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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is a budget-friendly option with decent performance for general use, a good screen for everyday tasks, and a battery life that supports typical usage; it's lightweight, making it easy to carry around. On the other hand, the MSI GE66 Raider is tailored for high performance with more storage and memory, a powerful processor and graphics for 3D rendering, gaming, and engineering tasks, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable and more expensive. If portability and cost are a concern, the Lenovo may be preferable, while for higher performance demands in gaming or professional applications, the MSI would be the better option. 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 Slim 3
- 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
7.0
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider outshines the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 in general use due to its significantly more powerful CPU and GPU, which are very important for performance, alongside a higher amount of RAM and superior screen quality, which include greater resolution and color coverage. Meanwhile, the IdeaPad Slim 3, although not as powerful, offers better portability with its lighter weight and longer battery life, which makes it easier to use on the go, despite having lower storage capacity and screen attributes.
Gaming and AI
5.9
8.6
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 Slim 3 is poor.
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
9.1
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 is only fair.
The MSI GE66 Raider outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 in engineering and design use primarily due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, significantly higher RAM, and superior screen quality, which are vital for intensive tasks and detailed visuals.
Content Creation
7.2
8.4
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 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
8.4
3.6/10
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 Slim 3 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
8.2
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 offers a balance suited for everyday tasks, but its display doesn't shine in color accuracy or brightness, making it less ideal for engineering and mostly inadequate for gaming, where visuals are key. On the other hand, the MSI GE66 Raider has high color accuracy and brightness that benefits users in engineering and design, ensuring that the details and colors are precise and vibrant. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion rendering in fast-paced visuals.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
8.5
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$390
$3,199
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a price of $390 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$390 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.3'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.52 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.15" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.25" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 7330U | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 47 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 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 | 9.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
MSI GE66 Raider
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NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"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 Slim 3 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.
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