If you want a laptop with higher performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI Raider GE66, being more expensive, offers a more powerful graphics card and a higher refresh rate display. However, it's heavier and less portable than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i, which is more affordable and still capable for general use and some engineering tasks with a respectable performance, lighter weight, and higher portability. The Lenovo also provides a taller screen aspect ratio, which might be preferred for productivity tasks. Keep in mind, the MSI's additional investment delivers in terms of overall higher performance compared to the Lenovo. 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
Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE66
Very good for general use
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
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
409.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is equipped with a high-quality screen and a light chassis which enhances its portability and battery life, making it well-suited for general use. Conversely, the MSI Raider GE66, with a more powerful CPU and double the RAM, offers superior performance which, in combination with its top-tier keyboard and heat management, makes it very good for general use despite being heavier and less portable.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
8.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i is good.
The MSI Raider GE66 is preferred for gaming and 3D due to its superior GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, which outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i's Nvidia RTX 4050, and because it features a higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz compared to the IdeaPad Pro 5i's 120Hz, both of which are crucial for smoother visuals and gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
8.9/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 and Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i are both very good for engineering and design, though the MSI Raider GE66 is somewhat better.
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
7.7/10
8.3/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
8.4/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
409.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i excels in general use with its high resolution and brightness, providing users with crisp and vibrant visuals for daily tasks and media consumption. For engineering and design work, it offers good color accuracy, supporting decent coverage of color gamuts, which is essential for professionals needing precise color representation. However, its lower refresh rate impacts its effectiveness for gaming and 3D applications, which rely heavily on smooth motion rendering to provide an immersive experience.
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 Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE66 has 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.
Cost
$950
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has a price of $950 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE66 to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i has 6 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i and the MSI Raider GE66 compare to other laptops
"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."
"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 Pro 5i or the MSI Raider GE66
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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