap is shrinking."
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 Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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.
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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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