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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is more affordable, lighter, and offers better portability and longer battery life, making it well-suited for general use and daily tasks. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider is more expensive, heavier, and has a shorter battery life, but it features more powerful hardware like a high-end processor and top-tier graphics card, which are ideal for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and demanding engineering applications. You sacrifice portability and battery efficiency with the MSI, but gain in computing power and graphics performance, which is crucial for intensive tasks. 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 7i
- 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
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
340.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and superior screen quality with a higher resolution and refresh rate, making it very good for general use, but it is less portable due to its larger size and weight, and it has a shorter battery life compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i. On the other hand, the IdeaPad Slim 7i, while still good for general use with ample CPU performance and RAM for everyday tasks, stands out for its portability and longer battery life but falls short with a lower-resolution screen and lesser storage capacity.
Gaming and AI
6.2
8.6
3.7/10
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 7i is only fair.
The MSI GE66 Raider is better for gaming and 3D applications primarily because it features a high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU, which significantly outperforms the integrated Iris Xe graphics in the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i. Additionally, the Raider has a higher refresh rate display, providing a smoother visual experience, which is very important for gaming and advantageous for fast-paced 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.1
9.1
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good for engineering and design due to its capable CPU and RAM, a quality IPS screen with decent color coverage, and relatively lightweight design, making it more portable. The MSI GE66 Raider, however, is excellent for these tasks because of its top-tier CPU and GPU, doubled RAM, superior display resolution and quality, albeit with a tradeoff in increased weight and reduced battery life.
Content Creation
7.7
8.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i 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
7.5
8.4
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i 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
6.9
8.2
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i offers a clear and bright display with adequate resolution, making it pleasing for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. The MSI GE66 Raider excels in both general use and engineering tasks due to its higher resolution and wider color gamut ensuring sharper images and more accurate color representation, essential for detailed design work. However, both models fall short for 3D applications, as their screens do not have the high refresh rates needed for the smooth rendering of fast-moving graphics.
Battery
11.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 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
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$3,199
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a price of $899 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$899 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2020 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.2'' x 0.59'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.99 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.62" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.2" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1165G7 | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60.7 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 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 | 340 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Ted Needleman
| January 2022
"Among Lenovo's multiple laptop brands, the IdeaPad family is decidedly the one designed for consumers: people who want decent performance at a reasonable price. Consider, then, this laptop a paragon for the pickier members of that crowd. With a 14-inch touch-enabled display, a comfortable keyboard, an Evo-certified Intel Core i7 11th Generation CPU, and the latest Windows 11 operating system, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro ultraportable ($1,199 as tested) is a slick mainstream machine at a bit of a premium price, and quite capable for everyday tasks."
MSI GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
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 7i 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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